Extracts. THE CAPTIVE WHITE WOMAN.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 123, 4 August 1847, Page 3

Extracts. THE CAPTIVE WHITE WOMAN.

By the arrival of a portion of the Government Expedition despatched some months ago to endeavour to rescue the unfortunate female now positively ascertained to be lingering out a wretched existence in savage captivity in Gipps Land, we are enabled to resume our nanative from the Herald of the 6th May, by giving a brief account of the opetations of the expedition, the cause of its being disbanded, and the opinions of those most competent to deleimine upon the existence or not, of the ill-fated object of their search. Our last detail left the party, after the capture of Bungelene, prosecuting their task upon and about the lakes ; and intelligence being brought to them of the while woman or " Lundicau" being in a distant part of the mountain ranges in the custody of a savage named Dragangart, brother to Bungelene, they resolved upon starting thither. Accordingly they started for a remote portion of the mountains beyond the Snowy River, in a different direction to that traversed by Mr. De Villiers and his party, and far more inaccessible. Each man was obliged to carry his own rations, as it was a perfect impossibility to avail themselves of the assistance of a pack horse. The hardship wai consequently very severe, and for seventeen days did they prosecute their arduous search, each man having to subsist upon 19lbs of flour and no meat. They were also destitute of tents or any sort of heavy covering, and passed their nights in mia mias, though the w eather was extremely cold. During tlmtime, Bungelene accompanied them, as also two aboriginal boys. At times he ' appeared rather communicative— then surly? one time confessing to his possession of the white woman, offering to exchange her for several articles whirl) had been promised to him : he would then alter his tone, but his line of conduct was matked with much duplicity. In their progress through the Mountains, they passed several' camps which had been deseited by the blacks, ail of which, it was remarked, Bungelene exhibited a singular readiness in pointing out and' explaining the purposes and particulars connected with them. But one morning they approached one, and the moment they came in sight of it, Bungelene's manner appeared to undergo a considerable alteration, and a marked silence followed— in fact, so remarkable, that every member of the party obsei ved it. This formed a topic of conversation with them : but on entering it, and instituting the usual examination of the locality, one of the aboriginal boys informed them that some two or three months previous, Bungelene had the while woman there bound with ropes to a huge log of wood, a portion ©f which was burned. The boy also pointed out some pieces of rope made of grass which were tied round the log, as the means by which the woman had been confined. During their stay in the Mountains, the weather, as'vve have already observed, was very cold, and to make matters'worse, a considerable fall of snow had takem place. This with the exhaustion of their stock of provisions, compelled the party to return from' their pursuit, and theyanived at the police station about the 17th ult. Mr, Commissioner Tjers, in accordance with (as he stated) his instructions from the Executive, resolved upon breaking up the expedition, at least for the present 5 and it is more than probable, and generally supposed that tbisstep has been induced by the inclemency of' the weather, but that the search will be resumed at an early peiiod. Accordingly Bungelene, two^labras, and two picaninnier, were consigned to the charge of William Peters, who with the expeditionists, Hill, Kelly, Uartnett and four blacks escorted them overland from Gipps Land to the Narra Narra Warren police station, and then handed them over to the safe keeping of Capt. Dana. The instructions with regard to Bungeleue are, not to detain him a close prisoner, but to keep such a watch over him as to secure bis detection in the event of his attempting to escape. We understand that the expedition was conducted with the utmost good, feeling, that not even air iota of disunion spiang up to mar the humane end sought to be attained, and that Sergeant Wind ridge conducted it in such a manner as to ensure for him the good wishes of those under his command, and the approbation of the Government, bo far. then the matter has just now terminated, and it will naI turally be demanded, what is the Jesuit? We re* I ply this — that if ever a shadow of doubt existed as to the horrible fate of a white woman, the fact is now placed beyond the range of the most sceptical misgivings. Bungelene has admitted' having had her in his possession. One of the' lubras at Narra Naria Warren, who formerly be- 1 longed to the Western Port tribe, states that she saw the white woman, and was in her company, somewhat about six weeks] prior to the capture of Bungelene. Sergeant Windridge firmly be' lieves that she is] still there, and we may safely assume that Mr. fyers and the Government en -> tertain a similar opinion, or otherwise they would not. have antborised the detention of Bungelene. There is no doubt of her existence,' and now is not the time to desist from every eM forf to rescue her. During the recent expedition Sergeant Windridge was sanguine of succeeding in her recovery, if the expedition had been pi'<H longed, but tinder the circumstances it waa deemed inadvisable> to do sst.o t . We therefore trust that the matter will still occupy ;the attention of the Government. — Port Phillip Herald.