GIFT OF
pffOFESSOR C.A. KOFOID
I
SHIPWRECK
STIRLING CASTLE,
CONTAINING
A FAITHFUL NARRATIVE OF THE DREADFUL
SUFFERINGS OF THE CREW,
AND THE
CRUEL MURDER OF CAPTAIN ERASER
BY THE SAVAGES.
ALSO,
THE HORRIBLE BARBARITY OF THE CANNIBALS INFLICTED UPON
THE CAPTAIN'S WIDOW,
WHOSE UNPARALLELED SUFFERINGS AHE STATED BY HERSELF, AND
CORROBORATtD BY THE OTHER SURVIVORS.
TO WHICH IS ADDED,
THE NARRATIVE OF THE WRECK OF THE
CHARLES EATON,
IN THE SAME LATITUDE.
Embellished with Engravingiy Portraits, and Scenes illustrative of the Narrative.
By JOHN CURTIS.
LONDON :
PUBLISHED BY GEORGE VIRTUE, IVY LANE,
AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS.
M.DCCC.XXXYIII.
GIFT OP
PROFESS 3R C..-.. X'FJIO
LONDON :
JOHN RIDER, PRINTER|
14, Bartholomew Close.
INDEX.
Africa, America, and Asia referred to, 335.
Alligators, 317.
Amboyna Islands, 254, 305.
Australia, description of, 336, 367.
sermon by the Bishop of, 95.
Author, reflections of the, 114, 129, 211, 216, &c.
's observations on Baxter, 101.
Batavia, a description of, 255, 321.
Baxter, Mr. John, accounts of, 31, 55, 78, 81 — 100.
his interviews with the Lord Mayor, &c., 212,
327, 331.
Bourke, Governor of New South Wales, 176, 300.
Boydary, Isle of, 297, 306, 319.
Britisli Government, 324, settlement, 333, Christians, 335.
Brown, the chief officer of the Stirling Castle, 79, his cruel
death 155.
ivigl6880
IT INDEX.
Carrallis, the black steward, 160, 174.
Caffre tribes, 334.
Canadian savages, 334,
Cape Lewin, 299.
Compang, (or Konpang,) 299.
Constantine, carpenter of the Stirling Castle, 303. 308.
Canvey Key, 308, Reef bay, 309.
Caddon, Island of, 313.
Croker Island, 316.
Cameron, Captain, 321, 322.
China and Chinese, 333, 336.
** Comet, the ship," lines on the loss of, 76.
Crew of the Stirling Castle, summary of the fates of, 24 ; refer-
ence to the conduct of, 31, 33, 39, 49.
Convicts, their sufferings at Moreton Bay, 171, advice to, 171
Cowper, (the poet,) quoted, 120 and elsewhere.
Cunningham, Mr., his work upon New South Wales quoted, 108.
Christianity in the South Sea Isles, account of, 334.
Darge, Robert, peremptory conduct of, 50, his narrative,
220 to 242.
Darling, Governor, who esome regulation of, 110.
D'Oyley, affecting account of, and respecting his wife and
children, 297 to 321.
•' Duppah," a native of Murray's Island, account of, 308.
Darnley, Isle of, 308, 310.
Eaton, Charles, narrative of the wreck of, 243 ; names of the
captain, crew, and passengers, 246.
reference to, 300, 304, 306, 309, 330.
Eliza Reef described, 137.
Elliott and Doyle drowned, 77.
European sailors, blameable conduct of, 330.
Epistolary correspondence —
Rev. P. Learmoutli to the Lord Mayor, 121.
INDEX. V
Epistolary correspondence —
Lieutenant Otter to a gallant relative, 182.
S. Owen, Esq., of Moreton Bay, to a relative, 203.
Miss Eraser, (the captain's daughter) to Mr. Baxter, 204.
Mr. Dowling, of Liverpool, to the Lord Mayor, 206.
Mrs. Greene (late Eraser,) to the editor of the Morning
Advertiser, 217.
A letter signed, " Thomas Kelly, Mayor," to the public
Journals, 217.
A letter relative to the Charles Eaton, 259.
W. Bayley, Esq., to Lord Glenelg, 265.
A clergyman's respecting his lost son, 271, &c.
Captain Carr to the editor of the Canton Register, 272.
Sir Charles D'Oyley, Bart., to W. Bayley, Esq., 274.
Captain Lewis to W. Bayley, Esq., 291.
Sir George Grey to W. Bayley, Esq., 297.
Female, intrepidity of, 113.
Eraser, Captain, his illness, 35 ; devotional spirit, 37 ; inter-
view with savages, 40 ; disaffection among his crew, 42,
49 ; barters with the natives, 44 ; robbed and denuded by
another savage tribe, 52 ; taken captive, 61 ; speared, 71,
75 ; public anxiety for the orphan children of, 121 : piety
of, 131; his conference with chiefs, 141 ; his captivity,
and barbarous death, 145, 147.
Mrs. commencement of the narrative of, 118; her
description of the wreck, and delivery of a child, 129 ; her
conjugal affection and journeyings, 129 — 139 ; captivity
and dreadful sufferings of, 143 ; degrading employment,
143—145; beholds the death of her husband, 147; also
of Mr. Brown, 155; her escape, 163; arrival at Moreton
Bay, 170; departure for Sydney, arrival and kind recep-
tion 178—195; sails for England in the Mediterranean
Packet, 197 ; her application, and kind reception at the
Mansion House, 201, 212, 231.
I
vi INDEX.
Graham, a brave convict, rescues Mrs. Fraser, Baxter, and
others, 161 ; his reward, 369.
Glenelg, Lord, Mrs. Eraser's unsuccessful application to, 322.
God's ways to man, observement of, 354.
Hobart Town described, 10.
Hardy's, Sir Charles, Island, Torres Straits, referred to, 304.
Halkett's account of the American Indians quoted, 302.
Hanham and Carey separated from their companions, 79.
Juan Fernandez, thie Isle of, engulfed by the sea, 3.
Ireland, John, (of the Charles Eaton) and the child D'Oyley
referred to, 297—323.
liis account of the Massacre of the persons be-
longing to the Charles Eaton, 300.
Isabella, the ship, referred to, 299, 317, 322.
Infernal den, 315.
Kangaroo dogs described, 57, 315.
Lewis, Captain, referred to, 298, 314.
Lang, Dr., quoted from, 356.
London Missionary Society referred to, 335.
Major, James, his mangled remains discovered, 193.
Murray's Island, the natives of referred to, 298, 307, 310—320.
Moore, Captain, (commander of the Charles Eaton,) 301 — 304.
Moreton Bay, 64, 170, 177.
Mayor's, the Lord, urbanity to Mrs. Fraser, 207.
Missionary Magazine, quoted, 283, 340
Missions, observations on, 335, <fec.
INDEX. vii
New Holland, description of the coast and continent of, 44.
• islands contiguous to, 312, 325, 333.
New South Wales, description of, 104; form of government,
106, 107 ; remarks on the interior, 65, 127.
Natives, the manners, customs, and cruelties of, &c., 66^ 69,
88,90,111,151.
Owreed, Island of, 297, 314.
Otter, Lieutenant, his gallantry, bravery, forbearance, 89,
166, 168—179.
Owen, Stephen, Esq., his and lady's kindness to Mrs. Eraser.
Poetry, 7, 13, 38, 68, 72, 73, 76, 103, 118, 120, 129, 131,
190, 242, 244, 349, &c. '
Polynesia and the Pacific ocean referred to, 335.
Roach's, Captain, voyage in quest of captives, 191.
Raffles' Bay, aborigines of, 317, 332.
Robinson, Dr., his and lady's kindness to the invalids, 93, 158.
Sandy Cape, latitude of, 63.
Singapore, a description of, 124.
Stirling Castle, the voyage and wreck of, 8—36, 301, 309, 330.
Sydney, a description of, 13.
Times, extract from, 300, 304.
Colonist, 229.
Skulls, island of, 314.
of murdered persons found, 298.
Suicide, confidence in God a preventive of, 352
Torres Straits, 136, 256, 308, 335.
cruelty of the natives of the islands near, 311,312.
Tartary and Tejee islands, 136.
Timor Laut, Island of, 250, 303—305,
Tigris, the ship, 299, 316 317.
Vlll
INDEX.
Waddy, the weapon so called, described, 54.
Wide Bay, latitude of, 63.
Wyer, (an island,) 306.
Wemyss, Mr., the author's acknowledgments to, 322, 333.
Wilson, Dr., quoted from, 332.
West Indian negroes, 334.
Youth, the piety of a, 350.
DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER
FOR PLACING THE PLATES.
Wreck of the Stirling Castle
Hobart Town
Portrait of Mr. Baxter
Portrait of Mrs. Frascr *
Mrs. Fraser on the Rock
Chart of the Coast
Spearing of Captain Fraser
Escape of Mrs. Fraser
PAGE
face title-page
10
25
118
133
136
147
163
INTRODUCTION.
Multitudinous as are the ills which ''flesh is
heir to," and multifarious as are the miseries of
human life, they become, from their frequency,
common-place subjects of remark, and merely
excite a transient sympathy in the mind. There
are, however, incidents in the pilgrimage of some,
which force themselves upon our observation with
a power which at once arouses our attention,
startles our imagination, excites our surprise, and
calls forth our admiration ; such is the history
about to be narrated. To develope to the world
the sufferings of our species, is at no time a
pleasant task ; but when a writer has to detail the
hardships which the fairest, the most sensitive,
and the kindest — ^' the best gift God bestowed on
man" have endured, perils unheard of in modern
times, and sufferings almost beyond human en-
durance, its unpleasantness is ten-fold augmented.
It would be premature to anticipate all the
events which will be detailed in the subsequent
pages, further than at present to observe, that being
communicated by the lips of truth, they shall,
as far as the power of the writer extends, be
narrated by the pen of fidelity ; and his aim will
U INTRODUCTION.
be to convey a moral lesson, and useful instruction ;
as in the present enlightened age, a volume with-
out these adjuncts, would be read by few, and by
none to permanent advantage.
The most superficial reader, even upon a cursory
glance at the following pages, will behold the
mysterious dealings of the Supreme with his
creatures ; he will be led to reflect on the perils
of those who ^^ go down to the sea in ships,^^
taught to believe the truth of the declaration of
the royal prophet, that ** the dark places of the
earth are full of cruelty ;" and moreover, during
his perusal, he will be led to admire the beautiful
and heart-cheering effusion of Cowper, in his
poem on Alex. Selkirk, who was cast upon the
island of Juan Fernandez.*
* It would be almost superfluous to state, that the ingenious
De Foe founded his history of Robinson Crusoe upon the
misfortune of the above-named shipwrecked mariner; and
perhaps this incident would not have been alluded to, had it
not been for a statement lately made, that the island which was
the theatre of Selkirk's ruminations, has, by a freak of nature,
as some would term it, been engulfed in the sea ; but we
would say, by the fiat of the Almighty Governor of the uni-
verse, by whose power *' valleys are exalted, and mountains
brought low."
Since penning the above reflection, the following account
has reached us of the disappearance of the Island of Juan
Fernandez, through an earthquake ; and we avail ourselves of
giving it an early and extended notice: — "The Isle of Juan
Fernandez has recently disappeared from the South Sea; it was
INTRODUCTION. ill
'There's Mercy in every place,
And mercy — encouraging thought !
Gives to every affliction a grace,
And reconciles man to his lot."
At the period we commence our task, the public
have been informed of the perils and deaths of the
doubtless produced at some remote period by a volcanic erup-
tion, and it has been destroyed by an earthquake. Between
the double catastrophe which marked its origin and its disap-
pearance, no history in the world has made so little noise as
the history of this island.
" Countries, like men, have their personal glory ; the Isle of
Juan Fernandez has certainly had its share, in having afforded
shelter to the shipwrecked mariner, to whom Daniel De Foe
gave the immortal name of Robinson Crusoe. The island took
its name from Juan Fernandez, a Spanish pilot of the sixteenth
century. He was in the habit of sailing along the South Ameri-
can coast, from Peru to Chili, meeting with no enemies but the
south winds; these were, however, such redoubtable ones that
they became a rude, although a sufficiently severe school of
navigation. It occurred to him on one occasion whether by
putting out further to sea he might not avoid these terrible winds.
He made the trial, and found that it was crowned with success ;
his vessel glided over the sea as if by enchantment.
" During one of his voyages, about 1572, Fernandez discovered
a coast, which he knew could not be that of Chili ; and, happier
than Columbus himself, he called it by his own name. He
found that it was an island ; and on his return he recounted
wonders of the place ; but when he proposed taking a colony
out there, the Spanish government showed no disposition to
favour his design. Fernandez, however, established himself
there; but after some time he abandoned the island, leaving
behind him only a few goats, which afterwards greatly multi-
IV INTRODUCTION.
captain and some of the crew of the Stirling Castle,
and the sufferings of the survivors ; but a mere
epitome only has been given, and it will be our ob-
ject to narrate and arrange them link by link in
the chain of melancholy recital. In doing this
we shall not be under the painful necessity of
contradicting the facts already before the public,
but we shall be enabled to confirm them by un-
questionable corroborative testimony, both oral and
documentary.
It has been said that had the credence of the
facts narrated depended upon the veracity of
the ipse dixit of one person, doubts might have
arisen as to whether it was possible that human
nature (one a delicate female too^, could have
plied. It has been doubted by some whether Spain allowed
him to retain quiet possession of the place ; but it is more pro-
bable that the cause of his quitting it was a return of his passion
for the sea, and the life to which he had been so long accus-
tomed. To his adventurous life he then returned ; and it is by
some authors asserted that he was the first to discover New
Zealand.
" This island was situate in lat. 33° 40' S. and long. 78° 50'
W., and about 300 miles from the Chilian coast. It was of an
UTegiilar oblong shape, the greatest length being twelve and
its utmost breadth six miles. It abounded with sandal and
yellow woods, together with great varieties of palm trees, and
the coast supplied abundance of crustaceous and other lish.
Among the celebrated navigators who have touched here was
Lord Anson, who anchored in a port which he called ** English
Harbour."
INTRODUCTION. V
borne up under tortures so numerous and enduring,
and insults so diabolical. In order to elicit truth, and
as much as possible to chase away scepticism, we
have been unremitting in our endeavours to obtain
facts from the lips of such of the survivors as we
could have access to ; and the result has been, that
the " thrice-told tale" of misery and misfortune cor-
responds and harmonizes together, and a fewcontra-
dictions, which at first view caught our observation,
have been satisfactorily explained by reference to
the time, place and circumstances under which the
narrators were placed.
It will be the object of the compiler, as he pro-
gresses with the Narrative, to have recourse to such
adventitious aid as he may deem essential to ex-
plain some facts connected with it which might
otherwise be ambiguous, and perhaps inexplicable.
The manners and customs of the barbarians, among
whom the sufferers were cast, will be given as far
as certainty will enable us, nor will the natural
history of the soil, &c. be overlooked.
In order that the work may be interesting to the
nautical reader — we shall present an account, from
the most authentic charts, &c. &c., of the bays
which will be often referred to, and their outlets,
and point out the shoals, reefs, and quicksands,
upon, or in which the mariner is liable to strike
or to be engulfed. The geography of the con-
tinent, where the sufferers for a time located in a
miserable captivity, will moreover be attended to.
VI INTRObUCTION.
Ill pursuing the detail, it will be our pleasing
task to notice the chivalrous conduct of a British
officer, and the brave men under his command,
who, at the risk of their lives, volunteered their
services to rescue a suffering lady from a horrible
captivity, as well as her companions in misfortune.
It will be with pleasure that we shall detail the
kind and hospitable attentions of Stephen Owen,
Esq., the British Commissary at Moreton Bay, as
well as his lady, and many of the principal inhabi-
tants, not only to Mrs. Fraser, but also to those who
had been under the command of her husband.
Before we commence our interesting narrative,
we cannot refrain from indulging the hope that the
perusal will act as a stimulus to Missionary exer-
tions ; and that the various societies who have
been long engaged in sending persons to preach
the gospel to those who ^ ' sit in darkness and in the
shadow of death ; " we trust that a holy emulation
will arise among them, who shall be the first to
send a missionary to the shore where the natives
inflicted these unheard-of tortures.
The conduct of the gallant Lieutenant, we hope
will act as a stimulus. If he, at the risk of his life,
would venture to rescue four or five of his fellow-
creatures from suffering, how much more important
is it that the Christian soldier should leave all that
is dear to him, and attempt to enlighten the minds
of, and deliver from everlasting suffering the sons
and daughters of ignorance and cruelty '
SHIPWRECK
OF THE
STIRLING CASTLE, &c.
CHAPTER I.
" Adieu, ye pleasures of the rural scene,
Where peace and calm contentment dwell serene !
To me in vain, on earth's prolific soil,
With summer crown'd, the Elysium valleys smile.
To me these happier scenes no joy impart,
But tantalize with hope my aching heart.
For these, alas ! reluctant I forego.
To visit storms and elements of woe."
Falconer.
On Thursday, the 22nd of October, 1835, the
brig Stirling Castle, of 500 tons burden, cleared
St. Katharine's Docks, preparatory to her voyage
to Hobart Town, to which port she was destined,
with a general cargo of hard and soft goods,
together with 900 barrels of Hodgson's pale ale.
When going down the river, near the Isle of
Dogs, a brig ran foul of the vessel, and carried
away her larboard cat-head, so that the captain
8 ; ; ; / ; • . ' . ■ {^.tflTE* WRECK OF THE
was obliged to lay to and anchor off Greenwich,
where she remained for three days, to have the
damage repaired.
Whether this early disaster was an omen of the
melancholy catastrophe which awaited the Stirling
Castle, we will not opine ; but it is a well-known
fact, that when an accident happens to an outward
bound vessel on the day of leaving port, it is
regarded by many brave seamen, (who by the bye
are not the least superstitious of mankind,) as a
certain foreboding of a perilous voyage.
At this time the following persons were on
board, viz,
James Fraser, Captain,
Eliza Fraser, his wife.
Charles Brown, Chief Officer,
Henry Greaves, Second Officer,
John Baxter, Boatswain,
John Lawton, Carpenter,
William Riley, Ship's Cook,
Henry D'suser, Steward,
James Major,
James Kerr,
Michael Denny, I ^
-^^ / Seamen
Richard Payne,
Edward Stone,
William Elliott,
John Fraser, the captain's nephewj
James Jirard, \ Boys.
Robert Drew,
1
STIRLING CASTLE. [)
Mrs. Fraser, the captain's wife, came up from
Scotland purposely to accompany her husband,
who was in a declining state of health ; and her
subsequent dreadful sufferings, both mental and
physical, will be noticed in their proper place as
v/e proceed with our extraordinary narrative.
There were also on board a number of passen-
gers, bound for New South Wales, among whom
were Mr. and Mrs. Short and five children, Mr.
Davis and Mr. Williams, with their children and
domestics.
The damage which the vessel had sustained
having been thoroughly repaired, the captain
weighed anchor on the 26th of October, and pro-
ceeded down the river, every one on board except-
ing himself being in excellent health. The crew
were joyous ; but the sombre hue of anxiety and re-
gret for a time overshadowed the countenances of
the passengers as their native soil receded from their
view, and who were migrating from the land of
their birth and all they held dear in it, with ' ^ their
wives and their little ones, to sojourn in a strange
land.''
This was natural ; but after a few days their
minds appeared (so say the narrators) to veer from
the region of regret to that of speculative anticipa-
tion. Numerous were their inquiries of Captain
Fraser, who had made several voyages to the anti-
podial colony to which they were bound, and they
were responded to with that urbanity which is the
c
10 SHIPWRECK OF THE
characteristic feature in an intelligent British
sailor, and thus the tedium of the voyage was, in a
great degree, neutralized.
After a pleasant voyage of five months, the
Stirling Castle arrived at Hobart Town on the
22nd March, 1836, when every person on board
was in perfect health excepting the captain ; and
owing, perhaps, to the kind attentions of an affec-
tionate wife, his health appeared to have rallied,
and his spirits were more buoyant than when he
left the port of London. After remaining some
days at Hobart Town,* and discharging part of the
• Hobart Towriy or Austral- Asia, as it has been called,
(hence the word Australia,) is the seat of government at Van
Dieman's Land. It is regularly laid out, well-built, and is
seated on a cove on the river Derwent, about 20 miles from its
embrochure, or sea entrance ; lat. 43" 5' S. (42° 54' S.) long.
147° 25' E. (146*' 28' E.) The population is considerably
above 10,000. The bay, or cove, is capable of floating any
number of vessels, affords good anchorage, and is secure from
every wind. The town occupies more than a square mile,
stands on an agreeable eminence, and possesses several broad
and handsome avenues, which intersect each other at right
angles. A rivulet passes through the town, but the houses are
supplied with fresh water from the works established for that
purpose. The public buildings of this infant, but rapidly im-
proving settlement, include a spacious and well-finished church,
the government-house, a large irregular pile of buildings, mili-
tary and prisoners' barracks, colonial hospital, gaol, police office,
female house of correction or factory, male and female orphan
schools, treasury and commissariat stores, ordnance stores,
tea • ••••
», ••••
* - • •
• •
• •• •
<« « •• • «
• t » t
STIRLING CASTLE. , U
cargo, it became necessary for him to proceed to
Sydney, in order, if possible, to find a market for
the remaining part of his merchandise. Here
he continued for a considerable time, and, by
the geniality of the climate, and resorting to me-
dical aid, the health of Capt. Fraser appeared to
improve very fast, but the circumstance about to
be stated, was but little calculated to promote
equanimity in the mind of the invalid. It may be
proper to remark that the voyage was a very short
one when the tonnage of the vessel is considered ;
and that which was a matter of rejoicing to the
passengers became a source of discontent to the
crew, the major part of whom deserted the ship,
and numerous public offices. Here are also Wesleyan and
Roman Catholic chapels, a Scotch kirk, and an Independent
meeting-house. The banks are handsome buildings, but they
have recently been outrivalled by the erection of several private
dwellings. Several excellent ones are established here, a book
society, and schools for the poor, and there are various factories,
breweries, distilleries, &c. The commerce of this improving
place is considerable, and the approach of large vessels to the
town, is encouraged by the erection of a wharf, or extensive
jetty, at which the largest class of merchantmen may land and
discharge with safety. The administration of justice is by a
supreme court, which sits four times during each year, for both
civil and criminal causes. Courts of quarter sessions and
requests are also held, and a chief justice and other law-
officers of the crown constantly reside here. The whole colony
is under the control of a lieut.-governor, who also makes
Hobart Town his chief place of residence.
12 SHIPWRECK OF THE
and Captain Fraser was under the necessity of
engaging fresh hands, there only remaining of his
original complement, Brown, the chief officer;
Baxter, the boatswain, who was now appointed the
second mate ; Stone, who succeeded him as boat-
swain ; and Fraser, the, captain's nephew.
This circumstance appeared to prey much on
the mind of the captain, who, being a nautical
man from his youth, was aware how difficult it was
to control men under his command, of whose
persons, habits and character, he had but at best
a very slight acquaintance. There was another cir-
cumstance which perhaps weighed yet heavier than
any other consideration he knew, (whether his new
crew knew it or not,) that only four years previous,
he had lost ^' I'he Comet,'" on a reef, in the course
he was then about to steer. Although a bold and
enterprizing man, he appeared by his unusual
taciturnity to have forebodings, and he perhaps
thought, that he had passed the Rubicon alluded
to by an immortal poet,
" There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune."
The new hands engaged at the colony were
Joseph- Corrallis, steward ; J. Allen, cook (both
men of colour) ; Jacob Schofield, carpenter ;
Robert Darge, Henry Youlden, Robert Hodge,
Robert Hanham, James Major, W. Elliot and
John Copeland, seamen ; Robert Carey and John
Wilson, boys — making twenty persons altogether.
STIRLING CASTLE. 13
CHAPTER II.
** Our bark 'tis true, no shelter here can find,
Here, shattered by the ruffian seas and wind ;
Yet with what hope of refuge can we flee,
Chased by this tempest and outrageous sea ?
Nor while its violence the tempest keeps,
Bereft of every sail, we rove the deeps ;
At random driven, to present death we haste,
And one short hour perhaps may be our last."
Falconer's Shipwreck.
Circumstances which had not been calculated
upon, rendered it advisable that the Stirling Castle
should proceed from Sydney to Singapore in
ballast, and the anchor was weighed, and she
dropped down to ^^Pinchgut Island," in like
manner as outward vessels from London pass the
pool, and cast anchor off Greenwich or Woolwich.^
The vessel left the port about 1| p. m. on the
* Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, is situated nearly
equidistant from the extreme northern and southern extremities
of the county of Cumberland ; it is built partly in a narrow
ravine or valley, and partly on the sides of a gentle slope, ex-
tending upwards from the shore of vOne of the coves of Port
Jackson, and called Sydney Cove, on the first founding of
14 SHIPWRECK OF THE
15th of May, and steering in a direction so as
to clear the land, she passed Sydney Head in less
than three hours, the wind at the time being
due south, and the weather thick and foggy, but
a breeze sprang up, which continued steady
until the 20th, when about half-past two p.m.
the colony. The streets are long, the houses generally lofty
and well-constructed, interspersed with cottages fronted by
small neat gardens. Along the water-side, (except that por-
tion occupied by the demesne of government house) there are
wharfs, ship-yards, stores, mills, steam-engines, &c. ; behind
these the houses rise in successive terraces, giving variety to
the scene, and conveying,- by their neatness and elegance,
the idea of a prosperous community. The hotels and inns are
numerous and excellent. The public buildings, however, at
present are not so : they consist of the government house, the
hospital, the barracks, St. James's episcopal church, St. Philip's
church, the Roman Catholic chapel, the Scotch kirk, and the
Wesleyan Methodist chapel.
The situation of Sydney adapts it for the capital of a com-
mercial empire. Port Jackson is one of the finest harbours in
the world, its entrance being seven miles above Sydney, up
Paramatta river. Ships can come up close to the wharfs and
stores at Sydney, and cargoes are hoisted from their holds into
the ware-rooms. The total number of vessels belonging to
Sydney is 94, with a tonnage of 13,890 tons; the number en-
gaged in the whaleing being 40, and the tonnage 9,655. This
shipping is the growth of only a few years.
The country from Sydney northward to Moreton Bay, except
in the parts immediately attached to the principal settlements,
has been very imperfectly explored ; the chief attempts already
made have been employed in the examination of the rivers,
STIRLING CASTLE. 15
the wind began to press from the southward, and
at this time they calculated that they were about
250 miles from Torres Straits.
Towards midnight of the 21st, the wind veered
to S.E. when they trimmed sails, and set the lower
which are very numerous, though not large, and several are not
navigable. Paramatta river may almost be considered as a
continuation of Port Jackson, rather than a river. The distance
between Sydney and Paramatta is about 18 miles, and the
navigation in two places rather shallow. A steam-boat com-
munication is now established between the capital^'and the
second town in the colony.
The Hawkesbury, which is a communication of the Napean
river, after the junction of the latter with a considerable
stream called the Grose, issues from a remarkable cleft in the
Blue mountains, in the vicinity of the beautiful town of Rich-
mond, about 40 miles from Sydney. Hunter's river, about
70 miles from Port Jackson, disembogues into the sea of the
harbour at Newcastle, which is safe, and sufficiently capacious
for vessels of 300 tons burden. Brisbane river, which dis-
embogues into Moreton Bay, was only discovered in 1823. Its
source is the mountain-range of the north, (the principal branch
is in 26° 52' N. lat.) but it receives several tributary streams in
its course. Darling river is supposed to be formed by the
junction of numerous streams in the interior, to the westward
of Moreton Bay. It was discovered by Capt. Sturt, in 1829,
and traced for 40 miles through a level country to the S.W.
as far as lat. 30° 16' S., long. 144° 50' E. the breadth being about
60 yards, and its boundary banks 30 or 40 feet in height. By
the observation of Major Mitchell, who in 1835, surveyed this
river for 300 miles, as far as lat. 32° 24' S. and long. 142° 24'
E., it appears to fall into the river Murray, a broad and noble
stream, only a short time previously examined by Capt. Sturt.
16 SHIPWRECK OF THE
and topmast studding-sails, and sailed before the
wind several hours in that direction toward N. W.
The next day, (the 22nd) at noon, they took ob-
servation, when they discovered that they were in
latitude 2P 5' S. and 155° E. long., and at this
time by their reckoning, they were 50 miles east-
wardly from Eliza Reef, which like many in this
quarter, are composed of coral, and their edges
rising near the surface at low water, render navi-
gation extremely dangerous. Little did they
think at the time these calculations were made,
that that fatal spot would prove to them the pre-
lude to peril, danger, and death ! ^ This dan-
gerous shoal is described by Baxter, as being
nearer Torres Straits than Cumberland Island.
Previous to the nautical observation being made,
Capt. Eraser had tried the current on the two pre-
vious days, when he found that it ran five knots
hourly, in a S. E. direction. After going at this
rate for nine hours, or thereabouts, the vessel ran
* Reference will be made to this dangerous shoal in a subse-
quent part of the work, but the compiler considers it necessary
to state en passant, that it is in contiguity with Cumberland
Island, and further on towards Torres Straits; but unfortu-
nately its exact position is not laid down in the charts. There
is no doubt but government will cause another survey to be
made, for the Stirling Castle is not the only vessel which has
been wrecked in this quarter, as in August 1834, the Charles
Eaton bark, sailing from Sydney to India, was dashed to pieces
on this fatal shoal. This catastrophe will be noticed hereafter.
STIRLING CASTLE. 17
upon Eliza Reef, and at this time the current was
running at the rate of at least six knots an hour.
Down to this fatal hour, the captain and his
crew were on terms of amity ; and although his
vessel for the most part was manned by new hands,
nothing had occurred to excite discontent in the
minds of either party ; but as in most instances of
the disastrous and melancholy nature like that
which we are about to describe, when dangers
assail, the distinction partially vanishes, and ''self-
preservation " predominates in the minds of the
crew, so that every one is ready to cast distinction
overboard, and consider himself upon an equality
with his companions.
No sooner had the ill-fated vessel struck on the
reef, than a general consternation arose ; it is due
however, to the crew to state that they used every
effort to get her off.'^
Immediately that the vessel came in contact
with the reef, she came round on her heel, with
her side to the sea. By the direction of the captain
(who at this time was very ill,) the crew promptly
pointed the yards to the wind, thinking to get her
close hauled, and upon the wind, hoping that by
this effort they should clear the shoal, but it only
* Capt. Green, of the Mediterranean Packet, informs us
that by the breakers, observable at ebb tide, the reef forms a
semi-circle, and something in shape like the moon three days
after its change.
D
18 SHIPWRECK OF THE
turned the vessel on her broadside. The tide was
running at this time, (in the evening,) at the rate
of 7^ knots an hour, in consequence of which, it
was soon ascertained, that by the force of the
current and her own pressure, the keel of the vessel
was damaged, and she became a complete fixture
on the reef; and such was her agitation in con-
sequence of the rapid rate at which the sea flowed,
that the crew were thrown ofi" their feet. Divers
manoeuvres were resorted to, but after repeated
efforts, and several hours' toil, they had the morti-
fication to find, that they had ^' laboured in vain,
and spent their strength for nought,'"' and their
danger was enhanced, by the vessel having taken
in a great deal of water, several of her planks
having started. Exhausted as the crew now were,
by long and incessant labour, they applied their
remaining energies to the pumps, having dis-
covered to their consternation, that the hold was
half fall of water, and the sea at this awful junc-
ture, making continual breaches over the vessel ;
or, to use the phrase of Mr. Baxter, ''the sea
made a fair breach over us, and carried away
every thing off* the deck that was moveable." At
this period it was reckoned that they were 150
miles from land, and having no hope of human
assistance, their ^^ hearts fainted within them, and
they icere sore afraid J"
Finding the vessel labouring in this dreadful
manner, it was deemed advisable to cut away the
STIRLING CASTLE. 19
starboard lanyards from the main rigging, in
order to ease her, and this was done with the
sanction of Captain Fraser, who notwithstanding
the ill state of his health, manifested great coolness
and intrepidity, and cheered his crew to continue
their exertions, by expressing a hope of a speedy
deliverance. When this expedient was resorted
to, the Stirling Castle lay on her larboard
beam-ends, and soon afterwards a violent surge
carried the main-mast over the larboard quarter;
and with it, bore down the fore-top-mast, the
gallant-mast, the royal-mast, jib, and flying jib-
booms ; and as if determined to complete the work
of destruction, by one fell swoop, it severed the
fore-mast down to its *' hounds." After they had
cut away the remaining part of the mast, the
vessel righted about for a time, as her aft was
lightened, and her main boom destroyed ; but the
sea soon struck her again with such violence, that
she was once more sent upon her heel. Such indeed
was the force of the sea, that the man at the wheel
was knocked down by the concussion, and obliged
to let go ; and it was found, that after she was
thus struck, she refused to answer her helm. The
vessel now became completely water-logged, and
danced upon the sea ^^ like an egg-shell."
During this long struggle with the elements, no
life was lost, but some of the men were severely
bruised and contused, and one or two suffered
20 SHIPWRECK OF THE
severely. Alas ! this dreadful calamity was only
the harbinger of more acute sufferings.
It now became obvious, that all hope of saving
the vessel could be no longer indulged, and the
persons on board naturally evinced a desire for
the salvation of their lives, from the yawning
gulf, which opened its insatiate jaws, as if ready
to swallow them. The only alternative that
suggested itself, was to resort to the boats; but so
violent was the raging of the sea, that they found
at that time it was impossible to launch them ;
and in this awful moment of anxiety and suspense,
that alarm was augmented, by a violent sea driving
in the stern of the ship's scuttle, about eighteen
or nineteen feet from the water ; this was about an
hour after midnight.
Let us digress for a moment, and from this faint
outline, imagine twenty of our fellow-creatures on
board a vessel which was rendered alike crazy and
unmanageable by the fury of the element upon
which it yet floated, or perhaps we might say, on
the surface of which she had foundered. The
only music to beguile the hours of nocturnal dark-
ness, was not the " music of spheres," alluded to
in Arcadian song, but the rushing of the mighty
breakers, which was only softened by the hissing
of the foaming surge which surrounded them, and
the hollow moaning of the distant ocean ! The
solemnity and terrors of that awful night, were
STIRLING CASTLE. 21
heightened in a great degree by peals of thunder
and flashes of vivid h'ghtning, such as have never
been heard or beheld in our latitude ; the ele-
ments above seemed to have confederated together
with those beneath, to strike alarm and dismay
into the minds of the benighted and shipwrecked
captain and his desponding and exhausted crew ;
and were imagination to be expended to its utmost
bounds, it could form no adequate idea what must
have been the sensations of one person on board
the wreck, — a woman, a doating and affectionate
wife, one, who being influenced by conjugal
fidelity, and anxiety for the health and welfare of
her husband, had left her country, children and
friends, to console him in the hour of sickness and
exhaustion, from a consciousness, that while per-
forming the duties which the law of connubiality
enjoins, she had no reason to dread the terrors of
the mighty sea. These hours of horror and dread
aroused feelings which perhaps had long remained
latent in the minds of some of them ; and in
imitation of the sailors who were conveying the
disobedient prophet to Nineveh, ^' they called
every man upon Ms GodJ'^*
We now resume our narrative. The day began
to dawn about four o'clock, and the tempest had
* The steady resignation and piety of a youth, and nephew
to the captain, will be noticed hereafter, as also his disastrous
exit.
22 SHIPWRECK OF THE
by that time subsided in a great degree ; but the
elements lowered, and the dissevered and murky
clouds gave evident tokens of the fierce contest
in which they had been engaged during the night.
In vain did the anxious crew look around, over
the white foaming sea, in the hope of descrying a
sail : they saw no living thing save flocks of sea-
gulls, whose shrieks seemed rather to mock, than
to pity their disaster.
At this time, no other mode or possibility of
escape presented itself, but to have recourse to the
boats ; but when the work of preparation com-
menced, they found them both damaged, particu-
larly the long-boat, which had lost her fore-foot
and was otherwise injured, and the pinnace had
her starboard streak stove in.
They immediately commenced repairing them
in the best manner they could, and with any
materials upon which they could lay their hands ;
consisting of lead, leather, pieces of blanket, &c.,
by which means they patched them up, and after
this was done, they parbuckled them over the
larboard gangway. At this time it was low water,
so that no sooner were the boats over the side of
the ship than the long-boat was again stove in,
the coral reef having rived and pierced it. The
boat was then hauled up, and they again repaired
it in the same manner as before. They then
proceeded to load them with provisions, and
such articles as were thought likely to be most
STIRLING CASTLE. 23
useful ; and this was done with the utmost expe-
dition, as they found that the wind was freshening,
and the water flowing ; they being fully convinced
that the vessel could not hold together much
longer. Unfortunately the water had already
made its way into the hold, so that they could
I only get at a very scanty supply of provisions.
When five of the crew went down into the hold to
get water from the casks, they were prevented from
accomplishing their object, as they found that four
of the planks had been stove in on the larboard
side, and the timbers broken. Down to this time
all hands on board were safe, and it was thought
advisable, in order to avoid a catastrophe, to
repair forthwith to the boats.
The party who got into the long-boat were,
Captain Fraser and his lady ; Mr. J. Brown, the
chief officer ; Joseph Carrallis, the steward ; Jacob
Schofield, carpenter ; John Major, Job Allen,
Robert Darge, and Michael Denny, seamen ;
John Fraser, and Robert Carey, (these were boys,
and the first-named nephew to the captain,) mak-
ing an aggregate of 1 1 persons.
The following is a list of the principal articles
which were saved from the wrecked Stirling Castle,
and placed in the long-boat : a clothes-bag, con-
taining 50 lbs. of bread ; three pieces of salt beef, of
about 5 lbs. each ; about 20 lbs. of pork ; 3 gallons
of brandy ; a small jar of butter ; half a jar of
tripe ; 10 jars of preserves and fruit ; part of an
24 SHIPWRECK OF THE
18-gallon cask of ale; some clothes belonging to
the captain, and 3 boxes of apparel, principally
belonging to his wife ; Captain Fraser's writing-
desk ; 2 sextants ; 2 quadrants ; 2 chronometers ;
1 telescope ; 2 compasses ; part of a chart ;
2 muskets ; 1 fowling piece, a brace of pistols,
a ship's axe, and several articles too trifling to
particularize.
The following of the crew went on board the
pinnace, viz. : John Baxter, second officer;
Edward Stone, boatswain ; Richard Hodge,
Robert Hanham,* Henry Youlden, W. Elliott,
seamen ; and J. Wilson, a boy.
* There being three of the crew named Robert, Avho by way
of distinction on board, were called *' Big-Bob" (Darge), '' Mid-
dle-Bob" (Hanham), and '' Little-Bob" (Carey) ; they will be
referred to by those designations when we give Mrs. Fraser's
narrative.
The following summary statement will show at one view the
various fates of these unhappy persolis : —
Speared. — Captain Fraser.
Edward Stone, boatswain.
Jacob Schofield, carpenter.
Burned. — Mr. Brown, chief officer.
Michael Denny, seaman.
Drowned. — Michael Doyle, seaman.
John Fraser, boy.
John Wilson, boy.
W. Elliott, seaman.
Saved. — Mrs. Fraser.
John Baxter, second officer.
f^ P^oj;^
STIRLING CASTLE. 25
It was deemed expedient for each boat to make
its own way out of the surf, as it was found im-
possible to hoist any canvas, so as to command
either.* After they had accomplished this task of
peril, they approached each other, and the pinnace
being the stronger vessel of the two, took the long-
boat in tow, which contained all the little pro-
vision they had saved : and as she was half full
of water, and almost in a sinking state, humanity
and policy combined to show the necessity of
keeping both the boats together, in case of an
accident occurring to either of them.
Having at length arranged this, and the long-
boat being properly in tow, Baxter, who had the
command of the pinnace, steered S. W. or from
that to W. S. W., being the direct course for the
land; and he was able to make his observations
and calculations with more certainty, as he had
had the good fortune to preserve his quadrant.
Saved. — W. Corallis, steward.
Robert Darge, seaman.
Robert Carey, boy.
Robert Hodge, seaman.
Henry Youlden, ditto.
Robert Hanham, ditto.
Starved. — John Copeland, ditto.
Jacob Allen, cook.
* It may be proper to notice that the helpless party left the
Stirling Castle on Sunday, May 22, 1836, between 4 and 5
o'clock p. M.
26 SHIPWRECK OF THE
At times, he was obliged to go before the wind,
and after falling in with a number of reefs,
(chiefly coral,) the fragile barks reached Cumber-
land Island,'*^ on the fifth day after their leaving the
ship to her unhappy destiny, being Friday, May
27th. It is worthy of observation, that during this
dangerous voyage, the crew of the pinnace were
obliged to exchange with that of the long-boat
alternately, in order to assist in baling out the
water, as but for this arrangement the latter must
have sunk.t
During the ^ve days' voyage, they were driven
* Cumberland Island owes it name to Capt. Cook, who so
designated it in the year 1770. It is one of a group of islands
lying near the N. E. coast, considerably north of the territory
of New South Wales, and forms a passage to what was
called by the immortal circumnavigator, Whit-Sunday passage,
lat. 20'' 10' S., long. 149" 10' E.
t About three days after they had left the rock, the weather
became cloudy ; and owing to the wind freshening, and ulti-
mately becoming boisterous, the long-boat began to work upon
her seams, which had recently been repaired with a mixture of
soap, &c. as already described, and they began to open again.
The balers at first took alternate turp§ for two hours, but it
became necessary that they should be relieved more frequently.
They reduced the time to half an hour ; and finding their
strength quite inadequate to this task, they at length laded 20
buckets each, in rotation, at ** a spell." At last they became
so weak that they could oo^ hoist a bucket of water to the
beat's side, and two hands were forced to be engaged for that
purpose, the top vc^^n being Ushed to the boat to keep him
from falling.
STIRLING CASTLE. 27
dpon several reefs, so that occasionally the men were
obliged to get out of the boats to lift them over,
by which their feet suiSered severely from the coral
and flints, which cut like knives. They landed
on a fine sandy beach, at Cumberland Island.
Being greatly fatigued from the want of sleep and
other causes, a consultation was held as to what
should be done, when it was agreed on all hands
that they should forthwith partake of some of the
provisions which they had preserved from the
wreck.
A new difficulty now presented itself — how were
they to kindle a fire ? One of the party obtained
two pieces of the clothing of a tree called '* iron
bark," and by rubbing them together, they soon
ignited, and a large fire was made, and the cook
Set to work to broil half a piece of pork, (about four
lbs.) which was to be equally divided among the
whole number, consisting at this time of twenty
persons ; it was also settled that a handful of bis-
cuit should serve two persons. While the dinner
was cooking, a party of the strongest went to
seek for water in the crevices and clefts of the
rocks, no one having tasted of that salutary beve-
rage for four or five days, and they were fortunate
enough to procure about three gallons, which was
a matter of great rejoicing to them all. After
having partaken of their scanty repast, they
proceeded to get the things out of the boats, and
28 SHIPWRECK OF THE
then commenced to erect a tent, with the boat-sails,
for the accommodation of Capt. and Mrs. Fraser,
and Mr. Brown, the chief officer. That being
done, it was agreed to make a large fire, and set a
watch, lest the wild beasts or other enemy should
approach them. At this time they were not aware
that the island was uninhabited ; and lest they
might be assailed suddenly by the natives, it was
thought advisable to keep the boats afloat, so that
they might instantly repair to them on an alarm
being given.
At break of day, on Friday morning, the 27th,
after a restless night, they arose from the beach,
and proceeded to haul the boats upon it, in order
to repair them in the best manner they were able,
but the great difficulty which presented itself, was
a lack of tools. In this dilemma, they verified
the truth of the proverb that ^' necessity ,is the
mother of invention," they took a quantity of soap,
grease, &c. 8cc. which they mixed with sea-sand,
and thereby made a strong adhesive kind of putty,
with which they caulked and filled up the seams
in the boats, and found it to be a good substi-
tute for pitch and oakum. During tliis day, by a
small ration allotted to each, they consumed the
other piece of pork, and the stock was exhausted ;
but the health of the crew was much recruited,
and it was agreed on all hands that they should
strike the tent, and take to the boat on the follow-
STIRLING CASTLE. 29
ing morning, their great desire being to reach
Moreton Bay as soon as possible.
On the morning of the 29th, about 10 a. m.,
they embarked on board their newly repaired
craft, and left Cumberland Island without having
experienced any new disaster. Before they had
proceeded any way on their voyage, (the pinnace
towing tlie long-boat as before,) the main land
appeared in sight, which they believed to be Re-
pulse Bay, and at the distance, as near as they
could calculate, of 90 miles from the island they
had just left ; and from the cavities of whose rocks
they collected a quantity of water, for their future
sustenance.
It was their fixed intention to make for the main
land, where they hoped to meet wuth some mis-
sionaries or other persons who would succour them
in their forlorn condition. Unfortunately for them,
this hope, like many others, proved to be futile, for
the wind changed suddenly to the northward, and
they were obliged to keep before it, and thereby
went in a contrary direction to the wished-for
haven, and driven at times into the main sea,
with rickety boats and a meagre stock of provi-
sions.
In this state of trial and privation, they were
beaten about at the mercy of the waves for 28
days, viz. from the 29th of May to the 26th of
June, without being able to make any land, and
the only sustenance they were able to procure, were
30 SHIPWRECK OF THE
a few rock oysters and other shell-fish, and a little
fresh water from the cavities of the small islands
which they came across, when the wind and wea-
ther would permit; and these, when obtained, were
considered as great luxuries, but that could not
be done at the time of high water. Among the
few articles of provision saved from the wreck,
was a small remnant of an eighteen-gallon cask of
ale, and this was doled out in small portions
daily in a tea-cup, as long as it lasted. Of this
great luxury, every one had an equal share, and
so indeed, had they of every thing ; they all, for
the time being, considered themselves in these
respects, on an equality.
After the ale was exhausted, such was the faint-
ness and thirst of the unfortunate party that they
shared out the hops and grounds remaining
at the bottom of the barrel, which they chewed,
in order to create moisture ; and when they could
get no further supply, they substituted small
pieces of lead for the same purpose. When rain
fell, they spread out their jackets and other articles
of apparel in order to catch every drop, and
when saturated they wrung them in a vessel for
common stock. Baxter and Mrs. Fraser were the
only two persons on board who could drink salt
water, which purged them very much, and proved
only a momentary relief, and the frequent repeti-
tion of it brought on delirium. Some of the men
were so exhausted that they lay down in the boat
STIRLING CASTLE. 3l
With their tongues out of their mouths, and when
the rain fell they sucked the moisture from their
clothes ; but owing to the dashing of the spray
against the boats they could not obtain it in the
pure state in which it fell from the clouds. In
some parts of the coast of the main land there
were rivulets, but they were so narrow and shallow
that the long-boat could not proceed up them, but
the pinnace entered them, in quest of water, fruit,
berries, or any thing they could get, but their
enterprizing search was crowned with but little
success. Up to this period, by using their in-
struments, the captain and Baxter were enabled to
keep a reckoning.'^
Stone, (the boatswain,) who was next in com-
mand in the pinnace to Baxter, succeeded him ;
and being in charge, he took the opportunity one
night, under pretence of going in search of water,
to part company with the long-boat, which he
knew to be in a sinking state, having now twelve
persons on board, including the captain and his
wife. It appeared, subsequently, that the intention
of him and his party was to reach the settlement if
possible, in order that relief might be aflforded to
* It has been stated, that when they started from Cumberland
Island, Baxter had charge of the pinnace ; but on the fourteenth
day after they put to sea he became so ill from fatigue that he
was obliged to give up his command and go to the long-boat,
which was used as a kind of hospital.
32 SHIPWRECK OF THE
the distressed party they had left behind, witli no
other prospect before them but starvation or drown-
ing. Stone, having neither chronometer, quadrant,
compass, nor any other instrument, could steer only
by the land, so that they were ultimately carried
within 120 miles of McLeay river, where they fell
in with a tribe of savages, as appeared from a
statement subsequently made by Hodge, who was
one of the crew belonging to the pinnace.
The narrators afterwards fell in with Hodge, who
was the only person saved connected with the
pinnace, and he gave the following melancholy
and horrible account of the end of his six com-
panions.
The lad Fraser, the captain's nephew, was
drowned when seeking for shell fish on the rocks ;
he also stated that the boy Wilson was drowned,
but where and under what circumstances he did
not detail.
