Aborigines of Van Diemen's Land, 1830-1840 - Page 172
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 172]
many people were killed by the natives but recollect neither names nor particulars.
On the 18th June 1824 my neighbour Matthew Osborne was killed and his wife dreadfully wounded by the natives. The particulars were told me by Mrs Osborne. She said Osborne had given them bread and potatoes - that Osborne held his gun in his hand upon which one of the blacks said to him "White man lay down gun Black man lay down spear". That upon this Osborne laid his gun on the ground and the blacks did the same by their spears, and then they gathered round Osborne and wife shaking hands and professing friendship; that one of them took off Osborne's hat and put it on his own head and on the heads of the other natives, in token of friendship. While this ceremony was performing a Native who had a Waddy concealed behind his back, struck Osborne a violent blow on the head and knocked him down, when the other blacks fell upon him with their waddies and spears and despatched him, leaving also his wife for dead.
They then robbed the Hut. I do not