Aborigines of Van Diemen's Land, 1830-1840 - Page 229
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[Page 229]
After arriving at Bothwell, where the Aborigines remained one night, they set about hunting the following day and scoured the country from the Den Hill to the Cross marsh for game. They might have gone away if they had been so inclined, - but the confidence so placed in them made that confidence mutual. On their arrival at Hobart Town, they were treated by Sir George Arthur with great kindness, with his own hands he distributed bread among them, giving each a loaf, and presented them with trinkets and ribbands. A large door was provided, for the Blacks to make their spear exercise at etc At the distance of namely about, seventeen sixty or seventy yards they sent their spears through the door, and all the spears nearly in the same place. [indecipherable] placed a crawfish on the top of a spear, then retreated sixty yards, and at that distance lodged two spears out of three into the crawfish.
Monpilliata humorously observed that when the Aborigines left any place to go a hunting elsewhere; and when they returned in the course of eight days, they found a hut erected. If they came to look for flour, they were resisted with a loaded gun.
The next tribe which surrendered in 1832 in was that of Port Davy, consisting of twenty - six, chiefly men. The men were made a fine appearance, few of them standing less than six feet high. This tribe was very civil towards the whites, and had never been known to assail the settlers or their servants. They