As soon as they were captured by the natives,
they demanded the clothes worn by the crew, each
of whom had one suit over another. Stone, the
boatswain, resolutely refused to satisfy their de-
mands, and he was instantly speared before his
companions, and laid dead on the beach. Scho-
field, the carpenter, suffered the same fate, in con-
sequence of the resistance which he made to the
natives. Allen, the black cook, stripped himself
and voluntarily gave up his apparel, and persuaded
Hodge to do the same, as from what he knew of
STIKLING CASTLE. 33
the ferocious habits of the savages, they would be
massacred in like manner with the boatswain and
carpenter. Hodge yielded to this advice, and
they were treated with comparative kindness, but
marched into the bush, where they were employed
in gathering wood, fetching water, and other
drudgery. At length the hard labour and scanty
fare to which Allen, the cook, and Copeland were
subjected, rendered them unable to move, and the
savages abandoned them to their fate, and left them
to die from starvation, and Major was burnt.
Hodge, it would seem from the statement he
made, remained with the savages a considerable
time, but fortunately in the end emancipated him-
self and joined some of his late companions, to
whom he imparted the sorrowful tidings above
narrated, and who might very appropriately have
used the words uttered by Job's messenger — ^^ And
I only have escaped to tell thee.''
Having shown the awful end of the crew of the
pinnace (save one), we return again to the long-
boat and its unfortunate inmates.
During the night they consoled themselves with
the hope that the pinnace would arrive with a sup-
ply of water and some other necessaries, but in this
they were awfully disappointed. When morning
dawned, they could not discover their consort-boat,
which greatly alarmed them, and after several
hours had elapsed, and not seeing her heave in
sight, the party were distressed almost to frenzy,
34 SHIPWRECK OF THE
owing tt) the raging thirst which prevailed amongst
them. The captain being aware that savages were
on that part of the coast toward which the pinnace
had steered, naturally concluded that the crew were
taken captive and perhaps slain. At this time the
long-boat was only jury-rigged, and in a very dan-
gerous condition, and one of the party was obliged
to sit at times with a boat's oar, and substitute it for
a rudder. The unfortunate crew being reduced
to the last extremity and suffering from thirst,
hunger and cold, were driven to and fro at the
caprice of the wind and water for fourteen days
after the pinnace left them, and for the last seven
entirely destitute of the smallest portion of food
or the least drop of fresh water ; and their ex-
haustion had become so great that they could with
great difficulty bale the water from the boat to
keep it from sinking.*
* The three last days that they were on the water the con-
dition of these unfortunate people was beyond description
horrible, and it was rendered more so from the thunder, light-
ning and rain being incessant and without intermission, so that
there was not a place in the boat in which they could lie down.
At times it was so dark that they could not see their raised
hand, and anon the lightning glared with such vividity that
they could not only see every thing in the boat, but over the
ocean to a great distance.
'* The lightnings raged around their heads.
And thunders clave the trembling sea I "
On the third morning of this dreadful tempest the wind ceased,
STIRLING CASTLE. 35
Despair and dismay sat upon every countenance,
and they solemnly deliberated as to what should
be done ; and the only alternatives were either to
draw lots as to who should be sacrificed to supply
food for the rest, or beach the boat, and all rush into
eternity by one fell swoop ! What an awful di-
lemma — our blood chills at the bare consideration
of such unmitigated suffering.
Such was the agony of mind which the captain
at this time endured that he became frenzied, and
bit his tongue, in consequence of thirst, disappoint-
ment and fatigue. At one time fears were enter-
tained that he would be bereft of reason, but they
were soon dissipated by his recovering his wonted
equanimity of mind. This gentleman was natu-
rally a person of bold enterprize and patient en-
durance, but he had for some time been labouring
under a painful bilious affection, which was now
greatly increased by anxiety. Perhaps the remi-
niscence of the disastrous event to which we have
alluded at page 12, had also a tendency to depress
his spirits, as we understand he often made allu-
sion to it.
During the last seven days that they were
and left a heavy surf on the beach — indeed it was terrific
to behold.
The question which had been previously mooted a few
days before was again agitated, as to what steps they should
pursue.
36 SHIPWRECK OF THE
without food, two large sharks followed the long-boat,
which some of the crew looked upon as an omen
that one or other of them would ^^ slip; their
wind;" it being the superstitious opinion of many
sailors, that when these voracious hsh continue for
any length of time in the contiguity of a vessel, it
is a certain precursor of a speedy death, or at least
portentous of an impending storm. In the latter
respect, the conjecture proved a correct one ; and
melancholy to relate, the former was literally veri-
fied, but it was on a continent, and not on the sea.
At length it was resolved that they should launch
the boat when the first opportunity presented itself,
and that very shortly occurred. The method
they resorted to to eff'ect this, was to keep her on
a level keel, and watching for her touching the
ground with her fore-foot, and when this occurred
all hands jumped out and dragged her up, and
when struck by the next sea, some of the men
bearing the head-rope, in order to be ready to
make her fast.
The next object was to lighten her forward, in
order to get her yet higher on the beach, and
thereby preserve her from further danger. Having
accomplished this hei'culean task, the first thing
they did was to take Mrs. Fraser from, the boat and
carry her to a place of safety, to which the fatigued
captain had already repaired ; and we think we
behold him on terra Jirma^ partly in the attitude
of adoration, and partly of grateful exultation, and
STIRLING CASTLE. 37
hearing him exclaim at the height of his enfeebled
voice, as they bore along the precious and almost
inanimate burden, ^^ Brave fellows! they have
accomplished their object ; they are conducting
hither the being who of all others can render me
happy on a land where I am a stranger and alien."
The articles which the boat contained, having
been landed on the beach, the helpless crew found
themselves on a strange shore ; and as the sequel
will show, it proved to be a prelude to suffering
and deaths and the porch which led to eternity !
Having thus escaped the perils of the deep, Cap-
tain Fraser was anxious to erect an Ebenezer to
God, and exclaim, *' Hitherto hath the Lord helped
us.'' Baxter having preserved his Bible and other
religious books from the wreck, the captain read
an appropriate chapter, and called upon his people
to joinliim in the work of praise and thanksgiving;
and most of them obeyed his call ;
'' For sailors, though they have their jokes,
They feel and think like other folks,"
in the hour of difficulty and danger ; and, volatile
as they naturally are, there are seasons when their
hearts overflow with gratitude for the mercies of
Him who rescues from peril and death. In con-
clusion, a hymn suitable to the occasion was sung
by the party ; and perhaps this was the first time
the rocks of Australia ever echoed the sounds of
praise for preservation and redemption.
38 SHIPWRECK OV THE
CHAPTER III.
*' Breakers dead, a-head, breakers on the lee-bow."
" Heaven shield the mariner on his path of storms :
Where the breakers white
Fling o'er the night
A thousand dreadful forms ;
When the stars are wrapp'd in gloom,
And ev'ry wave comes like a doom,
Heaven shield the mariner —
Heav'n shield the mariner on his path of storms."
FiTz Ball.
" For while the vessel through unnumbered chinks.
Above, below, th' invading water drinks.
Sounding her depth, they eyed the wetted scale,
And lo ! the leaks o'er all their powers prevail ;
Yet in their post by terrors unsubdued.
They with redoubled force their task pursued."
Falconer's Shipwreck.
Scarcely had the long-boat been beached, than
the exhausted party beheld four or five natives
watching their movements from the heights above
the beach, and before they had cleared her, they
disappeared ; but as they were hailed by several of
the crew who quitted the boat as soon as possible,
they again made their appearance. The distressed
STIRLING CASTLE. 39
and hungry crew appeared at this time to be more
intent upon food and water, than a tent, fire or
sleep. The natives made a signal by friendly
gestures, and held up something, which upon a
nearer approach turned out to be a piece of a
kangaroo, which they laid on the ground, as they
refused to take any thing from, or give any thing
into their hands ; but they did not appear to be
scrupulous in this respect, on the ground of appre-
hension of contagion by a close contact, for no
sooner than the hungry mortals had picked up the
half putrid carcase of the quadruped, than the
natives considered a bargain was struck, and they
sans ceremonie, rushed upon them, and seized their
caps, comforters, and other articles from their
persons, more by the way of reprisal, than in the
regular mode of barter. While one party was
catering for provisions, the others were busily
employed in fixing a tent for Captain Fraser, his
wife, and the chief officer ; the long-boat main-sail
being used as the awning or canopy. Dreary as
was their prospect, the unhappy trio returned
praise and thanksgiving to that Almighty Being,
who
** Plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm."
and without indulging forebodings as to the future,
they reverted to the past, and exclaimed, ^^ Hitherto
hath the Lord helped us.^^
40 SHIPWRECK OF THE
After the purveyors had returned with the
** dainty morsel" to the newly erected tent, a fire
was kindled, and the repast, although slight, was
a welcome one ; and doubtless, after so long an
abstinence, its scantiness was, in a physical point
of view, beneficial : a peculiar zest was given to
their meal by a providential supply of fresh water
from the adjacent rocks ; thus was literally exem-
plified the truth of His figurative promise upon
whom we should ever rely : — ^' When the poor
and the 7ieedy seek loateVj and there is none^ and
their tongue faileth them for thirst ; I the Lord
will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake
them. I will open rivers in high places, and foun-
tains in the midst of the valleys : I will make the
wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land
springs of water.'' — Isaiah xli. 17, 18.
The repast being over, and the aspiration of
gratitude having ascended to heaven, the company
(for so we will now term them) saw a great number
of the natives, armed with spears and clubs, mak-
ing signals at a short distance, which was sup-
posed to denote a desire for them to go into the
bush. The captain held a council, when it was
decided that they had better keep together; for
as the savages were numerous, and armed with
spears, clubs, and other dangerous missiles, mis-
chief might befal the adventurers, and the strength
of the party thereby diminished. In order to
STIRLING CASTLE. 41
dissuade those who were ripe for the enterprize,
Captain Fraser, whose previous voyages in this
part of the globe had made him in some degree
acquainted wath the habits and manners of the
natives, pointed out the dangers to which they
were liable, and holding out a hope, that after
they had recruited their strength by a few days'
rest, they might escape unobserved during a mid-
night revel of the natives, called a '^ Corrobery,"
which is a merry-making, and consists of danc-
ing in a circle round a favourite friend, but more
frequently perhaps round a miserable captive,
whose flesh they would presently greedily devour.
During the time they were deliberating, the
natives withdrew, and returned in smaller num-
bers, and laying down their spears, shouted
^' Coohee," which was supposed at the time to be
a friendly salutation, but iit w^as afterwards dis-
covered to be a term of rejoicing, as it was
vociferated at all times, when they captured a
white man, or even killed a kangaroo.
Some of the party, appalled at the recital of the
captain, proposed to start forthwith, and proceed
along the beach ; but the majority were for waiting
and attempting to repair the long-boat, to enable
it to convey them to Moreton Bay, a British settle-
ment not more than 120 miles distant, whereas a
journey coastwise on the beach, would be nearly
400 miles. In this instance the decision of the
G
42 SHIPWRECK OF THE
majority was deemed law, the vote being some-
thing as though given '' by ballot."*
Three or four days elapsed before the men had
regained sufficient strength to pull the long-boat
over on the beach, in order to ascertain what
damage she had sustained during her perilous
voyage, and by eating voraciously of bread fruit
on their first landing, their debility was prolonged
by an attack of the flux.| They also gathered a
* Those who have read the histories of shipwrecks, are aware
probably, that the best feelings of human nature are extin-
guished, or at all events so much paralysed, when danger is an
assailant, and starvation a visitant, that even among seamen
the bond of fraternity is broken, yea even mothers in some
instances have ^^ forgotten their sucking child,'' in an anxiety to
save a box of paltry trinkets ; and the connubial tie has ap-
peared dissolved as if by magic. This was not the case, however,
in the instance of Captain Fraser, of the ill-fated Stirling CastlCy
and his attached consort. This lady, it is acknowledged by all,
was unceasing in her attentions to the captain in his hours of
sickness ; and she often inspired him with hope, when his mind
flagged, and his spirits forsook him. To a gentleman so cir-
cumstanced, the companionship of an amiable wife must have
been a source of comfort ; but the cup of delight contained a
mixture of sorrow — gloomy cogitations respecting the miseries
which might be endured by his wife, should he fall a prey to
disease, or by the spear of the savages by whom he was sur-
rounded.
t The species of " bread fruit," here alluded to, appears to
be indigenous to the coast of New Holland, but very deficient
of that nutridity and pleasant taste which are peculiar to fruit
STIRLING CASTLE. 43
berry of the gooseberry species, which, although
sweet and refreshing to the taste, proved highly
detrimental to health. When describing the tent
prepared for Captain and Mrs. Fraser, and Brown
the chief-officer, we omitted to state that Baxter
and the other men made one common bed on the
beach of the jib and mizens of the long-boat, and
when they laid down covered themselves with their
monkey jackets — a fire being lighted to warm the
soles of their feet, in order to promote and regulate
the circulation of the blood, a necessary precaution,
as the nights were excessively cold, and a heavy
dew continually hovering around them, and the
rain extinguished the fire several times during the
night, to the no small mortification of the centinel
on the watch. Morning at length dawned, no
particular occurrence having happened during the
hours of darkness. It is stated, that owing to
cramp and other causes, very few of the unfortu-
nates had been refreshed by
" Nature's sweet restorer — balmy sleep."
On the third day after their arrival at this inhos-
pitable coast, a regular system of barter commenced
between the party and the natives, who at first
came down about ten in number, which gradually
known by the same name, which grows upon other continents.
The narrators describe it as husky, and not more palatable than
the stalk of Scotch kale. It grows in the shape of a sugar-loaf
44 SHIPWRECK OF THE
increased rapidly until more than 150 would ap-
pear at one time. The principal article which they
brought were a fish called mullet, which were
extremely delicious. The mode of trading was
for the natives to throw a fish, and then the other
party to throw some article of clothing by way of
payment ; the captain and his companions trans-
acted their own business with them, and they were
well supplied for a time, being perhaps a better
paymaster than his crew were able to be.
Before we progress with his detail, the writer
hopes he will be excused appending a copious note
relative to the continent, on the margin of whicli
the adventurers had found at this period a tem-
porary location, because it will prevent the fre-
quent necessity of resorting to parenthetical ex-
planation, or annotations on the text.'*^
'* The scene of this terrible transaction lies on the eastern
coast of a large island or continent of New Holland, now
usually denominated Australia, and at no great distance from
the dependencies of the British colony of New South Wales.
This immense tract, sometimes called a fifth quarter of the
globe, is one of those recent geographical discoveries which
indicate that whatever may be the age of the planet on which
we reside, the civilization of men is but of modern creation, or
we must suppose that this great southern land has not long
emerged or left dry by the receding waters of the mighty deep.
It lies between the parallels of 39° and 10" 30' S. lat. and the
meridians of 11 2° and 153° 40' E. Ions?., extending from E. toW.
2977 miles, with a breadth from N. to S. of 2004 mile.s, a
STIRLING CASTLE. 45
Thus things continued for a considerable time,
the natives supplying fish, and the party paying
superficial area of more than three millions of square miles,
being more than three-fourths of the extent of the continent of
Europe, and having a coast-line of 8,000 miles.
In shape, it is an irregular oval, or it may be compared to the
form of a horse-shoe ; and so far as we know, appears bounded
for the most part by a ridge of steep mountains of greater or less
elevation, which extends around the coast, varying in distance
from the shore, and sometimes approaching within thirty miles
of the coast, at other times extending back to double and per-
haps treble that distance.
The country behind this range is, with the exception of New
South Wales territory, a perfect terra incognita, and from what
has been observed on the S.E. shore, it might be inferred that
it is a vast plain ; it is more natural, however, to suppose that
the country consists of extensive steps or terraces, as in South
Africa. The British colonies which have been established in
Australia consist chiefly of the old settlement of New South
Wales on the E. (first commenced at Botany Bay), the more
recent settlements at Swan River and King George's Sound,
and a new establishment, not yet matured, called South Aus-
tralia, on the south. The origin of the new settlement on the
eastern shore, called New South Wales, may be traced to the
year 1772, when Captain Cook having returned from his recent
voyage in the hemisphere, and having given a pleasing descrip-
tion of that part of the coast of New Holland which he had
discovered, and named New South Wales, it was resolved to form
a penal settlement at Botany Bay, with the following objects : —
1st. To rid the mother country of the yearly increasing number
of prisoners which were accumulating in the gaols ; 2ndly. To
afford a proper place for the safe custody and punishment of
criminals, as well as for their ultimate and progressive reforma-
tion ; and Srdly. To form a free colony out of the materials
46 SHIPWRECK OF THE
dearly for it, by bartering away articles of cloth-
ing, of which, luckily, each person had provided
which the reformed prisoners would supply, in addition to families
of free emigrants who might settle in the country from time to
time.
On the 6th of December, 1786, orders were issued from the
king in council to attempt this settlement, and chiefly for the
purpose of disposing of the convicts.
The plan having received the sanction of the legislature, the
squadron appointed to carry it into execution began to assemble
at the Motherbank, the place of rendezvous. On the 6th of
March, 1787, it consisted of the Sirius frigate, and ten sail of
transports and store ships ; the whole under the command of
Governor Phillips. On the 13th of May the expedition sailed,
having on board 778 convicts, of whom 200 were females ; and
on the 18th of January, 1788, reached the place of their desti-
nation, and anchored at Botany Bay. The governor finding
this bay very inconvenient for shipping, and the land in the
immediate neighbourhood unsuitable for the colony, went to
examine Port Jackson, about three leagues distant.
There he had the satisfaction to discover one of the finest
harbours in the world, where 1000 sail of the line might ride in
perfect safety, and the country round about very eligible. He
therefore pitched upon it as the site of the intended -settlement ;
and the convicts and others being landed, they immediately set
to work to clear the ground and build their habitations, &c. &c.
After struggling with many difficulties, the establishment has
fairly taken root, and increased to a flourishing colony.
The British settlers at first confined themselves along Port
Jackson and Hawkesbury river; but in the course of the summer
of 1813, a party of travellers succeeded in making their way to
the other side of the range of mountains which surround the
coast before alluded to, and called the Blue Mountains ; and a
r
STIRLING CASTLE. 47
himself with an extra suit, one over the other.
Down to the morning of the eleventh day they
had been on the beach, the wind had not veered a
point since their landing, but blew continually
from the S. E.
The long-boat was now lying on the beach with
her keel upwards. It appears from the statement
of Mr. Baxter that they would have embarked
earlier, as the natives had by this time exhibited
symptoms of a hostile nature, which increased
daily : but it was thought advisable to wait for the
change of the moon, which during its first quarter
generally produces a change of weather ; but the
\ queen of the night appeared on this occasion to
have suspended her influence over the wind and the
tide. After many conflicting opinions had been
delivered, it was agreed that the whole party
should barter all they had with the natives for
fish, &c. ; the sails were also to be parted with,
and there was less hesitation in doing this, as they
had already indulged in their predatory propensity.
It was considered advisable, however, that the
nautical instruments should be preserved, if pos-
I carriage road has since been constructed across, to the distance
of more than 100 miles.
0^ In the course of the work we shall give an interesting
and detailed account of the beautiful features which this rapidly
growing and important colony presents, down to the present
period.
48 SHIPWRECK OF THE
sible. While these deliberations were going on,
it was a settled point, that they should start on a
pedestrian route on the Tuesday after the moon
passed her first quarter, and walk the beach to
Moreton Bay, a distance by that course of nearly
500 miles. Having determined to quit, they
became more liberal in their exchange with the
natives by the bartering of clothes for fish. When
Tuesday, the day on which they had agreed to
depart, had arrived, some of the men refused to
commence their journey, and the captain and Mr.
Brown, the chief officer, were also inclined to
remain. Baxter was solicited by Darge and
others to proceed along the beach, but he said he
would not leave the captain, his uncle, who at this
time was very unwell. Darge^ Youlden, Hanhairif
Elliott^ and the boy, liohert Carey, proceeded on
their journey on the Saturday following.
Previous to their departure, Captain Fraser gave
up his fowling-piece to Darge, and one of his pis-
tols to Hanham ; and the remaining stock of am-
munition was equally divided between both the
parties. Unfortunately for them, Darge and his
companions could only muster a sufficient quantity
of provisions for one day's consumption. The
captain and the party who adhered to him were
averse to the separation ; but some of the men
having solemnly sworn that they would proceed
after a certain period, they did so in conformity
with their vow.
STIRLING CASTLE. 49
CHAPTER IV.
'^ They are quarrelling among themselves ; yes, they are
divided one against the other; let us consult the captain any
how. Under Providence there may be a chance yet."
Bluff in Robinson Crusoe.
** And they journeyed by a vmy ivhich they knew 7iot."
Previous to their leaving, the captain requested
them to turn the boat up, as it was his intention
^ to put to sea, if possible, as' he had an inveterate
dread of the natives ; indeed that feeling was
common to all of them, as by gestures they had
shown how they could spear them. The persons
left behind were. Captain and Mrs. Fraser, Brown,
the chief officer, Baxter, the second officer, the
steward, and Doyle. After the number had been
reduced from eleven t© six, the natives became
more daring, and even came to the tent and took
away their property vi et armis ; hence the captain
and the little band which now remained, resolved
to leave the spot, whatever might be the conse-
quences ; but before they started they procured as
many fish as possible, which were dearly pur-
chased, as Mrs. Fraser's China or Indian trunk
H
50 SHIPWRECK OF THE
only purchased two small mullets. Having provided
themselves with two suits of clothes each, they
packed up a few bundles of small articles which ^
were likely to be of service ; but before they started
they burned a part of the long-boat. *
The captain was armed with a pistol, he having
just divided the ammunition with Darge before he
and his companions deserted their commander.
Baxter had a musket, which he cast away during
the first day's journey, as he found it burdensome ;
Doyle carried a pistol ; Carrallis the steward, as a
weapon of defence, carried a huge stick ; and each
was provided with a fire-brand made from fibres
of the plantain tree. The captain not being able
to walk as fast as some of them, it was agreed that
those who went first should make a large fire at
night-fall, so that those who lingered might know
in what direction to come. It would seem that
there was a halting between two opinions, for it
was 3 p. M. before they commenced their journey,
and at 8 the van party arrived at a valley, where
they halted. Several trias trees growing on the
spot, the branches of which easily ignite, a good
fire was speedily made, for the double purpose of
cooking a portion of their fish, and as a beacon
for their companions in the rear.
Each person having nine mullets, they now
cooked them all to preserve them from putrefac-
tion. After partaking of a scanty meal, two of
STIRLING CASTLE.
51
them laid down to sleep, while the third man kept
watch according to agreement, as the arrival of
Captain and Mrs. Fraser and Brown was expected.
Daylight at length appeared, and the captain
and his party had not overtaken them, which
occasioned considerable anxiety ; and the impres-
sion on their mind was, that owing to the fire
being kindled in a valley, their companions in
misfortune had passed on without observing it.*'
The advance party indulging in this notion,
provided themselves each with a fire-brand, and
proceeded upon a forced march in hope of speedily
overtaking them. They had not proceeded at this
rate more than fifteen miles along the beach before
they were startled from their reverie by seeing a
number of the natives marching toward them. In
order if possible to avoid a meeting, they were
about to leave the beach to seek shelter from
observation in the bush ; but before they could
effect this, the tribe bore down upon them, and at
first they appeared to be friendly disposed. The
company seeing this, made signs that they wanted
fresh water, which was supplied by digging a hole
in the sand, an expedient to which the thirsty
band down to this time were utter strangers.
When the natives by this means supplied them
* The reason of their non-arrival was, that they had been
overtaken and plundered by a tribe of natives.
52 SHIPWRECK OF THE
with the salutary beverage, they put a shrub into
it, somewhat resembling furze, which had the
effect both of cooling and sweetening it. This
discovery proved of importance to some of the
party in their subsequent months of captivity.
The natives then by signs of a very significant
kind, expressed a desire to possess themselves of
the clothes worn by the captives, (for so they now
became;) and as there were at least thirty armed
men against three, resistance was vain. We have
already stated, that each of the men carried a bag
containing utensils, and trifling articles of clothing,
and these were the first things the savages took from
them, and carried them into the bush for safety
and concealment from other tribes, for it appears
that these predatory rascals are habituated to rob
one another. They soon after returned and de-
manded the clothes, when there being some hesi-
tation manifested by Baxter and his companions,
they without ceremony divested him of his jacket
by way of commencement ; . their admiration of
which being apparently raised by the profusion of
buttons with which it was adorned.*
* It appears that nothing excites the cupidity of the natives
so much as the sight of wearing apparel, and even the most
minute article is seized with a savage eagerness. This propen-
sity appears very extraordinary, as they are never seen to wear
any article of clothing, nor were the things taken away ever
seen by the narrators in the places where they bivouacked.
STIRLING CASTLE. 53
Baxter resisted their demands with considerable
spirit, and at length finding that of no avail, he
had recourse to supplication, that they would
allow him to retain his dress; but the more he
invoked, the more urgent were the savages in their
demand ; and to end the matter, they beat him
This circumstance opens a field for conjecture to wander in,
for there is no doubt but they have a market for these articles in
some quarter, or they would not be sought after with so much
avidity.
Mr. Baxter ventured to express an opinion on this subject in
answer to our inquiries ; and there certainly appears to be some
reason in it, hence we give it insertion. He considers it not
unlikely, that far remote in the bush, a number of bush-rangers,
i.e. escaped convicts, have formed themselves into a clan or com-
munity, and that the articles of European dress are supplied to
them.
We inquired as to the means which those lawless fugitives
could have of paying for them. The reply was that a reciprocity
of feeling and interest existed between the parties, as the
rangers often assisted the natives in the interior, in their hunting
and fishing excursions ;' and sometimes joined them in those of
a predatory nature, by making a sally upon the settlements
belonging to the British colony, and carrying away a booty,
which was always given in great part to the natives. Whether
this hypothesis be correct or not, one thing is quite clear, that
although tlte " bush-rangers" are for the most part suffered to
wander ad libitum without molestation, they nevertheless stand
in awe of the natives, who possess a power which they sometimes
exert, of placing the run-away in a canoe, and conveying him
to the penal settlement, for which act they receive a reward from
the commissariat department,
54 SHIPWRECK OF THE
violently about the head with their tvaddies,'* and
took by force what they could not obtain by less
passive measures. Carrallis showed less disin-
clination to obey than Baxter, and being a man of
colour, the natives appeared to be less urgent with
him. Doyle however was stubborn, and when
they attempted to denude him, he drew his pistol,
and presented it at them, whereupon a spear was
thrust at him, which passed through his jacket close
to his body, and at the same moment, another
spear passed immediately over his head. It is
believed that this was done to intimidate, rather
than destroy life, as they are so expert in hurling
their spears, that they can direct them with un-
erring precision to the vital parts from a great
distance.
Baxter and Carrallis then besought Doyle to
make no further resistance, but submit quietly,
and surrender his pistol, when he reluctantly
acquiesced with their request. No sooner had the
natives possessed themselves of the pistol, than
they fell upon him and beat him severely for his
temerity, while the others underwent a very trifling
punishment, and they took advantage of this cir-
* A waddy is a species of club about 3J feet long, and in
weight from six to nine pounds. It is a weapon made gene-
rally of iron-bark, and in shape something like a boat's paddle ;
and the part which they handle, in order to make their grasp
firm, is turned in the manner of a screw.
STIRLING CASTLE. §5
cumstance, by standing between Doyle and his
unmerciful assailants, who in consequence desisted
from acts of brutal violence, but they stripped the
poor fellow quite naked. Baxter and Carrallis
having given up their jackets and waistcoats
without much hesitation, escaped with a compara-
tively moderate punishment. Baxter seeing Doyle
in a state of nudity, with that considerate kindness
which we think from observation to be an innate
principle of his nature, gave him one of his pairs
of trousers. We have already observed that they
started wath double suits, and right glad was
Doyle from more causes than one to accept of the
proffered garment.
When Baxter started, he was careful to carry
with him his nautical instruments, but unluckily the
quadrant was in one of the bundles which had
been seized at the commencement of the rencontre ;
and when his jacket was taken from him, his sex-
tant was in his possession, which he endeavoured
to retain ; but the assailants were determined to
have it, and they, by gestures, commanded him to
show them for what purpose the instrument was
intended, which mandate he luckily obeyed without
hesitation ; this was about 10 a. m. Baxter having
arranged it, put it into their hands, and when they
saw it brought the sun down to their feet, there ap-
peared in their countenances a mixture of astonish-
ment and alarm, and the latter preponderating.
56 SHIPWRECK OF THE
the sextant was handed back to its owner, who felt
highly gratified. As the sun is the deity of many
rude tribes, perhaps they thought the sextant acted
with a miraculous power upon the great luminary.
The savages then left them, and Baxter and
his companions proceeded along the beach, and
to their great surprise, they had not travelled
more than a mile, before they overtook the cap-
tain, his wife, and Mr. Brown, the chief officer,
from whom they heard a melancholy recital
of the disasters which they had undergone since
they parted company, for they also had ^' fell among
thieves^'' but they did not much indulge their rapa-
cious propensity, and that forbearance seems easily
accounted for. The tribe who fell in with them
was aware that by their hasty retreat, they must
have left many things behind them in the tent
they had quitted ; hence they made the best of
their way thither, lest others should be there
before them, and possess the booty ; even to
secure the boat-sails would be to them a srreat
acquisition.
The whole party now proceeded in company,
and agreed not to depart from each other, except
in case of some great emergency ; and in order to
avoid observation, they walked the whole of the
night, after taking some rest in the bush during the
after part of the day, that they might recruit their
strength. During their nocturnal march, they
STIRLING CASTLE. 57
often walked in the surf, to prevent the natives
from tracking their footsteps on the sand.^'
The unfortunate travellers continued their
march for eight or nine successive nights, and
rested all day in the bush, and they were cheered
by the hope that they should shortly find succour
in the British settlement upon which the eye of
their minds was intently fixed, viz. Moreton Bay :
but alas, their cup of affliction was not yet a
quarter filled. During this tiresome journeying,
they subsisted principally on the almost tasteless
bread-fruit already referred to, and some berries
which they found in the '' bush," and these having
a very relaxing tendency, their partly recruited
health was again invaded by disease, which of
course, retarded their progress. The first thing
which diverted their minds from the monotony of
the scene, was the traces of footsteps of animals,
which they afterwards found to be those of kan-
garoo dogs.f
* This was certainly a prudent precaution, but they afterwards
learned that it was a useless one, for such is the sensitiveness
of the olfactory nerve of these barbarians, that they can scent
the progress of Europeans as well as their quadruped brethren,
the blood-hounds.
t These dogs are very Numerous, and although they run
wild, they are frequently domesticated by the natives ; and
although they live among bipeds more savage than themselves,
they seem to be endowed with a considerable share of instinct
peculiar to their species, as by a little training they are taught
I
58 SHIPWRECK OF THE
They afterwards (on the eighth day since they
joined company,) made a discovery of a number
of footmarks of human beings on the sand, when
their former hair-breadth escapes rushed on their
minds with a fearful pressure, and during the fol-
lowing night, their apprehensions were raised to a
high pitch, and particularly those of Capt. Fraser,
who seemed to have an instinctive dread of the
savage tribes with which the continent abounded.
Poor man ! — had he been gifted with fore-know-
ledge, he might well have entertained that dread.
Providence in this, as in all other respects, acts
with wisdom and kindness to his creatures — he
reserves to himself the secrets connected with our
terrestrial destiny, for wise purposes ; hence we
should learn to avoid prying into futurity — '^ suffi-
cient to the day is the evil thereof,''
" Why should we for to-morrow care ?
And pore on ills we may not share,
Anticipating grief:
Scripture and reason both combine,
And confidence in God enjoin,
To bring a sure relief."
to go out after kangaroos, which, when caught, they bring and
lay down at the feet of their master. In size and appearance,
they arc not unlike a grey-hound, and naturally very inimical
to white men — perhaps by tuition.
i
STIRLING CASTLE. 59
CHAPTER V.
" The hour's now come ;
The very minute bids thee ope thy ear ;
Obey ! — and be attentive."
Shakspeare.
On the morning of the ninth day, they met with
fifteen or sixteen natives, of both sexes, (the former
tribes being all males,) who were all armed with
spears and clubs. When they first saw them in
the distance, (it being afternoon,) they thought of
taking to the bush until dusk, believing that they
had not been discovered. The poor travellers did
io, and having met with no molestation, they crept
from their hiding-place after dusk, and continued
their journeyings. They had not gone far before
they discovered a fire before them, and as all their
brands were extinguished, they agreed to proceed
to it, in order to obtain a light. When they ap-
proached it, they found it to be a bivouack of
natives, who immediately sallied forth, and beat
them most unmercifully with their waddies or
clubs, until they were all reduced to a state of
60 SHIPWRECK OF THE
decrepitude. The savages then stripped every-
thing off their persons, and left them in a state of
complete nudity, excepting Mrs. Fraser, who was
allowed to retain an article of under dress.
After Doyle and Carrallis had been thus bereft
of every article, they proceeded on, and left tlie
others behind. Capt. Fraser and his party, finding
themselves quite denuded, plucked a quantity
of long grass, which they twisted into bands, and
bound round their persons, from their waist to
their ancles, in order to shield themselves from
the cold, and then pursued the same course which
Doyle and Carrallis had previously taken, but did
not overtake them ; the captain's party afterwards
found that they had been captured by the natives.
On the second day after this, they were disco-
vered, while travelling on the beach, by a quantity
of natives, who immediately began to coohee in a
most fearful and boisterous manner. The unfor-
tunate party now expected nothing but death, and
some of them remembered hearing at Sydney, of
their barbarous usage of the crew of the Charles
Eaton, about two years before. They all agreed
that resistance would be vain, and that it would
be better to implore the forgiveness of God, and
resign themselves quietly to their fate. What an
awful moment of terror and dismay !— but their
resolution was a wise one, for it is much safer to
fall into the ''hands of God, than the hands of
wicked and cruel men.''
STIRLING CASTLE. 61
When they approached the motley group, it
was discovered that it consisted of a mixture of
the red and black tribes, and there appeared more
ferocity marked in their countenances than any
which they had before seen. The first thing they
attempted, was to tear the twisted grass from their
bodies and extremities. Baxter and some of the
party resisted, thinking that the savages were
going to drag them into the bush to kill them, and
\ they thought they might as well be speared at
once, as be put to a lingering and cruel death.
When the natives found that they were repelled, they
I applied their lighted fire-brands to the straw, in or-
der to burn them, and to avoid this, Capt. Fraser and
Mr. Brown, the chief officer, ran into the surf. Two
savages finally laid hold of both the hands of each
person, and led them into the bush, and five or six
others acted as ^* a body-guard," by walking before
: and behind the captives. When they had led them
I into the wood about the distance of a mile, they
halted, and then put all their fire-brands together,
to which they added those which had been borne
by the prisoners, but for what purpose the narra-
tors did not fully understand, yet they had a
dreadful foreboding that it denoted a speedy
immolation.
The captives asked for some water, and made
signs that they were hungry, and to their great
surprise they were promptly supplied with it, and
■
62 SHIPWRECK OF THE
some fish, which both relieved their body and
minds. But their astonishment was elevated to
its greatest height before their repast had well
concluded, by the savages bringing before them
the remainder of the long-boat's crew, who had
left them a considerable time before, as has been
already stated, viz. Darge^ Youlden, Hanham^
Elliott, and the boy Carey , as also Carrallis and
Doyle, the two men who had parted company with
the captain a few days before. This appeared to
inspire them all with confidence, and former little
bickerings and diff'erences of opinion seemed to be
forgotten. They were not allowed to enjoy each
other's company long, for after their meal, the
savages separated them, each taking one and lead-
ing him prisoner in a difterent direction. The
natives had been greatly surprised at their mutual
rejoicing, when they so unexpectedly met together,
and they were equally so at the sorrow manifested
when separated from each other.
Before they were separated Darge told his com-
panions that they would all be coocheed (coloured
with red or black ochre), according to the tribe to
which they were assigned ; and the method of
fixing the colour is, by a portion of gum being
mixed with the powder. Darge having been with
the savages several days, told the others in what
manner they would be employed, viz. to fetch
wood and water for their masters, and also to carry
STIRLING CASTLE. 63
their towrows (fishing gear), when they went on a
fishing excursion, and occasionally to carry the
spears of the natives.^'
The place where this dreadful captivity, as it
ultimately proved, commenced between Wide Bay
and Sandy Cape.f It appears that the natives
never change their place of domicile until com-
pelled to do so from a scarcity of provisions, but
when they can find no more kangaroos in one part
of the bush they remove to another. In like man-
ner in the fishing season, they continue on one side
of a river until the fish are all exhausted, and then
they cross over to the other side. The tribes to
which Darge and Youlden were attached w^ere
taken across the river to attend them during the
fishing season ; and before he left he told Baxter
* The natural colour of the natives is black, but they are
divided into two tribes, black and red, so that the latter are
obliged to use an artificial colouring. These great tribes are
then sub-divided into clans, consisting of from fifty to a hundred,
who form a community both of interest and for labour. They
have a dreadful propensity to rob their neighbours of their
women, hence feuds and fighting are of frequent occurrence.
In respect of disposition, the narrators state, that the black
were far less ferocious than the red tribes.
t Wide Bay is about 100 miles to the north of Moreton Bay,
and about twelve miles south of Sandy Cape. It lies between
Double Island Point and Indian Head, lat. 26° 0' S., long.
153° 5' E.
Sandy Cape is situate on the eastern point of Harvey's Bay,
lat. 24° 42' S., long. 153° 16' E.
64 SHIPWRECK OF THE
that they would make their escape if possible, and
proceed to Moreton Bay,* when steps should be
* Moreton Bay, one of the penal establishments of the
colony of New South Wales, is situated on the eastern coast
of Australia, at the mouth of the river Brisbane, being in lat.
27° 1' S., long. 153° 26' E. The bay is more than sixty miles
in extent. It is sheltered by an island, and on the bar there is a
depth of eighteen feet water. Mr. Oxley, the late surveyor-
general of New South Wales, who discovered the river, de-
scribes the scenery on its bank as peculiarly beautiful ; the
country alternately hilly and level, but not flooded ; the soil of
the finest description of brushwood land, on which grow timber
of great magnitude, in particular a magnificent species of pine
was in abundance. At this point the river was navigable for a
vessel drawing sixteen feet water, and for thirty miles farther no
diminution had taken place in the breadth or depth of the
river, except in one place, for the extent of thirty yards, where
a range of detached rocks extended across, having more than
twelve feet water on them at high water.
The tide ascends daily fifty miles above the mouth of the
Brisbane, flowing also up the Bremar, the depth of whose channel
it augments by eight or more feet. The country, so far as it has
been explored, is of a very superior description, and equally
well adapted for cultivation or grazing.
As it regards the geological features of this coast, it may be
observed that the sand-stone strata extend from the sea coast to
the river Nepean on the west. Beyond the Nepean river the sand-
stone strata are forced upwards, and extend from north to south,
forming the lofty ridge of the Blue Mountains. Between the
latitudes of 3 and 30 degrees, the country gradually ascends
from the level of Liverpool plains, of from 240 feet to 2,000
feet above the level of the sea, and presents a broken, irregular
STIRLING CASTLE. 65
taken to rescue the others. Baxter having studied
the chart, told them that there was no river to
intercept them after they had crossed the stream in
which his party were going to fish. This resolve
inspired all the remaining party with hopes, as
there was a mutual and solemn pledge between
them, that if any one escaped he would use every
effort to rescue the others. Baxter, who was prin-
cipally employed in the bush collecting wood, of
I
surface, often immersed by low ridges of clay slate. In lat.
28'' 13' a fertile district commences, extending for eighteen miles,
or to the foot of the dividing range in the parallel of 28 degrees.
At the base of these mountains are procured specimens of
basalt, containing olivine ; at the height of 1,877 feet above the
level of the sea, the rock consists of amygdaloid ; and the
extreme summit, 4,100 feet above Moreton Bay, of a brick-red
cellular trap, the cells having an elongated form and parallel
position. Mount Lindsay, near Moreton Bay, as measured by
Mr. Cunningham, is 5,700 feet above the sea.
The geology of the country further north is equally striking.
The western shores of Moreton Bay are faced by a reef of con-
siderable breadth, which at low water is said to exhibit a ledge
of chalcedony. In tracing the Brisbane river, which falls into
Moreton Bay, all slate, or chlorite ; and opposite the settlement,
sixteen miles from the mouth of the river, is a quarry of pinkish
clay-stone porphyry, used for building. Sixty miles from
Moreton Bay ledges of hornstone creep out of the banks, and in
the same part of the river a considerable seam of coal appears
in its channel.
Although comparatively little is known of the coast to the
north of Moreton Bay, yet there is every reason to suppose that
it partakes of the same general character.
K
66 SHIPWRECK OF THE
which the natives use a great deal, saw a number
of snakes, but he is not aware that any of them are
of a venomous kind ; to him, at all events, they
proved perfectly harmless. He was once attacked
and bitten by a wild kangaroo dog, who have ap-
parently a decided antipathy to white men. The
prisoners, not being used to the cold winds and
dew, frequently suffered much from numbness and
cramp, which, when the natives discovered, they
directed them to put their lighted fire-brands to
their left breasts, and they found that by so doing
the circulation of the blood was promoted and kept
up, but owing to the constancy of the night dews
they were never free, until after sun-rise, from a
disagreeable chilliness. With all the exertions that
were used by the natives and their wretched slaves,
it was difficult to procure a sufficient quantity of
provisions, and but a very scanty allowance was
doled out to the latter. Sometimes, however,
when felling a tree, they were fortunate enough to
catch an opossum, a snake, or a rat, which had
lodged in the branches, which they treated as
their own property, and devoured on the spot. In
the winter season the natives sleep in tents* at night,
at the mouth of which a large fire is kept burning,
but their slaves were not allowed shelter, but as a
* The tents are of an oblong shape, and very low. Baxter
compares them to a frame upon which arches are constructed in
forming a common sewer.
STIRLING CASTLE. 67
matter of favour permitted to sleep near the fire
upon boughs of trees, dry grass, or any thing
which they could procure. If the children should
happen to cry and arouse the adults during the
night, it was their uniform custom to quit the tent
and give the poor slave a sound thrashing, as
though he had been the cause of their slumbers
being broken ; this was, however, when compared
with other sufferings, only a trivial punishment,
and was not frequently inflicted. '^'
* It has already been stated that the natives go quite naked
yithout betraying the least degree of shame, even when they
visit the British settlement. Mr. Cunningham, in his " Two
Years in New South Wales^" says, in allusion to them, ** They
may even be seen in the streets of Sydney in natural costume,
or with a pair of breeches probably dangling round their necks,
which the modest meaning donor meant to be applied elsewhere.
It is amusing to see the consequential swagger of some of these
dingy dandies, as they pace lordly along with a waddy twirling
in their black paws. No Bond Street exquisite could ape the
great man better, for none are better mimics of their superiors."
The same writer states it as his opinion, that the intellect of
these people is naturally good, as they have shown great aptness
in many respects, particularly in their soon learning the English
language and speaking it so as to be understood, and the
Billingsgate part of it to perfection.
68 SHIPWRECK OF THE
I
CHAPTER VI.
" With wonder gaze, and drop the unconscious tear !"
» * *• *
" The last faint accents trembled on his tongue,
That now inactive to the palate clung ;
His bosom heaves a mortal groan — he dies !
And shades eternal sink upon his eyes !"
Falconer.
After Darge and Carrallis had departed with
their tribes, Baxter and the others continued to
pursue their ordinary employment. Induced princi-
pally by a hope of escape, they petitioned the savages
to let them cross the river, and follow their late com-
panions, and who at first seemed inclined to grant
their request, and they were put into several
canoes apparently for that purpose, but when they
got about 100 yards upon the water, they made
them jump into the bay, either to drown or swim
back to the beach. This inhuman trick they
played upon all the party, Mrs. Fraser not being
excepted. This was done to create a savage
pleasure ; and when any of the party were seen
struggling and almost sinking in their attempts
to reach the shore, they cooheed and exulted
with enthusiasm. Brown, the chief oflBcer, used
STIRLING CASTLE. 69
frequently to go out with from fifteen to twenty of
the natives to carry their toiorows, and when they
saw a shoal of fish, they went round it with the
net which was fixed to a large bow, and then he was
commanded to beat about in the water to frighten
the fish into it ; and when it was full, he drew it
ashore and emptied it.
A species of white porpoise frequent these shores,
which the natives almost deify, and it would be
death were any of their captives to kill or injure
one of them ; it being their notion that as these
animals lie near the margin of the bay, they
frighten the fish toward the beach. The natives
are described as very expert fishermen ; and even
children of nine years of age have been seen to
spear a large fish with wonderful dexterity. The
fish which chiefly abound on that coast are mullet
and bream ; but sometimes sword-fish, and a
species called by the natives stingoree, are cap-
tured. One reason why the party were seldom
taken with the natives on fishing excursions was,
that they are such swift travellers, that the captives
could not keep up with them ; and perhaps they
were anxious to keep them as ignorant as possible
of the passes and tracts which led to the sea, and
difierent rivers inland. In some parts the bush is
so closely interwoven together for a considerable
distance, that it forms (if we may be allowed
the expression) a massive wall of impenetrable
wicker work.
70 SHIPWRECK OF THE
In the midst of this wilderness of wood, various
ravines appeared, and the avenues which inter-
sected each other were so numerous, that the
poor captives were oft-times filled with terror,
as should they happen to lose themselves in the
labyrinth, nothing but a lingering death by
starvation presented itself to their view. Our
unfortunate narrators and their companions how-
ever were partly divested of this fear, as the party
with whom they were obliged to associate gene-
rally located at a short distance from the sea shore,
in order to keep a better look-out ; hence when
they were sent to gather wood, the mighty rush-
ing of the surf on the beach, which may be heard
for several miles inland, acted as a guide when
they retrograded with their burden to their tribe.*
Whenever, as it sometimes happened, any of our
party went on a fishing excursion, tliey refused to
allow them to cross the river, but left them in the
care of another tribe until their return, in order
to prevent the possibility of escape by swimming
or otherwise.
After they had led this worse than vagabond life
for a considerable time, scanty fare and hard
labour reduced their strength daily, so that they
* Mrs. Fraser was partly employed in gathering wood, and
partly in looking after the children during the time Baxter
remained near her, as will be fully explained when we come
to her narration.
STIRLING CASTLE. 71
were unable to perform the tasks required of
them '; and this appeared to give umbrage to their
captors, who being possessed of constitutions
naturally robust, and formed for their native cli-
mate, appeared to consider physical debility as
neither more nor less than the effect of sullenness,
or a feigned lassitude. Down to this period the
party had not undergone much personal insult,
but no sooner did the natives discover that they
either could not, or would not ** do their bidding,"
than their savage nature, which had in some degree
laid dormant, manifested itself first by resorting to
ingenious and horrid modes of torture, and finally,
by hurling a deadly instrument and/ depriving their
exhausted victims of existence I Captain Fraser
was the first on whom they exercised their extreme
vengeance ; the particulars of whose melancholy
exit will be fully detailed when we give the dread-
ful account of his widow, who of the whole party
was the eye-witness of the appalling scene. Mr.
Baxter at the time of this dreadful massacre was
not more than a quarter of a mile distant from the
spot, but he did not see the corpse till the next
morning, when he beheld a party of the barbarians
dragging the remains of his unfortunate uncle into
the bush ; and this was the last time that he was
seen by an European eye.
The unfortunate captain seems from the first to
have been a marked man, as he underwent more
suffering and experienced more contumely than
72 SHIPWRECK OF THE
any of his party. This the narrators account for
from the fact that he often interfered in behalf of
his wife, when he beheld her subjected to diabolical
insults. Whether the savages were aware that she
was the captain's wife, or that he was the chief of
the captive party, the survivors are not able to say,
but they saw enough to create in their minds an
indelible impression, that there was but '^ a step
between him and death,'' previous to the act which
at once released him from his pains and anxieties.
We hope as we believe, that his disembodied spirit
mounted to that region the anticipation of which
had been his hope during his stormy life, ^' Where
the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are
at rest.''
Although sudden death might be the immediate
prelude to sudden glory to Captain Fraser, there
are circumstances connected with those he has left
behind him, which call forth the sympathy of the
philanthropist, and they will not call in vain :
we allude to the widow and three fatherless children
of that gentleman.
Disastrous day, what ruin hast thou bred !
What anguish to the living and the dead !
