Aborigines of Van Diemen's Land, 1830-1840 - Page 259
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[Page 259]
"over the day, an evil spirit or demon making his appearance in the night. This deity they believe to be the giver of every thing that is good; nor do they appear to acknowledge any more than one God". This is altogether erroneous, the Aborigines of Van Dieman's Land had never any notions of a Supreme benevolent Being, but a great dread of a malevolent power, as I have before stated. They say that when it is daylight they have no fear of the "Devil" - he only annoys and torments them at dark. * Here insert page marked BB
It is asserted in Mr Evan's book that the natives of Van Dieman's Land maintain the most rancorous and inflexible hatred and hostility towards Colonists. When speaking of the "platoon fire" at Restdown, already mentioned by me, Mr Evans accounts this rash [indecipherable] to be the primary cause of such hatred. He says "this happened at the first formation of the colony, when Lieutenant Governor Bowen, having left Risdon, on a tour through the island, to ascertain the spots most eligible for granting allotments of land to the settlers, the command devolved on an officer of the New South Wales Corps. Towards noon on the following day a considerable number of the natives were seen descending from the neighbouring hills: as they approached they were distinctly heard to sing each man having in his hand a green bough, a well known emblem of peace among savage tribes. Either their signal of amity was not well understood, or the numbers too great to be trusted : it is otherwise impossible to conceive that a British Officer would have had recourse to so hard and cruel a measure". The havoc made among