Page 32575992

• ◇Robinson▲aboriginal contextline 69

  "Passengers to Sydney by ""Governor Blackall"" :- Sonnichsen, Chalon, Wright, Good, Forster, Coyle, Bardon, Schwelfling, / Konig, Fox, King, Robinson, Siddle, Haydon, Phillips, Ingham, Crommelin, Dicksman, Powell, Misdell, Smith, Nilson, / Sullivan, Finnie, Lane, Pegus, Le Fin, Hocraft, Barclay, Grey, Broadbent, Arps, Maag, and Wallen."

• ◇Davis/Davies▲aboriginal contextline 73

  and Coot. / Killed by blacks :- Davis, Stratham, Parnell, Polin, O'Malley, Hardy, Williams, Dalgleish, Thompson, Heakman, / Hooker, Rowe, Solomon, and Angel.

5 [centred]
[Annexure No. 2.] [centred]
A DESCRIPTION of the bodies found by the "Governor Blackall," supposed to have come on shore on the second raft.
Corpse A was that of a young man about middle height, hair medium brown, two double teeth were wanting on the
right side of the lower jaw, and one on the left side. One incisor on the left upper jaw decayed ; the body was a perfect skeleton,
although probably not dead a fortnight. The poor fellow had evidently landed from the raft much exhausted, and crawled a
little way along the beach looking for food. His remains were found about a quarter of a mile north of the raft, lying out of
reach of the sea, with a sailor's monkey jacket doubled up under his head for a pillow, and from sleep he seems to have passed
calmly into death. A black and yellow striped shirt, tweed trousers, and a pair of coarse cotton socks, were taken off the
skeleton for identification by friends. Most of the surviving shipmates are of the opinion that this is the remains of Hooker or
Hardy.
Corpse B. - That of a tall man, but the body was beyond identification, being divided into three separate parts, and
washing about in the seaweed. The head or skull and one arm adhering together. Legs separated at the lower vertebrae of
the spine forming another portion, and the trunk by itself.
Corpse C. - A tall man with brown beard ; nothing but the bones left. From the fact that the bones of the arms were
missing, it was surmised that part of him had been eaten. Head smashed in by blows of a stone or club.
Corpse D. - A man of middle height, with good teeth, skull small and well formed, whiskers red ; the body was perfectly
naked, except a small piece of tweed trouser tied round the foot by a piece of shoe-leather to protect it from the sharp jagged
rocks, along which he was travelling south ; the whole of the right side of the head was smashed in by a large stone which was
found lying close to the body. It would seem from the posture of the body that he had been suddenly alarmed by the blacks,
and while endeavouring to get into the bush for shelter, had received his death blow whilst clambering up a little rocky gorge,
as the appearance and position of the limbs are those of a person in the act of climbing. The corpse was well kept, and could not have lain there more than five or six days. It is undoubtedly that of poor Parnell.
Corpse E. - A tall man with a long brown beard. Body perfectly naked, the whole of the front part of the face
completely broken in beyond identification. Supposed by the beard to be Rowe or Thompson. A pair of nearly new colonial-
made blucher boots were found near the body.
Corpse F was Williams, discovered by H.M.S. "Basilisk" : murdered by blows from a wooden sword ; the whole of the
back of his head having been dashed to pieces.
Corpses G and H. - Found on the beach on the south side of a stream 25 miles from Cardwell. The poor fellows
seem to have reached so far in safety, and were barbarously murdered just after swimming one of the numerous small rivers
running through the beach into the sea ; in both cases the front of the face was dashed in, as if from the blow of a stone or
club. These bodies are supposed to be those of Polin and O'Mally, and had apparently been killed only about eight or
nine days.
Corpse I. - Found further south than the two last ; was murdered in the same brutal manner. The body could not be
recognized.
In addition to these, the burnt bones of what are supposed to have been the Captain and his two men were found in a