How hast thou left the widow all forlorn,
And ever doom'd the orphan child to mourn ;
Through life's sad journey hopeless to complain,
Can sacred justice these events ordain ?
But O my soul ! avoid that wondrous maze,
Where reason lost in endless error strays !
As through this thorny vale of life we run,
Great Cause of all effects, " Thy will be done.**
STIRLING CASTLE. 73
Perhaps we ought to apologize for thus diverging
from the narrative of Mr. Baxter, which is now
approaching to its close ; but that gentleman has
incidentally communicated to us a few of the
important traits of Captain Eraser's character, and
moreover allowed us the perusal of some lines
composed by that ill-fated gentleman, and written
in his own hand, which we shall present to our
readers, as they will prepare their minds for a brief
memoir of him hereafter. Before we transcribe
his poetic effusion upon the loss of The Comet, we
will attempt an extempore, but humble one of our
own in respect of him.
If honour can ennoble man's vain life,
If charity and truth can lend a charm,
If reconciling enmity and strife,
Can in the hour of death the foe disarm,
Then Fraser died in peace, — for his were those.
And every action token of them gave.
Reader — thou'lt shed a tear to his repose,
Although thou canst not shed it o'er his grave."*
* Whether the corpse of the martyred captain ever received
the rights of sepulture, is a matter of conjecture, but Mr. Baxter
is strongly of opinion that it did. Although he was the slave to a
distinct tribe from that to which his uncle was attached, he was
able to make observations upon which to ground an hypothesis,
in consequence of the locality of their respective encampments.
He (Baxter) says that in an area or grass plot, a mound was
raised somewhat in the shape of a native hut, covered with turf
after the manner of graves in a country church-yard, where
*' The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep." ^^
L X^
74 SHIPWRECK OF THE
Previous to the day when the deadly spear put
an end to his sorrows, he had been twice severely
wounded by similar instruments ; and although the
facts may be hereafter referred to, we hope it may
not be superfluous to note them as an anticipating
confirmation of the widow's statement.
The first time the unfortunate captain was
wounded by the spear of the barbarian, was when
he came in contact with the bandits, on the occa-
sion referred to at page 56. Captain F. had a
valuable and favourite chronometer, which the
savages seemed determined to possess, although
they are supposed not to have been able to estimate
its intrinsic worth, or the purpose for which it was
intended. The captain was not so fortunate with
his chronometer, as was his nephew (Baxter) with
his sextant ; for when he placed it to their ears
in the hope of arousing timidity, the ticking of
the instrument at once awakened their curiosity,
and gave an additional zest to their rapacity. It
is almost needless to add, that the captain and his
The grave (if so it was,) the natives decorated with pine, sapphris,
and other barks, as well as with leaves and flowers. For several
nights the tribe corrobered around it, by way of rejoicing, after
the captain was defunct.
Mr. Baxter is of opinion, but he will not vouch for the fact
with certainty, that Mr. Brown the chief officer, and the boy
Carey, told him, after the death of Captain Fr^ser, that they
were within sight at the time of its occurrence.
STIRLING CASTLE. 75
chronometer parted for ever. In the course of this
rencontre, one of the savages thrust his spear on
the cheek of Captain Fraser, which inflicted so
deep a wound that the vision of the eye was
destroyed for ever.
The next time he suffered, was when he was in
captivity, in consequence of his being unable to
collect a sufficient quantity of wood for his heart-
less task-masters, owing to age, infirmity, and
exhaustion ; the spear on this occasion passed
through the calf of his leg. It would really seem
that these untutored brutes had been well instructed
in the art of teasing ; and they strongly remind
us of the pranks of a domestic animal of the feline
species, who delights in torturing her helpless
victims before she devours them.
The following is a verbatim copy of the paper
to which w^e have alluded, and leave the reader to
form his own opinion, whose indulgence we need
scarcely bespeak, when they consider that the
effusion is that of a shipwrecked captain, and
penned in an open boat, after he had abandoned
the Comet to her fate.
76 SHIPWRECK OF THE
May 6th, IS30.— Written in the boat on leaving the reef.
My heart is sick, and bones are sore,
As I'm toss'd on the raging sea,
My anxious mind can find no rest,
Thinking, my dear, on thee.*
Through travelling far in search of gain,
Our toils are all in vain,
Our good-like barque's wrecked on a reef.
And there she must remain.
Her frame was stout — her beams were strong.
Her bow kept to the sea,
The billows beat with all their strength,
Her timbers for to free.
For two long days and two long nights
She stagger'd to and fro,
At last her frame it must give way.
And our hearts were filFd with woe.
Our only hope was in the boats,
And God's protecting care,
Our lives to save and cross the reef,
All hearts were filled with fear.
Now farewell. Comet, for we must leave.
Thy sailing's now all o'er.
Thou wast a fam'd and gallant barque.
And at Sydney much ador'd.
Two lambs are left on board of thee,
Which I'm sorry for at heart,
A cat and parrot nursed by me.
For which I had a great regard.
The coral reef which proved fatal to the Comet, is situate
between New Holland and New Guinea, in the South Pacific
Ocean..
* This stanza evidently has allusion to Mrs. Fraser. Little did
bethink when he penned it, that she would witness his melancholy
death in the same latitude, ere the expiration of six years !
STIRLING CASTLE. 77
CHAPTER VII.
^' Heaven will ere long thy wandering steps restore,
When parted hence, to England's distant shore."
Falconer.
" Deliverance comes — Huzza ! huzza ! huzza ! "
^ Old Play.
The event of the captain's death was speedily
revealed to the party who had crossed the river ;
and, as a matter of course, excited a more ardent
desire in those who remained, to escape as early as
possible ; but the only chance was by seizing one of
the natives' canoes. Elliott and Doyle, in a state
bordering on frenzy, rushed into Wide Bay,
about eleven o'clock in the day-time, with the
futile hope of swimming over it. There was no
concealment about the matter, for Baxter and
others, and some of the natives beheld them. Al-
though excellent swimmers, they were seen to
struggle violently before they had swam one-
fourth of the way over the expanse of water, at
which the natives rejoiced exceedingly ; and their
mirth was elevated to its highest pitch when they
sunk, from exhaustion, into the deep, there to re-
main until the last trumpet of God shall be sound-
ed, and the mandate of the moral Governor of
the universe shall command that *' the sea give
up her dead,''
78 SHIPWRECK OF THE
It is supposed that when the natives saw them
go into the water, they thought that Elliott and
Doyle were going to bathe, as they were sometimes
wont to do, but Baxter and others knew what
were their intentions, as they had bidden them
farewell ; indeed, they considered that the attempt
was a hazardous one, and endeavoured to dissuade
them from trying the experiment, but in vain.
After witnessing the exit of their two com-
panions, the whole party, among whom there were
thirty natives, returned to the bush. At this time
the long-boat party was reduced from eleven to
five, three being dead, and three having crossed
the river.
The natives now became more cruel and fre-
quent in their torture, and exacted more labour
from the reduced number than before. These
demons in human form employed evety method
which they could devise, to torture and annoy their
miserable captives. No sooner had they fallen
asleep in a state of exhaustion, than they applied
fire-brands to their feet, and the most sensitive
parts of their bodies ; and every device was resorted
to by which pain could be created, in order that
their joy might be enhanced at the writhing of
their victims.'^
* Baxter has informed us of a mode of torture which was
inflicted two or three times upon him, the peculiarities attend-
ing which are not only diabolical, but too indelicate to detail.
STIRLING CASTLE. 79
Shortly after the exit of Elliott and Doyle, the
tribe took Hanham and the lad Carey across the
bay on a fishing excursion, and the number left
in the bush was reduced to three persons, viz. Mrs.
Fraser, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Baxter. These un-
happy persons kept as much in each other's com-
pany as they possibly could, but there appears to
have been a determination on the part of the
natives to let them have as little communion as
possible. Hanliam and Carey had not been gone
more than four or five days, when Mr. Brown was
inhumanly tied to a stake, and a slow fire being
placed under him, his body, after the most ex-
cruciating sufferings, was reduced to ashes ! Mr.
Baxter states, that he was not far from the place of
immolation at the time his companion was suffer-
ing, but he was spared the . pain he must have
endured had he been, like Mrs. Fraser, an eye-
witness of the revolting scene ; he, however, after-
wards saw the plain of Moloch, upon which were
spread the ashes of his lamented friend. ^ Gracious
Another, and less painful one, was to pluck out portions of his
hair and beard.
* Mr. Brown is described by the suryiyors as having been a
fine athletic man, with a noble and expressive countenance, and
about thirty-six years of age; he was a native of Rothsay,
N. B., and having been brought up to the sea from his youth,
and favoured with a good education, he was well skilled in the
art of navigation. He was a great favourite of Captain Fraser's,
80 SHIPWRECK OF THE
God ! well, indeed, might thy servant David im-
plore thee to ^^ have respect to thy covenant ; for
the dark places of the earth are full of the habita-
tions of cruelty.''
For some time before his death, Mr. Brown had
suffered much from exhaustion and cruel usage ;
indeed, his fine manly form was reduced to de-
crepitude, and he had become a mere skeleton.
Mr. Baxter had an interview with him the day
before he was led forth to the slaughter, when they
conversed seriously upon their miserable condition.
Poor Brown appeared to be conscious that his end
was drawing near, but he little thought then that
in a few hours he would have to ** pass through
the valley of the shadow of death,'' with a lingering
fire as his companion to the confines of eternity !
Mr. Baxter proceeds to state, that after the death
of Brown, Mrs. Fraser was taken across the water
to the other side of Wide Bay, and he was the only
one left with the tribe, who gave him the name of
** Curri," The natives now became much more
cruel to him than they had hitherto been, but
whether it was because he was left solitary he
will not undertake to say, yet to us it appears ex-
ceedingly probable.
He was now taken by from fifteen to twenty
and had been his chief officer for several years, down to his
decease, and was his companion at the wreck of the Comet.
STIRLING CASTLE, 81
natives into the interior, upon an opossum and
kangaroo expedition, and he thinks that he must
have travelled inland from 150 to 200 miles.
During his journey he fell in with '^ a bush-
ranger," (that is, a runaway convict,) who had es-
caped from the penal settlement of Moreton Bay
several years before, and had now united himself
with a tribe of natives — conformed to their customs,
and taken one of their females as his constant
companion.
The two tribes which thus met being on terms
of amity with each other, they continued together
ItoT seven or eight hours, but both parties were
destitute of provisions. During their stay, Baxter
and the bush-ranger had a great deal of conversa-
tion, which did not seem to please either party of
the natives, but none of them evinced so much
jealousy as the ranger's wife. Baxter forgets
the name of this fugitive and vagabond, but he
said that his relations lived in London, and that
several years before he had been transported from
England to New South Wales for fourteen years,
but that having broken the law while in the colony,
he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to be trans-
ported to the penal settlement before-named, for
the term of his natural life.
This man did not appear to sympathize much
with our narrator, but he held out a faint hope that
one day he might give his tyrants the slip, but he
implored Baxter (should he ever reach Moreton
M
82 SHIPWRECK OF THE
Bay) net to name the circumstance of their meet-
ing ; he promised to do so, and kept his word. He
told Baxter that after he escaped to the bush, he
was a slave for some time to the tribe he was then
attached to, but as a female was very fond of him,
he united his destinies with her, and thus obtained
manumission. He also said, that his tribe was
going up into the mountains in search of honey,
where they would fare better than they could on the
sea coast ; in fact, he said, exultingly, '^ We shall
get fat when we get up yonder. " ^
Baxter and his tribe remained in the interior
for several days, employed in a hunting excursion i
but being too early in the season, they met with
but little success, and therefore returned again to
the beach. After they had been on the margin of ^
the bay a few days, Baxter was suddenly startled
by the natives setting up a most boisterous coohee
in the afternoon of the 15th of August; — a day
which he will never forget while life and being
last — a day when the merciful hand of God was
stretched out to deliver him from the hands of
blood-thirsty and wicked men, whose tender mer-
cies are cruelty, and whose habitations are polluted
* The ranger was a tall, athletic man, apparently about
thirty-seven years of age, and in an entire state of nudity. He
had been cooched (coloured) with black, white, and yellow
ochre, but he formed a singular contrast to the natives, from the
length of his beard, mustachios, and hair, the latter being tied
up in a huge bunch at the crown of his head.
STIRLING CASTLE. 83
with blood, [vide Prov. xii. 10, and Lam. iv. 14.]
Upon looking around to discover the cause of their
rejoicing, he saw that their attention was directed
toward the beach, and his observation naturally
followed in that direction. He then saw a white
man on the beach, walking toward them with
nothing on his person but a pair of canvas trowsers.
The first impression on his mind was that the man
was either a bush-ranger or else a shipwrecked
mariner like himself, who had been cast upon that
^ accursed shore.
B As soon as they met, Baxter hailed him by
pexclaiming, ''What ship?" The stranger imme-
diately replied, ''I am come to rescue you from
the hands of the savages." Baxter suspecting
that he was a bush-ranger, asked him by what
means he could work his deliverance ? The answer
was, that he was a convict, and he had come from
Moreton Bay by order of Captain Fyans, for the
purpose of rescuing him and his companions ; and
if he succeeded he was to receive a free pardon.
The stranger, in order to inspire Baxter with con-
fidence, informed him that Lieutenant Otter and a
detachment of the 4th regiment or King's Own,
were lying in ambuscade at a short distance from
the place where they then stood ; and said, that if
he (Baxter) could walk, they would start that very
evening. He also informed him that three of his
party had already arrived at Moreton Bay, viz.,
Joseph Carrallis, Robert Darge, and Henry Youlden,
He then told him that he had formerly been a
84 SHIPWRECK OF THE
^^ bush-ranger," and was well acquainted with the
habits and customs of the natives on that coast.
Before their conversation ended, the hope by
which Baxter had been inspired was extinguished ;
for to his consternation he beheld a party of natives
approaching, and who quickly surrounded them,
when they immediately recognised the stranger,
he having been in their company before, and from
whom he was taken by the mounted police. This
gallant fellow, whose name is Graham, caused
great rejoicing among the natives, as they thought
he had come over voluntarily to remain with them.
Graham told Baxter that at night they would be
sure to have a corrohery on the occasion of his
arrival ; and he was to hold himself in readiness
to start at a moment's notice, but should he make
any attempt to flee before he (Graham) gave the
signal, they would both suff'er instant death.
Baxter told him he would put himself entirely
under his guidance and direction during the
whole evening, and watch his every motion while
the natives were dancing.
At length the much-desired moment arrived :
the signal was given ; and while the natives were
intently engaged upon the giddy mazes of their
rude dance, Graham and Baxter ran with all
speed to the water side, when they got into a
canoe, and the paddles thereof were instantly
put into full play, so that by hard tugging they
got over to the other side of the bay in about
forty minutes.
STIRLING CASTLE.
85
CHAPTER VIII.
*^ The curled lion and the rugged bear,
Are not so dreadful as these savage men ;
* * * * I fly— I fly!"
SilAKSPEARE.
It is impossible to describe the feelings of Baxter
while he was crossing the bay. The passions of
which the mind is susceptible entered into a fierce
conflict ; hope, fear, and anxiety, however, did not
unnerve his arm, or that of his companion, whose
liberty depended upon a successful result to the
enterprize. On the contrary every muscle of the
frame was exerted, so that by hard labour the
canoe glided on the surface of the water, as though
it had been the '' enchanted skiff" which we read
of in ^^the Fairy Queen."
Immediately that they landed on the other side
of the bay, they ran as fast as possible in the direc-
tion toward where Lieutenant Otter and his party
were in ambush ; but they had not proceeded far
before Baxter was seized with the cramp in his
stomach, and could proceed no farther. In this
dilemma Graham thought it advisable to kindle a
S& SHIPWRECK OF THE
fire, although he was aware to what danger of
immediate pursuit it might expose them both,
should the natives have discovered their elope-
ment. However he had no alternative, and as one
pair of trowsers was the only article of clothing
they had between them, Graham held fire-brands
near the breasts of Baxter, which in a short time
set the blood in circulation, so that they were soon
enabled to proceed on their journey, and to their
great joy they arrived at the place where Lieutenant
Otter and his party halted, about nine o'clock in
the morning. Here every kind attention was
paid to Baxter, who was an invalid, but his spirits
were elevated by finding Robert Hanham and the
boy Carey under the protection of the soldiers,
they having been previously rescued by the bold
and enterprising Graham.''^ After partaking of
some refreshment, Graham again sallied forth in
quest of one in whom the party felt a more particular
interest than any of the others, in consequence of
her sex, and the dreadful sufferings she was said
to have undergone, that fact being fully confirmed
by Baxter. He had not been more than twelve
hours at the place of rendezvous before Graham
* Mr. Baxter has heard that Hanham and Youlden have
since died, in consequence of the ill treatment they received
among the barbarians. The boy Robert Carey is apprenticed
to a respectable boat-builder in Sydney.
w STIRLING CASTLE. 87
again made his appearance, having brought Mrs.
Fraser with him, who was joyfully and hospitably
received by the gallant lieutenant and his brave
soldiers, who supplied their fair charge with
clothing which had been sent out by the ladies of
Moreton Bay ; the particulars whereof will be more
fully explained when we give that lady's narrative
of her sufferings and miraculous escape.
At the time that the party were placed under
the care of Lieutenant Otter, the wind was veering
to the south-east ; hence he was unable to return by
sea in the two boats which had brought his party
down from the penal settlement ; in fact, they were
completely wind-bound. In the course of a few
hours after Mrs. Eraser's arrival, the natives came
down upon them, when Lieutenant Otter gave
orders that they should not be molested, unless
their hostility might warrant it ; and should that
be the case, he knew that his ten soldiers, who
were well armed and stocked with ammunition,
could soon drive them away, pell-mell, as the
savages are very averse to fire-arms.
The Lieutenant was induced to act with lenity
and humanity to them, from considering that there
might yet be some of the crew belonging to the
pinnace along the coast, with whom the natives
might fall in, and revenge themselves for any
casualty which might have arisen, had martial
force been resorted to. On the first arrival of the
savages, he gave them several mocoes (axes), of
88 SHIPWRECK OF THE
which they are very fond, and knowing this, the
officer had brought down a variety. The natives
informed the soldiers that they were ava wirj^o
(very hungry), and the Lieutenant gave them some
bread and meat, which they devoured voraciously,
and seemed much pleased at the hospitable recep-
tion they met with.* Lieutenant Otter having
brought down a quantity of axes for the purpose of
ransom, had it been necessary, made them further
presents, justly considering that kind treatment
might have a better effect upon their after conduct
than the use of that coercive power which he pos- |
sessed.t After they had regaled themselves, the
natives collected the presents which had been
* The natives who first appi oached the camp were all of the
male gender, but those of the other sex were near at hand.
After their repast they expressed a wish, through Graham, that
their Ginns should be invited. [Ginn is an universal term by
which females are designated all along the coast of New Holland,
without reference to their age or standing in the tribe to which
they belong.] Lieutenant Otter, with that politeness which is
the characteristic of a British officer, sent an invitation by some
of the young natives, desiring that the sable ladies would pay
him a visit, which they readily obeyed, when bread and sugar
were set before them, of which they ate heartily. During their
stay the women were continually crying out, '* Curri, Curri"
and expressed great surprise that Baxter should have been
arrayed in so short a time in European clothing.
t So passionately fond are these savages of a moco, that
they have been known to give up a runaway convict upon re-
ceiving two or three axes as a reward. Mr. Baxter doubts
I
STIRLING CASTLE. 89
bestowed on them, and departed, to all appear-
ance, in a satisfied and friendly manner.
It was, however, ascertained, that instead of
proceeding across the bay in their canoes, they re-
mained lurking in the bush during the night, in
the vicinity of the military encampment.
It having been decided that the party should
remain where they were for a short time, in the
hope that there would be a change of wind, some
whether they would hesitate to give up their dearest friend for
the same reward, if they could not procure it by other means.
Lieutenant Otter being aware of this propensity, had recourse to
a very ingenious artifice, by which he worked upon the credulity
of the natives. When the natives first came up he caused a
number of axes to be placed under the fire in the tent, and he
set the convicts (or boat's crew) to work upon them, moving
them about in the fire, and then knocking one against the other
so as to induce the savages to believe that they could make as
many as they pleased on the spot. Lieutenant Otter seeing
their astonishment at the facility with which the axes were
drawn from the embers, pointed to the muskets and bayonets,
and informed them by signs that they could manufacture these
weapons with equal ease. Graham, who, from his former
residence with the tribe, acted as an interpreter, by order of the
Lieutenant informed them that if they had other white men in
the bush and would fetch them, a quantity of mocoes should be
made and presented to them. The natives assured him that,
when Curri (Baxter) escaped, there was not, to their knowledge,
another European in the bush. Lieutenant Otter laughed
heartily when the savages were gone, at their apparent gulli-
bility, and the hopes and fears he had inspired in their minds
by resorting to this simple stratagem.
N
90 SHIPWRECK OF THE
of the soldiers and boat's crew went into the bnsh
to gather wood, in order to keep up a good fire dur-
ing tlie night, and each man took an axe with him
for that purpose.
The sight of the mocoes aroused the cupidity of
the lurking ingrate scoundrels, who fell upon the
wood-gatherers, and wounded some of them
severely, particularly Charles Preety, a crown
prisoner, and another convict, named David
Shannon ; this was done while they were in the
act of felling a tree. In this, as upon most oc-
casions, the dastards had recourse to their re-
doubtable spear, and wounded Preety in his side,
and the other through the fleshy part of his thigh,
but the latter wound was but slight when compared
with the other. This was on the 16th of August,
the day after the deliverance of our unfortunate
narrators, who now learned the value of com-
panionship with British soldiers, and the efficacy of
British muskets. About the time of the rencontre
we have already alluded to, a convict, named
Henry Williams, obtained leave to walk the beach
to collect shells, this coast abounding with a
curious variety in this department of natural
history : while thus employed, a party of scouts fell
upon him, and after his resistance proved fruitless,
they divested him of every article of clothing, and
sent the poor fellow back to the camp in a state of
nudity. When Lieutenant Otter discovered that
the conduct of the natives indicated hostility, he
STIRLING CASTLE. 91
thought proper to set a piquet, or out-guard, of
eight men, in order to prevent surprise during the
night, and he took upon himself to look after them
occasionally.
The necessity of such precautionary measures
was very soon manifest, for about midnight the
savages came down in a body upon the camp with
a mighty rush, and so secretly did they manage
this that they were not observed until they arrived
on the spot. This was too bold an attempt to be
overlooked, and the officer in command ordered
his men to discharge their musketry, which they
instantly did, and the natives rushed into the bush,
some of them vociferating dreadful yells ; and the
blood which was discovered next morning told a
tale of suffering, if not of death. ^
It appears that the tribe to whom Baxter had
belonged were very much attached to him ; for,
w^hen they visited the camp they vociferated,
^* Curri, Curri !" intimating that if the soldiers
would give him up they would be satisfied. f
* Baxter related to us an anecdote which shows at once that
simplicity and ferocity may inherit the mind of the same person.
When the soldiers presented their muskets, the natives tore up
pieces of turf and placed on their necks, in order to repel the
force of the bullets.
t Curri was the name which the natives gave to Baxter, and
they appear to have considered him an useful auxiliary, he
being the only person of the whole party who retained a suf-
92 SHIPWRECK OF THE
On the following day, the wind having veered
to the N. E., and therefore more favourable, the
party embarked on board the boats, and proceeded
toward Moreton Bay, leaving Double Island Point.
The first boat contained Lieut. Otter, another
officer, Mrs. Fraser and the complement of mili-
tary, the crew consisting, as has been stated, of
crown prisoners. In the other boat were Baxter,
Hanham, and the boy Carey, as well as that part
of the crew of the Stirling Castle which were
found there at their landing ; making seven of the
long-boat party out of eleven — the melancholy
end of the other four has already been stated.
After a voyage of two days, with the aid of sails
in addition to their oars, the party reached Moreton
Bay, where they met with great hospitality and
kindness, the only distinction being that Mrs.
Fraser was conveyed to the house of Stephen
ficient degree of strength to enable him to perform the arduous
duty required of him. When he was domiciled witli them, he
used every endeavour to please and amuse them, and par-
ticularly the children, but sometimes the very measures he
resorted to gave ofFence. The adult males used to delight to see
Baxter and one of his companions spar together, Cribb a la mode,
but none of them ventured to become an antagonist. Some of
the youths, however, showed a desire to join in a pugilistic con-
test, but should the European happen to give a blow which
caused pain, woe betide him ! instant punishment was inflicted.
The pastime which most amused the ladies was to see Baxter
and his party turn heels over head.
STIRLING CASTLE. 93
Owen, Esq. of the Commissariat department, and
Baxter and all his companions were removed to
the hospital, where they were daily visited by Dr.
Robinson, Captain Fyans, Lieut. Otter, and Mrs,
Commissary Owen, and other persons of distinc-
tion, who manifested great concern for their welfare.
Such however was the state of their health, owing
to long abstinence, as well as mental and bodily
suffering, that the medical attendant deemed it
advisable that they should abstain from animal
food for several days, and kept on slight nutriment,
consisting of arrow-root, sago, &c. ; and lest any
person should from a mistaken feeling of kindness
administer an improper regimen, they were locked
in a separate ward, under the care of an old nurse
and wardsman. Opposite to Baxter's bed was a
safe cupboard, in which the iiurse deposited her
food, and one night she happened to leave it un-
locked. This was a temptation not to be overcome :
the fact was communicated to Hanham, and when
the nurse and the night wardsman had fallen into
the arms of Morpheus, they went to the cupboard,
and made dreadful havoc with a piece of corned
beef, and a dish of cold cabbage. The next
morning their delinquency was discovered, when
their administrators of boluses and emulsions be-
sought the two friends not to divulge the fact, as
they should be blamed, and perhaps punished for
incaution. The health of the parties rallied when
94 SHIPWRECK OF THE
they were put on the half diet, but the cravings of
nature demanded more, and Baxter besought
Dr. Robinson to allow them an increased ration.
The doctor looked grave, and shaking his head,
said that it was too soon to permit animal food at
present. Baxter ventured to contradict him, and
declared that meat would do him no harm. Dr.
Robinson wishing to know the reason why,
Baxter, having obtained a promise that blame
should attach to no one, told the Doctor of the
previous night's adventure with the nurse's beef
and cabbage, at which he laughed heartily, and
the request was granted.
Having partially recovered from his distressing
debility, Baxter was allowed to become an out-door
patient, when he took up his abode at the house of
Colour-Sergeant Perry, of the 4th regiment, in
which Sergeant Burns of the same corps resided ;
and he will ever feel grateful for the kind attention
which was paid to him by those gallant and
humane soldiers.
Baxter and his companions having remained
seven weeks at Moreton Bay, set sail for Sydney,
which port they reached in five days, it being on
Saturday, October 15th, 1836.
By a singular coincidence our narrator and his
companions had been absent exactly five months,
the Stirling Castle having cleared Sydney Head on
the 15th of May previous. During that period.
STIRLING CASTLE. 95
" What troubles had they seen,
What conflicts had they pass'd,
Fightings without, and fears within,
§ Since they assembled last !"
On their arrival, Mr. Bryant, the agent for the
Stirling Castle, sent for them, and informed Baxter
that it was the wish of the public, that he and his
companions should attend in St. James's church
the next day, in order to return thanks, when the
Bishop of Australia would preach a thanksgiving
sermon, and a collection would be made for their
benefit. To this reasonable proposition they agreed,
and the next day they went to the principal epis-
copal church, and the males were seated in the
centre aisle without their jackets, viz. Baxter,
Carrallis, Darge, and the boy Carey. Hodge was
not able to attend on the occasion on account of
illness.
Baxter and his companions were not a little sur-
prised when they found themselves in the midst of
a public congregation divested of their upper gar-
ments ; but they ascertained that this was done in
order to render them conspicuous, so that they
might be easily identified, and, perhaps, for the
purpose of exciting a generous sympathy in their
behalf. A collection was made at the conclusion
of the solemn service, and a public subscription
entered into in the colony ; but, by the account of
all with whom we have conversed on the subject,
no part of the money found its way to the pockets
96 SHIPWRECK OF THE
of the persons for whom it was collected, and all
the benefit they derived from it was the supply of
some few articles of clothing. Baxter felt an
anxiety on the subject as well as his companions,
and he went to Mr. Bryant, the agent, and re-
quested to be allowed to look at the list, but to his
apparently (to our view at least) reasonable request
he met with a direct negative, and was told that
the particulars would be published in the Sydney
Times and Sydney Gazette ; but, if that was ever
done, it was after Baxter had left the colony.
Mr. Baxter remained at Sydney from the 15th
of October, 1836, to the 11th of November, when
he went on board the Elizabeth barque. Captain
John Austin, which, on its return from South
America, was about to proceed to Valparaiso, Arica,
and other places along the coast, previous to her
return to London.
Governor Bourke, of New South Wales, issued
an order for Baxter to have a free passage to
England, but he refused the offer, preferring, weak
as he was, from the previous injuries he had re-
ceived among the savages, to work his way, in
order that he might have something to give his
aged mother on his return.* Captain Austin was
* The venerable lady whom he calls by the endearing; name
of mother, does not actually stand in that relation. The fact
is, she is his grandmother, and has passed over her *' threescore
years and ten," and for the last seven, confined by paralysis.
STIRLING CASTLE. 97
aware of the sufferings he had undergone, and
hence he extended to him every possible indulgence
and relaxation from labour ; and Baxter requested
as a favour that we would express his heartfelt
gratitude to that gentleman through this public
medium — a request with which we cheerfully
comply.
The Elizabeth was formerly a bomb-ship in
the English navy, and, therefore, from her
peculiar construction, would not carry a tonnage
according to her measurement. Her cargo con-
sisted, among other things, of 6355 bags of salt-
petre, 400 bags of cocoa, and about the same
number of Peruvian bark. The vessel was a re-
markably fast sailer, and making her voyage in
104 days, arrived in the London Docks on Satur-
day, the 24th of June.
He says, that the day will ever be remembered
by him, it being that on which our beloved
young queen was proclaimed monarch of the
United Kingdom and its dependencies, in the
Borough of the Tower Hamlets. But it will be
memorable from a higher and nobler recollection —
the shipwrecks, perils, and deaths he had escaped
forced themselves upon his memory ; indeed, it
could not be otherwise in the mind of a person
Baxter had the misfortune to lose his parents when an infant,
and became the object of her fostering care ; and the attachment
v/hich exists between them is of.no ordinary character.
O
II
98 SHIPWRECK OF THE
decidedly of a religious tupii, as is that of Baxter.
He could feelingly exclaim,
*' When all thy mercies, O my God,
My rising soul surveys ;
Transported with the view, I'm lost
In wonder, love, and praise."
His homeward-bound voyage was not free from
disaster, and among other accidents they lost their
quarter-boat, which left them with only a long-
boat for use in any emergency whicli might arise ;
and this loss nearly proved fatal to the lives of two
of the sailors. A few days after the Elizabeth had
crossed the line, one of the mariners (Thomas
Colley), while setting up the starboard jib-guys,
fell overboard, owing to the lanyard giving way.
At the time this accident occurred, the ship was
going at the rate of four knots an hour, and as they
had no quarter-boat, the vessel hove-to. As it would
be a work of considerable time to launch the long-
boat, Captain Austin threw a hen-coop overboard,
to which Colley swam,*and which, eventually, was
the means of saving his life, but not before he had
undergone another peril, for, although he was
buoyed up by the coop, those on board were un-
able to reach him. At this critical moment, a
brave fellow, named Alexander McKay, jumped
overboard with the lead-line, with the intention of
lashing it to the hen-coop, so that those on board
STIRLING CASTLE. 99
might haul it up ; and while they were in the act of
doing so, John Higgins^ accidentally, or from care-
lessness, let the line slip through his hands, and
the coop and two men again floated from the ship's
side into the current.
The captain, having no other alternative, gave
prompt orders for the top-sails to be lowered, and
the long-boat to be got out, at there were now two
men clinging to the coop, which was scarcely
able to keep their heads above water. In con-
sequence of the weight of the boat, it was a con-
siderable time before she was launched, during
which the coop and the two men were drifting fast
and far away from the ship. The men in the boat
used their utmost exertions, and providentially
came up with the poor fellows, who had been
more than an hour and a half in the sea, and, who
from exhaustion and cold, were ready to sink into
a watery grave. Every attention was paid to
them when they arrived on board which a humane
captain could afford, and the invalids speedily
recovered. That which excited an unpleasant
sensation in the minds of the captain and crew,
was the circumstance of two large sharks having
closely followed the ship on the day before the
accident occurred.
In concluding the narrative of Mr. Baxter, we
take the liberty of making a few observations. It
has been our pleasure to spend many days in his
company, and we have found him intelligent,
100 SHIPWRECK OF THE
yet simple-hearted ; and no person could have
given a recital with a more sincere desire to state
facts than he evinced during the whole of our
searching — we had almost said impertinent in-
quiries. If, at any time, from lapse of memory, he
made a mistake, however trifling, or upon recol-
lection he discovered that he had stated a circum-
stance which was not quite correct to the very
letter, his anxiety to have it altered was as remark-
able as it was laudable.
The family of which Baxter is now the only male
adult survivor (Captain Fraser's young son ex-
cepted), have all been sea-faring men, and their
history is a mournful one. Mrs. Fraser, the vener-
able lady to whom we lately alluded, is the mother
of sixteen children, of whom only one is living, an
amiable daughter, who is the companion and sup-
porter of her aged parent. Several years ago her
son John went out as commander of a vessel, which
is supposed to have foundered at sea, as neither
she nor her crew were ever heard of after she
passed a certain latitude, where she was spoken
with. James, another son, sailed in the Lady
Colly er, Captain Gordon, in the year 1828, who,
when he got to Lima, on the coast of Chili, left the
ship, and entered into the service of Lord Cochrane.
He has never since been heard of. Elizabeth, a
daughter of Mrs. Fraser, was married to Baxter's
father, about the year 1810, who served on board
a man-of-war, and fell in one of the memorable i
STIRLING CASTLE. lOl
battles which was fought about that period. The
grandfather of Baxter also belonged to the Royal
Navy, and remained until he became a veteran in
the service.
It ought not to be inferred that because a young
person lives and acts as one who considers him-
self an accountable, as well as mortal being, that
^, he is incapable of studying, and successfully too,
those sciences to which the bent of his mind is more
particularly directed — such a notion would be as
incompatible with charity as it is inconsistent with
reason and common sense. Baxter, from his
childhood, has been bred to the sea, and has made
several long voyages ; and considering the few
advantages he has had in point of tuition, he
appears to have acquired a great deal of know-
ledge in the art of navigation. When the Stirling
Castle was wrecked, his first desire, next to the
salvation of his own life and that of his honoured
uncle, the Captain, was to secure his Bible, quad-
rant, sextant, &c., and in this he succeeded; and
when assailed by savage tribes, he strove to pre-
serve them with a persevering tenacity. Although
our unfortunate narrator has scarcely attained his
twenty-fourth year, his constitution is so much im-
paired in consequence of the treatment he received
from barbarian hands, that we fear we may say of
him as Dibdin says of one of his nautical heroes,
" He'll never more be fit for sea.'*
I
105 SHIPWRECK OF THE
Poor fellow ! he is aware of this physical disability,
and he laments it, and the more so as he was
rising in his profession ; from the gains whereof
he contributed to the support of his aged paralytic
grandmother, who fostered him in his infancy,
when death deprived him of his father and mother.
He appears to have been much attached to his
lamented relative, of whose memory he speaks with
enthusiasm, not only as a relative but as a com-
mander. Nothing seems to us to please him better
than to dilate on the nautical acquirements of Cap-
tain Fraser, and the ^^ tales of the sea," which he
has heard him relate ; and he appeared more
anxious that we should dwell upon his bodily and
mental sufferings and miserable end, than upon his
own afflictions and hair-breadth escapes.
(^ The Author, in taking leave of Baxter for the present,
begs to state that he has received much information from him
connected with the natural history of the country, and the
manners and customs of the natives, to whom he was a captive,
as also a variety of amusing anecdotes, which will be recorded
before the History of the Shipwreck of the Stirliiiy Castle is
brought to a close.
STIRLING CASTLE, 103
CHAPTER IX.
•' Yet when sun in ocean set,
Ollaloo! ollaloo!
CafFree chief him wrongs forget,
Dance the spear-dance through.
Wake the music of the shield,
Caffree soon make pale-face yield
Bot-ti bol ! wat-ti wol !
Wid him warlike waddie !
White man fear, black man near,
Him take dark revenge V*
MONCRIEFF.
Before we enter upon the distressing, yet
interesting narrative of Mrs. Fraser, which will
contain many allusions to the manners of the
natives, as well as their barbarous customs, we
have thought proper to insert a succinct account
of the tribes which form the aboriginal population
of the new world ; and as it is drawn from the
most authentic sources, we anticipate that it will
be read with attention, especially as it will in some
degree pave the way for the subsequent and per-
haps, although of a melancholy description, the
most interesting part of the history of the ship-
wreck of the Stirling Castle.
104 SHIPWRECK OF THE
The aboriginal population of the whole region
of New South Wales, which includes that with
which this narrative is more especially connected,
have many peculiarities. They appear to form
a distinct race to which the term Papuas, or
oriental negroes, has been assigned ; and whether
on the northern and tropical, or southern and
temperate shores of Australia, possess the thick
prominent lips, sunken eyes, high cheek bones,
and calveless legs of the African, differing, how-
ever, in the hair, which (except in Van Dieman's
Land, and the adjacent equally cold coast of
Australia, where the heads of the natives are
woolly) is long and coarse. The nose, though
large, is not so flat as the Africanders', indeed it is
sometimes of a Roman form, and the forehead is
high, narrow, and at the crown formed somewhat
after the manner of the roof of a house. Generally
speaking they are of the middle height, but some
of them are of lofty stature ; the women are
smaller than the men, but well made, as indeed
is most generally the case with the male sex :
the hands and feet are comparatively small, the
shoulders finely rounded, but the abdomen fre-
quently protuberant, and the arms long. The
colour of the skin and hair is generally black, but
some tribes have been seen of a lighter colour,
approaching to that of the Malay, with hair of a
reddish cast. As is the case with all savages, the
head is the principal part for decoration ; some
STIRLING CASTLE, 105
divide the hair into small parcels, each of which
is matted together with gum, and formed into
lengths like the thrums of a mop ; others by means
of yellow gum fasten on the head the front teeth
of a kangaroo, the jaw bones of a fish, human
teeth, feathers, pieces of wood, tails of dogs, &c.
&c. When going to war, or grieving for a deceased
friend, or occasionally for ornament, white or
yellow pigments are applied in streaks over the
whole body, according to the taste of the deco-
rator ; such as a large white circle round each
eye, waving lines down and across the thighs
and legs.
Their only cutting instruments are made of
stones, sometimes of jasper, fastened between a
cleft stick with a hard gum. Their arms of offence
or defence consist of the spear, coomerang, and
several kinds of waddies or nullah nullahs^ a small
stone tomahawk, and bark shield ; the spear is
generally from ten to twelve feet long, as thick as
a finger, tapering to a point, sometimes jagged,
or barbed, and hardened in the fire ; this they can
throw from fifty to sixty feet with great pre-
cision, the impetus being greatly increased by
the use of the toomera or throwing stick, which
is of wood, about three feet in length, three
inches broad at one end, and giving off to a point
at the other, to which a short hook is fastened :
this hook is inserted in a small hole at the ex-
tremity of the spear, and the toomera being grasped
106 SHIPWRECK OF THE
at the broad part, acts somewhat on the principle
of a sling, thereby enabling a powerful man to
throw a spear, some say to the distance of 100
yards. The coomerang is still more curious : it is
of a curved form, made of a piece of hard wood,
thirty or forty inches in length, two and a half to
three inches wide at the broadest part, and taper-
ing away at each end nearly to a point : the con-
cave part is from one-eighth to one-fourth of an
inch thick, and becomes quite sharp. A native
can throw this simple instrument forty or fifty
yards horizontally, skimming along the surface,
not more than three or four feet from the ground,
without touching, when it will suddenly dart
into the air, to the height of fifty or sixty yards,
describing a considerable curve, and finally falling
at his feet. During the whole of this evolution,
the coomerang turns with great- rapidity like a
piece of wood revolving on a pivot, and with a
whizzing noise. The waddies, or nullah nullahs,
are clubs of different size and solidity. The
tomahawk is a piece of sharpened stone frequently
fixed in a cleft stick with gum : with this they
cut notches in the trees, and ascend them to the
height of sixty feet, though without a branch, and
by far too thick to be grasped.
Their form of government consists of old men
who act as chieftains, each tribe consisting of from
thirty to fifty men, women and children, (some-
times more,) having their respective territories or
STIRLING CASTLE. 107
grounds, of about from twenty to thirty square
miles, on which no other tribe is permitted to en-
croach. Too many instances have occurred to
doubt that cannibalism is practised among many
of the Australian tribes, and in a manner the most
revolting ; not only their enemies slain in war,
and those unfortunate Europeans who have fallen
into their power, have been eaten, but numerous
examples have occurred, of the father killing and
eating his own offspring ! Hunger long continued
— intense ravening hunger, is the excuse made
for such barbarism,'^ So vitiated is their taste,
that they have been known to bleed themselves, in
order to make a sort of cake of blood, which they
greedily devour !
'* Cannibalism, there is great reason to believe,
has been a general custom among all nations in
the early stages of civilization, and doubtless was
* Mr. Baxter witnessed one instance of the kind, while he
was in Australia. Among some of the tribes it is the invariable
custom, when the woman has twins, for the father to compel
the mother to kill at least one of them. A riative called
Boongarre, was once remonstrated with, for allowing a woman
to kill her twin child ; he shrugged up his shoulders, and said,
^' Bel boodgeree (not good) kill it pickanniny ^'' but he used no
effort to suppress the practice.
It appears from the statements of Mrs. Fraser and Mr.
Baxter, that the natives, after feeding on human food, carefully
clean and preserve the bones of the victim ; and it has fallen to
the lot of these unfortunate persons to carry them from place
to place, when the tribes journeyed from one port to another.
108 SHIPWRECK OF THE
brought about by the instinct of self-preservation
operating through war and famine. In Otaheite
a period of scarcity is down to the present day
denominated a ' man-eating season,' and even
among our run-away convicts or bush-rangers, we
have reason to believe that cannibalism is by no
means rare. It also existed in the Paumeteo
islands, in the vicinity of Otaheite, previous to
their conversion to Christianity ; and it still exists
in its full force in New Zealand."
A very intelligent traveller who has been in the
country inhabited by what are called Argyle natives,
states that he once looked into the bag of one of
their ^' ginns,'' (wives,) and found the fleshy part of
a man's thigh in it! Mr. Cunningham, a surgeon
in the Royal Navy, states: — '^When I was at
Sydney, a party of the Argyle tribes called there
on their way downwards, after fighting with the
Bathurst tribes, who had invaded their territory.
One of the warriors, in answer to a question from
me, held up his five fingers to designate the
number of the enemy he had killed ; but it was
not till some hours afterwards, that I learned a
female had made one of the number, her breast
having been detected in one of the bags carried by
the ginns, which they without hesitation declared
they intended to eat, saying that the remainder
of the woman had already been devoured. This
spectacle was witnessed by more than twenty indi-
viduals, therefore I could not doubt the fact. It
STIRLING CASTLE. 109
is curious that cannibalism exists only among
the tribes when there are no hereditary chiefs,
nor indeed I may say, any individuals possessing
authority, excepting what their own strength and
bravery, and the attachment of their connexions
afford."
Of religion no form, no ceremonial, no idol, has
been discovered among them ; but they never-
theless employ many superstitions. When one of
their own tribe pay the debt of nature, they inva-
riably destroy a native of another tribe, but the
reason of this is not known. "^
* Although their creed, if they possess any, does not deter
them from the perpetration of a bad action, or excite to the
commission of a good one ; it is certain that there are among
the tribes, some who believe in a good spirit, which they call
Koyan, and also in an evil spirit, which is called Potoyan. The
former is held to watch over and protect them from the machi-
nations of the latter, and to assist in restoring the children
which the other destroys and devours. They first propitiate
Koyan by an offering of spears, after which they set out in
quest of a lost child, which if they discover, Koyan of course
obtains the credit ; but if they cannot find it, the inference is,
that something has been done to incur his displeasure. Potoyan
strolls about after night-fall to seek for prey, but is afraid to
approach a fire, which serves as a protection against him ; hence
it is that the natives are not fond of travelling in the dark, or
retiring to rest without a fire before them.
Our unfortunate wanderers on the beach, after the wreck,
were aware of the latter fact ; hence it was that they were never
attacked in their nocturnal journeyings.
110 SHIPWRECK OF THE
Like all human beings similarly situated, whose
existence depends on their external senses, they
possess amazing quickness of eye and ear, tracing
a man's footstep with perfect ease, through every
description of country, or even on the sea shore,
(vide page 57), provided it be sufficiently recent,
and that no rain has fallen in the interval. They
will guess too, with admirable correctness, how long
the individual has passed, and even tell whether
the footsteps be those of a black or white man by
the nature of the impression on the soil. An
instance has been recorded, where a tracker, as they
are called, at one time pronounced a robber to be
knock-kneed, and his conjecture turned out to be
quite correct.''^
Some of the tribes are also remarkably acute in
drawing distinctions between the various classes of
white people with whom they come in contact;
but the tribe among whom our narrators located,
appear not to have yet arrived at this acme of
* During the administration of Governor Darling, among
other admirable regulations, he employed several of the savages,
and supplied them with rations and clothing, in order to trace
and capture thieves and bush-rangers. The fugitives will often
wade up rivulets, or set fire to the grass and bush, in order to
throw the natives out of their track, so sensible are they with
what vigilant pursuers they have to deal ; and provided they have
not the means of doing this, they will separate and make off in
diftereut directions or routes, in order to baffle and confuse
them.
t
STIRLING CASTLE. Ill
discriminating power, or if they did, they exercised
it in a reverse ratio. The manner in which some
of the natives evince this power, is frequently very
characteristic and amusing.
A resident, once travelling through the woods,
accompanied by a white servant, and a party
of blacks as porters of his luggage and conduct-
ors of his route, halted to bivouack for the night,
when his black employes, after accommodating
him with a fire, kindled one for themselves at a
very respectful distance, and by his desire com-
menced cooking a brace of birds for his and his
servant's supper. Feeling his appetite somewhat
keen after so long a walk, the servant was sent to
ascertain what advance had been made in the
roast, who returned smiling to his master with the
agreeable and facetious report, that the supper was
not only ready for serving up, but also dressed in
strict conformity with the established rules of
etiquette ; for, on observing one bird roasting aris-
tocratically upon a wooden spit, and the other
broiling vulgar-wise upon the embers, he inquired
the cause of the distinction, and had it satisfactorily
cleared up by the cook, who, pointing first at the
spitted, and then at the broiling bird, exclaimed,
with conscious pride at his ingenuity, ^' Dat,
geppleman (gentleman); dat, poor man."
In common with all savages, revenge with them
is never satiated till quenched in the blood of an
adversary. Like the Chinese, they are not par-
■■*fc
112 SHIPWRECK OF THE
ticular about the person ; but if a white injures or
offends them, they generally satisfy their rage upon
the first of that colour they can conveniently meet
with. In their wild state they know not what it is
either to forget or forgive ; and when once they
murder a white, always expect retaliation for
it, whatever appearance of friendship the other
whites may put on, believing they are yet to
suffer, and that only fear or the want of an oppor-
tunity prevents a reprisal ; hence, until some of
the tribe are killed by the whites, they never con-
sider themselves safe, and they usually continue
their murderings until, in retaliation, blood is ex-
piated in blood.*
If an European should incautiously, or in the
heat of passion, strike one of the natives, they are
sure, at one time or other, to take away the life of
the assailant, unless, by a great sacrifice, he
satisfies their voracious demands, and thus obtains
a truce of pacification, for in their barbarous state
they think as little of the life of o. man as of a
butterfly. Nor would it be prudent either to show
* Persons who have had an opportunity of obtaining some
knowledge of these savages, are of opinion that very many lives
might be saved if timely and efficient means were adopted ; for
it has been observed that when the various tribes of Australia
have been fairly satisfied of their inferior power and strength to
contest with the whites, they ever after show a disinclination
for hostility.
