themselves in danger, and their hunting grounds occupied by the intruders into their country, determined to attempt to expel them. For this purpose they set fire to houses, and speared persons at unawares, until there were few families in the Island, who had not sustained some injury, or lost some member by them: the woody nature of the country afforded them ready concealment in thus carrying forward their attacks.
About 1828, a part of the Colony, was declared to be under martial law, as regarded the Aborigines, and about two years after, a military expedition was undertaken, with the intention of driving all those in the south-east part of the island, to Tasmans Peninsula. This project, which a better knowledge of the country and the people, proved a most absurd one, happily ended in no greater evil than the expenditure of a considerable sum of money, and the sojourn of a large proportion of the male, white inhabitants, for a few weeks, in "the bush," with little or no loss of life on either side. A "cordon" was formed across the country, but it was found impossible to keep the people in a line among the rocks, ravines and thickets, with which the island abounds, and the Aborigines stole through the ranks in the night, and escaped safely into the rear of their pursuers.
At length George Augustus Robinson, a benevolent individual, professing to be actuated by a sense of religious duty, offered to go into the woods, attended only by a few of the native Blacks, who had become domesticated, and had lived with him for a time on Bruny Island, and from whom he had acquired some knowledge of their language, and to endeavour to conciliate the Aborigines, and to persuade them to give themselves up to the protection of the Government, on condition of being well provided for, on an island in Bass's Straits. This project was considered by most, as one of madness, but it met the patronage of the Lieutenant Governor, and the Senior Colonial Chaplain, as well as of a few others, and Robinson set forth on his mission of mercy, and succeeded in his object. He was sometimes exposed to considerable danger, and had difficulty in obtaining interviews with the alarmed natives; but in order to