large native camp near Tam O'Shanter Point.
A quantity of wearing apparel, seized in the blacks' camp, and taken off the bodies of the corpses found, are under
charge of Sergeant Little of the Water Police, and may be seen by friends wishing to identify the bodies.
All the corpses, from A to F, were found between Shoal Rivulet and Shoal River, at intervals of distance of from half
to one mile apart, lying on the sandy beaches or rugged rocks fringing the coast line ; and it would appear they were making
their way south separately, when they were overtaken or surprised by the blacks ; so that there seems to have been a want of
unanimity of purpose and action amongst those poor fellows as to their proceedings.
The remaining bodies - G, H, and I - were found ten and twelve miles further south, or about twenty-five miles from
Cardwell, having only escaped the fate of their companions from the tribe north of Double Point, to fall under the murderous
blows of the same savages who killed and burnt the Captain and his men near Tam O'Shanter Point.
------------------------- [centred]
[Annexure No. 3.] [centred]
Sub-Inspector Johnstone to Captain Gowlland. [centred]
[right of page]
Ship "Governor Blackall,"
22 March, 1872.
Sir,
I have the honor to report, for the information of Captain Gowlland, that according to instructions, I, with the
assistance of the detachment of Native Police under my command, have carefully searched the country extending from
Cardwell northwards to Cooper's Point, and am thoroughly convinced that there are no traces of any white men living either
on the coast or inland ; and, from facts of having found the bodies of the missing men except two, all brutally murdered by the
blacks, there does not exist the slightest doubt that the two men now missing are either drowned off the raft or murdered by
blacks. I have also to state that I have severely punished the guilty parties, having found the property of the murdered men
in their possession.
I have also to state that any further instructions you may wish me to carry out, I place myself and detachment entirely
under your orders.
I have, &c [etc.].,
ROBERT JOHNSTONE,
Sub-inspector of Police.
--------------------------- [centred]
[Annexure No. 4.] [centred]
LIST of Crew of Maria on leaving Sydney, showing the numbers rescued, murdered, and drowned :-
Passengers to Sydney by "Governor Blackall" :- Sonnichsen, Chalon, Wright, Good, Forster, Coyle, Bardon, Schwelfling,
Konig, Fox, King, Robinson, Siddle, Haydon, Phillips, Ingham, Crommelin, Dicksman, Powell, Misdell, Smith, Nilson,
Sullivan, Finnie, Lane, Pegus, Le Fin, Hocraft, Barclay, Grey, Broadbent, Arps, Maag, and Wallen.
Drowned on wreck :- Andrew, Repran, Crout, Crook, Shewell, Bolton, Zimmerman, Coburn, Arkley, Stewart, Weeham,
and Coot.
Killed by blacks :- Davis, Stratham, Parnell, Polin, O'Malley, Hardy, Williams, Dalgleish, Thompson, Heakman,
Hooker, Rowe, Solomon, and Angel.
Drowned off rafts and otherwise :- Morris, Sanderson, Tanner, Hazlebrook, Trenchard, Grant, Taylor, Anderson,
Roden.
Left at Cardwell :- Hess, Goble, Ramsay, Tate.
Left Cardwell for Sydney : - Hargrave and Hyman.
------------------------------ [centred]
[Annexure No. 5.] [centred]
LIST of articles found near and upon bodies lying murdered on the shore between Point Cooper and Tam O'Shanter Point,
and also in blacks' camps :-
one pair of stout blucher boots, with large-headed nails on soles, and iron heels, not much worn ; one leather sheath
for belt-knife ; two portions (small) of dark small-stripe tweed trowsers [trousers], one portion - evidently a part of waistband - found
near one body lying on the shore a little to the north of the Shoal Haven River.
Corpse E. - One pair of blucher boots, pegged and strong, little worn and apparently colonial made - a leather boot-tie still
remaining in one ; one portion of waist of trowsers [trousers], light material, and light drab spotty-looking colour ; brass buttons, stamped
"Exton, Sydney" ; one portion of heavy doeskin trowsers [trousers], dark dull red or chocolate colour, double stripe pattern - the frag-
ment