STIRLING CASTLE. 113
fear on the one hand, or bluster on the other, as
both are alike dangerous ; the best means of escap-
ing is to look and act with a cool deliberation, and
endeavouring to impress on their minds that you
place the most perfect confidence in them.*
I
* A fine instance of intrepidity, and of the influence of female
power over the minds even of rude savages, occurred in 1826, at
Hunter's river, during the period that such atrocities were com-
mitted by the New Hollanders and other natives, upon the whites.
The natives around Merton, the residence of Lieutenant
Ogilvie, R.N., had remained all along in the most friendly
terms with his establishment; but during his absence from home,
were provoked into hostility by a party of soldiers and con-
stables, who had wantonly maltreated them. Mrs. Ogilvie
was at home, surrounded by her young family and a few do-
mestics, when the loud and threatening yells of a body of
savages, who had surrounded her dwelling, suddenly aroused
her attention, and made her summon all her energies to face the
impending catastrophe. They had seized upon two constables
within a few yards of the door, whom they were shaking by the
collars, and reproaching them in the most bitter terms their very
imperfect knowledge of the English language would enable them
to utter, by way, we suppose, of preliminary to the beating out
their brains with their waddies, when Mrs. Ogilvie, rushing
fearlessly in among their brandished clubs and poised spears,
by the firnmess and persuasiveness of her manner, awed and
soothed them into sentiments of mercy, and in the course of half
an hour they parted with all the members of the establishment
on cordial terms ; the leaders of them, however, not forgetting,
after exhausting all their friendly hand-shakings and good-byes,
to turn half round, rattle their spears, and exclaim in an ad-
monitory manner and tone, '' Tell sodja nibba come mebble
Massa Ogilvie^black."
Q
114 SHIPWRECK OF THE
The natives are naturally inquisitive, and pos-
sess a good deal of intelligence, and those of them
who have entered partially into civilized life (the
number is comparatively but few), have been found
to acquire a knowledge of the English language with
great facility, as also to read and write with con-
siderable expertness.^
* If their intellectual faculties are thus so far above debase-
ment, how is it, we ask, that the abject animal state in which
they live, and their great and glaring deficiency in all the use-
ful mechanical arts, should place them at the very zero of
civilization ? This is a question for the christian, the politician,
and the philanthropist to consider, and it well merits their
attention.
After all, perhaps, civilization depends more upon the cir-
cumstances under which man is placed, than upon any innate
impulse of his own. The natural inclination of man tends to
the savage state, or that in which food is procured with the
least possible labour; there being something so irresistibly
captivating in a wild roaming life of this description, that few
who have made the trial ever have a thorough relish for civilized
or stationary society again. It appears to be necessity alone
that urges mankind to congregate in fixed habitations, and
raise their food by the sweat of their brow ; for if it could be
procured in as easy a way by civilized Europeans as it is by
these rude, uncultivated, and barbarous tribes, the European
woods and forests would soon abound with creatures quite as
idle, and perhaps as rude, if not alike savage, as the natives
we have been describing.
There appears to be a degree of force necessary to urge man
toward civilization in his primitive, debased state, and cause
him to divest himself of the habits which he has acquired. It is
STIRLING CASTLE. 115
Their quick and hurried movements and gestures
seem indeed closely allied to the wild animals of
the forest. Many of both sexes, when young,
are far from ugly ; nay, some of them are tolerably
handsome, but the old women are absolute frights,
and appear only to want an additional member to
render them analogous with the long-tailed
fraternity.
They are not over-delicate in their food at any
time, but more particularly when hunger presses ;
grubs, snakes, stinking whales, and even vermin
from their persons, will be eagerly eaten up (a re-
markable instance of this indelicacy will be given
in Mrs. Eraser's narrative) ; so that like the
monkey tribe, when every other resource fails,
they pick their breakfast off each other !
In hunting the kangaroo, emu, and opossum,
they display great quickness of sight and sagacity,
often walking up close to the two former, by dodg-
ing from tree to tree, and spearing them before
they are aware of the vicinity of their enemy. On
passing through a wood, they examine every tree
with a hole or hollow in it, and also all the ad-
only when the mind is more enlightened, and reason supersedes
animal instinct, that civilization will speedily advance among
the community, and this must be effected by the exertions of
its individual members ; nor can this be reasonably expected,
without Divine interposition, to be the work of one generation.
116 SHIPWRECK or THE
jacent trees, for marks of the opossum's claws ;
because this animal often runs up a neighbouring-
tree, and jumps to the one where the place of their
retreat is, in order to avoid being traced. On the
claw-marks being discovered, the natives climb up
hy successive notches cut in the bark to place
the great toe in, and reaching the hole, probe it
with a long stick, by which, when it reaches to
the bottom, they ascertain whether there be an
opossum there or not. Supposing that after all
they cannot reach the animal with their hands,
they cut a hole immediately above it, and they
again probe it, in order that it may lower its head,
when they catch hold of its tail and snatch it out,
and by swinging its head against the trunk, it lies
dead at the feet of its enemy in a moment.
Among the very many instances which will be
cited, we insert the following, which at once shows
how easily their superstitious feelings may be ex-
cited. Mr. Cunningham (to whom we make our
acknowledgments for the assistance which we have
partly received in this chapter and elsewhere from
his valuable work,) says, '* Some (of the natives)
were excessively alarmed on my showing them
their face in a glass ; one old man looked so
comically grave and terrified that I could not help
laughing, and opening my mouth I made a bite
at his visionary head, as if going to snap it off^;
when he gave a sigh and a shiver, turning on one;
side to avoid the sight, but making no attempt to
STIRLING CASTLE. 117
run away. I then turned the glass constantly to-
wards his face, whichever way he turned himself,
when, as if to hide from the terrible apparition
before him, he shut his eyes determinedly, as if he
would squeeze them into his head, shivering like
a man in an ague-fit all the while, and giving a
cautious wink every now and then, to ascertain
whether the goblin was gone ! And there I stood
with smiling lips, and he with chattering teeth, for
the space of a minute, until another native smoothed
down his fears ; but the anxious hurried look and
forced horse-laugh he afterwards gave, when taking
another peep, showed how little he relished the
vision." The Australian tribes, or as they are
called, the New Hollanders, differ much from the
New Zealanders, who form fixed residences, while
the former appear to find amusement by the con-
stant shifting of scene in pursuit of their necessary
food, and by the means of their perpetual wars,
and the practices of spear hunting, concubinage,
and child-murder, they keep down population ;
obtaining their livelihood thus easily in consequence
of their diminutive numbers, by roaming through
the woods. They are never driven to the necessity of
congregating and supplying their wants by artificial
means, like the natives of most of our southern
islands.
I
118 SHIPWRECK OF THE
CHAPTER X.
" List to the journal of my exile !
The history of my sufferings !
A treasure useful to my fellow creatures :
It tells them never to despair !
It teaches them to put their trust
In that Almighty Power divine,
Who can befriend the wretched outcast ! "
We have arrived at that period of our labour
which demands from us a detail of the voyage,
captivity, and sufferings of Mrs. Fraser, as they
were communicated to us by her own lips ; and
ere we conclude, we shall notice the providential
manner by which she was released from, we had
almost said, a worse than satanic bondage ; and
when we detail the manner of her deliverance, and
the instrument by which it was effected, it will, we
think, cause even the sceptic to exclaim, '^ Shall
not the Judge of all the earth do right? "
This narrative will show that the Almighty often
effects his purposes by an agency, which to our
limited comprehension, would appear very un-
likely. Who of our captive party would have
imagined on the 14th of August, last year, (1836)
that on the following day they would be liberated
I
^fffn*i
MjL^^
/'V
•
STIRLING CASTLE. 119
from thraldom, and that too, by the undaunted
courage and persevering efforts of a man who
had been banished England as an unworthy
cumberer of her soil, and hence transported to a
distant colony, and one too, who for breaking
the colonial law, had been from thence banished
to the penal settlement of Moreton Bay, there to
linger out the prime of his life in darkness, chains,
and solitude ? Such, however, was the fact ; and
ere we conclude our labour, we shall make some
remarks on the life and character of the brave
though guilty Graham^ which, we think, will go
to prove that good qualities are frequently latent
in the minds of the most abandoned, and that a fit
opportunity is only wanting to cause their develop-
ment.
Well indeed might Mrs. Fraser and her ^^ re-
deemed " companions be enamoured of the beau-
tiful hymn of Cowper, on the providence of God —
than which nothing could have been more appli-
cable to their experience. We give it insertion, not
.only on account of its applicability, but because
|we are aware that it is a great favourite with such
as are overwhelmed in, or have been delivered from
a sea of trouble.*
* The writer of this narrative well remembers the Olney poet ;
and in the days of his boyhood rambled through the rural
groves, whose delightful scenery was the solace of Cowper in
the hours of his despondency.
120 SHIPWRECK OF THE
HYMN.
'* God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform ;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
i^nd rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his so v 'reign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take:
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace ;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev'ry hour ;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err.
And scan his work in vain ;
God is his own interpreter.
And he will make it plain."
Olney Hymns.
At the very moment we had conchided our pre-
liminary remarks on the narrative we are about to
send forth to the world, a letter came to our hands,
which had been written'^ in reply to a communi-
STIRLING CASTLE. 121
cation to the Lord Mayor, who requested informa-
tion to be transmitted relative to the fatherless
children of the late Captain Fraser.
As this epistolary correspondence is not irrele-
vant, but rather consonant with our history, we do
not hesitate to embody it, and the more readily,
because we hope and believe that its circulation
will induce many of our readers to contribute to a
fund to which the letter has reference, and thereby
cause '' the fatherless children to bless them, and
the widow's heart to sing for joy, ''
The following is a verbatim copy of the letter
referred to, from the Rev. Peter Learmouth.
" Manse of Stromness, \st September.
'' My Lord,
*' I hasten to comply with your lordship's kind
request, to make you acquainted with the condition
and circumstances of the fatherless children con-
cerning whom you write. The eldest is a girl of
sixteen years ; the other two are boys, the one
twelve, the other seven years of age. For nearly
two years they have received only £21 for support ;
and had it not been that they had a little money,
when their mother left them, three years ago
last May, they must have been long ere now
in the greatest destitution. Their money has for
some time been exhausted, and they are now sub-
sisting on what they are receiving from the grocers
here, on credit.
R
122 SHIPWRECK OF THE
" Any sum of money which may be contributed
for their support by the charitable and benevolent,
will be gladly received ; and I am sure your lord-
ship could not have interested yourself on behalf of a
family who have a stronger claim upon the sym-
pathy and benevolence of the christian community.
I would humbly suggest to your lordship, that part
of the sum of money which may be collected in
London, may be reserved for the children of
Mrs. Fraser ; and if it be entrusted to me or the
Kirk Session of Stromness, due care shall be taken
that it be faithfully and judiciously appropriated
to their support. In saying this, I do not mean
to affect the interest of their mother in any
respect, whose heart-rending tale of suffering I
fully credit. I would now desire humbly to offer to
your lordship my sincere thanks for the interest you
have taken in Captain Fraser's family, who, com-
mended as they have been by the providence of
God, to my care, in circumstances so peculiarly
appalling, are fully entitled to whatever exertion I
can make to promote their comfort and welfare.
'* I am, My Lord,
" Your lordship's most humble
** And obedient servant,
''Peter Learmouth."
The reply to this letter, we understand, was,
that a considerable sum had already been received ;
and a hope was expressed, that as other subscripi
STIRLING CASTLE. 123
tioiis were likely to be transmitted, a fund would
be raised sufficient to be of permanent advantage
to the children and others for whose benefit it was
designed by the benevolent donors.
We feel it incumbent, before we commence our
travel again over the same ground, to state to the
reader, that although the dates which have al-
ready appeared, must of necessity be given in
relating the same incidents (which by the bye are
strong corroborating proofs), we shall avoid in every
instance, as much as possible, that tautology which
would be as irksome to our readers as it would be
unprofitable to their minds. It will be readily
conceded, that persons who are eye-witnesses of
the same scene, may be cognizant of objects and oc-
currences of which others, although present, are
not, and mce versa ; this fact has been at some time
or other verified in the experience of us all.
With respect to the nautical part of the narrative,
it may be supposed that Mr. Baxter, from the
situation he held, would be better capable of giv-
ing information than the captain's widow ; yet
even in that respect, as the companion of her
husband, she knew and heard of many things
of which persons in a subordinate situation would
be ignorant. Both Mr. Baxter and Mrs. Fraser,
who are the *' sheet anchors" on which we rely,
have given their details in that simple straight-
forward style, which is the best voucher for their
accuracy ; and where they have narrated the same
124 SHIPWRECK OF THE
facts, the difference has only been in the mode of
expression, without in the least degree invalidating
the facts themselves. If such trivial deviations
were to render a history unworthy of credence, it
would extend to that narration which is of all the
most important to the human race, although it .
was penned by the Evangelists themselves.
Having made these preliminary, and we trust,
not unimportant remarks, we proceed with our
narrative.
THE NARRATIVE OF MRS. ERASER.
She states that the brig Stirling Castle left
London on the 22nd of October, which was char-
tered to Hobart Town with a general cargo, it
being the intention of the owners that she should
discharge part of her cargo at that port, and then
proceed with the remainder of the consignment
to Sydney, at which place they ultimately arrived.
After remaining at Sydney a considerable time,
the captain, her husband, made preparations to
proceed to Singapore, in ballast, in order to take
in a cargo of colonial produce for the London
market ; which was in pursuance of the instruc-
tions he had received from his owners.*
* Singapore, or Singhapure, is an island in the straits of
Malacca, situate on the southern extremity of that peninsula,
lat. V 17' 22" N., long. 103" 51' 45". It is of an elliptical
i
STIRLING CASTLE. 125
Ivery thing being ready, they recommenced their
voyage, preparatory to which they dropped down
form, about 25 to 27 miles in its greatest length from E. to W.,
15 miles in its greatest breadth from N. to S., and contains
an estimated area of 270 square miles. On the front, and
distant about nine miles, is an extensive chain of almost desert
islands, the channel between which and Singapore is the grand
route of commerce between east and west Asia. The town
stands on the south coast, on a point of land near the west end
of a bay, where there is a creek or river which is navigable for
lighters, nearly a mile from the sea. On the east side of the
town there is a deep inlet for the shelter of native boats. The
town consists generally of stone-built houses of one and two
stories high ; but in the suburbs, which are called Campong-
Glain, Campong-Malacca, and Campong-China, bamboo huts
are erected on posts, the greater part of which stand in stagnant
water. On the east side of the harbour, enterprising British
merchants have very recently erected substantial and ornamental
houses fronting the sea, and presenting a strange contrast to
the wretched tenements of the Malays.
The principal rock is red sand-stone, which in some parts
changes to a trebeccia or conglomerate, containing large frag-
ments and crystals of quartz. The whole contiguous group
of isles, containing about thirty in number, as well as Singapore,
are apparently of a sub-marine origin, and their evulsion
probably of no very distant date. Notwithstanding its lowness,
marshiness, and high temperature, consequent on its inter-
tropical position, Singapore has hitherto proved exceedingly
healthy, owing perhaps to its maritime situation.
The Malay annals relate, that in A. D. 1352, Sri Iscander
Shah, the last Malay prince of Singapore, being hard pressed
by the king of Majipahit in Java, returned to the main land,
where he founded the city of Malacca. That the Dutch or
126 SHIPWRECK OF THE
on the 15th of May, to the *^ Fair- way," which
is another name for the place called by Mr.
Baxter '' Pinchgut Island," (a place perhaps
where refractory convicts are sent to perform the
penance of fasting on account of some trivial
transgression.)
At the time the vessel left, the wind was favour-
Portuguese may have settled on the island, is probable from
the remains of religious buildings, and other structures, which
indicate that it was once thickly inhabited. The settlement of
Singapore was first formed on the plan of Sir Stamford Raffles,
in February, 1818, and its sovereignty, in its present extent,
confirmed to Great Britain, in 1825, by a convention with the
King of Holland and the Malay prince of Jaliore. When
taken possession of by the British establishment, in 1820, it had
been inhabited for eight years, by about 150 Malays, about
half of whom were fishermen, and half pirates. In 1832, its
population had increased to the wonderful number of 20,917,
besides 553 convicts, the military and their followers being 600,
making a grand total of 22,000 souls.
This circumstance proves, that if prompt measures arc
adopted, whether by political bias, religious stimulus, or a
desire to civilize, much good may be effected.
The leading merchants, agents, and shopkeepers, &c. are
Englishmen, but the great bulk of the citizens are Chinese.
There are already an American missionary, and two of the
Roman Catholic persuasion ; but at present, no place of worship
has been erected for the congregations of either : a Romish
chapel was however in progress a year ago, and while we arc
writing, it is no doubt completed. English protestants may
perhaps learn an interesting lesson from this fact. The chief
staple commodity of the place, is the Aguragar of the Malays,
STIRLING CASTLEi 127
able, and the crew obedient ; and so indeed they
remained, until she struck on the coral reef, when
every one appeared to consider himself his own
master. The crew, when the tempest ceased,
used every exertion, and cut away the masts, in
the hope that the vessel would right herself, and
change her position : that effect was produced, but
not to any serviceable extent.
(fucussaccharinus ;) a plant much resembling the fern, and which
abounds on the numerous coral shoals around Singapore, and
produces in China, from six to eight dollars per petul, in its dry
and bulky state. There are about ten sago manufactories at
Singapore, which give employment to 200 Chinese manufac-
turers. The quantity of sago exported from the island,
during the year 1834, was 23,100 petuls. The sago is not
grown in the island, but brought in its rough state from Borneo.
The trade of the island amounted in- 1831, to £1,780,994 im-
ports, and the exports to £1,565,157. Gold formed one of the
most valuable imports into Singapore ; the principal portion is
from Penang, on the coast of the peninsula ; and it is considered
superior by far to the metal brought from the other places.
As a commercial port, and a key to the navigation of the
seas in which it is situate, we think that this settlement must
become one of incalculable importance, possessing as it does
already, a trade of £3,000,000 annually. It really appears to
be a little Rome, built comparatively in a day ! — Compare its
present state with what it Was ten years ago, and then
" Look on this picture and on that."
They have already two periodical journals, which are well
conducted. Its inhabitants are infused with a manly and inde-
pendent spirit, and it may fairly be inferred that trade is but
yet in its infancy. Such a circumstance causes us to think
that the world is only in its infancy aliso.
i
128 SHIPWRECK OF THE
When Mrs. Fraser left the wreck for thelong-boat,
she preserved, among other articles of provision, a
box of jellies and jams, which were of much use to
her husband in his then declining state of health.
The narrator proceeds to give a detail of the
sufferings which the}^ underwent while beating
about on the ocean in the long-boat, the last seven
days of which they were without a drop of fresh
water, or a morsel of food. She also recapitulates,
though with less minuteness than Baxter, the facts
connected with beaching the boat, and the dangers
they had to encounter on landing.
At the time of this dreadful catastrophe, Mrs.
Fraser was in a pregnant state ; and on the fourth or
fifth day after they left the wreck, and committed
themselves to the care of Providence, the hour of
nature's sorrow overtook Mrs. Fraser, and by a
premature parturition, she was delivered of a living
child, but after gasping a few times, it died. One
of the persons on board tore a piece of his shirt
from his back, and having wrapped the infant in
it, he dropped it over the boat's side into the sea.
Happy little voyager ! — no sooner had it launched
upon the ocean of time, than it closed its eyes and
landed in the blessed haven of eternity ! *
* The following lines were composed by the Rev. G. C.
Smith, Minister of the Mariners' Church, Wellclose Square, and
published in " The Soldiers' and Sailors' Magazine," for Sep-
STIRLING CASTLE. 129
At the time of this melancholy occurrence the
suffering lady was up to her knees in water, the
tember, 1837. As they have been much admired, we feel in-
duced to enlarge their circulation.
On Captain Frasers Child born in a Boat,
Poor Babe ! how tempestuous, how stormy thy pillow ;
Asleep on the surge of the rough mountain billow.
Like the world, all around thee was fearful commotion,
So comfortless toss'd on this life's dreary ocean.
' Born in sin' in a world that refuses a pillow,
* No rest ' for the soul 'midst the surf of life's billow ;
Confusion, and sorrow, and warfares are waging,
"While hurricanes madly around us are raging.
Yet / had a bosom, and soft was the pillow.
My mother provided far off from each billow ;
Her tears and her prayers, and maternal tuition.
Procured me, through grace, all my present fruition.
How brief was thy voyage, how rough was thy pillow.
Just launched in the sea, and then borne on a billow ;
Fit emblem of life, with its ten thousand sorrows.
Through sin and the curse in the world's dreary horrors.
How quickly the haven of glory thy pillow,
Received thy blest spirit far off from the billow ;
Blood ransom'd by Jesus, through grace so abounding.
The throne of his glory with infants surrounding.
Ah ! there was a Babe with a manger his pillow,
A stable his birth-place on life's rudest billow ;
In ' swaddling clothes' wrapt 'midst infernal commotion.
To sink and to die on life's accurst ocean.
Then Jesus provided for infants a pillow,
In heaven, where storms and the wild raging billow
No more shall distress or alarm, but salvations.
On Abram's bosom sing redeemed of all nations.
130 SHIPWRECK OF THE
boat, as has been stated, being in so leaky a state
that it required great exertion to keep her from
sinking. She says, that she is unable to account
for the extraordinary vigour with which she was
able to bear up under this severe calamity she was
doomed to be exposed to ; fortunately, however,
for her, when the pains of childbirth seized her,
she was thrown into a state of temporary insensi-
bility, from which she did not recover for some
time, and then she found that she had given birth
to a child, which had been so rapidly hurried from
a world upon which it had cast only a transient
glance.
After they arrived on the beach, and a tent had
been prepared for the reception of herself, her
invalided husband, and the chief officer (Brown),
the captain called all hands together, in order to
sing praise to God for their past deliverance, and
implore his future protection. He commenced
the service with the following hymn, which ap-
pears to us to have been exceedingly appro-
There John, a poor sailor y with Christ found a pillow,
On the bosom of Jesus, where no tempest or billow
Could rage to disturb his delightful communion ;
There with Christ crucified his soul was in union.
By faith, O my soul, let Christ be thy pillow.
Then * wave after wave' and the tempest- toss'd billow
I'll surmount, and I'll conquer hell's wildest commotion,
And triumphantly sail o'er eternity's ocean."
STIRLING CASTLE. 131
priate, far as they apparently were from all human
succour : —
" Thus far my God hath led me on,
And made his truth and mercy known ;
My hopes and fears alternate rise,
And comforts mingle with my sighs.
Through this wide wilderness I roam,
Far distant from my blissful home ;
Lord, let thy presence be my stay.
And guard me in this dangerous way.
Temptations every where annoy,
And sins and snares my peace destroy ;
My earthly joys are from me torn.
And of an absent God I mourn.
My soul with various tempests tossed.
Her hopes o'erturned, her projects cross'd ;
Sees every day new straits extend,
And wonders where the scene will end.
Is this, dear Lord, that thorny road.
Which leads us to the mount of God ?
Are these the toils thy people know,
While in this wilderness below ?
'Tis even so — thy faithful love
Doth thus thy children's graces prove ;
'Tis thus our pride and self must fall,
That Jesus may be all in all." *
* This beautiful hymn was penned by the late Rev. J. New-
ton, Rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, Lombard Street ; a gentle-
man who had been well acquainted with storms and shipwrecks,
when he was the wicked and abandoned sailor-boy.
132 SHIPWRECK OF THE
A passage from the scriptures was then read and
remarked upon by the faltering lips of the ex-
hausted captain ; and urgent as were the calls of
nature for food, there were those among his little
band who hungered for the bread which never
perishes, and thirsted for the well-springs of salva-
tion. It is remarkable how merciful the Almighty
was to the only female of the luckless party ; for by
her own account, we infer that she knew the truth
of an old proverb, '^ God tempers the wind to the
shorn lamb." Perhaps the infirmities of her hus-
band gave an irnpetus to her exertions ; and the
hardships and exposures she had undergone for
the last three weeks, in some measure divested her
of the timidity and scrupulousness which are ever
the characteristics of well-educated and delicate
females.^
* The writer of this volume has known many instances, where
there was a great disparity of age between the husband and wife^
who in the hour of affliction have displayed heroism, and mani-
fested unceasing attention, and watched with tenderness over
the bed of suffering, ay, for twenty consecutive nights, to ad-
minister succour, and wipe the feverish exhalation from the brow
of him who had, perhaps, been to her a father and husband —
a wise counsellor and a kind protector. Well may we exclaim,
when such undeviating attention is paid,
" Lovely woman is a treasure," &c.
When writing a narrative of sorrow and suffering, while we
may be allowed to excite the kindest sympathies of the reader —
ours is not merely a sketch oi fancy and feeling — but of life
i
STIRLING CASTLE. 133
The whole company being famished from the
want of fresh water, more, perhaps, than for food,
they all sallied forth for the purpose of supplying
both, but not returning so soon as Mrs. Fraser had
hoped or expected, she was induced by her hus-
band's incessant thirst to go forth herself, and the
stratagem she used was as ingenious as her effort
was enterprising. Walking along the beach, be-
side cliifs which the lashing of the sea had ren-
dered almost perpendicular, she saw a shelf about
fourteen feet high, from the edge of which dribbled
fresh water. How was a weak and delicate female
to reach this ? Invention being the offspring of
necessity, she walked on until she found crevices
and fissures in the rock, by which she was enabled
by great exertion to climb to the shelf, and being
provided with a piece of rag she spread it thereon,
and reality ; we profess to give '* a plain and unvarnished tale,"
untinctured by high-flown romance on the one hand, or a
mawkish sentimentality on the other. While we pay a tribute
of respect to a lady who was ^'faithful unto death,*' in her at-
tention to the man of her early affection, we gladly refer our lady
readers to a recently published work on the " Kindness of
Womeny'' written by the prolific pen of Thomas Haynes Bayly.
" His was the dearest, sweetest theme
That fancy wild could ever dream —
'T was praising lovely woman ! "
No doubt the fair sex will shortly canonize this eloquent and
gallant champion.
134 SHIPWRECK OF THE
leaving its corner to hang down, to which she
placed her mouth and thus quenched her thirst ;
and when that was slaked, she descended with the
saturated fragment of a garment, and wrung its
contents into the mouth of her famished husband ;
but not before some of the less fortunate part of
the crew had attempted to divest her of her prize.
The discovery she had made turned out to be an
important one.
After the natives had continued to supply the
crew with fish for a time, and their stock of clothes
being nearly exhausted, the former manifested
signs of hostility, which raised unpleasant appre-
hensions in the mind of Captain Fraser, as his
frequent previous voyages in that latitude had
caused him to be aware of the deceitful and san-
guinary character of the New Hollanders. A con-
sultation was held, at which the captain presided.
He exhorted them to stick together, whatever might
be their ultimate fate, as separation would only
enhance the danger of all. To this advice, at first
there seemed no objection, but at length a dif-
ference of opinion arose — some were for getting as
many fish as possible, and that speedily, and leave
the beach in the night, from a knowledge that the
savages seldom commit their depredations in the
hours of darkness, from the dread of coming into
contact with one of the spirits, of whom, in the hours
of darkness, they appear to stand in awe. There
STIRLING CASTLE. 135
were among the party, those who said they would
prefer anything to falling into the hands of the
natives, whether it were starvation or drowning.
Our fair narrator then details the separation
of the party, and the division of the fire-arms and
ammunition, so much in the manner described by
Baxter, that we purposely avoid giving the recital.
It has already been stated, that before Darge and
his companions separated from the captain, they
turned the long-boat keel uppermost on the beach,
when a large water-snake was attached to the
bottom of it, more than two yards long, which was
equally divided between them, and was deemed a
delicious repast. After the men had gone away a
short time, the natives came down in greater num-
bers, and more frequently than before, and they
also evinced greater signs of hostility ; a plain
proof that numbers cause them to stand in some
degree of awe."^
Although the captain had lost a multitude of
counsellors, perhaps he had not been divested of
much wisdom ; for the sequel proved, that the
party who abruptly left him, fared no better than
those who remained behind. This consolation yet
* Perhaps it is from this principle, that when they were made
captives, they were divided one to each tribe, to prevent any
communication with each other. A conversation Mrs. Fraser
had with her husband, perhaps, gave rise to a jealousy which was
the cause of his death.
136 SHIPWRECK OF THE
remained, however, which was, that a faithful wife,
an attached relative, and an intelligent chief officer,
were his companions ; and after many cogitations
they at length agreed to proceed as early as possible
from Torres Straits toward Moreton Bay.*
* Torres Straits is a very dangerous passage, which sepa-
rates the north coast of New Holland from Passua or Little
Guinea. The course recommended by Captain Flinders for
passing through these straits, is by entering the reefs at
Murray's Island, by which route a ten days' passage will carry a
ship past all dangers ; but as the space between Wreck Reef
and Murray's Island is strewed with low coral reefs, many of
which have been discovered since the publication of Captain
Flinders' charts, and of which the greater number have only
been recently seen ; it cannot, therefore, be called a safe navi-
gation. The route called the inner passage was first pursued
by Mr. Cripps, of the brig Cyclop, bound from Port Jackson
to Bengal, in 1812, and was followed by Lieutenant Jeffries, of
the hired armed vessel Kayigaroo, in 1815; but a safer route
has since been pointed out by Captain King. The navigation
of these and all the neighbouring seas, is proverbially attended
with danger. All the low islands in the South Pacific seem to
have for their base a reef of coral rocks, generally dispersed in
a circular form.
Baxter describes the Eliza Reef as of the shape of a horse-shoe ;
but Captain Green, of the Mediterranean Packet, considers it
more like a semicircle inclined to the oblong ; but both agree
as to the concavity of its centre.
The middle space is often occupied by a lagoon : the sand
is mixed with pieces of broken coral, and other marine sub-
stances ; proving that such islands have been originally formed
by these coral rocks, which are inhabited, and according to some,
created by poly pi f and afterwards augmented and elevated by
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PORT JACKSON
JIaHlkvsJntry'
J Botany Bay
05
STIRLING CASTLE. 137
Mrs. Fraser describes, as well aslier memory will
serve her, the alarm and consternation which they
experienced when the natives first came down
upon them, and instances several facts, which go
to show the predatory disposition of these maraud-
ing savages. She says, that when they commenced
their depredations, they broke the valuable nautical
instruments to pieces, and took the fragments away
fixed in their hair, and other parts of their person,
le slow accumulation of light bodies drifted to them by
le sea.
The reefs around New South Wales appear to have been
»rmed in the same manner, and rise like perpendicular walls
rem a very deep bottom. Such structures must owe their
^origin to the animals themselves, unless we should advance a
Hew doctrine, that they grow by a vegetation resembling that
}{ fuci, and that the polypi found in them are analogous to
^ose which take up their abode on herbs and trees, a theory to
phich the aborescent appearance of some corals, and the fungous
>rms of others, give some countenance.
The reefs render the navigation of this ocean exceedingly
mgerous. In some of its seas these rocks reach the surface,
jrhile ill others they lie dangerously concealed, having over
lem (as is the case with Eliza Reef) only a few feet of water,
'oe to the mariner, who, in consequence of unacquaintance
nth the seas, or the power of the currents, gets entangled
longst the pointed spires of this '' sub-marine city."
The intelligent Captain Cook was neither able to foresee nor
Lvoid such dangers. It happened at one time, by a singularly
>rtunate accident, that the point of a rock that had pierced his
ressel, was broken off, and by sticking in the place, and acting
IS a plug, saved it from destruction !
T
138 SHIPWRECK OF THE
by way of ornament as well as of conquest. Baxter
having given up several articles which were de-
manded from him, is said to have had a severe
struggle in order to save a brooch, in which was
inclosed the hair of his aunt; but the attempt
which he made at concealment infuriated the
natives to such an extent, that he received a severe
thrashing from the waddies of his assailants, who,
as a matter of course, deprived him of his favourite
ornament.'^
The apprehensions of the remaining party hav-
ing been excited in no inconsiderable degree by
the menacing conduct of the natives, they at length
agreed to leave the inhospitable spot, and travel
along the beach with Providence for their guide.
* The writer has had the pleasure of an interview with Mr.
Baxter's aunt, whose hair he so highly prized. Before he'
'arrives at the end, the reader will be indulged with one of her"
poetic effusions, addressed to Captain James Fraser, which hei
thinks will prove that the muse does not conftne herself to the
sylvan shades in the western parts of the metropolitan suburbs,
but that she sometimes takes a flight to the marine region^
between Wapping and the Isle of Dogs.
STIRLING CASTLE. 139
CHAPTER XI.
James. —Dare you follow me, love, as you were wont?
Eliza,— J)diYQ I !— yes ; to death ! to death ! In life and
death, I will be with thee !
James. — This way, love. Courage I we soon may gain some
refuge. Our journey has been a stormy one, but Heaven will
aid us ! I only grieve, dear, that through me you are an out-
cast!
Eliza. — Hush ! — deserted as we are, and penniless, in the
wanderer's home we shall have the exile's solace — the provi-
dence of God, who ever aids the destitute, and soothes the
wretched.
MONCRIEFF.
The captain and his wife, as well as his faithful
companions, Baxter and Brown, and the other
persons named in a former part of the narrative,
now commenced their journey, taking with them
as much provisions as they could procure, and
other portable articles which might be useful
Owing to the debility of Captain Fraser, it was
agreed that he, Mr. Brown, and our fair narrator,
should continue to walk slowly behind, while
Baxter and the other men should proceed, in order
to discover and halt at some proper resting-place,
where they should overtake them. The three per-
sons already alluded to, had not been left above
140 SHIPWRECK OF THE
an hour, before they were followed and attacked
by a party of the natives, who had been in the
habit of supplying them with fish, &c., while they
were encamped on the beach. They demanded
some articles, which, after a little hesitation, were
delivered to them ; but without inflicting any heavy
corporal punishment, they suddenly left them,
and returned to plunder the deserted tent. It ap-
peared evident (so thought the survivors), that the
natives were loth to part with them ; by gestures,
of an apparently amicable kind, they endeavoured
to entice them to return, and at the same time
showed them by signs, that they would fall in with
other tribes who would spear, or otherwise ill-treat
them. When they came up, their first attack was
made on the Captain, who, although feeble, made
some resistance, for which he received a severe
incised spear wound on one of his cheeks. They
afterwards divested them of every article of apparel,
and the sex of Mrs. Fraser did not exempt her
from this revolting exposure, as little as it shielded
her from the weight of their waddies. This
appeared too much for the enfeebled mind of
Captain Fraser to bear. In the moment of dis-
pondency he said, *^ We had better give ourselves
up at once, and consent to return with them."
They, however, proceeded on their miserabl
journey.
Subsequent to this, they fell in with anotlie
tribe, who came down upon them vociferatin
STIRLING CASTLE. 141
yells which caused the hearts of the fugitives to
tremble within them. It then became apparent
that resistance would be vain, and Captain Fraser
renewed his request that his little band should
give themselves up quietly, and put their trust in
God, who alone could deliver them. His party
then joined hands in assent to the dreadful pro-
posal, there being indeed no alternative ; at the
same time they renewed their pledge of fidelity to
each other, whatever might be their future lot.
Captain Fraser took the momentary opportunity
which presented itself, of cautioning and instruct-
ing them how to act, as he considered that passive
Robedience would have the most likely effect of
ameliorating their condition.
On the near approach of the tribe, Captain
Fraser made a signal to an old man with an amaz-
ing long beard, who he thought was a chief, and
signified by signs that he wanted to confer with
(n.^ The grotesque figure approached him
* It is very much doubted whether the natives on this bar-
)arous coast have any chiefs; and our narrators state, that they
lever beheld any distinction in the tribes to which they were
inited; they had all things in common, and the men seemed to
pave no control over each other. This circumstance, perhaps,
MS the most insuperable bar to their civilization, and tends to
Ifetard their exaltation from their barbarous and debased con-
dition. It is said (and experience has proved its truth), that
the first symptom of advancement in a savage body, is the esta-
blishment of chiefs, either elected or hereditary, to whom all
142 SHIPWRECK OF THE
with an air of much dignity, and laid hold of
Captain Eraser's chin, and then he rubbed his
hands up and down his naked person ; finally, he
looked into his eyes with a penetrating scrutiny,
after which he uttered a violent scream, which
made the rocks echo, and then made joyful gesti-
culations to the tribe to which he belonged, and
who had halted at a little distance, to watch what
was going on with an apparently anxious curiosity ;
in fact, wonder and amazement seemed to pervade
their minds. After the old man, another of the
tribe, whose bearing was more lofty than some of
his fellows, approached, and subjected Mrs. Fraser,
Brown the chief officer, and Baxter, to the same
ordeal which theii^kader had undergone ; but on
this occasion no violence was used toward either
of the unfortunate captives.
After the natives had thus far satisfied their
curiosity, the scrutineers withdrew to their tribe,
with whom they held a long conference, of the
nature of which of course the narrators were igno-
rant, but the acts which followed pretty clearly
proves that they were settling between themselves
pay submission, and to whose protection they trust their per-
sons and properties. But here, no such institution exists;
might alone appears to constitute right ; and as, consequently,
the weak and industrious have no protection against the strong
and lawless, they have no inducement to accumulate that which
might draw down violence upon their persons.
STIRLING CASTLE. 143
as to which of the party should become the pro-
perty of the sub- divided tribe.
At the conclusion of the conference, the savages
approached them in small numbers, and each took
away one of the meii into the bush, but they laid
no hand on Mrs. Fraser, who was left alone on the
beach, near to which she remained all that day
and night, and uotil nearly sun-set on the follow-
ing day, when she beheld a great number of naked
female savages approaching her, while she was in
quest of oysters and fresh water. When they came
near, the unfortunate lady had her arms laid across
her bosom, to shield her person as much as possible
from the fierce oblique rays of the setting sun,
which had a very powerful efl:ect, of course, upon a
delicate female so recently denuded of her cloth-
ing. Her position and destitute state caused
derision and mirth to these heartless brutes, and
after some fierce, shrill yells, they one and all be-
gan to gather handfuls of wet salt sand from the
beach, and throw all over her person, until (to
use her own expression) she was completely stuccoed
all over ; and the sand being of an adhesive qua-
lity, caused an excoriation of the skin, which
became in a short time excruciating almost beyond
endurance.
The female savages, however, exercised some
forbearance, as they did not maltreat her by any
further act of violence. They eventually all went
into the bush. When she arrived there, she saw a
144 SHIPWRECK OV THE
woman who had two children, one an infant sitting
across her neck, and the other walking by her side.
This poor creature was an invalid, afflicted with
painful and loathsome ulcers, from her right
shoulder to her hip joint. It fell to the lot of Mrs.
Fraser at first to attend to this woman, and as she
used every effort to assuage her sufferings, the poor
savage evinced a good deal of compassion ; she,
however, did not appear to suffer acute pain. Such
was the scarcity of provision at this time, that the
poor invalid actually ate the vermin which preyed
upon her excoriated flesh, and tried to persuade
her nurse to do the same ! As a proof that this
wild, untutored being possessed a sense of grati-
tude, she always interposed as much as she was
able whenever Mrs. Fraser was attacked by the
other natives, but in her feeble state she could
not always prevent sufferings the most horrible,
and insults the most revolting ; to these she was
the more subjected, as she had to go out into the
wood, as we shall show by and by, to collect
wood and water for the tribe.
Mrs. Fraser gives an affecting anecdote relative
to the afflicted woman just alluded to : — In the
middle of the day, when the Hies and insects were
busy, she used to get her to cover her up with
leaves, in order to shield her sores from the stinging
of their fangs and probosces. This circumstance
reminded Mrs. Fraser of the nursery tales she had
read when a child ; and the invalid and her two
STIRLING CASTLE. 145
infant children reminded her of the story of ^^ The
Children in the Wood," who were thus covered by
Robin-redbreasts ; hence she gave her the name of
Roh'hia, and addressed her by it all the time she
remained in her company. When she was out,
wood-gathering, Mrs. Fraser occasionally met with
Baxter in her path, he being in the same pursuit
as herself, but they dared not remain together, for
fear of being detected. On one occasion, when she
met him, she said, *' John, how are you getting
on?" He replied, ^^ You need scarcely ask that:
look at me, and see what a state my body is in !"
After she had been some time in the bush, part of
the crew were taken across the lake, each with a
difterent tribe, and they all went in a contrary
direction. Her opinion is, that they went either
upon a hunting or fishing excursion.
After four days' separation, she met with her
husband accidentally in the bush, where he was
gathering wood for his tribe. At the time they
met, he was dragging a branch of a tree after him,
as he was unable to carry it, his back being so
dreadfully excoriated by the heat of the sun.
When they came in contact, the first thing she
said was, ^' Why did you leave me on the beach ?"
He replied that he could not help it, as the savages
dragged him away from her by force, but he
thought every moment, that she (Mrs. F.) was
coming after him. After a little more conversation,
he said imploringly, ''Eliza, wilt thou help me
with this tree ?" She replied, *' How can I do it
u
146 SHIPWRECK OF THE
with such a load as I have on my shoulders ?"
His reply was, '^ Because thou art now stronger
than me !" She then intreated him to continue
where he was, while she went and kindled her
fire, after which she would return and assist him
with his burden. While they were thus conferring
together, she beheld several natives, which very
much alarmed her, and apprised her husband of
the fact, as she could not conceal from him the
apprehension which she felt, that one or both of
them would be subjected to severe punishment.
He turned to her and placidly exclaimed, '* My
dear, they will not meddle with me !"
In order to avoid their observation as much as
possible, she laid down her load, and concealed
herself behind a huge tree, from which, however,
she could see what was passing. She was well
aware of the dispositions of the natives, and the
probability that they would be angry at seeing her
husband in conversation with her, instead of con-
veying the' wood to the tent ; as it was a portion of
the tribe Captain Fracer belonged to, who appeared
in sight.
The natives remained stationary for a considerable
time, and engaged in an affray with each other,
all the parties being much excited and out of
temper, which circumstance she accounts for on
the supposition that they had been on a fishing
excursion which proved unsuccessful. It appeared
by the concurrent statement of all the narrators,
that the ferocity of their tempers is abated or
STIRLING CASTLE.
147
increased, in proportion to the success they meet
with in their hunting and fishing excursions, as
they were l«ss rigid in their demands and more
complaisant when they had an abundant supply of
provisions, which to say the truth, was very seldom
the case.
After the contention between the jarring party
was terminated, the greater part of them withdrew,
leaving three or four, who walked in the direction
toward Captain and Mrs. Fraser. They suddenly
stopped, when one of the party poised his spear,
which he hurled at Captain Fraser, and the deadly
weapon struck him near the shoulder blade, and
passing through his body, came out at his breast !
Mrs. Fraser then darted from her hiding place and
exclaimed, ^' O Jesus of Nazareth ! can I stand
this ?" With the boldness of a frantic woman,
she ran and drew the accursed weapon from the
body of her dying husband, but no blood flowed
from the wound at the time. The captain fell
immediately, and blood then flowed in copious
streams from his mouth, nose, and ears, and
before the current produced suffocation, he faintly
articulated, '' O Eliza ! I am gone !" — these were
tlie last words uttered by the unfortunate victim
of barbarian vengeance. "^
* Mrs. Fraser says, that immediately after this, she felt her
tin swim, and a sound in her head like the ringing of bells,
id fell to the ground completely petrified and bereft of
148 SHIPWRECK OF THE
After the death of her husband, she considers
that the cruelties inflicted upon her were of a
more frequent and severe nature, than they were
during his life-time ; but whether that be so or
not, her mental suffering must have been aug-
mented in a ten-fold degree, the husband of her
youth having been slain, and she a captive in the |
power of his murderers. One thing is quite
certain from her recital, viz. that more severe
manual labour was exacted from her, and one of
her degrading employments was to climb the high
trees, by means of cutting notches in the bark, in
the manner described in a preceding chapter. I
Being unused to so dangerous an exercise, of course
she was slow in her movements, and awkward in
the use of the sharp instrument put into her hands
for the purpose of incising the bark, to make scotches
for her feet. In order to make her quicken her
pace, these worse than blood-hounds followed her,
sense. How long she remained on the spot in a state of insen-
sibility she is unable to say, but by the sun she knows tliat
several hours must have elapsed before she came to herself, and
then she found that she was at the encampment (if it deseivc^^
the appellation) in the midst of her own tribe, which was unlv
a short distance from the spot where the captain her husband
was slain. She could never learn to a certainty what becamo
of the. corpse of her beloved husband, but she agrees with
the opinion of Baxter on that subject, viz. that his body was
laid in the place alluded to by him, and which was resorted to
on evenings when the natives gambolled and made merry.
I
STIRLING CASTLE. 149
and applied fire-brands to her person, in order to
make her climb with greater facility, or more
perhaps to enjoy the pleasure of exciting her alarm,
and glorying in her wri things. Besides this, the
ulterior object they had in view, was that she
should bring down honey from the combs, which
were lodged in the branches, as in that continent
it appears the bees lodge their nectar on the
su mmits of trees of great altitude . In case the combs
were honeyless, she v/as instructed to throw them
down, that the natives might pick out and eat the
maggots or other insects which had tenanted them.
She stated, that when after immense labour and
great risk she descended a tree, without any
success, her task-masters demanded that she should
breathe in their faces, in order that they might be
satisfied that she had not partaken of any of the
sweet food — if this had been found to be the case,
she apprehends that she should have met with a
severe punishment. The unfortunate lady at-
tempted to cast a veil over part of her sufferings,
which in truth were the most revolting of all, and
which were explained to us by Baxter, who was a
frequent eye-witness of them : but the same delicacy
which restrained her tongue, restrains our pen from
describing them . The mere conception of the pangs
she must have endured, both bodily and mentally,
strikes us with amazement that human nature could
jxist under them, and almost freezes our blood.
A system of espionage was sometimes adopted
150 SHIPWRECK OF THE
when she went into the bush in search of wood
and water, lest she should by chance pick up any
thing to eat instead of carrying it to the tribe ;
hence it was that a child often followed her to
watch her movements. Had she been fortunate
enough to have picked up a disabled bird, or dead
quadruped, she considers that she should not have
been able to elude the prying eye of her young
chaperon, for even the children of these tribes are
remarkable for their cunning and shrewdness.
However, in this respect she was never fortunate
enough to have an opportunity of putting them
to the test.
The patience with which her husband endured
his captivity, is narrated by his relict with a de-
gree of religious enthusiasm. At times, when the
tribe were kinder to him than usual, the cap-
tain appeared to be apprehensive of treachery, and
from this cause he gave offence. No doubt but
he had read or heard of those barbarians, who
make a point of fawning and caressing the human
being whom they intend for the next sacrifice.
On the day before his death they gave him an
extra quantity of fish, which greatly surprised him.
At first he refused to eat it until he had finished
his task of wood-gathering. This circumstance
Mrs. Fraser says gave great umbrage to some of the
tribe, and she felt fearful that they would resent in
some way the inattention of the captain to their
act of kindness. Induced by this fear, an appre-
STIRLING CASTLE. 151
lension, which alas ! was but too well grounded,
she persuaded her tottering partner to comply
with their wishes, to which he reluctantly assented.
In another part of her narrative she gives an
account of the sufferings and awful end of Mr.
Brown. At the time of this melancholy occurrence
their number was reduced to six, and they were
divided among as many tribes, or perhaps, more
properly speaking, the sub-divided parts of one
tribe ; for although feuds, strife, and bloodshed
often occurred among themselves, they nevertheless
kept up a community of interests whenever any
prize fell into their hands, whether their colour
was red or black. ^
* It would seem that they often invade the rights, and com-
mit depredations upon each other ; and one species of plunder
which is most frequent, and in which they seem to glory, is
robbing each other of their women. This is not done by
stratagem, or enticement, or by force, when the parties meet
or pass each other in the passes or ravines in the bush ; such
a capture would entail an awful penalty upon the inamorato
who had the temerity to engage in such a daring enterprize.
This species of theft is generally committed in the night
time, when the two parties assemble for the purpose of a cor-
robery, in which exercise both sexes join. It is now that the
gay red Lothario casts a wistful eye upon one of the sable ladies
of the tribe with whom he is carousing, and if he can elude
the lynx eyes of his companions, and bear her ofF, the prize is
deemed a lawful one, and he may detain the lady as long as he
pleases, which is seldom of long duration, for these fickle-
minded beings soon yield to satiety, and the woman is sent
back to her kindred and friends.
