OUTRAGES BY AUSTRALIAN BLACKS.

Southland Times, 2 March 1864, Page 5

OUTRAGES BY AUSTRALIAN BLACKS.

\ The Queensland GWvimz&i& :— " A gentleman* just arrived;from the North informs us ■ that" phe blacks in the Kennedy district ha/c been recently ;v^ry. troublesome.^ v About six weeks back,; a party of about 100 fighting mVri, in full warpaint and completely armed with spears and waddies, made an attempt to stick vp 1 the statibn ofMx.T. G. Macdpnald, at Strath bogie, distant sixty miles from Port Denison .. -Fortunately,' his people had received timely intimation that the" : !patty.--was-on the war tfiiil^^ •ItV«\<s;"also;knp^hrthat;,tUe;.-partgligft gnade ah attempt to cut off a young girl from another station about fifteen miles further. out. She. was at a short distance from the homestead^ when half-a--dbzen ochred savages struck a line between her aiul the huts, and assumed an "intimidating attitude to make her go -further into the _ bush. She, however, had the presence..-., 0f... mind to cry out, and the. alarm .thus rajsed instantly broxight out ■' some' ! oi- ! her ; own people with guns (which 'unfortunately must ever be at hand) to her assistance,. at the sight of whom the blacks disappeared.,., But a large mob remained in the vicinity of the station on^ the gui vive-. Mr ■ Mocdbnald's bvei ! se i er'j V. ArnlSttdngj Jtnd a black boy from Brisbane, named CiiarTey, liad been reconnoitring on horseback,, and became cognisant of the approach of the party at'some distance. They were obliged, however, to" retreat to the huts, for their signal to warn off the party was disregarded with derisive shouts. The huts are situated on tlie slope of a hill, facing the descent into a flat ; and immediately behind them the land rises abruptly to a considerable" height: This point is the highest land in the immediate neigh ooufhdod;, Thd party approached with great eircunispection, making _ a circuit of the back of the hill* and gaining the hill in the. rear of the huts. As soon as they were sighted there they were again warned ofl^ but their only answer to the notice was a shower of spears at Armstrong . and the black boy.. Presently they commended throwing stones arid btlier missiles at the huts, and calling out to the people' within ; and a couple of shots were fired over their heads. The ineffectual discharge of firearms seemed only to provoke derision,- and their noisy shouting was redoubled. Charley said to Armstrong, at this juncture, "Dat fellow too much like whitefellow ; him no Myall ;" and he pointed out two blacks who were taking a very prominent part in throwing at the huts and inciting the others to go closer. The danger was now imminent, and at last both Armstrong and Charley fired. Their shots told, for both of tlie blacks fell." The ma}n body ran. behind the -hiU, and remained there for a few mdiiienis, diicl then came forward again with redoubled fury for the loss of their companions. Spears and other arms rattled against the walls, and came through the bark roof of the hut. There were at this time, half-a-dozen other white men somewhere on the station, but they did not take part in the fray ; more than one was so much terrified as to be incapable of any resistance. Presently theblack boy shot down one of the twowhom he regarded as too much like whitefellow ;" and immediately thereafter the other rushed forward, and throwing a spear sang out. Charley's reply was another shotj which brought down hiw challenger. Very soon after this the main brfdy withdrew, leaving some of their dead on the iield, but with evident reluctance, as they had made a strong effort to carry off both dead and wounded. The fight lasted two hours. The defenders were armed with Terry's breech-loading rifles, and they were enabled to keep iip the five with little intermission ; but for which they would certainly have fallen victims to the savages. Next day the mob was tracked by a party of people from the neighbouring stations, and theygot another lesson that will probably deter them from attacking a station again in a hurry. It had been intimated that about twenty-five blacks were killed, and amongst them two runaways or discharged men from the native police force. These were the two whom Charley recognised by their speakiug English ; and they had acted as leaders in the attnek.'"