Aborigines of Van Diemen's Land, 1830-1840 - Page 231
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 231]
subsisted entirely on shellfish. The youngest women of them had scarcely any teeth in their heads, they were destroyed by the change from cold to heat. The women had to dive, even in the coldest day for shell fish and these being roasted and eaten very hot had an affect on the teeth, - which were and producing a sort of cancer.
Among the men was a very old man, but active, with his hair as white as a bone snow. He had grandsons grown up to manhood.
The mission succeeded in capturing ten Blacks at Rocky point, much of the same description as those taken at Port Davy. Sixteen more were taken at Birch's rocks, and thirty seven at Sandy Cape, all in 1832.
It would appears that in 1832 this year, a Serjeant White, was left in charge of the depot at Great Island, who sent a reported to headquarters that the captured Aborigines on the island had formed a plan to massacre the white inhabitants, and to take away the boat but that some of the women disclosed the plan affair. It was had been positively ordered by the Lieutenant Governor that no restraint should be placed on the Blacks save keeping them on the island, but White disregarded the order and sent distributed fifteen of them on some rocks in the Straits, leaving them without wood, water or provisions, When McGeary came to Great Island he remonstrated with White, and himself with Captain Bateman of the Tamar; Captain Jackson of the Charlotte,