152 SHIPWRECK OF THE
Mrs. Fraser appears to have been in the com-
pany of Mr. Brown on the morning before he
suffered, when they conversed together upon the
barbarous death of the captain ; and exhausted as
his strength was, he seemed determined, if possible,
in some way or other, to be revenged for the death
of their mutual friend. He remarked to her, that
for the last few days the savages had been ex-
tremely kind to him, at which he expressed a
great surprise — indeed, from what he had seen of
their conduct towards others, he was far from
drawing a favourable inference from this apparent
sudden change of conduct ; for poor Brown had
been treated with great harshness ; indeed the
severity of his labour and want of nourishment had
reduced him to a skeleton. Mrs. Fraser advised
him to try as far as possible to comply with their
When one tribe thus robs another, it may well be thought
that persons of such revengeful and diabolical dispositions do
not fail to make reprisals upon those who have invaded their
rights; this they do with a vengeance, and they have been
known to carry off five females during one corrobery. It
would seem that the fair New-Hollander inherits a portion of
that romantic spirit which forms a feature in the character of
some of our British ladies, who emphatically declare that
there is something quite delicious in an elopement, and a trip to
Gretna-Green is delightful. Be this as it may, they are never
known to sound an alarm when borne off upon the backs of
their lovers ; the inference therefore is, that they are consenting
parties.
STIRLING CASTLE. 153
wishes, and endeavoured to cheer his drooping spirits
by a hope of escape. After this short, and we may
say stolen, tete-a-tete, Mrs. Fraser was directed by
her sable mistresses to go and fetch wood from the
bush, in order to cook the dainties they expected
on the anticipated return of a hunting party ; and
the performance of this duty took her nearly two
hours. ^ On her return to the bivouack, she found
* It may excite astonishment in the minds of some of our
readers, how it happened that in such an interminable forest of
wood, it should be a matter of such difficulty and toil for the
natives to procure a sufficient quantity of fuel : we therefore
explain the fact. In the northern coast of New Holland there
is abundance of brush or underwood, but that is not suited to
the purpose of a substantial and perpetual fire. The trees, for
the most part, are of amazing height and girth, so that the
natives are unable to fell them with their mocoes. There are
growing in this wilderness of thorns and briers, several species
of the pine tree, one of which, called sappkirusy being of a very
resinous nature, easily ignites, and therefore suits their purpose.
The manner in which these stately trees are levelled with the
ground is curious. When one of them is discovered, the native
or the captive, as the case may be, cuts a deep notch near the
root, when he rubs two pieces of iron-bark together, and which
when ignited, he applies to the flowing sap of the wounded tree,
which immediately takes fire, and as the juices flow to the
base of the trunk, the fire thus kindled receives constant sup-
plies, until at length a separation takes place between the
branches and the root, by the tree falling with a crash, which
makes the surrounding rocks echo. After the tree is thus felled,
the branches are lopped off by the use of the moco, and dragged
or carried to the camp for use. This was the last manual
X
154 SHIPWRECK OF THE
two of the red tribe in earnest conversation with
the male part of that whose servant she was ; this
being a circumstance very unusual, excited both
surprise and alarm in her mind, and gave rise to
many very unpleasant conjectures — indeed, she
knew not what to think ; but from the gestures
and manner of the savages, it struck her that a
catastrophe was near at hand ; and in this suppo-
sition she was correct. Mr. Brown, at this time,
was in a state both of exhaustion and dejection ;
however, he cast his intelligent eye upon hei:, as if
to inquire whether she was aware of the serious
cogitations of the savages. Seeing him much
agitated, she by signs endeavoured to soothe his
mind, as ^vell as to remind him, that ^'in heaven
there is rest.'' After a debate which lasted nearly
an hour, the natives arose and went up to Brown,
who was reclining on the ground near the place
where the conference had been held. They mo-
and degrading employment of the lamented Captain Fraser.
The bark or rind of the sapphirus is stripped off in shreds, and
the most delicate fibres are twisted into a sort of twine, of which
the natives make their capacious fishing nets ; and the more
solid strips constitute the *' fiendish fire-brands," which are
used for the double purpose of light and torture ! Many a
luminary of this description did our narrators pluck from the
prostrate pine-tree, which afterwards was applied to their naked
persons by their merciless and remorseless tormentors. Mercy I
remorse ! these are alike alien to the coast, and the natives
which inhabit it.
STIRLING CASTLE.
155
tioned him to arise from his resting-place, but
either from exhaustion or fear, or perhaps both
combined, he did not obey the summons. Two
of the natives then laid hold of each arm, and in
order to induce compliance, they signified that
they were going to take him to a repast ! Mrs.
Fraser attempted to accompany the party, where-
upon they seemed very much offended, and chas-
tised her severely for attempting to pry into their
secret, and then drove her back to the encamp-
ment, where she remained about two hours in a
state of mind she says she will ever be unable to
describe.
Two hours having elapsed, the tribe of mis-
creants returned, and after a short parley, the
women joining in the discussion, some of them
conducted her through the same ravine, the de-
clivity of which Brown had descended. She had
not proceeded with her brutal conductors more
than a mile, before she arrived at an open space
or grass plat with which she was familiar ; and on
her eyes following the direction of the pointed
finger of the exulting savages, she saw the hapless
Brown bound hand and foot to a tree, and a slow
fire kindled at his feet, where he was writhing in
severe agony. She became as it were riveted to the
spot, (petrified is the term Mrs. Fraser used,) and
for some time incapable of motion or articulation.
When she recovered her consciousness, the tortured
156 SHIPWRECK OF THE
victim besought her, if ever she reached her native
land, to make his relations aware of his dreadful
sufferings, and his barbarous end ! A violent
stupor came over her, so that she is unable to tell
the length of his endurance, but previously she
had heard him praying to that God whose word
he had been in the daily habit of reading, so long
as he had a Bible in his possession — and when it
was lost, he derived consolation from the precious
promises which he had extracted from it, and
treasured up in his mind.
Whether the body was only partially or entirely
consumed, the fair narrator will not undertake to
say, as she never afterwards beheld the dreadful
spot where the spirit of her husband's friend took
its flight. Providence had ordained that she
should be spared the pangs which must have re-
sulted from her treading the soil upon which the
blood of her husband had been shed, and sprinkled
with the ashes of him who had been the friend of
both. The hour of deliverance was at hand, and
it arrived too at a period when ^' hei^ flesh and her
heart failed her,''
In speaking in general terms of these barbarians,
Mrs. Fraser says that they all delight in cruelty,
and she felt it exercised on her severely, as several
bruises from waddies, incisions by spears, and
burns from torches, which she will ever bear on
her person, would abundantly testify. Whether
STIRLING CASTLE. 157
from jealousy because attentions of a diabolical
nature were paid her by the men, she knows not ;
but the women, with the exception of Rohina^vfeve.
incessantly annoying her, in every way which
persons skilled in the art of tormenting could
devise. They even hated to behold any one do
her a little act of kindness ; and sometimes when
the entrails of a fish, or a piece of a snake, have
been thrown to her for her meal, some of the
women would run up and deprive her of her repast.
She endeavoured to bear up and endure all the
hardships imposed, and contumely poured upon
her, in order to avoid a death of lingering agony;
and sometimes her spirit was buoyed with the hope
that God in his mercy would ^'deliver her from
the hands of hlood-thirsty and cruel rnen.^^ To use
her own emphatic words she says, ^'The stories
which we have read in our childhood, and the
representations of savage life we have seen in the
theatres in our riper years, are mere trifles and
faint representations, when compared with the facts
of which I and my unfortunate companions were
eye-witnesses. When I first beheld the counte-
nances of these savages, and heard their frightful
yell, I expected nothing but destruction — although
my life has been spared, I never expected to witness
the scenes I have beheld, and the abominable
insults I have undergone. To me it appears, that
as to decency of conduct, and sensibility of mind,
158 SHIPWRECK OF THE
there is no difference between tliem and the beasts
of the forest, or if there be, it consists in the latter
being less ingenious in their cruelty.
'' * Like brutes they live, like brutes they die.' "*
* These barbarians were not satisfied with applying lighted
torches to the persons of their victims, and sometimes igniting a
wisp of resinous bark and casting it upon them when they were
asleep ; but in order to have sport on gala days, they would take
them into a canoe, and throw them overboard, for the purpose
of exulting in their struggles to save themselves from drowning.
This was her fate, as well as that of the surviving officers and
crew of her deceased husband.
*^* Since the preceding pages were committed to the press,
the Author has received from the narrators several interesting
particulars connected with their captivity, which they omitted
to state when giving a general detail of their sufferings; these,
and any others which may come to hand, will be reserved, and
form a miscellaneous chapter hereafter.
STIRLING CASTLE.
159
CHAPTER XII. X
" Mark me ! —
Hear the last of our sea-sorrows ;
Here on this island we've arrived."
Shakespeare.
*' The sorrows of death compassed me, the pains of hell gat
hold upon me; I found trouble and sorrow. * * *
I was brought low, and He helped me ; 1 was greatly afflicted."
Psalm cxvi.
Some time before the escape of Baxter, Mrs.
Fraser was taken across the bay, where she located
with her tribe for several weeks ; and it was a part
of her duty to attend upon Robina, the afflicted
female, to whose dreadful sufferings allusion has
already been made. This change of situation
seems to have inspired her with hope that she
would, sooner or later, find an opportunity of
escaping from her miserable thraldom. She also
rejoiced in the midst of her afflictions, that she
was removed from the locality of a scene where
she had beheld the tortures and death of her affec-
tionate husband, and Mr. Brown, his steady and
attached friend. She states, that she felt great
consolation at times, from a conversation which she
I
160 SHIPWRECK OF THE
had had with Carrallis the black steward, before
he parted company with her, some time previous
to her removal to the other side of Wide Bay.
That faithful negro assured her that he would
embrace the first favourable opportunity to escape
from the savages, and proceed through the bush,
and if possible reach the British settlement at
Moreton Bay. When the difficulty and danger of
such an enterprise were suggested to him, he said,
that owing to his being a man of colour the natives
placed more confidence in him, and did not keep
so sharp a look-out upon his wanderings as they
did after the white captives. He pledged himself
in the most solemn manner, that should he be
fortunate enough to escape, he would take the
earliest opportunity of giving such information to
the government authorities there, as should tend to
release his mistress. In that promise she confided,
for he had given her many proofs that a sympathiz-
ing heart may be encased by a sable skin. After she
had been at her new encampment about a month or
five weeks, she cannot say which, for her bewildered
mind had lost the power of calculation, the hour of
her deliverance drew nigh, in consequence of the
ingenuity and daring enterprise of the convict
Graham, with whose name the reader has already
been made acquainted. It appears by the state-
ment made to her by Graham, that he fell in with
a native with whom he had been acquainted during
the time he was a fugitive in the bush, and to whom
J
STIRLING CASTLE. 161
he gave the wuhriquet of Gormondi/, owing to his
being a most inveterate gormandizer. This fellow
was an amazingly powerful man, and few of his
tribe cared much to offend him. Although he did
not stand in the character of a chief with them,
yet he formed a useful adjunct to their pa^ty, as
he was a mighty man of war as well as a mighty
eater. Having made this man his friend, he con-
fided to him the nature of his mission to a certain
extent, by representing that he was in quest of a
white female who was related to him, and as she
was ill-treated by the tribe she was with, he told
Gormondy if he would rescue her, he (Graham)
would reward him with mocoes, tomahawks, and
other instruments ; and as an additional induce-
ment, he was told that if he got her away and she
should be loth to leave the bush, the female should
become his exclusive companion. Thus encouraged,
he undertook to work her deliverance. After this
preliminary was settled, Graham was ordered to
proceed to a place w^here he had appointed to meet
with Gormondy, and he started a long time be-
fore Lieutenant Otter and his soldiers followed in
the boat, it having been previously arranged that
the harbinger should make a particular mark on
the sandy beach where the boat was to halt. On
its arrival, he was to proceed with Gormondy from
the hiding place, in order to carry their scheme
into effect if possible ; and should it be necessary,
he was to fire a pistol or blow a trumpet, wifh
Y
162 SHIPWRECK OF THE
which he was provided, and then the soldiers were
to proceed in the direction of the sound. In order
to avoid suspicion, Gormondy was to appear
hostile to Graham for a time, the latter on this oc-
casion being well dressed, in order to excite their
cupidity, and they soon divested him of his cloth-
ing. He had also provided himself with trinkets
of various kinds, as well as some clippings of tin, of
which they are very fond, and use as ornaments for
the head ; these he distributed to them voluntarily,
and intimated that he could get them a quantity
more of the same articles. It was then proposed
that they should have a corrobery on the occasion,
which was agreed to. It had been planned between
Graham and Gormondy that during the dance
the former was to go down a vista which led to the
water-side, and this he did without exciting any
suspicion in the minds of the natives. The latter
was then to watch his opportunity and run off with
Mrs. Fraser, to whom it had been made known by
her deliverer, that a plan had been laid for her
rescue, and that she was to be placed in a canoe
if possible, and cross the lake to an island where
an officer and file of men lay in ambush.
The unfortunate lady could not describe to us
the sensations with which her mind was affected
at this period — hopes and fears alternately arose,
but the latter she says preponderated. She was
enabled, however, at some intervals, to trust in
God, and hope for a release ; but as to the manner
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STIRLING CASTLE. 163
:q which it was to be effected, she was partly igno-
rant, especially as Graham had suddenly with-
drawn from the company.^ At a period of the
dance, when the attention of the party is more ex-
cited than at others, Gormondy motioned her to be
silent ; he then ran up to the spot where she was
standing, and embracing her round the middle with
his gigantic arms, he swung her on his back, and
(to use her own expression,) ran like lightning
between the trees to the beach, where Graham was
waiting for them with a canoe, into which she
was placed, and the little bark swiftly glided
across the smooth surface of the lake, to the middle
of which they had arrived before the natives had
discovered their absence ; and they not having
their canoes on that part of the shore, some time
elapsed before pursuit could be made. Before she •
joined Lieutenant Otter, however, three or four of
the tribe overtook them, and appeared very un-
willing to give her up. Graham told them they,
would be handsomely rewarded with mocoes and
other articles. He then made a signal, and Lieu-
*■ Mrs. Fraser states, that notwithstanding the presents
Graham made to the natives, they cried woobra, woobra, (an
expression of anger,) spat in his face, and poured upon him
every contumely, which called for the interference of Gormondy,
who assured the tribe that through him (Graham) they would
Ieceive a further present.
164 SHIPWRECK OF THE
tenant Otter sent her a cloak and petticoat to put
on, to prevent her appearing in a state of nudity
before the boat's crew and soldiers. At this time
she was very much fatigued, owing to the long
walk she had the day before, and the joy which
she felt, appeared rather to increase than allay her
exhaustion. She says, that she felt almost spell-
bound ; the work of the last hour seemed to her to
be so mysterious that she could scarcely believe it
a reality.
The sight of Lieutenant Otter, however, and his
armed men, soon chased away her fears and her
doubts, and her heart was transported with wonder,
love, and praise, first to the God of all mercies,
who had heard her prayers, and then to the brave
officer and men who had risked their lives to save
her. Mrs. Fraser now, with sparkling eyes and a
grateful heart, expresses, with enthusiasm, the re-
ception which she met with at the camp, not only
from the brave officer, whose prowess we shall
notice by-and-by, but also of the soldiers under his
command, who, when she approached the camp,
huzzaed, and cried out, '^ The lady! the lady!"
it was about midnight when she arrived at the
camp, and the first question she remembers putting
to Lieutenant Otter, was, '^ What day of the month
is it?" for her sufferings and her anxieties had
long before destroyed the power of calculation.
The officer then told her it was the 17th of August ;
STIRLING CASTLE. " 165
SO that she had been in her wretched captivity
exactly six weeks.* Soon after she had arrived,
Lieutenant Otter introduced her to Mr. Baxter,
Hanham, and the boy Carey, when their mutual
congratulations were as hearty as they were sincere.
At this time she was coloured, and her head be^
dizened with feathers and other ornaments, after
the manner of the natives, so that although par-
tially dressed, her swarthy shrivelled skin presented
a figure truly grotesque to the British soldiers, who
I __
^B* Some of our readers have hinted to us, that the narrators
^Hkst surely have over-coloured theh statements in respect of
the suffering which they endured, as they considered it im-
possible that human nature could have sustained such an accu-
mulated load of affliction. We confess frankly that such
thoughts did occasionally flit across our mind ; but when we
compared the several statements which were given to us, we
found them to harmonize so admirably, that our momentary
scepticism was soon chased away. Supposing, however, that
any doubts had continued to lurk in our mind, they would
have been entirely removed by the circumstance, that at this
period of our labours, we have been favoured with a long
and circumstantial account from Lieutenant Otter, of the
wretched plight in which he found the party, Mrs. Fraser and
Baxter in particular, which convinces us that they have very
much under-rated their sufferings, rather than exaggerated in
the statement.
The interesting detail of this gallant officer will be given in a
subsequent part of the work, as well as other communications
of an important nature, connected with the Shipwreck of
THE Stirling Castle.
166 SHIPWRECK OF THE
in the midst of their sympathy for her sufferings,
could hardly suppress their smiles ; and how could
they ? Notwithstanding the writer lays claim to a
considerable portion of gravity when penning a
narrative fraught with suffering and sorrow, yet
he could not refrain from laughing heartily when
Mrs. Fraser described her costume and decorations
on the day of her escape from worse than Egyptian
bondage. The quantity of gum which had been
applied to her long hair, together with the fibres
of bark, grass, feathers, &c. which were inserted
in it, caused her head to appear the size of a band-
box.*
Lieutenant Otter lost no time in rendering every
* They must have appeared exceedingly ludicrous in the
eyes of each other ; but as luckily no looking-glass was at hand,
they can only speak by comparison. Baxter having arrived
before his relative, had already divested himself of his New
Holland turban, but his hair was so matted together with the
adhesive gum and other filth, that a strong pair of shears became
necessary to sever the locks from his head ; and several weeks
elapsed before he could entirely free himself from the ridiculous
*' anointings" of the savages.
A layer of gum had also been placed all over their persons,
from head to foot, in order to cause the ochre to adhere, with
which they were blackened ; and these combined defied the
power of soap-suds and a scrubbing-brush. The poor creatures,
however, subjected themselves so frequently to ablutions, thai
at length their skin began to crack, and it gradually peeled oil',
so that before they left Sydney for Europe, they had shed their
coats, and arrived in England clad in a new skin.
STIRLING CASTLE. 167
service which he was capable of affording, and
these means were of no slight description, as he
was amply provided with every necessary of pro-
vision and clothing. He first gave her a small
quantity of port wine, and afterwards some tea was
provided, the relish of which, she says, she shall
never forget, as so many dreary weeks had passed
since such delicious viands had entered her lips.
At this time the boats and the major part of the
men who formed the crew, together with a portion
of the soldiers, were at least thirty miles from the
spot where Lieutenant Otter and his little party
had lain in ambuscade, and a question arose as
to whether they should remain there until day-
break, or commence their march immediately.
Graham said, that there were 300 natives at the
camp where Gormondy and he had found Mrs.
Fraser, and as some of them had already come up,
it would be advisable to proceed toward the boat
with all speed, and in this Mrs. Fraser heartily
concurred ; indeed, she almost insisted upon going,
as she was influenced by a dread of again falling
into the hands of the barbarians from whom she
had been rescued. She appears to have thought
nothing of the long distance she had to travel.
They at length commenced their journey, and on
her way she was assisted by her gallant deliverer,
to whom she related the sufferings and privations
which she had endured, and thus in some degree
beguiled the tedium of her march. As she was
168 SHIPWRECK OF THE
reduced to a mere skeleton, and her legs, &c., j
one mass of ulcerated sores, in consequence of the
application of the fire-brands of her tormentors,
tired nature at length gave way, and after she had
with great difficulty walked fifteen miles, about
half the distance to the boats, she could proceed no
further. Lieutenant Otter and his men then
carried her on their backs alternately, and they
arrived at their boats about nine o'clock on the
following morning. When they arrived here, a
great number of the natives had assembled on the
cliffs, and by their gestures and menaces they ap-
peared to be extremely exasperated and hostile :
this was what Graham had predicted. Lieutenant
Otter wished not to resort to hostile measures, lest
it might cause them to wreak their vengeance on
any white person who might next fall into their
hands. The commander having thus far accom-
plished his errand, was anxious to leave the inhos-
pitable shore, but unfortunately the wind was as
unfavourable as it well could be ; hence they were
detained for four days, the blacks keeping a sharp
look-out upon their movements all the time.
Graham informed her that he told some of the
natives who first came up, that if they would not
molest him he would get Mrs. Fraser back to them,
or tear her to pieces ; this is supposed to have been
said with the view of saving his own life, for he
well knew the barbarous and revengeful beings with
whom he had to deal.
STIRLING CASTLE. ^^^ ]g9
Lieutenant Otter, during the delay, administered
every comfort to bis fair charge which he judged
prudent, and in this respect condiments were ad-
ministered as if by a hand versed in another pro-
fession than '* deeds of arms;" he, for a time,
divested himself of the bold daring of the knight-
errant, and became the watching, anxious, and
administering nurse. If every soldier acted to
an unprotected female, as this gallant champion
did to the captain's widow, then should we not
hear of so much heart-breaking afflictions, bitter
remorse, and odium, which result from conquests
made over virtuous simplicity, instead of laurels
obtained by military skill, which entitles them to
the enthusiastic exclamation —
" See the conquering hero comes ! "
On the fifth day a fine breeze sprang up, and
the sails were forthwith spread, the oars put in
requisition, and the boats steered in the direction
of Moreton Bay.
The officer and soldiers and crew under him
were hilarious on their passage ; and well they
might, for they had at great risk and with consider-
able sufi*ering rescued a lady from the fangs of
cruel enemies. They all w^ell knew the kind
reception which they should meet with on their
arrival at the settlement, and they were not dis-
appointed in their anticipations, as we shall pro-
ceed to show in the next chapter. Even the con-
victs who formed the boats' crew, partook of the
170 SHIPWRECK OF THE
general joy, although some of them had under-
gone great physical suffering, and narrowly escaped
death ; theirs was, it is true, a compulsory duty,
but it appeared to be a pleasant one, for, degraded
as they were, they manifested a degree of gallantry
which was only equalled by the soldiers who
formed their body guard.
After a sail of thirty-six hours, the boats arrived
at the settlement of Moreton Bay, from which they
had been absent about ten days."^
* Moreton Bay is our furthest northern settlement, and is
480 miles from Port Jackson, it being formed upon the Brisbane
river. It has two entrances, and is full of mud-banks, with
safe channels between.
The river Brisbane is navigable twenty miles up, by ships
drawing sixteen feet water, at which point a ridge of rocks
crosses its bed. It has been examined more than one hundred
miles interiorly, by Major Lockyer and Mr. Gray, and a chan-
nel found admitting boats to a great distance. Another consi-
derable river has been discovered in Moreton Bay, more south-
erly, behind Port- Look out, opening by small channels of good
navigable depth; but the interior of the country beyond it has
not been explored. The country on each side of the Brisbane
consists of rich brushy thickly-wooded flats toward the river,
with open hilly forest land, extending backwards, rather stony,
but well coated with grass. One uniform bank is presented
toward the right, of the same description of forest-land, while
toward the left, the high hills, comprising the Mount Warintr
range, are seen in the horizon. Trees of the most luxuriant
growth, particularly a species of cypress, resembling the Nor-
folk Island pine, with a stem of from fifty to eighty feet without
[^K^^^ STIRLING CASTLE,
a branch, here abound, and will no doubt form a valuable
addition to the future resources of the colony.
A quantity of land is already under cultivation, and, doubt-
less, whenever the time arrives for the settling of this our
territory, a tract of country will be laid open, unequalled for
soil, climate, and other natural capabilities, by any other in the
same latitude on the face of the globe.
The settlement at Moreton Bay has been established for a
number of years, and belongs to the British government; and
like Port Macquarie and Norfolk Island, are dependencies under
the jurisdiction of the governor of the colony of New South
Wales. In the course of a few years after this colony was
planted, the number of convicts sent from the United Kingdom
had greatly accumulated, and as they were assigned over to
free settlers for a certain term of years, it became a great sti-
mulus to emigration from the parent country, especially among
small farmers and others, who were only possessed of a limited
capital. In the course of a few years many of the convicts re-
newed those predatory habits which had been the cause of their
expatriation, and the necessity of a coiirt of criminal judicature
soon became manifest ; and one was soon after established, the
judge of which had power delegated to administer the statute
law of the land, as well as the laws which were specially for the
government of the infant colony. As may well be imagined,
owing to the abandoned characters of many of the convicts,
not only theft and other high offences were frequent, but also
acts of insubordination were apparent, which had they not
been timely checked, would have led to open rebellion and
bloodshed. It was owing to these circumstances that Moreton
Bay was constituted a penal settlement, to which the judge
had power to transport convicts and other offenders for the
term of their natural lives, or any period of years which
their offences might w-arrant. At this isolated and almost
desolate spot the discipline is of the severest kind imaginable,
and the necessity of inflicting it is often made apparent; but
even in its most mitigated form it is abject slavery in the most
]72 SHIPWRECK OF THE
extended sense of the term. Within the last few years, our
criminal laws have been so modified that the judges of assize
have power to mark down incorrigible offenders as fit persons to
be sent to the penal settlement, it being considered that trans-
portation, in the ordinary sense of the term, would not be an
adequate punishment for their crimes.
The misguided hapless wretches who find themselves at More-
ton Bay, know, when it is too late, that the strong arm of the
law is too powerful for them, and the startling truth of holy
writ rushes upon them in vengeful tone, ** Surely the way of
transgressors is hard.'' Even here there are gradations of pu-
nishment, which the lieutenant governor regulates and varies
as the recklessness or obedience of the convict may warrant.
These wretched men are employed in the severest labour, such
as felling huge trees and dragging them to the sea shore, which
is deemed (to use the language of the sufferers) " an Elysian
employment, when compared with the infernal subterraneous
regions of the stone quarry." Sometimes, by way of punish-
ment, example, or security, an incorrigible convict is placed in
what they term ** fifty-six pounders," viz., irons of that weight,
and the waist-belt or supporter being denied, they have to drag
the ponderous load after them every step they take. Others,
again, are subject to frequent and severe flagellations, a reduc-
tion of the dietary allowance, &c. &c. ; indeed, they are some-
times driven to a state of frenzy, which causes them to rush
into inevitable destruction.
This anonymous narrative has already fallen into the hands
of those who have known the writer long, and he feels sure that
they will give him credit for not over-colouring any statement he
makes ; but if, in pourtraying a scene of human wretchedness,
it would be necessary he should do so, it is when alluding to cir-
cumstances which have relation to the most sceptical beings he
has ever had to deal with. They seem frequently to be inca-
pable of belief, and if the apparition of one of their late '* bang-
up " fraternity were to appear before them, perhaps they would
not give credence to his statement. For the last thirty-six con-
STIRLING CASTLE. 173
secutive months, the learned Recorder of London has sounded
the trump of caution on the "day of judgment," in order to
alarm the fears of his gallery auditory ; and, doubtless, his voice
has deterred some of the uninitiated from the commission of
crime. Should we ever publish the long-solicited " Voice from
Sydney," we think the veil will be removed, and cracksmen
(burglars) be taught, that in the region to which their steps
surely tend, " locks, bolts, and bars fly not asunder," and
divers (swell-mobsmen) convinced, that should they ever reach
the penal settlement, they will, like Dives, implore some father
Abraham to send a messenger to warn others against coming to
that place of torment ! The caution is now given — trans-
gressors,
" Be wise betimes, Uis madness to defer ! "
When we arrive at the principal colony, we shall make a few
remarks upon the convict population ; but we were induced to
be the more diffuse in this place, because we have information
relative to those abandoned outcasts which few possess ; and
our wish is, that the faint outline of sorrow, suffering, slavery,
and privation, (for faint it is) may have the tendency to deter
from crime. If this be done in one instance, the writer will be
gratified, and the reader will, upon the same principle, excuse
what he might deem a prolix, if not an irrelevant annotation.
One of the public journals has recently described the
penal colonies of Australia, as inhabited by " the most de-
moralized society that ever existed on the face of the earth ;
a community of criminals, among whom there is neither repen-
tance nor shame, who boast of their crimes, grow rich on the
wages of vice, sometimes ultimately live in splendid profligacy,
and leave their possessions to children, reared without the
slightest sense of moral obligation, and in utter ignorance of
the precepts of religion ! "
174 SHIPWRECK OF THE
CHAPTER XIII.
" For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat : I was
thirsty, and ye gave me drink : I was a stranger, and ye took
me in : naked, and ye clothed me : I was sick, and ye visitedj
me."
Matt. xxv. 35, 36.
It appears that on the arrival of Carrallis at
Moreton Bay, he gave such information relative to
the wreck of the Stirling Castle, the cruel death
of some of the crew, and the horrible captivity of
a few survivors, that Captain Fyans, the com-
mandant at the settlement, consulted with the
officers of the corps stationed there as to what
should be done, being aware that his power did not
extend far enough to order any one of them to
undertake the perilous expedition which was con-
templated. Lieutenant Otter, as we have shown,
instantly volunteered to start, and the necessary
preliminaries were soon settled : of the manner
in which the object was achieved, our readers are
already apprised. When the boat neared the
shore of the penal settlement, Mrs. Fraser, ill and
fatigued as she was, rejoiced exceedingly in the
change which had so unexpectedly taken place. ^
She was told that the ladies there were anxiously
STIRLING CASTLE. 175
awaiting her arrival, and assured that every thing
which humanity could suggest and benevolence
perform would be done in order to alleviate her
sufferings and restore her health. She found on
her landing that her gallant deliverer had under-
rated the kindness she was to participate, for so
eager were the assembled ladies to make her their
guest, that a contention arose among them as to
with whom she should domicile, although it was
apparent, invalid as Mrs. Fraser was, that she
would require great and long attention.
The palm of victory was at length awarded to
Mrs. Rachel Owen, the lady of a gentleman con-
nected with the commissariat department. Of this
lady the narrator speaks with lively gratitude,
amounting almost to enthusiasm, and declares that
the kind and sisterly attention paid to her for several
weeks with unremitting assiduity, will never be
obliterated from her memory. Nothing which
could have the most remote tendency to recruit her
health, exhilarate her drooping spirits, or promote
her personal enjoyment, was withheld. Such was
the uniform manner in whicli those attentions were
paid, that, to use her own words, she was '' almost
killed with kindness." Nor were these acts of
benevolent feeling confined to Mrs. Owen, for she
was daily visited and nursed by the ladies of the
place ; and she mentions, with kind recollection,
the lady of Dr. Robinson, her medical attendant.
I As may well be supposed. Captain Fyans (the
176 SHIPWRECK OF THE
lieutenant-governor of the settlement), and the
military gentlemen, were most unremitting in their
inquiries and attentions. During the time she
tarried at the bay she had occasional interviews
with Mr. Baxter, the second mate, who, although
in an enfeebled state, had become an out-patient at
the hospital, when they congratulated each other
that they had been emancipated from a barbarous
land to a neighbouring soil which was inhabited by
Christians, who, like the good Samaritan, poured
oil and wine into their wounds.
During the time the invalids were at Moreton
Bay, communications were sent to Sydney by
Captain Fyans, at every opportunity, respecting
their state of health ; and when it was considered
that they were arrived at such a stage of convales-
cence that they might be removed without danger
to the metropolis, Sir R. Bourke, the governor,
was apprised of the fact, and he forthwith caused
an armed revenue-cutter to be fitted out to fetch
them to Sydney ; it being considered that the
mild temperature of the climate would conduce to
their complete recovery ; and moreover, that they
could be better accommodated than at Moreton
Bay.
The revenue-cutter, '* Prince George," hav-
ing been fitted out with every thing necessary
for a coasting voyage of 500 miles, sailed from
Sydney early in October, and proceeded to within
fifty miles of the penal settlement, when the anchor
STIRLING CASTLE. 177
was dropped, and Captain Roach, the commander
of the cutter, went to the pilot station, and gave
orders that Captain Fyans should be apprised of
his arrival at the Point '^ Look-out ;"" and upon
these orders the pilot acted. '^ As soon as Captain
Fyans received the communication, Mrs. Fraser,
Baxter, and the rest were apprised of the fact, and
the ^^ note of preparation" was sounded, and
promptly obeyed.
Not but that they had been kindly treated, but
still they felt an irresistible desire to make towards
home. England and Scotland were uppermost in
their minds ; the thought of parents, children, rela-
tives, rushed upon their memory with renewed
impetuosity; hence, the disagreeable sensation of
parting from kind friends was greatly neutralised ;
yet the separation was an affecting one, and par
ticularly the final adieu between Baxter and the
* Mr. Baxter states, that the penal settlement of Moreton
Bay is what is termed " a bar-harbour," into which it would
be unsafe for a vessel to enter at low water, as a bar runs across
it from north to south. Vessels beyond a certain tonnage never
venture over the shoals, and hence the pilot station here alluded
to. When convicts or stores are brought from the colony to the
settlement, the vessels stop at the pilot station, and the freight
is removed into craft, which are kept on purpose to convey the
passengers and cargo thither from " Point Look-out." It was
in one of these vessels that the narrators and their companions
were conveyed. " Point Look-out" is described as being about
fifty miles from the penal settlement, and 450 from Sydney.
2 A
178 SHIPWRECK OF THE
humane Serjeants (Perry and Burns), who have
been honourably mentioned in a preceding part of
our narrative.
Every thing being arranged for a final sepa-
ration, Baxter, Carrallis, Carey (the boy,) Hanham,
Youlden, and Darge, embarked in a whale-boat,
manned with eight men at the oars, and a helms-
man, in order to proceed down the river to the
Prince George cutter. They started about eleven
o'clock, A.M. ; and Mrs. Fraser and the lady of Dr.
Robinson, with her domestic attendant, together
with Lieutenant Otter, entered a skiff about three
P.M., the vessel being manned with scientific
steersmen, &c. ; and although, numerically con-
sidered, a diminutive crew, yet the parties compos-
ing it were well versed in the knowledge of the
sub-marine pinnacles which had their base between
the settlement and the bar to the Bay ; and thus
by manoeuvre they reached '^ Point Look-out"
nearly as soon as the whale-boat, whose greater
draught of water caused them to take a more zig-
zag course.'^'
The brave captain of the ^^ Prince George,'' who
* In a subsequent number will be given a map, which will
show the kititude and longitude of " Point Look-out," and the
other places connected with this history ; and as it has been
delineated by a gentleman conversant in nautical lore, we
fearlessly augur that it will be examined with peculiar interest
by at least one class of our numerous readers.
STIRLING CASTLE. 179
lad been sent from Sydney for the purpose already
named, having received information by the crew
and passengers of the whale-boat that more dis-
tinguished visitors would shortly arrive ; with
*'the heart of a true British sailor" he prepared
for their reception and accommodation ; and al-
though on their arrival they were not saluted by
'^fire and smoke," they were hailed with hearty
exclamations of welcome, and regaled with as
elegant and substantial dejeune a la fourchette as
could be expected in the cabin of a revenue cutter.
The assemblage of this trio of vessels we should
have been delighted to have beheld. What a
congress ! what congratulations and confabulations
too ! Moreover, what an heterogeneous mixture
of character ! There stood the heroine of our
history, as one rescued almost by miracle from the
grasp of brutal men, with every eye fixed upon
her, and every eye sparkled that gazed. Although
in a physical point of view she was partially re-
covered, yet she was still ^' haggard, poor, and
lean," and bearing evident marks of the tortures
which she had undergone, and of the degrading
disfigurements to which her person had been sub-
jected by the hand of ferocious barbarity.*
* Circumstances have arisen at this period of our history
which imperatively call upon the author to deviate from the track
which he had originally marked out; and although thp subject-
matter of his remaining details must necessarily be transposed,
180 SHIPWRECK OF THE
There stood Lieutenant Otter like a brave cham-
pion, and his eyes flashed in those of the captain
of the Prince George with a conscious but unas-
suming pride — and well he might ! We are sure
and the unity of the whole in some degree destroyed, " Neces-
sity has no law ;" and happy is he that the imperious dame
does not impose upon him the task of seeking aid from her two
daughters, invention and subterfuge. For some days past there
has been an excitement in the public mind in consequence of a
letter which has been inserted in most of the public journals in
reference to Mrs. Fraser, signed by Mr. Dowling, the super-
intendent of police at Liverpool : which letter, the author begs
to state, contains conclusions drawn from improper premises, as
will be shown in the sequel ; for all the correspondence which this
letter has given rise to, will find a place in our pages. Some
of our readers, we know, have drawn an unfavourable inference
because Mrs. Fraser concealed a fact, which she had certainly
better have disclosed, as will be shown by and by, for we shall
<* nothing extenuate," which may be construed into imposition,
yet at the same time every allowance will be made for what is
certainly a deviation from strict rectitude of conduct, the
more especially as her motive for concealment was dictated by
a desire for the benefit of her fatherless children. Why this
comparatively " slight trespass," when contrasted with her
sufferings, and the destitute state of her offspring, should have
created " all this stir," we know not ; or why the hand of
charity should be withdrawn from her innocent orphans, we
cannot divine. At all events it is cruel and un-English to give
the lie to the detail of her sufferings, and perhaps the sneers which
have been directed to the writer of them may recoil upon
those who are easily cheated by an evil report, because they
only superficially investigate the good one.
STIRLING castle/ 181
that he will be noted in some conspicuous leaf of
the ladies' albums for 1838 ; and we shall be not a
little surprised if the beautiful L. E. L. does not
immortalize him by her redundant pen, ere the
In our introductory chapter we said, and we repeat it,
fearless of contradiction, " It will be our object to narrate and
arrange them (i. e. the sufferings of the survivors connected
with the Stirling Castle) link by link in the chain of
melancholy detail. In doing this we shall not be under the
painful necessity of contradicting the facts already before the
public, but we shall be enabled to confirm them by unquestion-
able corroborative testimony , both oral and documentary."
The pledge has already been partly redeemed, and we con-
ceive that the best way to show that Mrs. Fraser is not " an
ingenious impostor," and ** a base fabricator" of lies in order
" to gull the benevolent," is by inserting a letter written by
Lieutenant Otter, her gallant deliverer, to his cousin, a gentle-
man ranking high in the army, by which it will be made manifest
that the hapless woman in her detail to us, has much under-
rated rather than exaggerated her sufferings.
It cannot be expected that scepticism can be chased^ away in
a moment, but one request the writer begs personally to make,
and that is, that investigation (aided by comparison) may be
made, and judgment suspended, until the " summary chapter"
is presented to view, when, he believes, that puerile as may be
the diction and style of his writing, yet bearing the impress Of
veracity based upon strict investigation, he will retire from his
humble, yet to him, arduous labour, by placing Nil Des-
PERANDUM at the top, and Finis Coronat Opus at the bottom.
Without further remark, we insert, by way both of explana-
tion and annotation, the letter of Lieutenant Otter : only
observing, that if after that any doubt as to the accuracy of the
182 SHIPWRECK OF THE
close of that year ; for Miss Landon, in her inno-
cence and beauty, knows as well how to entwine
laurels, and place them on the brow of '' the
Chevalier,'' as does Mr. T. H. Bayly to depict the
amiability and '' the Kindness of Women.''
copy should remain, the sceptic may see the original if he
pleases.
The following is the letter to which we have referred, and we
give it verbatim et literatim^ premising, that, written to a relative,
its publication was never contemplated. Had that been so, the
gallant writer would have been diffuse rather than succinct in
his detail.
*' Moreton Bay, Sept., 1836.
*' I got a week's leave of absence to go down to the bay, for
the purpose of amusing myself with catching turtle. The wind
proved favourable for the sport, when we had got to the pilot's
station; and after remaining a few days there, I thought I would
take a day's shooting at a place called Brisbane Island, which
is situated at the north side of the bay. I accordingly proceeded
to that place, and whilst out with my gun, fell in with two men
whom I took to be natives. When they came up, however,
they addressed me, to my astonishment, in English, and told
mo that they were part of the crew of a vessel called the Stirling
Castle, which had sailed from Sydney to Singapore about three
weeks previously, and had been wrecked on one of the Borrean
i-eefs, near the extreme of Torres Straits. The whole of tlie
crew, with the captain (Fraser), his wife, and two mates, had got
away from the wreck after a fortnight's dreadful sutTering. -One
of the boats, in which were the above-mentioned persons and
some sailors, eleven in all, they had been forced to beach a
little below Sandy Cape, about 200 miles to the northward of
this : the other boat had parted from them a few days before,
'^^^ STIRLING CASTLii. 183
BAfter mutual congratulations had been inter-
changed, the captain of the cutter requested a
detail of the sufferings of the party he was delegated
to take charge of. Lieutenant Otter became the
and they saw no more of it. They went on to say, that soon
after their landing, the natives came down and took every thing
from them that they had saved, stripped them all perfectly
naked, forced them to fetch wood and water, and treated them
with the most savage cruelty. They themselves, with another
who had been obliged from weakness to stop about twenty-five
miles behind, had managed to get across to the main land, for
they had seen the boat ashore on an island. After travelling
for six weeks along the coast, in which journey they suffered
uncommon hardships from the cruelty of the different tribes
they fell in with, they most providentially had arrived at Bris-
bane Island just in time to meet with me. They had crossed
the narrow channel which separates this island from the main
land the day before I arrived ; and as I was to leave it the next
morning, it would have been long before they would have been
seen or heard of, as the island is hardly ever visited ; and they
did not know themselves where they were, or how far from the
settlement.
" I immediately dispatched two men after the unfortunate
fellow who had been left behind, and he was brought to me
naked and black as the two others. After that I started for the
settlement (Moreton Bay). On reporting the circumstance to
the commandant. Captain Fyans, two whale-boats were got
ready, and being provisioned for three weeks, the command of
the squadron was given to me, for the purpose of endeavouring
to rescue the remainder of the crew, particularly the unfortunate
lady, who was treated with as much cruelty as any of the rest,
the savages having no regard for the beau sexe. We were pro-
184 SHIPWRECK OF THE
spokesman, and gave a recital which caused the
captain to listen with the taciturnity of a dumb
spectator.
The gallant officer pointed to the lady he had
vicled with soups, wine, clothes, &c. for the men ; and I wj
furnished by two of the ladies of the settlement with femaj
attire for Mrs. Fraser. A person accompanied me as an intel
preter, and proved of the greatest service, as he had formerl
been a runaway, and had resided nearly six years amongst the
natives, with whose language he was well acquainted. (Graham.)
" We lost no time in getting out to sea, and in two days after
leaving the pilot-station, we put into a river about seventy miles
to the northward, as we expected intelligence from some of the
natives. After some trouble, Graham, our interpreter, heard of
two white men being in the native camp, and by promising
hatchets to the savages, he induced them to bring the white
men in. The poor fellows were wild with joy at seeing us, and
they could hardly believe their senses, as they never expected
to be liberated. They told us that the captain and first mate
had sunk under their sufferings, that Mrs. Fraser was alive when
they last saw her, at a place about forty miles off, but undergoing
every hardship; and that two of the crew were drowned in
endeavouring to swim the channel. I now sent one boat round
the next point, about forty or fifty miles distant, while I started
off on foot with three others, armed only with pistols, for fear of
alarming the blacks, who are much afraid of a gun. When we had
proceeded about six miles, the treacherous wretches attacked us
with clubs, and forced us back to the boats, as we were hardly
able to keep them off with our pistols, which they had but little
fear of. We were obliged to fire at them several times in our own
defence, although much against my will, as I was afraid of their
retaliating upon the unhappy people in their power. We now
STIRLING CASTLE.
185
pescued, and with a look of pride blended with
jpmpassion, he entered into a succinct detail of
^er sufferings ; and, as far as delicacy would per-
lit, the insults which she had undergone. He
ibarked, and followed the former boat around the aforesaid
)int into a wide bay, which we reached before night. About
^0 days afterwards, we got the second mate, and such a miser-
ible skeleton I never beheld, quite black, and naked. The
jcount of his sufferings was horrible, as he had been tortured
a variety of ways because he was too weak to drag the heavy
jogs of fire-wood, in obedience to the wishes of the savages.
We learned to our mortification, that Mrs. Fraser, who had
)een some time alone amongst the savages, had only a few days
)efore passed the very spot where we were, but that she had
)een carried off by a large party of blacks who were going to
ight another tribe, some forty miles distant ; and Graham told
le he knew the very spot where she was. I sent him off directly
the place, he having previously stripped himself, the only
^ay of escaping ill usage from those brutes; and I followed
lext morning along the beach to support him if it should be
requisite, accompanied by three men well armed with muskets
lis time.
" After we had gone about thirty miles we came to a mark
in the sand, the signal agreed upon for us to stop and wait for
lim. We had not been here half an hour, when he appeared
|yrith four natives on the top of the cliflP above us. When he
jame down the hill, the blacks, on seeing us armed, attempted
run away, but he persuaded them by promises of hatchets to
[turn back. I went up to meet him, and you may conceive my
Ijoy and satisfaction when he told me that Mrs. Fraser was
^•waiting on the top of the hill until I sent her a cloak. I im-
[mediately gave him a cloak and petticoat, and shortly after-
2 B
186 SHIPWRECK OF THE
also stated the manner in which she had beei
treated, and the opinion which Dr. Robinson had
given as to the measures which ought to be resorted
to in order to insure a thorough physical and
wards she appeared. You never saw such an object. Although
only thirty -eight years of age, she looked like an old woman of
seventy, perfectly Mack, and dreadfully crippled from the suf-
ferings she had undergone. I went to meet her, and she caught
my hand, burst into tears ^ and sunk down quite exhausted. She
was a mere skeleton, the skin literally hanging upon her bones,
whilst her legs were a mass of sores^ where the savages had
tortured her with firebrands. Notwithstanding her miserable
plight, it was absolutely necessary for us to start homewards,
though she had already come nine or ten miles, as there were
about 300 natives in the camp, who, Graham said, would most
likely attack us in the night, for many of them had been un-
willing to give her up. He had fortunately met with one of his
former friends, a kind of chief, through whose influence he had
succeeded. So treacherous are the natives, that it is impossible
to tYust one of them for a moment.
** After having given the poor woman some port wine, which
I had brought with me in a flask, and some tea, which she
thought was nectar from heaven, she insisted upon immediately
setting out, though we had nearly thirty miles to walk. On the
road she gave me a dismal account of her hardships and priva-
tions, interrupting herself with bursts of gratitude, which it was
painful to listen to. Her husbatid had been speared before her
face about a month back, and had gradually pined, until his
death, totally neglected. Any attempt of hers to approach
him was followed by blows on the head. When he died they
dragged the body away by the heels, and buried it in the sand.
The unfortunate first mate suffered still more. They burnt his
STIRLING CASTLE. 187
mental healthiness in the system. From words
which fell from his lips, Jt appears evident that
the unfortunate woman, notwithstanding her kind
treatment at the settlement, had evinced symptoms
legs with fire-brands to such a degree, that, on his crawling
into the water, the flesh all dropped off from the bones, which
were laid bare up to the knees, and in this way he lay helpless,
and was starved to death. On one occasion, when she attempted
to take him a few cockles, they knocked her down with a club,
and dragged her through a pond by the arms and legs.
" When we met her, she had been two days without food,
and had subsisted the most part of the time on a kind of fern
root which is found in the swamps. Now and then she would
get the tail or fin of a fish, when the savages had a superabun-
dance. This she was obliged to earn by dragging heavy logs of
wood and fetching water; and she Was not allowed to enter
their huts ; but, destitute of all covering as she was, she was
obliged to lie out the whole night, even in the heaviest rains.
" This is but a slight sketch of what she went through — a
detailed account would fill a quire of paper. When we had got
about half-way to our boats, we were obliged to carry her in
turns. We did not arrive until the next morning ; when, after
taking some rest, she begged I would send her some hot water,
as she was anxious to restore her face and person to their natural
colour. I suspect she found it no easy task, as, besides her ex-
posure to the sun and wind, the natives, in order to bring her as
near as possible to their own complexion, had rubbed her every
day with charcoal and fat.
'* Our only anxiety was to get away, as we had accomplished
our errand, and the blacks were keeping us constantly on the
watch. We were detained by contrary winds for four days,
during which one of our men got a spear sent through his thigh.
188 SHIPWRECK OF THE
of aberration of mind, and as we have before
gently hinted, we think we have seen a tendency
that way ourselves. And if it be so, who can
wonder ? Many a lady has found an asylum in a
mad-house for life in consequence of bereavements
less painful, — who have never experienced the
pains, privations, and insults of the female we are
alluding to.
