BURNING OF 3,780 SHEEP.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 52, 26 June 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

BURNING OF 3,780 SHEEP.

(From the Pastoral Times, May 2.) Early in February last, a flock of about 4,000 mixed sheep, the property of Mr. Eiddell,'passed through Swan Hill and thence down the Victorian side of tho Murray river,-causing much' fear and amongst all owners of sheep in this dia->, trict in consequence of its being known that they came from a locality notorious for tho prevalence of scab—viz., the Ballarat district, and that they had passed through scabby runs; however, no disease having been detected when every facility was given by the owner of the sheep for its discovery at Swan Hill, their progress could not be stopped, and on they came, the fears of the residents in this district not being in the least degree allayed by the non-detection of scab, as all felt convinced that sooner or later it would make its appearance, and the sequel has too fully justified their apprehensions. Several advised Mr. Eiddell to return sheep, but although the great danger he incurred was pointed out to him by those who would probably bo joint sufferers, he seemed, whilst listening to their advice, perfectly satisfied that their alarm was groundless, and continued on his way 'to the. l)ailing Eiver, upon which he stated he was in hopes of securing some country in the neighbourhood of the far-famed Menindie. In consequence of fresh information or rumours, Mr. Jones, the.inspector of scab for. this district, overtook and examined the sheep on Bumbang Station, eighty miles below Swan Hill, .on the 14th and 15th April, and then saw enough to justify him in applying for a warrant to enable him to detain and thoroughly inspect them, though in consequence of Mr. Eiddell personally offering every assistance-as before for their inspection, it was merely a necessary matter of form. On the 17th, in the presence of C. Pasco, Esq., P.M., of Swan Hill; Mr. Jones. Mr. Stalley (inspector of scab, Deniliquin, New South Wales), and of several residents from the neighbouring stations, they were again inspected, and the scab—the dreaded scab—was only too plainly visible to all, including Mr. Eiddell, who remarked, “Now it is certain they are scabby ; I trust no one but myself is injured, and the sooner they are burnt, and all further danger prevented, the better.” A warrant for their destruction was then issued by Mr. Pasco, and the sheep were given into the charge of Mr. Murray, senior mounted trooper of Narung Police Station, and preparations were at once made for the execution of the warrant, though, from the loteness of the hour, little could be done till the following day, early in the forenoon of wliich all the strength of the neighbourhood collected to aid in the necessary work of destruction. It was decided to make a large yard, in which to enclose and kill the sheep, then to burn them, though the policy of killing so large a number at once seemed very questionable to some, who foresaw the difficulty that would arise from so many dead bodies heaped together, more especially if the weather, which then seemed unsettled, should turn wet. Nineteen willing hands soon had a yard constructed, and at half-past twelve bn the 18th the “massacre of the innocents” commenced, and in three horn’s was completed. Before the expiration of this time six additional- assistants from the adjoining station had arrived, and were aiding in the slaughter, which was a fearful sight, and one not to be forgotten. There was much trouble attending the destruction of the last score or two, and not a little risk of escapes, in consequence of their not being enclosed in a smaller and securer yard. They broke out repeatedly, and at last it became an impossibility to get them near the scene of blood ; however, by means of horses, a gun, much running, and ultimately surrounding them, each choosing and catching his victim or victims, they were all destroyed. The next thing to be done was to burn them. Very fortunately, a better place for firewood could, hardly have been Selected had their been a choice, many tons of dead wood lying in a half circle round the sheep, but unfortunately to windward of them, therefore they all had to be moved or placed on the wood heaps before the fires could bo lighted, which caused double work. When the sheep were killed, a few of the neighbors left, the others remaining till dusk, by which time about 400 were piled ready for burning, and night coming on, stopped any further proceedings. The next morning by sunrise the work was resumed by fifteen hands, and during the day these were joined by six others who stayed till sunset, giving valuable assistance. At this time there were about a thousand still to move, and next to fling upon the fires, which had been partially lighted at half-past 12 p.m. None but an eye-witness could imagine the horror of the work; at times it was too much for any one save blacks to bear ; these rather outnumbered the whites, and were not quite so sensitive to the offensiveness of the odor which any one can imagine was caused by so many heaps of fast-pu-trifying carcases. Fortunately the weather continued dry, or the slaughter-yard would have unapproachable. At ten minutes past one, a.m. the last of 3,780 sheep was thrown on the binning heaps. I could not help regretting the absence of a clever sketcher or photographer, during a short pause about midnight for the purpose of allowing the fires to gain strength. We were all —blacks and _ whites —rather difficult to distinguish one from another—seated on a log, with the fires stretching in a half-circle for 200 yards before us; every now and then a lurid flame would burst through tho dense curling cloud of smoke, lighting up the hidiousness of the scene, rendering it more hidious. In one place, a limb of a huge tree stretched for many yards over the mangled heaps, at a height of some ten or twelve feet, looking, through the thick smoke, like some frightful monster gloating over tho tvovlc of destruction* X could not holn reflecting, “ What would they think of this in England ?” A similar scene few ever can witness, and none can desire a repetition of.