the blackfellows it was elicited that the white woman had gone with her tribe to fish at a portion of the coast they had passed on the previous day. In the evening Trooper Connolly happened to stray a short distance from the encampment, when he found a black man asleep in the scrub, whom he secured and brought to their quarters. The black boy entered into conversation with him, and learned that he had seen the white woman the day before, in the very place where they were then encamped. On the following morning the party and their prisoners were again on the water, retracing a portion of their course of the former day. On a tree close by they noticed a letter E freshly and roughly cut as if by a shell. Sergeant Windridge and one of his men then crossed an adjoining neck of land, and returned in about an hour with intelligence that the blacks were settled at some distance. Having travelled along the sea-side for a distance of fourteen miles, they met a tribe of about one hundred blacks proceeding in the direction of the lakes. The moment the latter saw the small band approaching, and knowing the relative numbers presented such a disproportion, they instantly wheeled round, resolved to give battle. A shower of spears was the act of a moment, one of which penetrated Walsh's shirt and grazed his chest. The mAn whose spear had been attended with such an almost fatal effect was shot in the shoulder, but not killed. After some further skirmishing, in which other blacks were wounded, the latter retreated, leaving ten wome and as many children "prisoners of war." Amongst these the black boy recognized his sister, and learned that his mother was one of the persons who succeeded in escaping. He also ascertained from her that the white woman was at the time within one half-hour's journey of them; that there was a considerable number of blacks accompanying her, and that those who had just shown battle had been despatched to reconnoitre. The party then resolved to persevere, but the black police positively refused to stir an inch further, as they had no provisions. The chase was therefore reluctantly abandoned, and at a time when its object was near its consummation. They consequently returned, bringing with them the three prisoners, and also the black boy and his sister, both of whom stayed for a time at the black police station, Green Hills. One of the prisoners died in a few days after.
The ill-success of the expedition was supposed to be attributable to two circumstances—the want of some persons invested with supreme control in leading the party—whence originated several bickerings between Mr. Walsh and Sergeant Windridge—and the inadequate manner in which it had been equipped.
THe Private Expedition.
The Committee lost little time in bringing their preparations to a conclusion; the members of the party were soon selected, equipped and provisioned, as it was estimated for three months. It consisted of five white and ten black men, whilst the leadership was entrusted to Mr. C. J. De Villiers, an ex-mounted police officer, and of reputed experience in bushmanship. The second in command was Mr. James Warman, but why he should have been chosen was a mystery. Though he possessed a certain sea-faring knowledge, and might make a good commissariat subordinate, he was about the last man in Melbourne to be booked on such an undertaking, literally a "forlorn hope," which could only be fulfilled by some extraordinary stroke of good luck, or dashing act of bravery or strategy, little short of the miraculous. The proprietary of the "Shamrock," the favourite steamer plying between Melbourne and Sydney, remitted half the transit fare for the men, who with their whale-boats and other conveniences were dropped near Rabbit Island. On arriving in Gippsland they had a kindly reception from the few settlers scattered about, some of whom even volunteered to accompany them. The first intelligence received from the party was a letter from Mr. Warman (30th October, 1846) addressed from Emu Flats, to the Chairman of the Melbourne Committee. It stated that the searchers had found a supposed relic of white shipwrecked people. It was the butt of a cherry tree on which were carved the initials "H.B.," and the rude figure of a ship's cutter. The tree trunk was met with uprooted in some ranges, twelve miles from Tarraville, and was forwarded to Melbourne for inspection by the curious. In addition to Warman's marks, the block showed BRIT cut immediately under a carved figure of something like a sloop, and other letters nearly