Mrs. Robinson appeared to be deeply affected
at the idea of parting with the lady who had been
the object of her solicitude in the hours of afflic-
tion, which was not yet chased away : the tale of
her sorrows had deeply impressed her sensitive
mind. Baxter and his male companions also
stood there as objects of interest and commiser-
ation, for, although convalescent, they were, to use
Baxter's own term, miserable objects — indeed,
from the crown of their heads to the soles of their
feet there was no soundness in them. Two of the
party, we are informed, have paid the debt of
nature ; and those who survive will never be pos-
sessed of their pristine physical power.
The party who composed the crew and guard of
At length we had a fair breeze, and reached the settlement in
two days and a night.
** Since our arrival Mrs. Fraser has been suffering very much
from the effects of hardships, which showed themselves in pains
in her limbs and joints. She is now coming fast round, and I
daresay will be soon quite well.''
I
STIRLING CASTLE. 189
our little convoy, banished as some of them were
through transgression, appeared to partake in the
joyful congratulations which were interchanged by
their superiors ; for sorrow and suffering oft-times
humanize the heart and awaken its best sym-
pathies, which in the days of adventurous crime,
lie almost, if not entirely, dormant. The object
those have in view who inflict punishment is, that
in the school of coercion transgressors may learn
wisdom ; and in enforcing it, they act upon the
principle adopted by the moral Governor of the
universe, in his chastening dealings with the chil-
dren of men. ^'
At length the time arrived when Lieutenant
Otter must retrograde to the settlement, and the
Prince George proceed on her voyage ; and the
friends parted, never more, perhaps, to meet again.
It appears to us, from the expressions of the nar-
rators, that they will ever have a grateful and
* A very intelligent convict, who had a hair-breadth escape
from the gallows, in one of his Sydney epistles to us, contrasts
his former condition in society (a most respectable one,) with
his present state of degradation and suffering ; and ere the
victim to the artifice of an insidious " Millwood " concludes,
he expresses a determination to endure to the end with resigna-
tion. Although in a distant part of the bush, and employed as
" a hewer of wood and drawer of water," he declares (and who
dare doubt his sincerity ? ) that the Bible is his only solace, and
quotes the following passage — " Before I was afflicted I went
astray — but now have I kept Thy word."
190 SHIPWRECK OF THE
lively recollection of the numerous acts of kindness
which they received at Moreton Bay — indeed, gra-
titude demands that it should be so, and that they
never ought to cease to pray for their welfare. \1
Any change or movement which would carry them
toward their natal land, neutralized the pangs of
separation. Exiled as they had been, and sufferers
as they were, they could feelingly exclaim with
our favourite poet, " England, with all thy faults,
I love thee still."
'* There are, who strongly love to roam,
And find in wildest haunts their home ;
And some in halls of lordly state,
Who yet are homeless — desolate.
The sailor's home is on the main —
The warrior's on the tented plain —
The maiden's in the bower of rest —
The infant's on its mother's breast ;
But Britain is a home to 7ne,
A land remote from slavery." — Anonymous.
STIRLING CASTLE. 191
CHAPTER XIV.
" Now redeem'd exiles cheerfully retreat
Unto the shore t'which error bends its way,
E'en to the penal shore of Botany Bay."
Anonymous.
Captain Roach having weighed anchor, pro-
ceeded not direct to Sydney, but, obedient to the
orders which were given him by Sir R. Bourke,
the governor, to sail coast-wise on his return, in
order to discover if possible whether any other of
the crew of the Stirling Castle were yet alive, as
there were then three missing, of whom Hodge
could give no account. The cutter had not sailed
more than 100 miles north of "Point Look-out"
before the crew saw a number of fires on or near
the beach ; and owing to the stillness of the water
and a slight breeze, Baxter could easily distinguish
the boisterous coheeing of the natives, a proof that
they were in one of their merriest moods.
Captain Roach consulted those who had a pain-
ful experience of the manners of the barbarians,
and was advised to keep out from the shore until
day-break, because if any of the missing crew
were in their hands, intimidation arising from the
192 SHIPWRECK OF THE
I
approach of an armed cutter, might cause the
natives to hurry the captives further into the bush,
or perhaps at once destroy them.
Perhaps we may not be accused of uncharitable
feeling, when we candidly express, that the nar-
rators felt a repugnance at nearing the shore, lest
they should become victims to the fatal and un-
erring spear, or again taken into captivity : if this
were so, it partakes not of cowardice, but emanates
from that strong inherent principle in our nature
— self-preservation.
Be this as it may. Captain Roach had his pre-
scribed orders, and like a brave and obedient com-
mander, he followed them up to the very letter.
On the following morning he proceeded to the
beach, and with his crew went on shore. The
natives had retired into the bush, and all was
silence save the muttering of the rippling ocean,
and the warbling of the splendidly fledged birds
which abound in that latitude. Sounds were
echoed, which would have been well defined, had
they reached an European ear, but no one ap-
proached. They had not proceeded far along the
coast near the sea shore, ere their attention was
attracted by the impress of human feet on the earth.
These the enterprising party followed until they
came to a spot, where it was evident a recent
corrohery had been held. It was not long before
one of the crew sounded an alarm, which caused
all his companions to fly to the spot from whence
STIRLING CASTLE. 193
the sound proceeded . On their arrival, they beheld
their companion riveted to the spot in a state
approaching to petrifaction ; and no wonder, for
his eyes were fixed upon the disfigured body and
extremities of a person who has already been
named in this narrative — they were the remains of
James Major I
It appeared, from small fragments of bones which
lay near his disfigured trunk, that the natives had
placed his head on a fire, which consumed the
thorax, and descended obliquely to a part of the left
side of the abdomen, when it appeared to have
satiated its vengeance, or perhaps its flame was
extinguished by the gushing of the heart's blood of
the victim ! From appearances, it was calculated
that the sacrifice had been made two or three days
before the landing of our exploring party ; and,
but for a comparatively trivial circumstance at first
view, it would never have been known who the
suff'erer had been, or to what nation he belonged.
Baxter, Darge, and others of the rescued, were
conveyed to the spot, when, with one voice, they
proclaimed that it was their late shipmate. Major.
And how did they identify him ? It was thus : —
From some cause or other, the sanguinary brutes
who put him to death, had, either from forgetful-
ness, or that their rapacity was blunted by a deed
of bloodshed, failed to denude him of a well-known
waistcoat, the colour and remaining buttons of
2c
194
SHIPWRECK OF THE
which were recognized by Baxter and his com-
panions. We have already stated the progress
which the fire had made upon the disfigured and
headless corpse. But the work of destruction did
not end here, — it was quite apparent that the
kangaroo dogs had made a hearty meal on the
most fleshy part of the thighs and legs of the poor
fellow, so that what remained of him was a horrid
spectacle to behold. Well might the first dis-
coverer have been petrified ; for even when relating
the particulars to us for the purpose of narration,
Baxter's flesh quivered as though he had been torn
by pincers, and made the blood of the author
curdle in his veins. When describing Major's
aptitude as a seaman, and descanting upon the
good qualities of his unfortunate defunct friend,
the tear of the sailor, than which we think nothing
is more affecting, gushed from his lashes — a tear,
we doubt not, excited by gratitude combined
with regret — gratitude for his own preservation —
regret for the fate of his companions. Nor need
he have been ashamed of that tear, for his very
expression excited sympathy, which brought to our
mind the words of a sublime poet —
" If you have tears, prepare to shed them now."
But to return from what may be deemed the
field of prosing reflection, let us attend the
funeral obsequies of poor Major. After many a
STIRLING CASTLE. 195
|5gh of regret for his untimely end, all that
remained of a handsome young man of twenty-
three, was committed to the grave ; the burial
service of the church, so far as it could be recol-
lected, was recited ; and it may be gratifying to
his relatives, should they ever read this history,
to know, that although buried on a barbarous
shore, his Immble grave was surrounded by those
who did not '' mimic sorrow when their hearts
were not sad."
After the melancholy obsequies, the cutter pro-
ceeded on her voyage, and every creek and inlet
was explored with care and steady perseverance,
without any important discovery being made.
They sailed in the direction of the metropolis of
the new world, and early on the fifth day after
they left Point Look-out, they reached Sydney-
Head on Saturday, October 15th, 1836.
When our party landed on a once barbarous soil,
which had become more than demi-amjelized, they
found that a change of hemisphere had not
altered the character of a feeling which will ever
reflect honour upon the mother country — they
were, as at Brisbane River, hailed with enthusiasm,
as though they had achieved a great victory. Not-
withstanding provision had been made for their
succour, and entertainment, by the humane go-
vernor, yet the respectable inhabitants were de-
sirous that they should have the party billeted
upon them, so anxious were they to hear the re-
196 SHIPWRECK OF THE
cital of the troubles they had seen and the con-
flicts they had passed, during the interval since
the survivors had left Sydney.*
Mrs. Fraser stated to us many instances of kind-
ness which she met with : indeed, familiarized as
are the inhabitants with the history of crime and
cruelty, this case of the crew of the Stirling Castle
was viewed as something out of the common course
of events — a sort of paragon of savage barbarity
and human endurance combined.
The excitement occasioned by their arrival was
not confined to one class of persons, for those of all
* We are requested by Baxter to notice the kind and hos-
pitable attention paid to him by Mr. Tegg, the son of a cele-
brated London bookseller, who has settled in Sydney, where he
is carrying on a flourishing business; literature being his staple
commodity.
Mrs. Fraser also expressed a wish that we should introduce
into our history the names of some of the gentry of Sydney, who
have shown her extraordinary acts of kindness. Her desire is
complied with, because it appears to have emanated from a
grateful heart : and she expressed a hope, that when the history
of the Stirling Castle arrived at New South Wales, it would be
seen, that those who pitied her in the days of her widowhood
and low estate, were not forgotten after she had changed her
condition in life.
The following are the principal names which she mentioned,
viz. — The Rev. Mr. Marsdeii, of Paramatta, Captain Duke
and Lady, Captain Monroe, Captain Davis, Captain Lewis,
D. Thompson, Esq., Colonial Secretary, Madame Debac, Mr.
and Mrs. Slade, and Mrs. Vitie.
I
STIRLING CASTLE. 197
ranks, from the mitred head down to the mechanic,
partook of the general joy.
Shortly after their arrival, the inhabitants re-
quested the Right Reverend the Bishop of Aus-
tralia to hold a special public service in St. James's
church, and to preach a sermon of thanksgiving for
the deliverance of a portion of the ill-fated crew.
The Right Rev. Prelate cheerfully obeyed the
call, and the whole of the party, with the excep-
tion of Hodge, (who was very lame) attended the
solemn service ; and perhaps the spacious church
had never been so crowded before.
After remaining for a considerable time in
Sydney, Mrs. Fraser embarked on board the
Mediterranean Packet ^ Captain Greene, which
sailed on the 16th of February, 1837, from Syd-
ney, and after a pleasant voyage of five months,
she arrived at Liverpool on the 16th of July.*
* In a former part of this history, it was intimated, that we
should now and then append a note relative to the interesting
colony of which Sydney is the capital. For the present, we
subjoin the following brief sketch, reserving others which have
been penned for future insertion.
The general features of the colony of New South Wales are
widely different in many respects from that part of the continent
on which the persons connected with this lamentable history
were cast, and so are the manners of the natives, more es-
pecially those who resided in those parts of the bush most
contiguous to the metropolis, as well as of the inland settlements
which have been formed ; in the latter respect, perhaps, the
198 SHIPWRECK OF THE
change already apparent, has had its origin and progress in
the frequent coalition between them and the British settlers.
It matters but little, we conceive, by what means the savage
nature of men is subdued, and civilization extended; whether
from the effect of fear, or from a sordid policy, so that the
important point be achieved.
This salubrious and beautifully picturesque colony exhibits a
range of hills and valleys, mountains and plains, and along the
sea coast the mountains rise to an elevation of from 3000 to
4000 feet, running nearly parallel with the coast, at a distance
of from forty to fifty miles, the intervening space being an
undulating plain, intersected by several rivers which have their
rise in the elevation just mentioned ; beyond which a consider-
able extent of table land stretches in every direction, gradually
depressing towards the interior.
The boundary of the New South Wales territory is imper-
fectly defined : it may be said, however, to extend coastwise
between the parallels of 36° and 28** S. lat., or about 500 miles
along the sea shore ; while the greatest distance yet settled
inland, can scarcely be said to be more than 200 miles. The
portion in which land may be selected, was fixed by a govern-
ment order, dated October 1820, and comprised 34,505 square
miles, or 22,083,200 acres; the boundaries being on the east
to the sea coast, from the mouth of the Manning river in 32°
S. lat. ; on the north, the river Manning from the sea coast
westward, to a range of mountains, including all those valleys
and ravines which descend to the rivers Goulburn and Hunter;
on the west, a line, nearly along the line of the meridian of
148" W. long.; and on the south, from Mount Murray (in the
latitude of Bateman's Bay) to the Munro River, in 36° S. lat.
The total number of uhite inhabitants, when the last census was
taken, amounted to upwards of 100,000, of whom about 25,000
were prisoners, — the residue of upwards of 90,000 male and
female convicts who have been transported to the settlement
since its formation in 1788.
STIRLING CASTLE. 199
CHAPTER XV.
" Nothing extenuate, nor aught set down in malice."
In this latitude of our historical voyage, during
which no accident has been noted down in our
log-booky a *'reef" made its appearance, which
called into requisition all our nautical experience,
and forced into active service all the skill in sea-
manship which we possessed ; but having on board
the sheet-anchor of truth, we felt confident that
although our voyage might be a little retarded,
we should not founder, because as well as the
anchor, we had the mirror of truth, and should
dispel the mist, which so suddenly and unex-
pectedly hovered around us ; so that eventually
we should have a clear sky, and smooth water.
Not wishing to dare the threatened danger, to
use a nautical phrase, we backed a little, and
hauled off until we got before the wind, and mak-
ing sail, we cast anchor in the Bay of ''Public
Confidence.^'
Having made these preliminary remarks, we
now proceed to detail circumstances which have
occurred since the widow of the late Captain Fraser
200 SHIPWRECK OF THE
arrived in England : and in doing so it will be ne-
cessary to blend epistolary documents witb historical
remarks, in order that the facts to which we allude
may appear before the public in an intelligible
form .
After the arrival of Mrs. Fraser at Liverpool,
and her sojourn there for some time, in order to
recover from the fatigues of a long voyage, she was
advised by her friends to proceed to London, in
order to lay her case before the Secretary of State
for the Colonial Department, and the more espe-
cially as she possessed documents signed by the
authorities at New South Wales, verifying the truth
of her statement, and recommending her as an
object worthy of the commiseration and assistance
of the Home Government. The lady made her
way to the metropolis, and presented a respect-
ful petition to the Colonial Office, to which was
annexed a brief historical detail of the suffer-
ings she had undergone. The petition set forth
the destitute state of her three fatherless children,
and implored that some provision should be made
for them, either temporary or permanent, as Her
Majesty's government might deem meet. Her
papers and certificates were received, and she was
told to call again in two or three days, to ascertain
whether there would be any reply. On the fourth
day after the delivery she applied again at the
Colonial Office, for ihe purpose already named,
when it was intimated that the documents had
STIRLING CASTLE. 201
ot passed a thorough review, and she was told to
call again on a day named by one of the principal
clerks ; and to this injunction she was punctual.
When she again called, she was told that Lord
Glenelg had perused her papers, and had left word,
that if his lordship saw any reason he would com-
municate with her. This was understood to be,
what in official parlance it really was, '^ your
petition is dismissed;'' for no further notice was
taken of it.
Anxiously desirous that something might be done
for her children, it was natural that she should
" run to every avenue and seek for help ;" and
her steps were directed, by the advice of some
friends, to the Rev. G. C. Smith, of Wellclose
square, in order to ascertain whether that gentle-
man could get at least one of her boys into the
asylum for the childreu of shipwrecked captains
and sailors. And who can blame her for the laud-
able effort ? At the time she so went, Mr. Smith
was on a periodical and distant tour, but one of
the officers connected with the excellent institution
alluded to, after hearing her dismal recital, advised
her to go to the Mansion-house, and detail her
history to the Lord Mayor, who, she was informed ^
was a benevolent gentleman, and would, doubtless,
advise her how to act in her hour of extremity.
This advice she followed, and the result of her
application to his lordship is already partially
before our readers, but the full details will be
2d
202 SHIPWRECK OF THE
given hereafter. We allude to this circumstance
thus early, in order to show that she could not
have contemplated that the sympathetic feelings
of the public would have been so much excited
in favour of herself and children ; nor did she
dream that her testimony would be confirmed by
Baxter and Darge, as she did not know that either
of them was in London.
The chief magistrate lent a willing ear to the
melancholy recital of her bereavement, suffering,
and the destitution of her children ; and having
afforded temporary relief, he said he w^ould make
the necessary inquiries into her distressing case.
She stated that she had a daughter fifteen years of
age, and two boys, one nine, and the other seven,
who had been residing at Stromness, in a state of
destitution, and they had no one to look to for future
support, but to the owners of the Stirlijig Castle
and a humane public.
As a matter of course, the recital of Mrs. Fraser
appeared fully detailed in most of the London
journals, and from thence transcribed into some of
the provincial newspapers ; and as will be made
manifest in the sequel, the humanity of the be-
nevolent was aroused, and '^ their purses were
unstrung."
As soon as the report of the then partially recited
narrative had been circulated, the Lord Mayor
received documents from various quarters, which
were confirmatory of the veracity of the statement
STIRLING CASTLE. 203
which had been made to him, and among the first
was the following from a highly respectable gentle-
man, the scion of a stock which will ever be held
in deserved estimation, and will recur to the mind,
when Slavery is the topic of conversation.
As the docuhient is one of our many confirma-
tory links in the chain of evidence, we give it in-
sertion verbatim.
" Southampton^ August 22, J 837.
"Mr. Wiiberforce has the honour of inclosing foi* the Lotd
Mayor's inspection, a letter written by Stephen Owen, Esq., an
officer in the Commissariat department, stationed at Moreton
Bay.
'* The letter is addressed to Mr. Owen, and relates to the case
of Mrs. Fraser, which has been recently made ktiowil to your
Lordship.
"As the cover of the letter has been torn, Mr. Wiiberforce
conceives that it inay not be improper for him to state that fVom
his own knowledge of the handwritihg t)f Mh Owen, \Vhb is thfe
brother-in-law of Mr. Wiiberforce, he c^il positively dfeClat^,
the inclosed letter and the part of the address on the torn cover,
to be the writing of that gentleman."
This communication inclosed a letter from Mr.
Owen, dated 2nd October, 1836, from which the
following is an extract : —
" I send you a few lines by Mrs. Fraser, who has been passing
some time here with us, and who has been made a widow on our
shores by the cruel handsof the blacks, after suffering shipwreck.
Poor Mrs. Fraser, after witnessing the death of her husband
from the ill-usage of the blacks, had to submit to great cruelties
and hardships, until, through God's mercy, she was rescued by
a party who were sent in search of the shipwrecked crew.
204 SHIPWRECK OF THE
*' Mrs. Fraser is about to proceed to her children in Scotland ;
and should she pass through London in her way, and find an
opportunity, will make you a short visit."*
Mr. Baxter, the second officer of the Stirling
Castle, having seen an account in the newspapers,
waited upon his lordship, and produced a letter
addressed to him by the daughter of his deceased
relative, Captain Fraser, which he received in
London, on the ]6th of August, in reply to one
written by him on the 1st of the same month.
The following are such extracts from the juvenile
epistle as we deem advisable to publish. The letter
is dated from Stromness, August 10th, 1837.
" I received your kind letter of the 1st of August, dated
London, and am happy to hear you are once more arrived in
safety in your native land, as it was more than was expected.
I have received a letter from my dear mother, upon her arrival
in Liverpool, and I am looking for her daily at Stromness. She
intimated that she was to call at London and at Greenock before
coming to Orkney. It is likely you have seen her before this
reaches you. Little was I thinking when at London that it was
to be the last interview with my dear father, that I was no more
to behold him in this world ; but to be taken away from me by.
death in such a cruel manner by savages ! But, oh ! that we
may meet in that heavenly country, where separation is unknown,
to sing the song of the Lamb, through the endless ages of
eternity. James and David are fine boys, and attend the school
* Mrs. Fraser was also the bearer of a miniature likeness of
Mr. Owen to his mother, a highly respectable lady, residing in
the vicinity of London, and she speaks of that gentleman's
kindness to her in enthusiastic terms of gratitude.
STIRLING CASTLE. 205
closely. Give my kind love to your mother, and aunt Mary,
and little Hannah, and may every blessing attend them in this
world. David sends his love to his cousin Hannah, with half a
dozen kisses. I will write again after my mamma's arrival at
Stromness, and give you all the particulars. Uncle John would
be very happy to receive a letter from you, to give an account
if his son lived a heavenly life, for he received an account of
his death.
Your affectionate cousin,
" Jane Eaiil Fraser."
To Mr. J. Baxter, ^c. ^c.
In this stage of the inquiry, his lordship was
induced to express the satisfaction which he felt,
that under such extraordinary circumstances of
suffering, he had interfered as chief magistrate
to engage the sympathies of the public. Docu-
ments continually arrived, and testimony adduced,
which strongly confirmed the truth of the statement
which had been made to him in the first instance.
Long after we had progressed with our narrative,
a letter appeared in many of the London papers,
as we have already stated, which excited a sensation,
aroused a suspicion, and caused (to use the mildest
phrase) many gratuitous and ill-natured remarks.
Having previously made an incidental observation
in relation to this epistle, we now give it verbatim,
our maxim being to conceal nothing from the
view of our readers, which is even in the most
remote degree connected with this history.
This letter was inserted in the Morning Advertiser
on the 27th of September, and we give it exactly
206 SHIPWRECK OF THE
as we cut it from the columns of that respectable
journal.
Mrs. fraser.
This person, whose extraordinary adventures amongst savages
have lately excited the sympathy of the public, is now suspected
of being an impostor. It appears she is not in distress, but the
wife of Greene, the captain of the vessel in which she came to
England. The following is a copy of a letter transmitted by
Mr. Dowling, Inspector of Police at Liverpool, to the Lord
Mayor : —
" Central Police-office ^ Liverpool.
" My Lord — Finding that a person calling herself Mrs.
Fraser, the widow of the unfortunate master of the Stirling
Castle, has been making a statement to your Lordship in order
to excite the compassion of the humane and obtain money, I
think it my duty to acquaint you that she landed here some few
weeks back, and applied to me, detailing the same circumstances
of distress as those which appear to have interested your Lord-
ship in her behalf. I communicated with the mayor and
parochial authorities of the town, who most humanely entered
upon the pleasing task of giving her effectual relief; but on the
second interview I had with her, an evident exaggeration of her
sufferings whilst in captivity, caused a suspicion, and her relief
was suspended till inquiries were made, when it turned out that
she had married in Sydney, New South Wales, the master of
the vessel in which she arrived here, (the Mediterranean Packet)
who is a man in good circumstances, and who it now appears
accompanied her to London (leaving his vessel here in dock,)
no doubt solely for the purpose of raising money by imposing on
your Lordship and the public. Her husband, whose name is
Greene, is the person who so warm-heartedly confirmed her state-
ment before your Lordship.
'* Her explanation upon the discovery of her imposition,
STIRLING CASTLE. 207
attempted here was, that her husband (Greene) used her very ill,
and she wished to go to London and separate from him ; and
he, on being sent for, agreed to furnish her with the means to
go ; after which, however, they remained here some time, and I
saw her on more than one occasion elegantly dressed. The mate
of the vessel stated that she had a very good wardrobe, and it
is certain that, as the wife, of Greene, she cannot be in distress.
" I am, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient servant,
(Signed) " M. M. G. Dowling,
'* Commissioner of Police."
About the same period, Mrs. Fraser (for at
present so we shall designate her,) sent a letter to
the editor of the Morning Advertiser, which being
inserted in that journal on the 29th of September,
was as a matter of course transcribed into other
papers, and therefore had a wide circulation ; which
letter we also insert with the double view of ex-
tending it, as she gives her own reasons for keeping
secret the relation in which she stood to Captain
Greene of the Mediterranean Packet, the gentleman
who brought her to England.
The following is an exact copy of the letter
alluded to, and upon which, and the other epistolary
correspondence, we shall make a few remarks by
and by.
To the Editor of the Morning Advertiser,
Sir, — Glancing over the Morning Advertiser of the 27th
instant, I observed a copy of a letter that had been transmitted
to the Lord Mayor, by a Mr. M. G. Dowling, Police Inspector
at Liverpool, but to which no date is affixed.
You will allow me to inform you and the public, that the said
letter was receive4 at the Mansion-house about a month since.
208 siirpwuECK of toe
and that the contents, after having been analysed, did not seem
to prejudice the mind of his lordship against me ; neither do I
now conclude its having effected a change, though it has now
emanated therefrom, and appeared before the public.
With regard to the charges therein against me, I further beg
to be permitted to explain the cause which stimulated me to
proceed hither, which, 1 presume, will remove from the public
mind every idea of being an impostor, as the writer impudently
alleges.
In the first place, I came to London to ascertain the real
position of the late Captain Eraser's affairs, whose transactions
with various parties remained open when the Stirling Castle
sailed from the St. Katherine's Docks.
Secondly, my instructions at Sydney were, on my arrival in
Liverpool to proceed to London, appear personally before the
Secretary of State for the Colonies, and pray that Government
would extend relief to my orphan children.
Immediately after arriving, I proceeded to the Colonial office,
but could not obtain an audience with his lordship, or any fur-
ther understanding relative to my petition, than that I would be
written to in the course of two or three days. After having waited
upwards of a vveek, and receiving no communication whatever
therefrom, I at length came to a resolution (as the only alterna-
tive remaining) to appear in person before the Right Hon. the
Lord Mayor, who, after hearing the detailed narrative of mv
personal sufferings among the New Hollanders, and the destitu-
tion of my orphans, kindly expressed his readiness to be in
any wise instrumental to alleviate the distressed circumstances
of my family.
I would further observe, that when an appeal was made to
public sympathy, it was understood at the Mansion-house that
whatever the humane and benevolent community would deposit
in the hands of the Lord Mayor, should be appropriated solely
for the benefit of my three children.
Regarding the writer's allegations against Captain Greene, I
would have him know that he is no impostor, neither did he
STIRLING CASTLE.
209
leave his vessel in dock vith an intention of imposing on the
Lord Mayor of the city of- London, nor yet the public ; but
with a view, after having settled his own private affairs, to re-
turn to New Zealand.
I am, Sir, yours respectfully,
Sept. 28, 1837. E. A. Greene (late Fraser).
With respect to the letter written by Mr. Wil-
berforce to the Lord Mayor, and the extract it
contained from one written by Stephen Owen, Esq.,
we shall only observe, en passant^ that the docu-
ment alone goes to prove that Mrs. Greene was
the person she represented herself to be, viz., the
widow of Capt. Fraser, and her identity was abun-
dantly confirmed by packages of which she was the
bearer to this country.
That her sufferings have been of a very extraor-
dinary kind, has already been fully established by
the publication of Lieut. Otter's letter ; and we
repeat, that we feel convinced we have much
under-rated those sufferings, as we have in our
possession facts connected with the brutal treat-
ment of this helpless woman, (and could produce
a living witness who would verify them on oath,)
which, if we dared to publish, would excite an in-
voluntary shudder of horror and disgust in every
well-regulated mind.
The extracts we have made from the simple
epistle of Capt. Fraser's eldest child, written to
Baxter, her relative, and one of the officers of her
unfortunate father, speaks for itself, and the simple
2 E
210 SHIPWRECK OF THE
style in which it is written will, we doubt not, ex-
cite a sympathetic feeling in the mind of her own
sex, which will doubtless be increased, when the
letter of the Rev. P. Learmouth is referred to,
whith depicts in glowing colours the state of desti-
tution in which the young female and her two
brothers have long been placed. (Vide page 121).
With respect to the letter written by Mr. Dow-
Ijng, we shall make a few remarks, and we are
bound to do so injustice to ourselves, and for the
information of our readers. We know Mr. Dow-
ling to be a most honourable and intelligent gen-
tleman, and w^ell qualified to fill the high situation
which he occupies in the second commercial port
in the empire. And we are also assured that he
possesses too much humanity to make a statement
which he knew would have a tendency to stem the
current of generosity \yhen directed to any in-
dividual, much less would he do so in a case
where three destitute orphan children were to be
the recipients of the contributions of the bene-
volent, and who were rendered fatherless under
circumstances the most appalling. His letter has
however, had that temporary eflfect, and we are
sure that when Mr. Dowling learns the fact, he
will regret it ; but it is quite evident that when he
wrote it, he was not aware into what channel the
streams of benevolence were flowing.
Of the fact stated by Mr. Dowling, of the mar-
riage of Mrs, Fraser with Capt. Greene, of course
I
STIRLING CASTLE. 211
we were ignorant ; and, as there was no document
to attest it, we were willing to doubt the accuracy
of those who had given the information to that
gentleman upon the subject.
When the parties next returned to London, (for
they had been in the suburbs,) it was deemed ad-
visable to investigate the fact ; and a rev. gentle-
man, who had taken an interest in the affair, sought
an interview with Capt. Greene ; and when it took
place, he candidly told that gentleman a rumour
was abroad that he had married, or was about to
marry, Mrs. Fraser.
Capt. Greene frankly acknowledged the fact,
and much regretted that it had been concealed ;
but, as her papers were signed by the authorities
at Sydney, while she was yet a widow, it was
thought advisable by her, that she should present
herself as such to the Home Government, as the
jhange in her condition of life did not alter the
lestitute position in which her fatherless children
stood. It is due to Capt. Greene to state that he
expressed great regret that there had been any
concealment about the matter ; but he spurns the
insinuation that ''he accompanied her to London
(leaving his vessel in dock,) no doubt solely for the
purpose of raising money by imposing on the Lord
Mayor and the public." With this part of Mr. Dow-
ling's letter we have nothing to do ; but, leaving
him and Capt. Greene to fight their own battle,
we cannot refrain from remarking that from what
we have seen and heard of Capt. Greene, we think
212 SHIPWRECK OF THE
him incapable of being influenced by sinister
motives, or to be guilty of ^' gross imposition."
Then, as it respects Mrs. Greene, much may be
said in palliation of her offence, for such we readily
deem it, and so it has been intimated to her. It
appears quite evident, when she first came to Lon-
don, that neither she nor Capt. Greene had the most
remote idea of appealing to the public. She came
furnished with documents from the governor of
the colony she had left, which she hoped would be
favourably received b}^ the government ; but after
a long journey to London, and waiting several
days, she learned, much to her astonishment and
sorrow, that her Majesty's Secretary of State, to
whom her petition and papers were addressed, did
not so entertain them as to hold out hope of
receiving pecuniary or other aid from that quarter,
for the benefit of her destitute children.
It is worthy of remark, too, that at the time of
this application, the fact of her second marriage
was not known, so that it could not have been a
barrier to the prayer of her petition.
There is something said in Mr. Bowling's letter,
respecting matrimonial jars between the married
couple before they left Liverpool. With that we
have nothing to do ; it might be so, it might not ;
but as our oft-quoted Olney poet says, —
"The kindest and the happiest pair
Will find occasion to forbear ;
And something every day they live,
To pity, and perhaps forgive."
STIRLING CASTLE.
213
We were often in the company of Capt. Greene
and his wife, and long before it was known in what
relation they stood to each other. It then occurred
to us, from the mutual attentions paid, that the
lady would at no distant period be Mrs. Greene ;
but in our ignorant speculation, it again occurred
to our mind, that her unremitting attention to the
gentleman arose from a grateful recollection of
favours which he had bestowed in bringing her as
an exile from the most distant part of the globe to
her native country.
We are aware that Mrs. Greene is charged with
great indiscretion in so speedily throwing off the
weeds of widowhood. If this be an error, it is one
into which many have fallen ; as when the proper
mate is chosen, ladies as well as gentlemen make
^the proper time for marrying quite a secondary
I'Consideration.
Here she was in Sydney, in a state bordering
upon utter destitution. She became acquainted
with Capt. Greene, a gentleman well-known and
highly respected there, and supposed to be a per-
son in very comfortable circumstances. Perhaps
he first viewed her, as did hundreds of others, as
an object of commiseration ; and at length pity
[gave way to a platonic affection, which ripened
into a more tender sensibility.
Capt. Greene could not have been induced to
an alliance with the view of aggrandizement, and
therefore we must believe him to have been
214 SHIPWRECK OF THE
actuated by a manly and honourable feeling when
he entered the sanctuary of God, and solemnly
pledged himself to a poor, forlorn, debilitated
female, that he would *' take her for better for
worse," and succour and comfort her all the days
of his life.
Here was Mrs. Fraser, a virtuous woman,
struggling with adversity, who, in devotion to her
husband, with whom she had lived in connubial
felicity for eighteen years, left all, to journey with
him to the most distant part of another hemi-
sphere, regardless alike of danger and death.
Capt. Greene had offered her a passage home in the
Mediterranean Packet weeks before he proposed
the question which had reference to the altar of
Hymen. Supposing Mrs. Fraser had given a de-
cided negative to that question, and she had sailed
a five months' voyage as a " companion," instead of
a ''wife," — what then? Her virtue would doubt-
less have been preserved, (for virtuous who can
doubt her to have been ?) but her reputation pro-
bably might not ; for even then, superficial readers,
depreciating gossips (men as well as women) would
have insinuated by rascally inuendoes, that which
would have robbed her of her fair fame ; and all
these, too, emanating from persons who knew
nothing of her, and never took the trouble to con-
sider the precarious situation in which she stood.
We have already conceded that she has acted
unwisely in concealing a fact, which, had it been
STIRLING CASTLE. 215
acknowledged, could not have branded either her
or her new partner with dishonour : although it
might have caused a degree of censure among the
slanderers and prudes of the day, yet by some it
would have been considered a romantic adven-
ture, and by others, a "holy alliance." She
has, we admit, acted foolishly in concealing a fact ;
but that ought to be construed in the most favour-
able terms. Had she stated, and persisted in a
falsehood, then the case would have been different,
and she would not have interested the writer of
this history in the attempt to palliate her offence.
Had that been the case, she would have found no
advocate in him, but, as far as he is concerned,
would have been left as an object of v/ell-merited
contumely.
Having made these remarks, we beseech our
readers to forget her error, which at most is a
venial one ; and let those who have thought
uncharitably of her reflect, that had they been
placed in the same circumstances, and surrounded
with the same difficulties, and having the same
floomy prospect before them, they might have
[fallen into the same snare, and entered into a
)rovident, though according to the general notion
of the world, a premature and ill-timed alliance.
jShe is fully aware that she has sinned against strict
etiquette, and been guilty of an indiscreet secrecy ;
and we are ready to admit these facts ; but without
her knowledge, we have attempted an apology.
216 SHIPWRECK OF THE
But after all, what has this deviation from eti-
quette and propriety to do with her previous history
and its heart-rending sufferings ? Moreover, why
should it have an unfavourable effect upon the
minds of the well-disposed part of the community,
in respect of her destitute orphans ? Even had the
widow of the lamented Captain Fraser been volatile
and gay — yea, had she evinced the most unblush-
ing and barefaced depravity ; would it in any
way have changed the destitute condition of her
three poor children, the legitimate offspring of a
brave and unfortunate man? Surely not. Then,
where, we ask, is the propriety of exclaiming, as
some have, — '^ We will not contribute to the fund
for the benefit of the orphans?" Why not? has
the mother committed any act of immorality ?
Not that we are aware of. What is it then ? what
evil has she done? Why, she has concealed from
us the fact, that she married Captain Greene of the
Mediterranean Packet !
With respect to Mrs. Greene's letter to the Morn-
ing Advertiser, we shall make no comments on
it, but we point out that passage to our readersj
where she declares —
** / at length came to the resolution to appear before the
Lord Mayor in person, who, after hearing the detailed nar-
rative of 7?iy personal sufferings ar.ong the New Hollanders,
and the destitution of my orphans, kindly expressed his readiness
to he in anyivise instrumental to alleviate the distressed circum-
stances of my family.
" / would further observe, that when an appeal was made to
STIRLING CASTLE. 217
public sympathy f it was understood at the Mansion House that
whatever the humane and benevolent community would deposit
in the hands of the Lord Mayor should be appropriated solely
for the benefit of my three children.'*
In consequence of the publicity which was given
to Mr. Bowling's letter, and the remarks which
were made on it by certain parts of the public
press, the chief magistrate appears to have felt it
imperative on him to write an explanatory letter,
in order to place the matter to which Mr. Bowling
had referred in its proper light, and if possible,
thereby to stem the torrent of unmerited censure,
sarcasm and reflection ; and his lordship's effort
appears (at the period we are writing) to have
produced t'le desired effect.
In fairness to the implicated, we subjoin the
letter in reply.
"Mr. Editor, — Having observed in the morning papers of
the 27th instant, the copy of a letter sent from Liverpool, to the
Lord Mayor, relative to statements made by Mrs. Fraser; it
becomes necessary, for the satisfaction of those benevolent
persons who came forward to alleviate her distresses, to say,
that the fact of her marriage with Captain Greene was kept
back by her on her first application at the Mansion House, but
the Lord Mayor having received a letter from Lieutenant Otter,
fully substantiating the account of her sufferings, and the murder
of her husband, (who bore a most excellent character) as well as
from the Rev. Peter Learmouth, minister of Stromness, of the
destitute state of the children of Captain Fraser ; determined to
let the subscriptions proceed for their benefit: and Mr. Lear-
mouth and the kirk session have undertaken for the same being
disposed of in the manner most conducive to their future welfare ;
2f
-< ^
218 SHIPWRECK OF THE
Mrs. Greene herself receiving but a moderate sum for neces-
saries, and to convey her to Stromness.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Thomas Kelly, Mayor.
Mansion, House, September 2Sth.
A lord mayor, and even personages standing
much higher on the graduated ladder of '^social
compact," from the elevated station which they
occupy, must ever expect to become the objects of
praise or censure, according to the estimation in
which their motives and actions are rated : and
the}^ are too often, without cause, subjected
to illiberal and ribald attacks, in order to supply
with food the vitiated palates of those who seldom,
e^^ercise the little understanding of which they are
masters, either to condemn a bad action or to
appreciate a good one.
With respect to the part which his lordship has
taken in regard to the orphan children of the late
Capt. Fraser, we consider it meritorious and praise-
worthy, and it was to be expected that he would
have been exempted from sarcasm, and shielded
from the charge of credulity. We would have*
those who made that charge know, that his lorclsliip
is not a gentleman to be easily gulled ; on the con-
trary, he is rather sceptical than otherwise, and
examines matters with a scrutiny, wliich by some,
perliaps, might almost be deemed fastidious, before
he expresses his opinion upon any subject. As a
magistrate, he has been proverbial for rigidly search-
STIRLING CASTLE. 219
ing after truth, in order to ascertain whether decep-
tion lurked beneath plausible representations. In
the matter now under review, his lordship and his
secretaries have been unremitting; and whoever
may attempt to rob him of well-earned laurels, the
orphan children of Captain Fraser will, doubtless,
estimate his kindness so long as they exist.
His lordship, who, we believe, acted under the
voice of a provisional committee, thought proper
to act in the manner he has, in reference to the
circumstance which gave rise to his letter, and
upon which we offer no further comment.
With respect to the amount of subscriptions al-
ready received, we are ignorant, but we know that
temporary aid has been afforded where it was
most needed : and before we conclude our labours,
the public will be furnished with the amount re
ceived by his lordship ; and the manner in which
it has been, or is meant to be appropriated, will
he detailed in our columns, as it forms one of the
component parts of our history.*
* The author hopes he will not be charged with egotism when
he states, that his literary associates have signified to him their
entire satisfaction at the manner in which he has replied to the
letter of Mr. Dowling; and, prognosticating tliat during his
future short voyage he will have a fair gdle arid a ^inobtli sea,
they have advised him to " heave anchor,'' and set his sails.
220 SHIPWRECK OF THE
CHAPTER XVII.
" That in the mouth of two or three witnesses^ every word
may be established.''
Matt, xviii. 16.
" We've confirmation strong as holy writ."
Shakspeare.
THE NARRATIVE, &c. OF ROBERT DARGE.
The name of Robert Darge has frequently oc-
curred in the foregoing pages. He was one of the
seamen taken on board at Sydney, when Capt.
Eraser was about to proceed from thence to Singa-
pore, and one of the crew who has reason to be
thankful that he fared better, during his sojourn
among the savages, than the majority of his com-
panions. Being a native of Scotland, and an able-
bodied seaman, he obtained an appointment to a
vessel bound from Sydney to London, after he was
rendered, by medical attention, *^fit for sea."
This person, having seen the accounts published
in the journals of the statements made by Mrs.
Eraser and Mr. Baxter, came to London without
the knowledge of either of them, and presented
STIRLING CASTLE. 221
himself before the Lord Mayor, by whom he was
interrogated, with the intent that he should either
confirm or invalidate the testimony of the previous
narrators.
When subjected to interrogation, he said that,
but for seeing the published accounts, he should
not have known that Baxter or any of his late
companions had been in London. We consider
the statement of this man very important to the
purpose for which we are induced to use it ; that is,
as a link in the chain of confirmation^ and we deem
it the more valuable, because it is quite clear that
there was a shyness between him and Baxter, and,
whether she had just cause or not, we know that
he was no favourite with Mrs. Fraser. It may be
recollected that Darge was one of the first to start
the pinnace party ; and before he left Capt. Fraser
and the small remnant of the crew behind, he in-
sisted upon an equal division of the fire-arms and
ammunition, which gave considerable umbrage at
the time, and the circumstance is not erased from
the mind of the captain's widow.
He stated that when in the hands of the natives,
he was worked so hard continually, that his health
was greatly impaired, and he was reduced to a
mere skeleton ; indeed, so deeply rooted were the
injuries which he had sustained, though more
favourably dealt with than it appeared Mrs. Fraser,
Baxter, and others had been, he questioned whether
he should ever entirely recover his former strength.
222 SHIPWRECK OF THE
He appears to attribute his suffering- more to the
severity of his labour, and being exposed naked to
heavy rains, dense fogs, and furious blasts, than to
acts of torture practised on his person by the na-
tives. It is the opinion of Darge, that the tribe to
which he was attached was more humane than
that with which Captain Fraser, his wife, Baxter,
Brown, and others, were connected ; and no doubt
he is right in his conjecture, for all writers agree
that the zero of civilization is at the northern point
of Australia, and proceeding thence along the
coast southward, the tribes of natives become
gradually less sanguinary. One of the causes as-
signed for this difference of character, is that the
natives on the southern part of the continent of
New Holland are better supplied with provisions
than their northern brethren ; hence their minds
are not so liable to be excited by the pinchings of
hunger. Darge confirms the statements of the
previous narrators with respect to the manners and
customs of the natives, and says that all captives as
well as themselves, are subjected to a state of nuda-
tion, without regard to age, sex, or condition.*
* There appears to be one deviation alone from the general
rule, according to the concurrent statement of all the party.
Young women, before they unite with the other sex, (for marriage
it can hardly be called,) generally Wear a piecfe of bark fastened
round the waist; but afterwards, even this frail attempt at
decency is cast aside.
STIRLING CASTLE. 223
When questioned as to whether, although the
iatives had killed some of his companions, he had
|ny serious apprehensions for the safety of his own
fife, Darge replied that generally speaking he had
no such apprehension, but he could not very well
define the reason why he considered himself more
liable to exemption from destruction than others ;
a fair inference, however, is, that being naturally
abler-bodied man, they considered his services
Lore valuable than some of the less muscular por-
tion of the captives. There was, he said, a general
deep-rooted hatred in the breasts of the natives to
fwhite men ; and the reason which he assigns for
its being engendered is the fact of their having
been frequently and sometimes very wantonly fired
upon by the soldiery and constabulary force con-
nected with the colonial settlement. He mentioned
the fact of one of the men belonging to his tribe
having lost his leg owing to a shot from one of
the military, who had an inveterate enmity to him,
and he insidiously attempted his life several times.
The deprivation of a limb, which rendered him
wholly unfit for hunting and fishing excursions,
caused him often to be worked up to a fit of frenzy.
The narrator proceeded to state that intercourse
frequently takes place between the natives on
the southern coast of Australia and the military,
and it not unfrequently happened that these tribes
would betray a bush-ranger into their hands for the
reward of a moco or axe. There were some run-
224 SHIPWRECK OF THE
away convicts whom government evinced more
anxiety to recover than others ; and whenever this
was the case, some one of the less barbarous tribes
was sure to be employed to restore him into their
hands ; and for any important service rendered,
they were sometimes rewarded with a fish-hook,
which they highly prize, and call it gillu-gillu.
When interrogated as to whether the men were
attached to their ^^ glims,'' and behaved kindly to
them on general occasions; he replied, that they
were very cruel to them, and treated them shame-
fully ; yet he could discover that while they were
often beaten with brutal severity, the offspring
were indulged in every way in their power. From
what he had heard, he had no doubt but that
some of the tribes along the coast were guilty of
cannibalism, but he saw nothing to induce the belief
that the tribe with which he located was ; at all
events, if the fact was so, he never saw any human
flesh served up in their daily repasts. Darge also
states with Baxter, that the natives never give
any thing into the hand of their captives, but throw
the article intended to be conveyed, at them, the
miserable allowance of food not excepted. Some-
times he had only some fish-bones to make a
dinner of; and when they were cast at him, the
children used every endeavour to deprive him of
his scanty morsel, and in this attempt, the dogs,
which have also a great aversion to a white person,
used to join, .so that he often lost a portion of
I
STIRLING CASTLE. 225
tPie food which had been intended for him. He
fully confirmed the statements of Mrs. Fraser and
Baxter as to the mode of decorating their captives,
after they had denuded them of their European
clothing. He describes, that after they had
smeared his head with gum, they put the long
feathers of cockatoos and parrots on each side of
it, between which they inserted small feathers of
the most beautiful birds which abound in that
otherwise desolate region. It appears that his was
one of the red tribes ; for in order that he should
appear as much like one of themselves as possible,
they coloured his eye-brows and cheeks with a
deep red-ochre ; in fact, they made him look "3.
perfect fright." There was one painful operation
to which Darge was subjected, which Baxter
escaped, it not being so general a custom among
the black as the red tribes, viz. plucking out the
hair, beard, and whiskers by the roots. The pain
which the poor fellow endured was excruciating ;
indeed it was more than he could bear. It should
be observed, however, that in inflicting this punish-
ment, they were influenced by etiquette or fashion,
rather than by a desire to cause bodily anguish, for
they all practise the same custom on one another, as
to be beardless and whiskerless is in their rude minds
a mark of beauty. During the course of initiation,
they daubed him all over from head to foot with
gum and red-ochre, and then pointed with the
finger of command to the water, to which he was to
2 G
226 SHIPWRteCK OF tHE
go, and behold the horrid metamorphosis which
he had Undergone. Notwithstanding the natives
could see themselves very plain in the smooth,
glass-like ocean, they were so intent npon the
t'oilet, and securing the beauty of their persons,
that they formed small vessels of {)ieces of bark, in
order to hold water, to enable them to have a
stedfast gaze at their grotesque head-dress, and
they were indulgent enough to request Darge to
have recourse to the same expedient. He states
that the tribe he was with were very expert fisher-
men, and much attached to the sporty but in that
employment he w^as seldom indulged, his labour
being by far more irksome. Sometimes, but very
rarely, a large fish got into the shallows, near
thfe beach, from which it was unable to retreat,
until the flow of the tide. One of their modes of
attack w^^s by hurling a spear at it, which they
can send to a great distance ; and when that failed,
the whole party went into the sea, with an immense
net, in the capacious meshes of which they entwined
the finny captive, and dragged him to the shore,
with repeated cooheeing, and other symptoms of
rejoicing. The fishing nets are made of the soft
fibres of tlie bark of a resinous tree, which are
extremely strong, atid wheh joined together, the
natives call them ^^ coriir/iii.'' s
Darge, who appears to be a sensible man, ende«P
Voured to ascertain whether they performed any
^tts of devotion, or observed religious rites or
I
I
STIRLING CASTLE. ^27
ceremonies of any kind ; but he could make no
discovery, so as to warrant a full belief that they
worshipped any divinity ; but if they paid adora-
tion at all, it was to the moon, which at its
change caused great rejoicing, and they called it
*' Currahuro.''
He proceeded to state that he did not see any
person connected with the Stirling Castle, killed.
He had separated from Captain Fraser some time
before the melancholy death of that gentleman ;
and it may be recollected that he took the com-
mand of the pinnace, which was afterwards lost,
and the crew fell into the hands of the natives.
