THE BLACKS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 284, 1 December 1874, Page 4

THE BLACKS.

It was at Pine Greek that they made a reconnaissance in force recently, and commenced spearing horses in every direction, until they were right in the midst of the tentß, where at least eight horses were seen to fall by their hands. .The blacks were supposed lo Dumber no less than 200 or 300, and on more ibac one occasion men in search of horses were encountered by them, and compelled to ran for their lives. Thiogs began to look serious, and diggers were naturally apprehensive that at any moment a regular raid might be made on the camp. At last, when it was known beyond the shadow of a doubt that at least fifty horses bad been speared, it was resolved to put a stop to this wholesale massacre if possible. With this object twenty-two diggers, well armed, mastered one evening, and proceeded up the creek in quest of the the blackfellows' camp. After travelling nearly all night, their fires were at last sighted, and the avengers, dividing into two parties, and posting themselves conveniently for the work of dispersion, waited patiently for the dawn. When at last day broke, something like 200 blacks were seen squatting about the fires. The white men soon made their presence known, and in a moment the yelling of the biacke, thus taken by surprise, was horrible. . . . They did not show fight, but ran right in the direction where the second party, who bad not yet Bhown themselves, were posted. ... In the camp were found the skeletons of fourteen horses, the flesh of which had been eaten, and the bones cleared artistically. There were also two or three broken guoe, miners' dishes and other tools, Crimean shirts, and heaps of other articles taken from murdered white men, or stolen from diggers' tents. There were alao about twenty n/at coffins full of human bones, which they at first attempted to take with them, but gave up the attempt very quickly. The exclamation, "b whitefellow," was frequently used amongst the blacks when running away; and it is thought very probable, that Dumnreeq's black troopers, four or five of whom bolted some time

ago, were rmongst them, and directing their movements. JUSTICE NOT TO BE HAD A mao named Jnmea Reyuol.ls, a carrier, who came in from Qukey Cret k to swear an information aud obtain warrants for the arrest of a man named Freeman aud his wife, for making him turn out the contents of his pockets — the man holding a loaded revolver to l»ia head and the woman threatening him with n tumbler — was told by the enb-eommissioner and justice of the peace that the authority to take sworn informations and issue warrants had been taken from him; <hat the litigants ! in the small debt rases, who were all from OAey Creek, 24 miles away, and the person who had been stuck up, as described, most goto Palmerville, some 30 or 40 miles furiher ! Is it any ! wonder that in some cases plaintiffs j foiled to appear, or that in others defendants allowed judgment to goby defuu't, or tbat the man who had just escaped from the loaded eix-shooter should fcxclairr, "Well, this is miserable! to have to travel 240 miles to bring these villains to justice !" It is no wonder that we hear every day of gold robberifcp, ca3es of sticking up on the high road, horse-stealing and horsesweating, and lynch law manifestations, for not ODe man in a hundred would go to the trouble and expense of a prosecution, whatever might be the nature of the crime, however well he might know the criminal, /.ml however conclusive the evidence. It tnkes a Email fortune to stand if. The prosecutor would have to run the jjaunlef, too, through a country teeming with hostile blacks, for a distance of sixty miles or so, God knows how many times ; and, in ihe event of a committal, on attendance at Townsville or Rockhampion wnulJ lose to him the result of three months' work, and entail any amount of heavy expenses.