After Darge had remained some time w^ith one
tribe, he was turned over to another ; when, to his
astonishment, as well as gratification, he found
two white men connected with it. They were
both English con vie Is, and one of them had been
in the bush five years, and the other ten years.
One of these bush-rangers they called '* lursiy''
and the other, who was a person of great altitude,
christened himself '' Tallhoy.'' They were both
completely naked, and Tursi told him that he
committed an offence in England for which he was
doomed to suffer death, but eventually his punish-
ment was commuted to banishment to New South
Wales for life. The measure of his iniquity not
being full, he continued his predatory habits on his
arrival in the colony, and being apprehended was
convicted, and a second time cast for de^ith ; which
228 SHIPWRECK OF THE
sentence would have assuredly been carried into
execution, had he not been fortunate enough to
make his escape to the bush. Time appeared
to have reconciled the mind of this daring outlaw
to his fate, for he said that he was perfectly satis-
fied with the vagabond wandering life he led, and
had made up his mind to live and die there. This
person is described as being of an intelligent and
communicative tarn of mind ; but although he
expressed himself in the language of resignation,
if not of contentment, his body, and that of his
fugitive companion, was reduced to a mere skele-
ton. To us it appears that the seeming apathy of
this man, and the callousness to his destiny evinced
by Tallboy, may be accounted for on the ground
that they had only the choice of two dreadful evils,
and they preferred that which was the most toler-
able. Were they to offend the natives, and be
delivered by them into the hands of the government
authorities, death, or a punishment more painful
and protracted, inevitably awaited them. 2\irsi
informed Darge that he had always been on the
sea coast during every successive winter, which
created great alarm in his mind, and had an un-
favourable influence upon his health, as the chance
of his being taken by a scouring party, or com-
pany of traders, was much greater than when in
the interior. He congratulated himself that sum-
mer was approaching, when he should accompany
his tribe up to the mountains in quest of honey
STIRLING CASTLE. 229
and kangaroos. The nectar, which in a favour-
able season- is collected in great quantities, is care-
fully preserved for the winter consumption, and in
the summer they live principally upon young
kangaroos, the natives not having the knowledge
of the art of preserving the flesh of these animals,
and if they did possess it, their immense distance
from the sea (sometimes 200 and 300 miles) would
preclude them from providing a winter stock.
From the best sources of information within our
reach, we are of opinion that by nature these
natives are so indolent, that they would not exert
themselves if the means of preservation were to be
showered around their rude encampments — in fact
they obey at least one scriptural injunction, —
^' Take no thought for the morrow what ye shall eaty
or what ye shall drink,^' See.
The narrator then stated the manner in which
he contrived to escape, which was briefly as follows.
He, as well as Carrallis and Youlden, his com-
panions, by obedient servitude, kept on tolerable
terms with the natives ; and, perhaps, their con-
dition was in some degree meliorated by the inter-
ference of the two bush-rangers, who being well
versed in the language of the savages, explained
that the captives were their countrymen. Youlden
was very ill in consequence of hard labour and
scanty fare ; and the heart of one of the natives
seemed to be moved by pity. Darge made this
man a confidant, and promised that if he would
230 SHIPWRECK OF THE
convey them to some place near to where the colo-
nists resided, he should be rewarded with a ^' moco'"
(axe,) and some ^^ gillu gillues,'' (fishing liooks.)
The temptation was too powerful to be withstood,
and the plan was laid, and they only had to wait
patiently for a favourable opportunity to put it in
execution, which was very precarious, as the tribe
were on the eve of proceeding on their way from
the vicinity of the sea-shore to the mountains. At
length the long-desired day arrived, and Darge,
Carrallis, and Youlden, withdrew from the encamp-
ment, accompanied by the native, who was well
acquainted with every mountain, ravine, and pass,
in this interminable thicket. They had not pro-
ceeded far on their hazardous journey ere the
strength of Youlden failed him ; he could pro-
ceed no farther, and the other parties were so
debilitated that they were unable to carry him.
They had no alternative but to leave him in the
bush, perhaps to starve ! They well knew the
danger of parleying, for if the tribe should over-
take them, destruction was inevitable, and of such
a catastrophe even the native conductor evinced
a dreadful anticipation. The separation was a
painful one, but it was necessar}^, and Youlden
was forced to yield to a fate which appeared in-
evitable, for by Darge's account there seemed to
be '^ hut a step between him and death.'' Before
the bewildered travellers left their companion, they
both solemnly pledged themselves that if their own
STIRLING CASTLE. 231
deliverance was effected, they would not lose a
moment in attempting his rescue, by availing
themselves of the assistance of their conductor,
who would be able to retrace his steps to the spot.
Poor fellow ! what must have been the sensations
of his mind when he saw his fellow shipmates, as
he might well suppose, for the last time, as they
passed through the thicket? — We cannot by possi-
bility conceive. Happily for the invalid, his de-
liverance was near at hand, and never was the
truth of the proverb, '* Man's extremity is God's
opportunity," more forcibly verified than in the
case of Youlden.*
The two exiles and their sable conductor had
not proceeded many miles after they left their
companion, ere they heard shots fired at short
intervals. Never did they hear so welcome a sound ;
joy and gladness chased away fatigue and sorrow
• — they believed that the hour of emancipation had
arrived ; and to use the emphatic expression of
Darge, '^ Our hearts leaped within us for joy."
As may be supposed, however, the poor native
who was auxiliary to their escape, w^s filled with
* We. understand that notwithstanding his partial recovery
Avas effected by the aid of medical attention, both at Moreton
Bay and subsequently at Sydney, his constitution was so much
impaired by labour, cruel usage, and anxiety, that he afterwards
relapsed, and became a victim to a pulmonary complaint, at
the early age of twenty-four.
232 SHIPWRECK OF THE
different sensations, for all the Australian tribes
have an inveterate dread and hatred of fire-arms,
and the reports of the guns caused him to tremble,
yet the hope of obtaining the promised rewards
prompted him, in some degree, to scr^w up his
courage.
After the lapse of a little time, the sensation of joy
was raised to its highest pitch — an object met their
view — it could not be a delusion — what was that
object? An European soldier in a foraging dress
of British uniform. And who was that soldier? —
Why, it was a gentlem.an who afterwards became
a bold adventurer ; it was the gallant Lieutenant
Otter !^' It appears that Mr. Otter, with several
friends, were out on parole to indulge in a shooting
excursion, and a kind Providence directed him to
this spot, which circumstance resulted in the sal-
vation of several fellow-mortals from a degrading
captivity. When Lieutenant Otter approached
* The author, with exultation, refers his readers, and par-
ticularly those who indulged in ill-natured remarks, and cir-
culated unfounded surmises, to the letter written by Lieutenant
Otter, (vide page 182,) and fearlessly asks them whether
scepticism can any longer inherit their minds? Is the HisroiiY
OF THE Wreck of the Stirling Castle " a cunningly -devised
fable,'" or what he pledged it should be, — a plain unvarnished
narrative of truth ?
*'Tack to the larboard, and stand off to sea;
For it runs smooth, the wind is fair, —
The canvas spread, — away we go !" — Fitz Ball.
STIRLING CASTLE. 233
Darge and Carrallis, he was surprised to find that
they accosted him in the English language, and the
first impression on his mind was that they were
bush-rangers (fugitive convicts) ; and had that
been the fact, there can be no doubt but he would
have done his duty. Ac this time the news of the
wreck of the Stirling Castle had not reached
Moreton Bay, and Darge was the first to give the
melancholy recital. Finding that they were ship-
wrecked British sailors, no time was lost in ad-
ministering comfort to their bodies and minds.
The gallant officer being joined by some of his
sporting companions, they were hastily informed
of the precarious state of poor Youlden, who lay at
a few miles distance in the bush, and, as may be
supposed, humanity directed their attention to that
quarter. The services of the native conductor were
again called into active requisition ; and after par-
taking of a slight repast, and receiving an assur-
ance of a handsome reward, he started with the
coxswain of the vessel and others, and on the
following morning they arrived with the invalid
borne on their shoulders, when he met with the
kindest treatment which limited means could
bestow. After hearing the recital of the party,
Lieutenant Otter determined to forego his own
pleasure, and proceed to Brisbane river forthwith,
in order that succour might be afforded to the
invalided party who had thus accidentally fallen
into his care ; and the wind being favourable to
2 H
i
Q34 SHIPWRECK OF THE
his views, his little bark soon glided over the
expansive bay to the penal settlement. No sooner
had he arrived than a council was held, at which
Captain Fyans, the commandant, or as he is more
officially termed, the lieutenant-governor, presided.
The particulars, as far as they could be elicited from
Darge, who commanded the pinnace after the
major part of the crew abandoned Captain Fraser,
were carefully reduced to writing. As Darge and
Carrallis could only account for the fate of the
pinnace crew, a wide field of conjecture was
opened as to what had become of Captain Fraser,
his wife, and Baxter and Brown ; but the natural
inference was that they were in captivity on the
coast near where the pinnace separated from the
long-boat company. It having been conceded on
all hands that prompt measures should be adopted,
the officers connected with the little garrison
were asked which of them would volunteer to
command the exploring party, when Lieutenant
Otter stepped forth, and exclaimed, '^ Hei^e I am,
send me.'" As neither himself nor any of the file of
soldiers who accompanied him were versed in the
knowledge of the jargon of the Australians, for
language it cannot well be called, it was ob-
vious that they needed an interpreter. The eves
of the privy council were then directed towards that
class of their captives termed *' captured bush-
rangers," when it was unanimously agreed that
Graham would be a very proper person to act in
STIRLING CASTLE. 23>5
that important capacity, not only on acconnt of
the intelligence of his mind, but from his know-
ledge of the language, habits and customs of the
natives, among whom he had lived as a fugitive
for nearly six years, and thereby had, in a great
degree, secured their confidence. Graham was
sent for, and interrogated as to the facilities he
could probably afford in the enterprise, and every-
thing was explained to him with regard to locality,
as far as could be ascertained by the evidence
before them. At the conclusion Graham suggested
such measures as he thought best to effect the
rescue of the survivors from the wreck. One of
his plans was a very simple one, and that was, that
Lieutenant Otter should be provided with a good
number of '^ mocoes," and himself with some tinsel
and small articles of but little value : these sug-
gestions were wisely adopted, and the result of
the venture (if we may so term it) has alread}/ been
particularized in another place. Graham, notwith
standing he had broken the laws of his native
country, and moreover those also of the colony to
which he was banished, and in the end a runaway,
was respected by his superiors on account both of
his native talent, and the decorous manner in
which he conducted himself ; but the recollection
of his expertness prohibited those little indulgences
which humanity might have induced the com-
mandant to bestow. It was well known that his
besetting sin was a desire for libert}^, and no
i
236 SHIPWRECK OF THE
wonder. Captain Fyans considered that the best
plan he could adopt to excite the spirit of enter-
prise in the captive was to exercise the discretionary
power he possessed to its utmost extent ; hence he
pledged himself to Graham, that if he would bend
the energies of his mind to the accomplishment of
the desired object, in case of his efforts being
successful he should immediately be released from
the penal settlement, and '^ a ticket of leave"
granted him to return to Sydney. As a further
stimulus to exertion, he was told that if his conduct
warranted further interference on his behalf, the
governor of the colony would recommend him
to the British government as a fit object to re-
ceive a free pardon. Graham, with a beating
heart, gladly joined issue to the terms proposed,
and it was not long before the expedition started ;
and the happy result of the cruise has already
been made known to our readers. The steady
manner in which he proceeded (for every thing was
left to him,) enabled Lieutenant Otter to make a
favourable report, and the rescued lady and the
other survivors rejoiced to see him divested of the
manacles and badges of slavery, when he had, at
the risk of his life, rescued them from a more
horrible slavery, if possible, than his own. ^
* The author could, if he pleased, inform his readers of the
nature of the offence for which the gallant fellow was banished
by the fiat of the judges at the Justice Hall, Old Bailey, about
STIRLING CASTLE. 237
Having, from obvious and we hope not improper
reasons, digressed from following the recital of
Darge, the narrator under review, we resume his
statement.
When asked whether he was present when Mrs.
Fraser arrived at Moreton Bay, he replied that he
was, and he assisted in carrying her to her place
of domicile, as she was emaciated and quite un-
able to walk. {Here is confirmation again.) Darge,
in conclusion, gave us a description of the ap-
pearance of the various tribes he noticed, and
enumerated the marks and circumstances by
which they were distinguished, some of which
fourteen years ago, but he thinks it prudent to throw a veil over
the past — suffice it to say it was, when compared with the
crimes of many others who have been expatriated, a venial
offence ; and what is more, the only one which he is known
to have committed, or at all events convicted of, before he was
sentenced to exile. During the time that Graham was on his
expedition he kept a regular " log," as our narrators call it,
but what we would term a diary of all the incidents which
occurred while he was prowling in the bush apart from the
lieutenant and his party ; and on his return home with the
prize, which obtained his partial liberty, he wrote a piece of
poetry on the melancholy subject of which our history treats,
which does credit both to his head and his heart.
The document, in his own handwriting, is in Liverpool, and
application has been made for it ; and we hope, ere long, to
be favoured with the loan of it, for the purpose of insertion.
From what we have heard from those who have perused it, we
are led to think it would form a gem in our history.
^T
238 SHIPWRECK OF THE
w(?re natural, while others were artificial. Al-
though born in the same latitude, there appears to
be a marked difference between the natives in a
variety of respects. For instance, the hair of the
head of some was lank and smooth, while that of
others was crisp and bushy, and that of a third of
a woolly appearance, somewhat like that on the
head of an Africander. There was also a great
disparity in respect of feature ; some tribes had a
projecting, and others a reclining forehead. The
noses of others were protuberant, and inclined to
aquiline, while that feature in the neighbouring
tribe would be flat, and the nostrils distended.
Darge is of opinion that the company he had the
misery to serve were naturally the ugliest of all
created beings ; and they rendered themselves the
more so by fastidious and voluntary deformations.
For instance, in order to make themselves as
hideous as possible, at least in the estimation
of a European, they used to bore a hole
through their nostrils, in which they inserted a
piece of the skin of a kangaroo or some other
quadruped, which answered the purpose of artificial
mustachios. All the parties that we have con-
versed with agree that, generally speaking, the
altitude of the men is above the ordinary average
standard ; yet from this rule there are occasional
deviations. The natives of both sexes are remark-
able for muscular power and agility; yet, except
when necessity excites their energies, a more laz}^
STIRLING CASTLE. 239
set of vagabonds cannot exist. They appear to
be under the arbitrary control of animal instinct ;
and it may be said of them, (and we mention it
more out of commiseration at their degraded con-
dition, than of contempt of the moral and intel-
lectual debasement of our species,) — they are
^^ earthly, sensual, devilish.'"
The women belonging to some of the tribes are
l*eported as possessing far more comely features
than the males, and many of the girls, before they
'arrive at the age of puberty, are deemed hand-
some ; but they are utterly devoid of those tender
eensibilities, which shed a halo around European
females. In one respect, they manifest a great
anxiety, and that is, for the well-being of their
tender offspring ; but what of that ? — the lioness
and leopardess do the same.
The females appear to be more cruel to those in
their power than the men ; but this may not arise
from innate principle, but engendered by the cniel
manner in which they are treated by "their sable
and imperious lords; since living in a state of
promiscuous concubinage, they have no one to
whom they can fly for protection in the hour of
insult and coercion.
It may be proper to observe, that when the
narrators were interrogated, they were apart from
^ach other; indeed, it is our belief, that on no
jcasion, if they accidentally came in contact,
my thing passed between them. We mention
lis, in order to show, that there could be no pre-
240 SHIPWRECK OF THE
concert ; we never suspected that there was any,
but the plan was adopted, in order to see how their
different recitals contradicted each other, or har-
monised together. With respect to the latter test,
our readers may draw their own conclusions by
comparison.
It is readily conceded, that Mrs. Fraser and
Baxter placed the natives in a lower scale of de-
gradation, and possessed of greater ferocity, than
Darge. But, as we have before hinted, the latter
was connected with a tribe, who, during the
winter season, located much |_nearer the European
settlement, and either from fear, or the dawn of
civilisation, owing to a more frequent intercourse,
certainly did not have recourse to torture, in
like manner with the northern tribes, among whom
the lady alluded to, and the second officer, were cap-
tives. There is a further reason, quite distinct from
the above, which will account for the difference of
treatment, — his companion, Carrallis, was a man
of colour ; and the savages are generally less severe
in their exactions of labour^, and their inflictions of
punishment, in respect of them, than the whites.
Carrallis, as we have before stated, was somewhat
acquainted with the manners and customs of the
natives, and being naturally a humane person, he
might have interceded for his companion ; and it
may be, that Tursi and I'allhojj exercised some
sway in their councils, for it appears that they had
become naturalized — demi-barbarized (?)
After Darge had remained some weeks at Syd-
STIRLING CASTLE. 241
ney, he sailed for England in a ship which had
been provided for him by the interference of the
government authorities ; and when he gave the
detail of his sufferings, he was about to make
another voyage to a remote quarter of the earth ;
but it was quite apparent that the health of the
poor fellow had been greatly impaired. "^
* It appears, from what we have gathered from all the
parties with whom we conversed, that the excitement at Sydney
was much increased, owing to several other wrecks which had
recently taken place in the vicinity of Torres Straits, particularly
that of the Charles Eaton, whose captain and crew, as well as
every person on board, were murdered, save a lad of the name
of Ireland, and a child named D'Oyley, the son of a captain,
whose life was doubtless spared in consequence of the sagacity
of the youth who was his companion and protector
We have now arrived at the termination of what in strictness
may be denominated the " Narrative " of the Shipwreck of
the Stirling Castle, but we have yet many other interesting
matters, which are connected with that sorrowful detail ; and
they shall be given ere we close our labours. In the mean time,
we call the attention of our readers to the recital of another
catastrophe, which in many respects is more appalling in its
details than that which has preceded it. After giving a narrative
of this dreadful calamity, it will become our duty to give ex-
tracts from documents connected with both histories , historical
quotations, and other interesting communications, together
with such original remarks and reflections as upon review
may be deemed necessary.
2i
242 SHIPWRECK OF THE STIRLING CASTLE.
In concluding this part of our labour, we feel
it incumbent to insert a hymn appropriately penned
by the Rev. G. C. Smith, in allusion to the pro-
vidential escape of Baxter, Darge, Ireland, and
others, from the perils to which they were exposed.
Confidence of sailors ! hear us,
Wanderers o'er the trackless deep ;
Though far off at sea, blest Jesus,
Thou our Guardian, wilt not sleep ;
Heavenly Pilot,
All our crew in safety keep !
Confidence of sailors ! hear us,
When the howling tempests roar :
Thou alone canst help, O Jesus,
Far off from each friendly shore.
Captain Saviour !
Steer us till the storm blows o'er.
Confidence of sailors ! hear us,
When becalmed far off at sea,
'Neath the blazing sun, O Jesus,
Lead our weary souls to thee :
Rock-like shadow !
Lo, we sail along thy lee.
Confidence of sailors ! guide us
To the port of endless rest ;
Far from sea and land, O Jesus ! —
North, or south, or east, or west, —
Lord of glory !
In thy heaven we shall be bless'd.
Confidence of sailors ! ^ steer us.
When we make blest Canaan's shore ;
Guide us round the point, O Jesus,
Where no waves or tempests roar ;
Hail, fair haven !
Praise our God for evermore !
NARRATIVE OF THE MELANCHOLY WRECK
OF THE
CHARLES EATON,
ON ONE OF THE
BARRIER REEFS IN THE TORRES STRAITS :
WITH AN ACCOUNT OF
THE MASSACRE
OF THE CAPTAIN, PASSENGERS, AND CREW
AND OF
iHE PROVIDENTIAL RESCUE OF JOHN IRELAND, AGED 16, AND
WM. DOYLEY, AGED 3, FROM THE SAVAGES;
TOGETHER WITH EXTRACTS FROM INTERESTING AND AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS.
CHAPTER XVII.
** I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood.
Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres,
And each particular hair to stand on end,
Like quills upon the fretful porcupine."
Shakespeare.
In an early page of the History of the Wreck of
the Stirling Castle, we made reference to the
fatal catastrophe connected with the foundering and
shipwreck of the Charles Eaton, only a short
time antecedent to the loss of the first-named vessel,
and hinted that we should append such an account
of it, as we might be able to compile from oral
244 SHIPWRECK OF THE
testimony, and original authentic documents.
The pledge thus partially made, we are about to
redeem. An elegant writer on this mournful sub-
ject, when alluding to this heart-rending account,
very properly observes : —
'* No history can be more interesting or instruc-
tive to man, than that of his feilow-men ; and
there is something in the life and condition of
seamen, particularly when on distant voyages,
so diversified and so perilous, as to attract the
attention, and engage the sympathy even of the
the most indifferent. The leading features in the
life of a mariner are alternations of prosperity and
adversity, — of hope and despair. Bright sunshine,
calm skies, tranquil seas, and magnificent views at
one time cheer and exhilarate ; all is gaiety and
confidence, and the seaman, naturally thoughtless,
gives himself to the enjoyment of the moment, and
looks forward with sanguine expectations to the
destined harbour, and all the luxuries of a life on
shore. Anon, the sky is overcast, the prospect
lowers, waves swell tumultuously over waves, — the
tempest fearfully increases, — the vessel becomes
unmanageable, — reefs, and rocks, and shoals, and
quicksands await them on every side : their life
hangs as it were in doubt, for many days, and
they have no assurance of ultimate safety. Henijo
the narratives of those who have escaped ship-
wreck, with its concomitant hardships and dangers,
have always been perused with the liveliest iu-
CHARLES EATON. 245
terest, especially when the events are founded on
truth, and brought before the public in their natural
simplicity, without the meretricious aid and colouring
of fiction.''^
This beautiful but hapless vessel was under the
command of Capt. Geo. Fred. Moore, and was
manned with a suitable complement of men and
officers. She left the .port of London in December,
1833, and cleared the Thames on the 18th of that
month. She arrived at the Cape of Good Hope
on the 1st of May following, where she waited for
four days, to take in fresh water, &c. &c. ; then
proceeded to Hobart Town, where she cast anchor
on the 15th of June. On the 13th of July, she
reached Sydney, and on the 29th of that month,
she weighed anchor, to proceed for Canton and
Sourabaya. The cargo on board consisted of
calicoes and lead, which belonged to Messrs. Glad-
stones, Drysdale, and Co., merchants in London.
At the time the vessel left Port Jackson, there
appear (by an official document, dated Nov. 7th,
1836, signed by Mr. Jeffreys, the Tide Surveyor
of the Custom House at Sydney, and transmitted
from thence by the Governor of New South Wales,
to the Secretary of State for the Colonial depart-
* In the latter sentiment we entirely concur ; and it has been
the object of the writer, from the moment he commenced his
labours, strictly to adhere to truth.
246
SHIPWRECK OF THE
ment) to have been the following persons on
board, viz. : —
G. F. Moore, Esq. Captain and Commander.
Passengers*
C. G. Armstrong, Esq.
Geo. D'Oyiey.
Capt. D'Oyley.
Wm. D'Oyiey, and
Mrs. D'Oyiey.
A Native Nurse.
List of the
Offi
cers, Crew^ Sfc.
F. Clarke, mate.
W. Moore n
W. Mayor, do.
C. Robinson
G. Pyall, do.
J. Benny
F. Grant, surgeon.
R. Loain
L.Constantine, carpenter.
W. Jeffreys
3
W.Montgomery,steward.
J. Wright
W. Penny ^
W. Gromble
J. Ching
J. Miller
B. Quin
W. Williams
A. Quenne /
>3
J. Ireland, the boys
aved.
J. Cain
»
John Sexton, cabin-
boy.
W. Hill J
* Capt. D'Oyiey was an officer in the Bengal Artillery, and
had been upwards of twenty years in the service in India.
Mrs. Charlotte D'Oyiey, his wife, a near relative to a most
respectable banker of London.
The two children, George and William, the former seven,
and the latter (who was providentially saved), only two years
of age, and attended by a Bengalee female servant.
Mr. Armstrong was an English gentleman, bound for China,
and about twenty-five years of age.
CHARLES EATON. 247
The ship's company consisted of twenty-six
persons, viz. the commander, (Captain Moore,)
Mr. Clarke, chief mate, the second and third
mates, two midshipmen, Mr. Grant, the surgeon,
the sail-maker, steward, and sailors, together
with two cabin-boys, named John Sexton and
John Ireland.
[Ireland was saved, and it is through his medium
that we have derived many of the following
particulars.]
When the Charles Eaton left Sydney, she started
with, and sailed in the company of a vessel called
the Augustus CcBsar, for several days, but in con-
sequence of a violent gale, they separated in
Torres Straits, on or about the 12th of August.
In a previous part of this Narrative, we have made
some annotatory remarks relative to this marine
passage. It is well known to those who navigate
in the eastern part of the globe, as lying betw^een
New Guinea and New Holland, and it is consi-
dered by all navigators as a route which under the
most auspicious circumstances, is beset with intri-
cacy and danger. *^ This sea is bestrewed," says
a modern writer, '*with coral-reefs and sand-
banks ; and it requires every measure which pru-
dence can dictate, or caution suggest, to steer
carefully through it. Inter-tropical navigation of
this kind demands a constant and careful look-out,
and even the utmost vigilance will not always
insure safety."
248 SHIPWRECK OF THE
From the accounts which have been given by
some of the five seamen who had the good fortune
to escape in the boat to Batavia, it appears that
about ten o'clock, a. m. on the 15th of August,
the wind then blowing hard, the ill-fated vessel
ran foul of a rock, called by navigators, ** the
detached reef," which is situate near the entrance
into the straits. The Captain, who was a very
experienced seaman, either from an anticipation
ot danger, or as an act of prudence during the
night, ordered the first reef to be taken in the top-
sails, so that they might not enter the passage
until day-break. Before the morning cleared,
however, the wind and current dashed the vessel
against the rock with such violence, that the keel
and rudder were knocked off, and carried away ;
and the Captain did not disguise from the passen-
gers and crew his opinion, that the salvation of
the vessel was quite hopeless. In this dreadful
dilemma, what was to be done ? There was little
time for consideration ; but the preservation of
human life he judged to be paramount to every
thing ; he therefore commanded the boats to be
got ready, and stowed with provisions, in order,
if possible, to save the passengers and ship's com-
pany, by landing them on the Island of Timor,
or Timor Laut.
When the Charles Eaton first came in contact
with the reef, there were four boats : viz., the long
boat, two cutters, and a "dandy," In the hour of
CHARLES EATON. 249
extremity, three of the seamen seized one of the
cutters, and made off; when two others swam after
her in great peril of losing their lives, and got on
board. Of the four boats which were on board,
this was the only one left fit to put to sea, as all
the others were damaged at the time the ship
struck. They have since solemnly declared that
they lay to as much as possible, but the current
was. so strong, and the breakers so heavy, that it
was impossible for them to near the vessel ; and
equally so for any one on board to reach them.
Having no alternative, and being anxious for
the safety of their own lives, they put off, when
all the persons were alive in the forecastle, ex-
cepting one (J. Price,) who was drowned by the
swamping of one of the cutters, when being lowered
into the sea. Owing to the eddying of the current,
the cutter made no great distance during the night,
and in the morning, they could plainly see the
wreck, but no person on board her; hence they
concluded that they had met with a watery grave
during the night, in consequence of the violent
rolling of the sea. When they departed from the
view of the wreck, it was early on Sunday morn-
ing, being the 17th day of August ; and they were
unprovided with a compass or any other nautical
instrument by which they might be directed to steer
their course.
They were in almost as destitute a state in respect
of provisions, as the whole consisted of thirty pounds
2 K
050 SHIPWRECK OF THE
of hard bread, one small ham, and a keg contain-
ing about four gallons of water, which had been
put in the instant the boat was lowered. What a
pitiful store to be divided and sub-divided among
five hearty men, whose cravings of hunger would
naturally rather be augmented than decreased by
an exposure to the blasts and night dews on the
open sea, for which this latitude is proverbial.
These men were driven about for fifteen days on
the wide expanse of water, and the steersman had
nothing to guide him but the sun by day and the
stars by night, and these were frequently obscured
by the density of the atmosphere. They, however,
steered, as they believed, in a westerly direction,
in order, if possible, to reach Timor, a well-known
island in the Indian ocean, of which Coussang is
the principal town.^ At length they descried land,
which they all thought was the island they were
* Timor island is situated in the Eastern seas, and is 250
miles long, and 40 miles broad. Lat. 9° 30' ; long. 124° 30' E.
Gold is found in several of the rivers, both in lumps and
grains. Copper also abounds in the Philarem hills. Fort
Concordia is the capital of the former, and Delli of the
latter ; but their respective boundaries are ill-defined, and the
native chiefs, at least many of them, disdain all subordination.
The natives resemble the South Sea islanders, rather than the
Malays. In the interior they are divided into small communities,
and governed by chiefs. They cultivate rice, millet, maize,
yams, potatoes, and cotton ; but maize is the staple article of
food, with sugar and a species of sago.
CHARLES EATON.
251
an quest of; but to their mortification, they soon
Idiscovered their mistake. They went on shore,
lowever, and provided themselves with some fresh
%ater and cocoa-nuts, which, in their destitute and
starving condition, were providential supplies ; in-
deed, some of the party were nearly exhausted
from the want of food, and water to quench their
thirst.
The five unfortunate men having regaled them-
selves, then proceeded along the coast in their boat;
but they had not gone far before they were assailed
I by a number of native prows. Exhausted by
fatigue and entirely unnerved, resistance was out
of the question and resignation their only alter-
native.
The first thing which the natives did, was to
|divest them of every article of clothing, and having
done this, they upset their boat. They were then
hurried up the beach to some distance, when a
consultation was held as to the manner in which
le captives were to be disposed of. They stood
|rembling with fear and anxiety, perceiving as they
lought, from the features and ferocious looks of
le savages, that the majority were for murdering
lem at once.
It turned out that they were right in their con-
jcture, for the slaughter was about to commence,
^hen two of the tribe, who seemed to have some
ifluence over the others, interceded for the poor
jllovvs, and their lives were spared. After having
252 SHIPWRECK OF THE
remained here for a short time, the mariners ascer-
tained that they were on the island of Timor Laut,
and in the settlement which is known by the name
of Oliliet, The two natives who so kindly inter-
posed their authority to save their lives, were
called " Lomba" and '' Pabok."
At first our countrymen were roughly treated,
but after a time, the natives treated them more
kindljT^, and even returned them some of their
clothes, and abridged their severe labour ; indeed,
at last, if they worked at all, it was their own
voluntary act. What a contrast between this tribe,
and those on the more northern coast of New Hol-
land, where Captain Fraser, his wife, and officers,
underwent such appalling deaths, cruelties, and
indignities 1*
While they remained with these rude, but it
would seem, demi-civilized people, they subsisted
upon Indian corn, yams, a little rice, and oc-
* In the course of the period they resided in this island, they
learned several interesting particulars ; and among the rest,
that the tribe with whom they located, was in a state of warfare
with one of a neighbouring settlement, called Lauren. They
were also informed, that in one of them, there was an European
who had belonged to an English brig, which was wrecked on
that coast several years before, when the whole crew were mur-
dered by the natives, excepting two boys, one of whom had
since died a natural death ; the other is grown to maturity, and
is the person alluded to. This information was given by the
natives themselves.
CHARLES EATON. 253
casionally a piece of fish ; but the quantities given
were so exceedingly small, that it only proved just
sufficient to keep them alive.
It appears from all the accounts which we have
heard or read, that from some cause or other, boys
and persons of tender age stand a much better
chance of being spared than those of riper years.
The reason perhaps is, that being feeble, they
cannot make resistance, and are more easily ini-
tiated into the manners and habits of the natives
than adult persons.
The narrators then proceed to state, that after
they had lived in comparative indolence for thirteen
months, a trading prow arrived at the island from
Amboyna, when the five seamen begged permis-
sion from the chief to depart with that vessel ; to
this .request there was at first a direct refusal, but
it was so urgently and repeatedly made, that the
chief man, whose especial companions they were,
hesitated, and relaxed his wonted sternness. At
length they hit upon a right expedient. They told
the old man that if he would indulge them, and
allow tnem to depart, they would shortly return
with an English ship ; and as a reward for the care
the natives had taken of them, they would bring
him a sufficient quantity of arms and ammunition,
whereby he would be enabled to conquer all his
enemies. It appears that the tribes in this district
differ from the New Hollanders, who have not only
aversion to, but stand in the most servile fear of
254 SHIPWRECK OF THE
fire arms. This was a tempting offer, and a con-
ference was held, which resulted in the chiefs
giving their consent. After an exchange of friendly
salutations they were allowed to go on board the
vessel, and in five days they arrived at Amboyna,
on the 7th October, 1835.*
* Amboyna is one of the largest and most valuable of the
Moluccas or Spice islands, in the Indian ocean, off the S. E.
coast of Ceram. Central latitude 3* 40' S., longitude ISS** 5' E.
This island is the seat of the Molucca government, and the
centre of its commerce, and is between fifty and sixty miles in
length, which is divided into two very unequal parts by two
deep bays, being separated only by a narrow isthmus of a
mile across. The general aspect of the island is beautiful, and
its climate very healthy for a tropical region. It produces a
great variety of handsome woods used in cabinet work ; but its
staple commodity is cloves, of which upwards of 600,000
pounds are annually exported. This island was first discovered
by the Portuguese, who built a fort and colonized the country.
In 1605 it was taken from them by the Dutch, who, with the
exception of a few short intervals, have possessed it ever
since. In 1796 it fell into the hands of the English, when a
census was made of the inhabitants, and the number was found
to be 45,252, of whom 17,813 were Protestants, and the rest
either Mohammedans or Chinese. The native men wear large
whiskers, and go almost naked. Their weapons are bows,
darts, scimitars and targets.
The chief town is called by the same name as the island, and
is situate in the peninsula of Leytimor, on a deep bay, which
runs upwards of twenty miles into the island. Latitude 3° 40' S.
longitude 126° 7' E. This town is regularly built, with the
streets intersecting each other at regular angles, and extremely
CHARLES EATON. 255
On their arrival they were conveyed before the
Resident of Batavia,"^ when they gave a detail of
the particulars, of which we have given an outline,
clean. On the south shore of the bay is fort Victoria^ mount-
ing six pieces of cannon, and forms the covered-way. From the
fort to the town, is an esplanade nearly 250 yards in length,
which is terimnated by a handsome range of dwelling-houses,
with a double row of mulberry trees in front. There are here
two well-built churches, one for the European, and the other
for the Malay Christians ; all the other public buildings are in
the fort, excepting the Stadt-house, which fronts the esplanade :
this is a neat building of two stories, but the houses are only
one story high, and they are so built on account of the frequent
earthquakes which are experienced on this island. The meri-
dian neat prevailing at Amboyna is from 80 to 82 degrees ; and
the thermometer, when at its lowest, stands at 72 degrees.
* Batavia is the principal town in the island of Java,
and situated on the east coast of the East Indies. Latitude
6*' 9' 20" S., longitude 106" 51' 45" E. It is considered as the
capital of all the Dutch possessions in the East.
The environs of the town contain beautiful shaded walks, with
rustic seats and bowers, in which Europeans conceal them-
selves from the insupportable warmth of the climate. The
returns of the population, at different times, are varying and
dissatisfactory. In 1780 they were estimated at 160,000;
in 1795 at 116,033; and in 1816 only 42,217, (of whom
15,000 were said to be in slavery.) Batavia was discovered by
the Dutch, in the year 1619, by John Pieterson Coen. In
1811 it was taken by the British under the gallant Sir Samuel
Auchtermuty, but restored to its founders again at the congress
held on the 19th August, 1816.
256 SHIPWRECK OF THE
which they all confirmed by oath in his presence,
and that of other official persons, as a full and
faithful account of what had occurred since the
wreck of the Charles Eaton, and the document
was signed by each of the deponents in the usual
form. In the month of June, 1836, the depositions
of the five men reached England, and no time was
lost in giving information to those gentlemen who
were deeply interested in the fate of this important
vessel.
This statement, however, although its accuracy
was not in the least doubted, or the veracity of the
deponents impugned, was instrumental in creating
a most intense alarm and apprehension as to the
fate of the passengers and the remaining part of
the crew ; and, as might be expected, the most
agonizing suspense possessed the minds of all those '
who stood in any way related to them. This
continued for a considerable time ; but at last
the rays of hope which sometimes float across
the mind, and exhilarate it for a moment, were
entirely withheld, and the dreadful certainty oi
the extent of their loss rushed upon them will
tremendous force.
The Straits of Torres, which have so frequently
been alluded to, seem really as if they were
destined to be the terror of navigators. This
arises from the extreme difficulty of steering
through that perilous passage, the irregular courses
of the tides, the sudden manner iu which storms
CHARLES EATON. 257
and hurricanes arise, and the numercus shoals
which are scattered in this vast expanse of water
seem to bid defiance to nautical skill, and the
steadiest caution. To detail the various wrecks
which have happened there, that have come to
our knowledge, would fill a large folio, and mau}^
a vessel has, doubtless, foundered, and been
swallowed up in that insatiate gulf, of the particu^-
lars of which the world will ever remain ignorant.
It is not unlikely that the sanguinary character of
the natives, who massacre the survivors who fall
into their hands, is the most plausible reason
which can be assigned why the fates of many other
hopeless vessels are never made known. It was
only in the year 1829, that the good ship Gover-
nor Ready having passed Murray's Island, and the
Great Barrier reef, the commander considered
that he had surmounted all the principal dangers
he had to anticipate. In this confidence the vessel
pursued a serpentine course with great rapidity,
and guided only by the colour of the water, she
was so steered as to pass many sand-banks and
reefs in safety. But the ways and thoughts of
Him ^' who carries the loind in his fists, and the
waters in the hollow of his hand,'' are different to
those of mankind. It often happens on land, as
well as on the ocean, that when man considers
that his anxieties and struggles are ended, and he
is ready to say, ** Soul, take thy rest,''' some unex-
pected and overwhelming trouble arouses him
2 L
258 SHIPWRECK OF THE
from his self- security, and " great fear cortieth
upon him^ as upon a woman in her travail.'' Thus
it was with the brave commander of the Governor
Ready ; for without a moment's warning of the im-
pending danger, the vessel struck upon one of the
small detached coral reefs which abound in this
passage, and such was the violence of the concus-
sion, that the water instantly made its way into the
ship's bottom. Thus suddenly and almost at mid-
day, (it being one o'clock p. m.) all the hopes of the
commander, passengers, and crew were annihilated
by one fell stroke. No time .was to be lost — the
water rushed through the dissevered planks like a
flood, and with much difiiculty the boats were
lowered in time for all the passengers to escape
before the hopeless vessel was engulfed in the
ocean. After beating out at sea for several days
in the open boats, with scarcely any provisions,
their anxieties were allayed by providentially
arriving at Timor Island.
We have already stated, that the Charles Eaton
sailed from Port Jackson in company with the
Augustus Caesar, from which she was separated a
short time before the catastrophe occurred. Several
months after the wreck of the former vessel, an
account reached England from the captain of
the latter ; but it contained no intelligence of a
satisfactory nature, as to the fate of the crew,
only serving to confirm the truth of the melancholy
accounts which had recently preceded it. The
CHARLES EATON. 259
account alluded to was posted at Lloyd's as
i follows : —
" On the 31st of August, 1834, the second mate and boafs
crew of the Augustus Ccesar saw and picked up a wreck on the
(S. E. side of Double Island, sufficient to convince them that
the ship Charles Eaton was a total wreck at some distance
to south-eastward from thence ; and from the weather they had
on the 22nd, they much feared for the safety of the crew and
passengers."
One of the accounts received prior to this date,
^as from Messrs. Borradaile and Co. of the Cape
>f Good Hope, which was as follows : —
" Captain Cockburn, of the ship Jane and Henry y sailed with
the Charles Eaton four days from Sydney, and parted com-
pany in a gale of wind ; afterwards fell in with the Augustus
CcBsar, which ship sent a boat on shore on Booby Island. The
officers reported that they had seen a vessel bottom upwards,
and several casks marked Charles Eaton, and also a cuddy
door. The Jane and Henry left Batavia on the 17th of
October, 1834, and up to that time, the Charles Eaton had
not been heard of.
These accounts increased the apprehensions of
relatives and friends, rather than assuaged the
sorrow and painful anxiety which had long filled
their minds ; and incertitude appeared to be more
distressing than would have been a knowledge of
the full extent of their loss.
260 SHIPWRECK OF THE
How could it be otherwise ? It was natural that
alternate hopes and fears should arise in the human
breast ; indeed they prevailed to the greatest pos-
sible extent ; and the relatives of the shipwrecked
passengers, in the poignancy of their sorrow, cast
off the grades of distinction which marked their
respective stations in life, and they entered into
a kind of social compact, — a society of mourners,
weeping for their kindred, '^ because they were
not ;" and each was bound in a pledge to the other,
to render an account of any intelligence which
might reach them to the dejected fraternity,
whether the tidings were good or bad.
It appears from published documents, that Capt.
D'Oyley had been a great number of years on
military duty in India, and was in the frequent
habit of corresponding with his friends in England,
and particularly with Mr. Bayley, his brother-in-
law, who resides at Stockton-on-Tees, who had be-
come a kind of foster-parent to the Captain's two
eldest sons, to whom he communicated from time
to time, the progress which each was making in
scholastic knowledge. As a proof of the feelings
which had been generated in consequence of
Mr. Bayley 's disinterested attention to the children,
we take the liberty of inserting the following
letters, which were the last ever written by the
mother of these children. They are dated from
Sydney, July 20th, 1834. This amiable lady
CHARLES EATON. 261
almost complains of the long silence of her friends
in England.*
The following are extracts from the letters
alluded to ; and we doubt not, but they will be
perused with a melancholy pleasure. A reflection
arises, — What have the two youths, to whom they
have especial reference, lost by the death of such
a mother, who doubtless breathed the spirit of her
husband, who unhappily shared the same fate as
herself! It may be said of them, as of Saul and
Jonathan of old, '^ I'hey were lovely and pleasant
in their lives, and in their deaths they were not
divided,'' 2 Sam. i. 23.
" Sydney, July 20th, 1834.
; " I cannot refrain, my dear brother, from writing a few lines
to you, that I may convince you that the hearing of, or from
you, forms one of our greatest pleasures; and so assured am I
;that you have a heart formed in nature's finest mould, that
I when you are certain that the communicating with us does give
us such true and sincere delight, such long silence will never
occur again. Surely I am not asking too much, when I request
to know of your welfare, and that of our interesting family twice
hi the year. The time may yet arrive, when 1 shall show by
actions, not words, that your children are most interesting
* It has been subsequently ascertained, that this amiable and
unfortunate lady, as well as her gallant husband, had written
letters almost innumerable, which never arrived for delivery in
England. The reason for this appears to be, their having sailed
to the Mauritius and New South Wales after they left India, with
a view to the Captain's convalescence-
262 SHIPWRECK OF THE
objects of our love. Can we ever forget the offspring of him
who has shown kindness and affection to our absent boys ?
Could we ever forget that they have found a home where we
could have wished, and as good as any we could most ardently
have desired ? May God reward you and yours for all your
kindness to them !
" To show how greatly my husband is liked by the heads in
his department, I will tell you, tliat since our departure from
India, he has been promoted a step, at a time when we had no
reason to expect it. This is highly gratifying to his feelings,
as it openly shows the great estimation in which he is held.
May he be blessed with life and health, to enable him to remain
a few years in India, to prove that the confidence that is placed
in him is just, and to enable us to realise a competence to retire
with. Hoping that you and your family are well, and our
darlings (the two boys) still hold your entire affection,
" I remain, with our united love,
** Your attached sister,
" Charlotte D'Oyley."
To W. Bayley^ Esq, Stockton^ Durham.
The following is a postscript to the above : —
" When we went in pursuit of health, on my beloved
D'Oyley's account, do not suppose that we would not have bent
our steps to England, to your abode, and our children : how
did inclination tempt us to do this ! But Providence said NO !"
The subsequent affecting epistle is the last which
she wrote to her sons, above alluded to, who were
domiciled with their uncle at Stockton.
** My dear Children,
" Your father and myself are experiencing the deepest
anxiety, in consequence of the length of time which has elapsed
since your last communications were received. Sometimes the
CHARLES EATON. 263
painful idea haunts me, that time and absence have effaced us
from your little minds, and that we are as entirely forgotten as
though we had a long time been dead. This thought is so sadly
painful, that I try to drive it away, by calling to mind your
dear affectionate ways, when you were both but infants. I am
loth to attribute your silence to mere idleness, for I hope that
your minds are so properly trained, that a wish formed by your
parents will be considered in the light of a command^ and that
the performing of this command will be one of your greatest
pleasures. To honour your father and mother, my children, is
the command of God, the fulfilling of which carries a blessing
along with it, and the neglect of it a curse. You cannot know
how deeply we both feel our absence from you. A firm con-
viction that we were doing our duty, by sending you to Eng-
land, enabled us to put this separation into execution, and that
for the benefit of your education : the same conviction enables
ns to bear up under it, for often, my boys, do tears of anguish
flow down our cheeks, because my darlings are far away ;
however, could we more frequently hear of your health and
happiness, our minds would be more reconciled and easy. I
hope I have now said enough to induce you to write regularly.
" We quitted HobartTown about a fortnight since, and after a
week's trip by sea, we arrived in this country (Sydney), possess-
ing a lovely climate, of which, at present, comparatively little is
known. What does not energy of mind accomplish? How
does it overcome every obstacle ! But a few years back, this
shore was unknown to Europeans, and was inhabited by a race
of blacks, who are now on the decrease, while the former are
increasing wonderfully, and filling the country. Once, this
very spot was unacquainted with noise ; now, the bustle of a
commercial city reigns throughout. Learn all that is in your
power ; for by wisdom and understanding, all things can be
accomplished.
" We leave Sydney for Sourabaya next week, where we hope to
meet a ship direct to Calcutta; hut we may visit many ports, before
we arrive at our dear Calcutta ; however, I am quite tired of this
264 SHIPWRECK OF THE
wandering life, and long to get settled. Your beloved father's
health is, through the bounty of a merciful God, quite restored ;
therefore, in this respect, I am quite happy ; he is looking rosy
and robust ; but my heart trembles at returning, on his account
to the land of the sun, and should he suffer by it, nothing should
induce me to remain any longer there ; for life with him is bliss ;
without him would be wretchedness extreme.
" Your brother George has become a fine tall healthy boy, very
mild and amiable, and getting on in his studies. Little Willy
(the one saved from the general devastation) is in the enjoyment
of health, but too young to begin his lessons. And now
may God for ever bless my children ; keep his commandments,
and be his servants on earth, so that at death you may enter
into his eternal rest.
** I am ever your attached friend and mother,
" Charlotte D'Oyley.
" Oh what would I give — what would I not give, to kiss my
absent lads ! God for ever bless you ! such is my constant
prayer."
We are satisfied that we shall incur no censure
from any party, in consequence of the insertion of
these affectionate letters, which so strongly bear
the impress of parental affection. Alas, the writer
of them, and her husband, were never destined to
behold their favourite boys again !
** Their children dear no more shall they behold,
Nor friends, nor sacred home."
It was known to the family and friends of
Captain D'Oyley, that he and his family had
left the east, owing to his declining state of health,
and that it was his purpose to return thither again
CHARLES EATON. 265
as soon as his recovery was accomplished, in order
not only to resume his military duties, but in the
expectation of occupying a superior station to
which he had been officially appointed.
When rumours were afloat in England, that
a vessel called the Charles Eaton was wrecked,
the friends of that gallant but ill-fated officer lost
no time in making every possible inquiry ; and
among other places, at the Admiralty, in order to
find out if possible, whether Government had
received any official account, relative to the vessel
in question.
The agitated state of Mr. Bayley's feelings may
in some degree be imagined, by reading the fol-
lowing extracts from his letter : —
" From the information I have received," says he, " there is
every reason to believe that the whole of the crew and pas-
sengers (of the Charles Eaton) had landed on Booby Island,
or Double Island, in Torres Straits ; but that many of them, if
not all, had been murdered, or carried into captivity by the
savages ; and as it is not unusual for the inhabitants of these
islands to preserve the females for worse purposes than death
itself, / do implore the interference of his Majesty's government
to send out a frigate to rescue the poor surviving sufferers,
(if there should be any) from what they are now in that case
subject. I shall be obliged by your informing me if you can
be at all instrumental in the object of my application ; and if
not, what course you can recommend me to take, in order to
procure the aid of government in this important matter, — im-
portant to all who possess any degree of sympathy, but to me
in particular.*^
The letter, of which the above is a portion, was
2 M
266 SHIPWRECK OF THE
directed to Mr. Stephen of the Admiralty, and by
that gentleman forwarded to the Lord Mayor of
London, (at that time, Mr. Aid. Copeland, M.P.)
After perusing it, his Lordship immediately sent
for the owner of the Augustus Ccesar, and in con-
sequence, the captain of that vessel was directed
to wait upon his lordship at the Mansion House.
Upon his arrival. Captain Wiseman gave the
chief magistrate a detailed account of all the
information which he possessed upon the subject.
The following is an abridgment of the detail, but
embraces every principal fact connected with the
painful inquiry.
The ship Charles Eaton, and schooner Jane
and Henry ^ sailed from Sydney, New South Wales,
in company, on or about the 30th July, 1834.
The Augustus Ccesar sailed from thence on the
18th of August, in the same year, and fell in with
the Jane and Henry outside of the Barrier Reefs.
On passing through Torres Straits in company, we
anchored under the lee of Double Island on the
1st of September, and sent a boat on shore with
the second mate and crew. They remained on the
island about three hours, and walked round it,
when they found a quantity of drift wreck from a
ship, but could not see the hull, crew, or pas-
sengers. They saw a fire and one naked black,
who ran away at their approach. On the boat's
return to the ship, they brought with them a stern
window, several brass locks, and a key with the
CHARLES EATON- 267
ship's name on it. From the quantity of wreck
seen, it became evident that the ship Charles
Eaton had been shipwrecked on some island or
reef directly to windward, and at no great distance,
probably York or Albany Island. As a number of
fires were seen on Wednesday Island during the
night, it was not considered safe to venture a
landing on it. We went on shore at Booby's
Island, and found that they had not been there.
On inquiry since my arrival in London, I am
informed, that a part of the crew have since
reached Batavia, and have given information that
several of the passengers and crew are alive, and
detained on the island where the ship was wrecked.
As Torres Straits is now frequented by a number
of valuable British ships, on their way from
Australia to India, and the Isle of France, a
correct survey of the several channels, and in par-
ticular, safe places of anchor age, is much wanted;
and it is suggested by some that a few beacons
might be erected on the reefs. The persons
referred to by Captain Wiseman as having landed
at Batavia, were the five seamen, whose deposition
made on their landing at that place, has been
already noticed. With respect to the suggestion
on the subject of beacons, it may not be improper
to remark, that Sir Geo. Grey, in a communication
to Mr. Bayley, (the brother of Mrs. D'Oyley)
stated that the suggestion of Capt. Wiseman, and
others, upon this subject, ** had been taken into
Q68 SHIPWRECK OF THE
serious consideration by His Majesty's govern-
ment." The communication does honour to all
parties ; but it is right to premise, that when it
was penned, government had received further
particulars respecting the Charles Eaton, than
liave been at present alluded to.
The letter is dated from the Admiralty, and
addressed to W. Bayley, Esq., Stockton on Tees*
" Sir, — I am directed by Lord Glenelg to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 19th instant, in which you inquire
whether it is the intention of his lordship to submit to parliament
any plan to avoid the re-occurrence of similar calamities to those
which the passengers and crew of the " Charles Eaton" ex-
perienced on their being wrecked in the Torres Straits. I am
directed to acquaint you, in answer, that while his lordship
deeply sympathizes with your feelings under the distressing
circumstances to which you advert, he is not aware that it
would be in the power of parliament to provide any effectual
remedy against the calamities to which the crew and passengers
of a shipwrecked vessel may be exposed from the uncivilized
inhabitants of the country, on the shores of which they may be
unfortunately cast. The most effectual security which in his
lordship's opinion can be taken for the safety of our countrymen
in these seas, is a complete survey of the straits^ and of the
adjoining coast of New Holland ; and he is happy to be able to
inform you, that one of H. M. ships is about to be despatched
to that quarter for this object."
In this case, as in many others, it appears that
good is likely to result from evil, and that the mis-
fortunes of a few may operate for the benefit and
advantage of the many. Thus the loss of the
'* Charles Eaton" may, by the means now in
J
CHARLES EATON. 269
progress, be productive of the future safety of many
richly freighted vessels, and the still more valuable
lives of the crews and passengers.
The delay which intervened before Mr. Bayley
could obtain a full, true, and particular account,
only gave an impetus to his assiduity : hence
that gentleman, it would seem, continued to ad-
dress the Admiralty at regular intervals, soliciting
the earliest information that might reach the
government through any channel. It is proper to
remark, that to these inquiries. Lord Glenelg, Sir
G. Grey, Sir John Barrow, Mr. Wood, and Mr.
Stephen were always ready to furnish such replies
as they were enabled ; at the same time showing
every desire to investigate the subject, and using
every effort to procure intelligence. They all
showed a marked sympathy with the feelings of
private individuals, not always a very conspicuous
trait in the character of statesmen, and persons
holding high official situations.
No greater proof need be given of the interest
which was entertained on the subject by the Lords
of the Admiralty than that of their having for-
warded despatches, as early as possible, to Sir
Richard Bourke, governor of New South Wales,
commanding him to adopt such measures as to him
might seem advisable, in order to ascertain the
fate of the shipwrecked persons, and to rescue
them from their perilous situation.
270 SHIPWRECK OF THE
The instructions from government here alluded
to were sent out by the ship Recovery, which Lord
Glenelg was pleased personally to notify to Mr.
Bayley. It appears, moreover, that similar in-^
structions were forwarded to Rear-Admiral Capel,
commander in chief in the East Indian station,
with orders to the ships of war on that station to
make every exertion in their power for the dis-?^
covery and relief of the captives, were they or any^
of them yet alive. It has since been ascertained,
that the gallant Rear-Admiral ordered one of his
squadron to proceed to Torres Straits, in search
of the unfortunate crew and passengers of the
" Charles Eaton." It is due to state that every
effort was made, and method taken, which a pa-
ternal government could devise, for accomplishing
an object that involved so many considerations of
sympathy and humanity.
We have hitherto principally directed our atten-
tion to the unfortunate D'Oyley family, but it is
proper to remark, that as there were other persons
on board the '' Charles Eaton," as passengers,
besides them, of course other individuals in this
country to whom they were connected by consan-
guinity or otherwise, felt a very deep interest in
their fate. Among these there was an Irish
gentleman, who had been intimately acquainted
with Captain Moore, and Mr. Armstrong. This
person repeatedly wrote to Mr. Bayley, whose
CHARLES EATON. 271
name has often been mentioned, expressing a most
urgent anxiety to be acquainted with any par-
ticulars which might arrive by the first post.
Among others who made similar applications,
imploring information, was a dignified clergyman,
whose son was on board the vessel. As fine
specimens of parental sensibility, it may not <be
amiss to give a few extracts from these letters.
My son (says the rev. divine) was on board the * Charles
LTON,' which I am informed by the newspapers, has met with
disastrous fate ; but the nature of that fate I cannot ascertain,
[n this dreadful state of hope and fear, have I and my family
been kept ; for, alas ! I cannot flatter myself, that any rational
beam of hope can be indulged. If they are yet alive, the state
of slavery and misery in which they are left, is too appalling
for imagination to reflect upon. Perhaps the same wave that
engulfed Captain D'Oyley, has engulfed my son, and the
same moment has closed the lives and sufferings of both. Pray
communicate what you know, and do an act of kindness to an
aged and unhappy father, who can too truly say, that since he
heard of the melancholy fate of his son, he has never known
comfort by day or ease by night. I throw myself on your
kindness and humanity to give me some relief by a gracious
communication."
The heart-broken parent was replied to in the
language of sympathy by Mr. Bayley, to whom
the above was addressed, and at the same time a
transcript of the depositions taken before the
resident at Batavia, was sent ; which at that
period was all the information he was able to
communicate.
272 SHIPWRECK OF THE
With the usual proneness of the human mind to
cherish hope to the last, the poor afflicted father
writes in reply as follows : —
" I have read the depositions with unwearied attention, and the
result which bursts upon my agonized heart is, if they be safe,
why may not others be so ? Every moment, therefore, until the
real fact is known, brings with it alternate hope and fear, which
the transition of a few months must make known to us. I
have received a letter on this painful subject, in which the
writer considers, that from the friendly nature and dispositions
of the natives of the coast on which the ship was wrecked,
€Vinced by the circumstance of the five seamen being alive
there, it is just as possible that there may be more of the crew
among them."
The person who wrote this letter to the clergy-
man, was the friend to Captain Moore, and tlie
executor of his will ; and he says, that from the
known intelligence and enterprise of the captain
and the mate, every thing was to be expected.
There is something in this detail of events
which naturally, in this state of incertitude, pre-
sented a glimmering of hope amidst the dark
and gloomy shades that surrounded the relatives
and friends of these hapless people.
After the lapse of a number of weeks, the fol-
lowing communication appeared in the Canton
Register of February 16th, 1836.
" Sir, — I beg to inform you, that the ship Mangles, under
my command, arrived under Murray's Island in Torres Straits,
on the evening of the 18th of September last. On the morn-
ing of the 19th several canoes came off for the purpose of trade,
CHARLES EATON- 'Zl 6
in one of which was a white person,' apparently an European,
quite naked, like the savages. The greater part of the natives
came on the starboard quarter, the quarter-boats being lowered
half down for the purpose of trade. I remained for some time
standing on the starboard quarter, in order to watch their
movements, till several had left to go on shore, and then went
on the other side to inquire respecting the person whom I had
seen ; he had then dropped a little astern, and from inquiry I
found that he was an Englishman, wrecked about ten months
ago, in the Torres Straits, in a ?hip called the ' Charles
Eaton ;' he wished very much to come on board, but the
natives would not allow him. On hearing this report, I
manned and armed my cutter, and sent the second officer, tlie
boatswain, and six men to take him at any price, being myself
on the poop with armed men to protect them in case of any
objection being made to the surrender; they hooked the canoe
with the boat-hook, and told him (the European) they were come
for him. His reply to the crew was, ' Take that man, (pointing
to a savage,) he will go with you.' * No,' said the second
officer, * I am come for you, and you I will have.' The man
immediately threw down the paddle he had in his hand, and
dashed under the midships out of sight. .
*' I then ordered my lieutenant to return, and said, if he pre-
fers to live with the savages, let him remain. The boat then
returned, and was hoisted up. I then made some further
inquiries about him, when the fourth officer told me he should
consider there were eight or more on there detained by the
natives. He at that time was close in-shore again, but what
could have been his motive for not coming into my boat, I am at
a loss to conceive, as he might have jumped into her without any
hinderance on the part of the natives. However, not feeling
myself quite satisfied, I again manned and armed my cutter,
and went myself in her close to the beach with my spy-glass,
and remained there more than two hours. The natives were
very anxious for me to land ; but seeing so many on the beach,
and a great many more behind the bamboo work, and also a
2 N
274 SHIPWRECK OF THE
large canoe ready for launching, I did not think it prudent to
land. They brought a little European boy dowrw close to the
beach, but would not allow me to touch him. I also saw a
boat building by European hands, I am certain, but I could not
see a white man. After I returned on board, I watched the
remainder of the day, but could not discover any. I also
remained all that night at anchor, thinking it might be possible
for some of them to make their escape. The next morning, at
9 o'clock A. M., I weighed, and came away through the straits,
and anchored again under Booby Island on the morning of
the 21st. That there were Europeans in Murray's Island I
know, and that they are detained by force too, I can have no
doubt, or why did they not come off to me ? The one that was
alongside my ship I could never see again. I thought it right
to make this known to you, to act on the information as you
may think proper. I shall also write to London by the first
opportunity.
(Signed) " W. CARR, commander of the ship Mangles,
off the north side of Lombeck, August 9th,
1835."
The editor of the Canton Register made the
following remarks upon the foregoing letter :
** The news of the wreck of the " Charles Eaton," in
Torres Straits, reached China many months ago ; as likewise a
rumour that many of the crew were detained by the natives.
The account which Captain Carr has handed to us, has set the
question at rest ; and we must conclude that the commander-
in-chief in the East India tation has before now adopted
measures to recover those unfortunate persons from captivity.
Captain Carr deserves every praise for his perseverance in
endeavouring to induce the men he saw to join the MdngleSy
but it is a question whether it would have been justifiable to have
used force on the occasion. Ransom ^ in that case, ive think,
would be the most just and wise mode of proceeding ; by which
CHARLES EATON.
275
the natives would be encouraged to exert themselves hereafter in
saving the lives of the shipwrecked sailors and others, 'and
induce a protecting care towards us in the hopes of a proper
reward."
The next intelligence which was received in
England was from Sir Charles D'Oyley, Bart., a
relation of Captain D'Oyley, dated Calcutta, May
6th ; and this also served to keep alive and fan the
flame of hope, which had not as yet been extin-
guished in the bosoms of the anxious relatives.
It was thought by some of them, and their friends
cherished the hope, that as the actual destiny of
the party had remained a secret, there was a pos-
sibility of their having survived the wreck.
The Baronet writes as follows :
'' My Dear Sir, — I ought to have acknowledged the
receipt of your letter sooner on the melancholy subject of the
wreck of the Charles Eaton, but I felt anxious to postpone it,
in the hope that I might be enabled to write with more certainty
than I could do then, or indeed even do now; I will not how-
ever, longer delay replying to it ; for keeping you in ignorance
of the measures we pursued will rather add to your suspense as
to the fate of our very unfortunate relatives. Currie and my-
self have successfully solicited the government to send one of the
Honourable Company's armed cruisers to the islands in the
vicinity of the Torres Straits, where it is possible the crew and
passengers may have escaped. He left Bombay about six weeks
ago ; while the Dutch government at Batavia have consented to
send some of their small craft, backed by a ship of war, to
ascertain whether the islands contain any of the ill-fated crew.
Sir Charles then proceeds to give the evidence
276 SHIPWRECK OF THE
given by Captain Carr, as already narrated, and
alludes to the depositions taken at Batavia.
He then proceeds :
*' The whole of this story is incredible : 1st. because the
hull of the * Charles Eaton' was seen some months after her
wreck by a Danish ship, whose commander said the hull was in
an upright position, her prow stove in, and her top-gallant
masts across, but so situated that the crew might have remained
on board of her till her provisions failed : and, 2ndly, that
some of her crew were discovered on Murray's Island, and a
boy, answering in age either to George or William D'Oyley.
We have obtained permission from the Dutch government to -
forward these sailors to Calcutta, and hope, on their arrival, to
obtain some further information on the subject ; and it is likely
that at the same time we may ascertain the result of the expedi- ^
tions which have been sent by both governments to the islands.
The subordinate Dutch authorities at Timor have been in-
structed to make every possible inquiry, and if necessary, to
negociate the release of the prisoners. These are, in brief,
the measures which have been taken to ascertain the fate of the
crew, &c., of the * Charles Eaton,' and may God grant us
success in learning what has become of our poor relatives. I
will give you the earliest information of what may be learned.
*' Believe me, my dear Sir, yours, &c.
" C. D'OYLEY.
♦* To W. Bay ley y Esq., ^c. ^c. ^c.
*' P. S. Captain Carr, of the ship Mangles, will be here to-
morrow, and I keep open this letter, to add whatever of interest
he may mention. May Wth. — Capt. Carr has added no
further intelligence to that which he published in the Canton
paper, except that while looking through his glass for more
Europeans, he observed a matted screen, not quite reaching to
the ground, and saw among the native feet passing to and fro.
CHARLES EATON. 277
some white feet, and what appeared to him part of a lady's
petticoat. The boy was sent from this screen to the beach,
within six yards of his boat. The child is a very fine one,
apparently about three years of age, with a curly head of hair.
He beckoned him (Capt. C.) and tittered some words, which he
did not understand. He says he could not remain any longer,
as several canoes were endeavouring to get to seaward of him,
and he was fearful of being cut off. He, however, threw his hat
on shore, in which he wrote his name, the name of his ship, and
a promise that he would make public what he had seen.
"C. D. Sept. 19, 1835."
Although Murray's Island has so frequently been
mentioned both in this narrative, and also in the
History of the Shipwreck of the Stirling Castle,
as it is so intimately connected with the melan-
choly fates of these vessels, it will not be deemed
irrelevant, we hope, to insert a few particulars
respecting it, by one who has visited it more than
once ; as they will furnish our readers with some
idea of the character of its inhabitants.
'' The inhabitants of Murray's Island are totally
distinct from any of the aborigines of New Holland,
to whom in every respect they are superior ; but they
have the character of being very treacherous,
daring, and deceitful. Horsburg, in his Directory,
cautions voyagers to be on their guard in their
intercourse with the natives of the numerous islands
of Torres Straits, particularly with those of Mur-
ray's Island. Like all other savages, they are
prone to thieving, but not otherwise evil-disposed.
When they observe a vessel approaching their
278 SHIPWRECK OF THE
coast, an immense number of natives are seen
running along the shore, some of them wading out
to a considerable distance, and shouting, Wareka
wareka ! which signifies welcome, and Mahorese !
which means, come to us, with great vociferation,
holding out bows and arrows, clubs, waddies,
tortoise-shell, cocoa nuts, plantains, &c. &c., call-
ing out at the same time, Torre, torre, meaning
iron. If the ship should stop, an active barter
soon commences. At first, the natives will not
suffer their commodities to go out of their hands,
till they have possession of what they consider an
equivalent ; but if the articles be given them to
inspect, they soon without hesitation lay aside their
distrust. This action on their part shows that they
must have been cheated in their former dealings
with Europeans. Old knives and old iron hoops
straightened, are exchanged to great advantage.
When they see muskets or other deadly instru-
ments, they try to propitiate them by using the
word Puta, puta, in a conciliatory tone, as much
as to say, ''Don't be afraid," at the same time
putting green leaves between the flints and the
pans. Their houses diff'er from the huts which
are found on some of the other islands ; they are
built of the bamboo cane, thatched, and are gene-
rally exceedingly neat and clean. Several of the
men seem to labour under elephantiasis, and others
are afilicted with a still more loathsome disease.
The mode of salutation is by touching noses with
I
CHARLES EATON. 279
their guests. Some of the largest huts are filled
with human skulls, which are placed in a parti-
cular arrangement. Their canoes have two masts,
placed opposite to each other, and a sail extended
between them ; but when going with a side wind,
the lee mast is brought aft by a backstay, and the
sails then stand obliquely. No boats can be better
manoeuvred than these are by the naked savages.
Some of them are well-made men, considerably
above the middle size and stature, in whose fine,
open, but resolute countenances, one cannot per-
ceive the least indication of treachery.
'^ They are very expert in archery ; indeed the
most skilful European archers fall very far short
of these athletic savages, whose amazing feats
could not have been surpassed by English archers
in olden times. Their astonifshing adroitness can
only be attributed to their being accustomed to this
exercise from their early youth. Even the boys,
when very young, amuse themselves by shooting
with bows and arrows suitable to their strength.
Captain Flinders, in describing the attack made
by the savages on two English vessels, says, the
depth to which their arrows penetrated into the
decks and sides of the ship was truly astonishing.
The bows are made of split bamboo, and so strong,
that no man in the ship could bend one of them.
The string is a broad slip of cane, fixed to the one
end of the bow% and fitted with a noose to go over
the other end when strung. The arrow is a piece
I
280 SHIPWRECK OF THE
of cane, about four feet long, into which is inserted
a pointed piece of hard, heavy cusmarina wood, and
sometimes it is barbed. Their chibs are also made
of the cusmarina, and are very powerful weapons ;
the hand part is indented, and has a small knob,
by which the firmness of the grasp is much
assisted. These people, in short, are very dexter-
ous sailors, and formidable warriors. They are
of a dark chocolate colour, and possess very intel-
ligent countenances ; their features resemble those ^
of Europeans more than those of savages in
general do. The inhabitants of Murray's Island
are supposed to amount to about 700 ; but
although the soil appears to be very fertile, and the
shores abound in fish and turtle, as it is not more
than two miles in length, by one in breadth, it may
be fairly presumed that it cannot support so large
a population.
*' It has been considered, on many accounts, a
very eligible spot to occupy ; but it is doubtful,
from the warlike appearance of the natives, |j
whether a sufficient number of soldiers could be
spared from head-quarters, to keep possession of
it as a British settlement. SomeJ of our vessels
have acted towards the natives with'great prudence
and good-hurnour, and endeavoured to cultivate
their friendship, for the advantage of those who
might hereafter through shipwreck be at their mercy ;
and such conduct has been attended with good
results, as several shipwrecked seamen have since
CHARLES EATON. 281
testified that they were treated by them with kind-
ness, humanity, and even hospitality." — Vide the
Appendix to Dr. Wilson s NarrcCtive of a Voyage
round the World. "^
Resuming our narrative. — Captain Carr, of the
ship Mangles, having arrived in London, an ex-
amination wa« taken at the Mansion-house, on
this melandioly subject, in Nov. 1836, before the
Lord Mayor, in the presence of Mr. Bayley, Mr.
Drew, and other gentlemen and persons interested
in the fate of the passengers. The following addi-
tional particulars were elicited. The gallant cap-
tain stated to his lordship that, when at Murray's
Island, he understood that there were eight or ten
Europeans in the place ; that he walked about the
poop of the vessel for two hours before he could
determine what to do or how to act ; at length he
resolved to man and arm his cutter, and send her
toward the shore ; that they brought a European
boy down, about three years old, evidently as a
decoy, to induce him to land ; that he offered
some mocoes (axes) for him, which were refused,
notwithstanding the great predilection the natives
have for that tool, a circumstance which appears
to warrant a conjecture that they placed great
estimation on the value of the child, or perhaps
* Dr. Rutherford visited this island in 1833, and has since
furnished the United Service Journal with a very interesting
account of these people.
2 o
282 SIIIPVVRFX'K OF THE
its innocence and beauty might have caused it to
find favour even in the breasts of savages. He said
that he had seen, as he thought, a person in
petticoats on shore, but no favourable inference
could be drawn from that, as sometimes the com-
manders of different vessels which traded there
made presents of female apparel. On a previous
voyage, he had sent one of the female natives
ashore in Mrs. Carr's clothes, which caused great
merriment to her companions, and every body
else; that the natives were, doubtless, addicted
to cannibalism, as he had been credibly informed
that they feasted on the bodies of such as they slew
in battle. He also stated that the fear of fire arms
v/as predominant in the minds of these islanders,
as well as those in the more northern regions, as
described by Mrs. Fraser and Mr. Baxter, so
much so, that they had an instinctive dread of
their discharge, and when they heard the report of
one, they fell on their faces to the earth. He said
that he refrained from hostile measures, because
had he killed one of the savages, they would, pro-
bably, in the spirit of revenge, have murdered
every European within their power. He said that
he was quite embarrassed from the novelty of the
circumstances under which he was placed ; but
although he could not negociate in so regular a
way as might have been desirable, yet he acted
from a thorough conviction that the steps he took
were the most proper ones in which he could tread.
CHARLES EATON. 283
The Lord Mayor and gentlemen present, who
were more than all others interested in the investi-
gation, gave the captain credit for what he had
done, and it was admitted on all hands that the
forbearance which he manifested was more calcu-
lated to save the lives of the unhappy persons who
might be on the island, than force and coercion.
A statement was handed in by one of the gentle-
men, whicli he had received from a seaman, named
Anderson, who formed one of the crew of the
Mangles, which rather contradicted Captain Carr's
account ; but the latter said the document was
interlarded throughout with falsehood. The par-
ties interested were of opinion that, supposing
Captain Carr did not offer ransoms, he had acted
injudiciously. It was considered, however, that
the word of the gallant captain, who had cer-
tainly done a great deal, and perhaps paved the
way for the ultimate emancipation of the party,
ought to have more weight than a written state-
ment of an absent person, who might be instigated
by pique or otherwise to give a contradictory
account, in order to destroy the credence due to
his late commander.
A letter, however, was afterwards received,
setting forth, that three sailors went voluntarily
to one of the gentlemen before named, (we believe
Mr. Bayley,) and the account they gave of the
matter was, that the chief mate, who is since dead,
pointed out to Captain Carr the propriety of de-
284 SHIPWRECK OF THE
taining the black chief, which was entirely without
avail ; and that one of the sailors, in the act of
lowering the jolly-boat for the white man to step
into, was abused and threatened with punishment
for so doing. One of these three sailors (part of
the crew of the Mangles) said the white man
stated that he was a native of Dublii*, that his
name was Price, and that a lady and child had
been saved from the wreck, with seven of the sea-
men. Another of the trio said that the white man
told him that seven of the sailors were saved as
well as himself ; the accounts of these men were
in this and other respects so conflicting, that the
party did not know what to believe.
It is much to be feared that the testimony of
these sailors was manufactured for the sake of
reward from the relatives of the passengers, or
otherwise for the purpose of injuring Captain
Carr's character, since subsequent information has
fully proved the incorrectness of what they averred ;
but such was naturally the anxiety of the relatives
to obtain information of their friends through every
possible channel, that, as in all similar cases, they
eagerly listened to every account brought them ;
and whatever afforded a gleam of hope respecting
their destiny was received with proportionate
avidity. It would be impossible for those who
have never had kindred similarly situated, to
imagine, much less can we describe, the state of
distress into which the relatives of the crew and
CHARLES EATON. 285
passengers of the Charles Eaton were plunged,
during the long period which intervened between
the wreck of the vessel and the ultimate know-
ledge of their fate. About the period we are
alluding to, the venerable divine intimated to
Mr. Bayley (the brother of Mrs. D'Oyley) that
the inhabitants of the town in which he resided
had kindly offered to come forward and offer a
reward to any one who should discover and re-
lease the unfortunate party, but that he had grate-
fully declined the offer, as he considered that
it was too late for any ransom to be available ;
the sum offered was a hundred guineas. The be-
reaved and venerable gentleman, in the true spirit
of a father added, " There are no terms which I
would not offer, wdthin the limits of my power
to discharge, in order to effect the restoration of
my unfortunate and beloved son to his di^racted
family and friends. Amidst the various and tu-
multuous feelings which frequently agitate my
breast, and float across my imagination, I often
ask myself which I should be most able to bear —
the rapturous information that *' My son was dead^
and is alive again — he was lost, and is found,'' or
the sad certainty that death had long ago termi-
nated his life and his sufferings ? Whatever the
issue may be, and something decisive must soon
be known, may gracious Heaven give me fortitude
in that trying hour to bear up under either
alternative. Your unexpected kindness in the
286 SHIPWRECK OF THE
mean time, Sir, I cannot but feel as a gracious
interposition of Providence to soften and alleviate
the affliction of your friend and fellow-sufferer."*
* Before we conclude, we shall present our readers with a
representation of the skulls of the crew of the Charles Eaton,
as given in the Missionary Magazine, the conductors of which
have kindly permitted us to take 2i facsimile.
In reference to this catastrophe, the Rev. Editor of that
respectable periodical remarks as follows : —
*' How often have the declarations of inspired truth, which
describe the ways and actions of heathen men, been appallingly
realized in the present day, and before the eyes of British tra-
vellers! How often, too, have the latter borne in their own
persons fearful illustrations of the prophetic announcements,
* The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of
cruelty ; ' their feet are swift to shed blood /' The number
of our countrymen who have fallen victims to barbarous
cruelty, in countries where Christianity is known neither
in its direct influences, nor in its reflected light, is great. -.
Instances of pagan ferocity and relentlessness are fresh in our^^
recollection ; but of late occurrences exemplifying the veracity
of scriptural statements, none bears so strikingly painful and
revolting a character, as that recorded on the present occasion.
It is with unfeigned reluctance that we introduce into our pages
a transaction so harrowing to humane and Christian feeling ;
but we consider it a solemn duty to pass over no event which
may enforce upon the disciples of Christ the necessity of send-
ing forth his divine gospel to every kindred, and tongue, and
nation, and people. Only by the diff'usion of its heavenly
principles, and its constraining motives to their exercise, can
such horrors as that now under notice, be brought to a per-
petual end."
I
CHARLES EATON. 287
CHAPTER XVIII.
** The last distressing scene,
That ends this strange, eventful history."
Shakespeare.
" For I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.'^
1 Kings xiv. 6.
^' "Thrice happy is that man who, judging aright of the awful
dispensations of an all-wise Providence, can exclaim, ' / will
not be afraid of evil tidings ; my heart is fixed, trusti?ig in the
Lord,' "
How frequently it happens, in the ordinary
scenes of life, that although we anticipate what
we deem a calamity, and feel a moral cer-
tainty of its soon overtaking us, yet when it
makes its appearance, we startle for the moment,
and are as much surprised, as though we had
no forewarning or apprehension of its approach !
How often has this remark been exemplified
when death has entered into our families, or
among our connexions ! Disease has caused the
frame of those we loved to be attenuated ; the
rose has departed from the cheek, and has been
58B SHIPWRECK OF THE
succeeded by the lily ; again the face has been
flushed with the '^ carnation of consumption," the
certain harbinger of death ; we have felt convinced
that the hour of separation drew nigh ; yet we
have hoped against hope, until at last the king of
terrors has performed his errand, and then the
awful reality has rushed upon our minds, that we
had lost a relative or a friend for ever !
It was doubtless so with the surviving persons
to whom this narrative has reference. The
appalling truth at length burst upon the friends of
the sufferers, and the information was conveyed to
them by authentic and painful documents, which
detailed circumstances so horrible, that they will
scarcely bear comment. Before we proceed to
give an abridgment of these reports, it may not be
improper to observe, that the government at
Bombay dispatched the Company's brig of war
Tigris, in March, 1836, to Torres Straits, for the
purpose of endeavouring to save the passengers
and crew, who had been reported to be on Murray's
Island, or some other of the vast number of islands
in the Straits.
The l^igris, on reaching Sydney on the 12tli of
June, found that his Excellency Sir R. Bourke,
Governor of New South Wales, had sent the
colonial schooner Isabella on the same object, by
order of the Home Department, eight days previous
to the arrival of the Tigris at the capital. The
interest taken by persons in authority, from the
CHARLES EATO^. 289
commencement to the close of the inquiry, and the
anxiety expressed by official characters, as to the
result of the investigations, are extremely gratify-
ing, and do honour to the parties concerned.
It appears that the Tigris received some damage
in a gale of wind between Hobart Town and
Sydney, and was there for nearly a month,
in order to put the vessel into proper repair.
On the 10th of July, she weighed anchor, and pro-
ceeded to Murray's Island, where she arrived
on the 29th of the same month.
A letter was left there by the commander of the
Isabella for any ship that might touch on the
island, which letter the captain of the Tigris
received. The Isabella, it seems, had departed
thence for Darnley's Island, and the rest which
lay northward and westward, so as if possible to
find out that on which the crew and passengers
of the Charles Eaton met their cruel fate. On
the Tigris arriving at Half-way Island, she received
another memorandum from the commander of the
Isabella, containing a detail of his search ; and
on reaching Double Island, the vessels met, and
they proceeded together to Wednesday Island,
Booby Island, and Raffles Bay. The Tigris
having grounded on a shoal not laid down in any
chart, off Cape Croker, the cape bearing S.S.E. to
S.S.W. distant about three miles and a half from
the shore, and having the misfortune to lose her
rudder, the crew were ordered on shore at Raffles
2 p
290 SHIPWRECK OF THE
Bay, in order to cut down trees to make a new rud-
der ; and before the repairs were completed, they
had remained ten days where the accident occurred.
On the 17th of August, they proceeded on their
voyage, and arrived at Timor Coupong on the
24th, which was the anniversary of the natal day
of the king of Holland. On the 27th, they again
weighed anchor, and proceeded to Batavia, and
arrived in the bay there on the evening of the 4th
of September (1836).
The melancholy letters, to which we have made
allusion, we now give verbatim, as they contain
matters of great importance, connected with our
tale 0^ ^ ^ mourning , lamentation, and woe.''
'' Murray s Island^ June 26th, 1836,
" His Majesty's Schooner Isabella.
*' I leave this memorandum in the hands of the natives, which
they promise to produce to the first European captain calling
here ; and it will be well to return them a trifling present on
its delivery, so as to encourage their confidence in him.
'* My object in visiting this place was in search of the sur-
vivors of the Charles Eaton, which was lost on the Barrier
reefs to windward ; and only found two, the one John Ireland^
and the other a little boy, named Wm. D'Oyley, son of Capt.
D'Oyley, of the Bengal artillery ; the father and mother, and
the whole of the passengers and crew, were murdered by the
savages, on an island which the natives of Murray's Island call
Boydary ; consequently, these are the only two living, whom I
purchased of the natives for axes, which those of the place call
tarry. These survivors had been well treated on this island ;
indeed the natives saved and rescued them from the island of
Boydary, lying to tlio westward, which it is also now my
CHARLES EATON. 291
object to visit, although I am rather at a loss to know which it
is, seeing that there is no native name on the charts to any of
these islands within the straits.
*'The natives of this place I consider very harmless, but
great thieves, also very much afraid of a gun or side arms.
*' N.B. All well, and sail to-morrow, the 27th.
" CiiAs. M. Lewis, Commander."
'* Half-way Island, July 26th, 1836.
*' His Majesty's Schooner Isabella.
*' Memorandiim. — This vessel was dispatched by the govern-
ment in search of the survivors of the Charles Eaton, wrecked
on the Barrier reef about two years ago. I have also called on
nearly the whole of the islands to the northward, after finding
two of them on Murray's Island. The lad Ireland relates the
awful catastrophe, having seen the whole of his mates on the
second raft, consisting of all the crew, murdered in his presence ;
the captain and passengers shared the same fate, on the first raft,
about a week before, on the same island, called Boydary by the
savages of Aureal, another isle, in latitude 9° 56' 14", and
longitude 143° 11' 30", being N. W. by W. from Half-way
Island, and seen off decks. After searching all over the straits
for this mysterious isle, I at last discovered it, but found no inha-
bitants there, they having left on the preceding night, when the
ship hove in sight of their isle. I however found the skulls of
the unfortunate people in the middle of the island, covered
with a kind of shed, and arranged near a place where the na-
tives generally feast on the dead. These heads of different
people were placed round a head like the figure of a man, and
painted with ochre. I observed long sandy hair on one of
the skulls, also great marks of violence on them all. Having
satisfied myself of the truth of the whole of this detail, I set
the houses all on fire, and also destroyed every cocoa-nut
tree in the place, which is the food the savages in this place
292 SHIPWRECK OF XJIE
generally subsist upon. I at the same time conveyed the skulls
on board, and destroyed the ' skull-house/ (Golgotha.)
" My next object is to proceed toward Double Island and
Mount Adolphus, where I may find some of the sufferers ; and
after performing that, I mean to proceed to Sydney, having
fulfilled the commands of His Majesty's government, with
which I was honoured. *
" Should this fall into any hands, I shall feel obliged by
giving it publicity in the first port touched at, in case of any
unfortunate accident happening to us ere we reach head-
quarters.
" Chas. M. Lewis, Commander.
" N.B. I have bound another bottle with a letter on the
same island, and also sown some parsley seed, as I have done
on the other islands."
About this period, the copy of a letter was re-^
ceived from the brig of war 2'igris, which met the
Isabella at Double Island, from which document itj
appears that the surgeon of the Tigris pronounce!
fourteen of the skulls to be European, which h
about the number they were led to expect. Th(
Tigris afterwards went to Batavia, and the litth
boy and Ireland returned with the Isabella t<
Sydney, where they were given into the charge
of Sir R. Bourke, the governor, until they should
be conveyed to England.
Captain Lewis, the commander before named,
made strict inquiry of tjje lad Ireland, but although
intelligent, the poor fellow was at a loss to re-
collect dates and circumstances ; not much to be
CHARLES EATON.
293
Pivondered at, when we consider the turmoil of his
mind, in consequence of the awful scene he|had
witnessed, and the monotonous life he had after-
wards led ; observing no sabbaths, or other
festivals, by which he could reckon the progress
of time. His account here given is less diffuse
than another which we shall give during the nar-
ration, yet as it contains some matters of interest^
we insert it, and the more readily, because it
may be viewed as an official document.
He says, *' On making the Barrier reef off
Torres Straits, the ship ran into what they con-
sidered a passage in the reefs, and were so close
before they discovered their error, that she took
the ground, and almost immediately had her
bottom broken in. The boats, in the attempt to
hoist them out, were stove, excepting one cutter,
which was seized upon by five of the seamen,
the same who afterwards arrived at Batavia. He
says, they only cared for themselves, and made
no attempt to assist those on board, but after
getting what they could from the wreck, made
off. The ship, as a matter of course, filled
immediately, and the water came up to the
quarter deck, and the sea washed over her. After
a day or two, a rude raft was constructed, on
which the captain, and passengers, and some of
the officers, with as much provisions as could
be spared, left the ship, and having rigged a
mast, set the sail. Five or six days after their
294 SHIPWRECK OF THE
departure, a second raft was constructed, and
the ship's company, mate, two little midshipmen,
and the narrator himself, left the wreck under
similar circumstances to those who had preceded
them. He cannot remember how long they were
on the wreck, but he says, that when they landed
at the Island of Boydary, the natives came off, and
killed them all with their clubs, with the exceptien
of himself ; why they spared him, he is unable
to tell. On this island he found the two children
of Captain and Mrs. D'Oyley, the one about
seven, and the other about two years of age. The
elder boy told the narrator that the first raft
landed at that place about a week before, and that
they were immediately attacked by the natives,
and were all killed, with the exception of himself
and his little brother. Mrs, D'Oyley, her eldest
son said, had his infant brother in her arms, when
she received a blow on the head which instantly
deprived her of existence ! He went on to say,
that the child was taken up by some of the women,
and carried into a hut. The eldest boy (George)
lived about three months; and Ireland is of opinion,
that from some unknown cause, the natives had
some suspicion of him, and therefore killed him.
Captain Lewis says, that he found the people of
Murray's Island very friendly and kind. The
little child had become such a favourite with the
female natives, that he had considerable difficulty
in getting them to part with liim. After many
[^^^^^^ CHARLES EATON. 295
urgent entreaties on his part, they held a consul-
tation among themselves, and at length gave
the interesting little exile up, but many tears
flowed when they separated. The poor fellow
for the first three days and nights after he got on
board, was quite inconsolable, in consequence of
being severed from his kind and attentive nurses.
The name which the natives had honoured him
with, was Uas or Ewas, the meaning of which
appellation is not known. He spoke the language
of the natives, and conversed in it freely with
Ireland, but he could not speak one word of
English. From being perfectly exposed, the child
had become quite brown, and was remarkably
hairy all over his body. He appeared, withal, an
^ intelligent child, and possessed of fine sparkling
blue eyes. Captain Lewis took him and the lad
Ireland to Sydney, preparatory to their being
sent to London, if the authorities saw fit.
A brief account of some of the above circum-
stances appeared in the Missionary Magazine and
Chronicle for May, 1837, (to which, perhaps, we
may hereafter refer,) with an engraving of the
figure round which the skulls were arranged.
The body of the figure was composed of tortoise-
shell, which was smeared over with ochre of a red
colour, and measured 5 feet by 2^ feet. A semi-
circular projection stands out from the forehead,
made also of tortoise-shell, fancifully cut, and
when taken from the island, was ornamented with
296 SHIPWRECK OF THE
feathers. In the centre of the figure, from the
projection upwards, was a small bundle of broken
arrows bound together.
The eyes are detached, and formed with a
silvery shell, something like what is called the
'* mutton fish," and the face is surrounded with
shells, methodically arranged. Many of the skulls
are attached to the figure with European cordage,
and bear visible marks of savage violence ; some
of them being partially knocked in, and others
deeply incised with heavy sharp weapons. The
skulls of two females (no doubt Mrs. D'Oyley's
and the Indian servant's), and two children, are
among the number. The government have or-
dered the skulls to be consigned to the usual
place of interment, and the other part to be placed
in the museum. (Vide the Engraving.)
While it is impossible to contemplate this dread-
ful catastrophe without horror, and also deep com-
miseration for the unhappy sufferers, whose fate
must ever be regretted, from whatever cause it
occurred ; and while the sympathetic feelings of
all persons possessing sensibility must be alive to
the feelings of their sorrowing relatives and friends,
whose sorrows, the consolations of religion and
the soothing hand of time can alone alleviate ;
it will, we think, be a source of great satisfaction
to know that by the unwearied perseverance of one
gentleman, (Mr. Bayley,) the attention of govern-
ment has been drawn to the scene of this catas-
CHARLES EATON. ^ 297
trophe ; also that he has been instrumental in
rescuing two fellow creatures from death, or at
least from slavery, and one of those his own
nephew, who would have ever been lost to his
country and friends.*
On the ] 8th of May, Sir G. Grey sent a govern-
ment despatch to Mr. Bayley, of which the follow-
ing is a copy.
" Sir, — With reference to my letter of the 9th of January
last, I am directed by Lord Glenelg to transmit you for your
information, a copy of a despatch from the government of New
South Wales, reporting the result of the search which has been
made after the survivors of the wreck of the * Charles EatonJ
" I am, &c., George Grey."
The only additional particulars contained in this
document are the follow^ing : That the unfortunate
passengers and crew were not murdered by the
islanders of Boydary, but by those of an island
called Owreed, who were then at Boydary, on a
fishing excursion. That these savages had taken
Ireland and the child to Owreed, or some other
* It may be satisfactory to our readers to be informed in
relation to the two sons of Captain D'Oyley, now at school in
this country, that Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Glou-
cester, who both knew and esteemed their lamented mother,
has, with that urbanity and kindness which distinguish the
exalted family of which she is a member, expressed an interest
in their welfare. The eldest of them has already obtained
employment in the East India Company's service ; to which
he will repair, as soon as his age and education qualify him
for his station.
2q
298 SHIPWRECK OF THE
adjacent island (he is not sure which) ; the
natives of Murray's Island hearing of some white
persons being there, arrived in a canoe, and pur-
chased them of the savages of Owreed for a bunch
of bananas each, meaning by banana, the bread-
fruit-tree. The purchasers removed them to
Murray's Island, and treated them with great
kindness during the long term they sojourned
there, and gave them up to Captain Lewis with
manifestations of deep regret, as they appeared to :
be much attached to them. Captain Lewis, it is
stated in the dispatch, was on the most friendly
terms with the natives during his stay there, and
it was to them that he was indebted for a great
deal of the information which we have given in
partial detail to our readers. Among other things
he was informed that the skulls of the murdered
persons had been removed from Boydary to Ow-
reed. * It was this information that determined
him to proceed thither, and after a long and per-
severing search, he found that he had not been
sent altogether upon a foolish errand- When he
arrived, the island was deserted by the natives,
who had, doubtless, seen the approach of his
vessel ; and who knows whether they might not
have thought that the commander was come to
take summary vengeance ? Be this as it may, they
* Owreed is an island not yet noted down in the Gazetteers
It is situate in lat. 9" 56' 7" S.,aiid long. 143° 10' 15" E.
A
CHARLES EATON. 299
contrived to decamp and vacate their hellish spot,
and in their hurry they left the skulls behind
them — the best evidence that could be adduced of
their sanguinary character.
Captain Lewis brought off forty-five skulls, seven-
teen of which are said to be European. After he
left this detestable speck in the ocean he proceeded
through the straits to Coupang (or as we find it
called, Koupang,) and from thence round Cape
Lewin to Sydney. When passing through the
Straits he was joined by the East India Company's
brig of war Tigris, which accompanied the Isa-
bella to Coupang, where she parted, in order to
return to India.
It appears that Captain Lewis is deserving of the
praise of the government which honoured him
with the command, as well as the congratulations
of the public generally, for the efficient manner in
which he conducted the important and interesting
mission with which he was intrusted.*
We have been informed, through the medium
of the '^ Sydney Colonist,'' as well as from other
sources, that the Tigris was very nearly lost in
Torres Straits, as by getting on a reef she lost
her keel and rudder. Being assisted by the
Isabella she passed through the dangerous passage
without receiving farther damage.
* We understand that he made some discoveries, which he
intends to publish, and, doubtless, they will be interesting.
300 SHIPWRECK OF THE
CHAPTER XIX.
TIWNGS FROM THE EAST.
The Sydney Times of Nov. 19, 1836, has a
leading article on the subject of the wreck of the
Charles Eaton, and which gives the subsequent
particulars relative to the dreadful catastrophe.
In consequence of more recent statements made
by John Ireland, we have been enabled to simplify
the account alluded to, and now and then inter-
weave a few observations of our own. This ac-
count goes the length of confirming that which
we have alifeady given ; but there are many inci-
dents here related, which the other has over-
looked, or only incidentally glanced at.
[*^* We expect to have some further interesting
particulars from the lips of the intelligent lad,
John Ireland, ere we conclude ; if so, they will
be inserted in a future chapter.]
On the 3rd of June, 1836, his Excellency Sir
Richard Bourke, the governor of New South
Wales and its dependencies, dispatched His Ma-
CHARLES EATON. 301
esty's schooner Isabella upon an exploring ex-
^pedition in quest of any persons who might have
survived the wreck of the Charles Eaton, and the
following are some of the particulars connected
with the expedition, which will, doubtless, be
read with a mournful interest.
After the vessel had struck on the reef, the
unfortunate persons were enabled to cling to the
^wreck for fourteen days, the keel of the vessel
having received a less violent shock than that of
the Stirling Castle. Finding that her timbers were
gradually starting more and more, it became evi-
jdent that she could not hold together much longer,
and it was agreed that they should construct two
^rafts in the best manner they were able, in the
hope that they might reach the shore ; as during
this long period all their expectations of deliver-
ance had proved futile. This was truly a shifting
of the scene ; but the removal proved to most of
the hapless party the prelude to a death by far
more terrible than drowning. The rafts having
been formed in the best manner their skill and
scanty materials would enable them, a small
quantity of provisions was stowed upon them, but
these proved greatly inadequate to their require-
ments. Captain Moore (the commander). Captain
D'Oyley, his wife, and their two children, a fe-
male servant, a native of Bengal, Mr. Armstrong,
the steward, and Mr. Grant, the surgeon, took
possession of the first raft ; and the crew (seventeen
302 SHIPWRECK OF THE
in number), of the second raft, which was taken
charge of by Mr. Clare and Mr. Mayor, the first and
second officers. It was a considerable time before
they were cast upon the beach, and the weather was
unfavourable. Their situation was a distressing
one, as they were limited to half a biscuit and two
glasses of water a day ! and to add to their calamity,
one of the seamen, belonging to the second raft,
fell into the sea, and was drowned. The whole
party who arrived at the beach on the first raft
were massacred in a most barbarous manner, ex-
cepting the little child, W. D'Oyley, whom Pro-
vidence has been pleased to preserve alive, and
his brother George, who afterwards died. The
crew belonging to the second raft appeared to have
shared the same fate on landing, with the exception
of John Ireland, who was preserved by the natives.
The party on the second raft were nearly up to
their middle in water for forty-eight hours,s and
when worn out by anxiety and fatigue, as well as
the want of food, they at length landed on the
detestable island of Boydary. When they first
landed, the natives, with that lurking treachery
which appears inherent in their natures, by their
gestures and deportment appeared to be friendly
inclined, and pretended to go in quest of water and
provisions for their use. The hungry and fatigued
crew sat themselves down, and several of them
fell asleep on the spot where they halted, — the
commencement of the sleep of death !
I
CHARLES EATON. 303
No sooner had the dastardly ruffians discovered
that their victims were asleep, than a multitude fell
upon them, and commenced the work of general
slaughter; spears, knives, and waddies being called
into active requisition, for the purpose of destruc-
tion. Having deprived the poor fellows of life,
they next cut off their several heads, and then joined
in a corrobery around the bleeding victims, and
uttering wild and discordant yells of joy.
Ireland states that he was speared on the left
side, and his fore-finger was very much lacerated,
and cut to the bone. One of the brutes was about
to cut his throat with an English knife, but he
escaped from him, as if by miracle ; indeed he can
scarcely tell how, his mind was so perturbed
and horrified by the dreadful carnage he had be-
held. He says he is unable to state what were his
real feelings ; and we very readily give credence
to his assertion.
After the rejoicing was over, the natives took
Ireland away from the sixteen headless bodies of
his late companions, and drove him into the bush.
The thought of their unhappy fate was continually
rushing upon his mind, and he was led to anticipate
that sooner or later, he would suffer a similar, or
perhaps a more barbarous fate. Is it to be won-
dered at, that such fears should possess his mind ?
Five of the seamen took possession of the boat,
and escaped to Timor Laut, viz. Pyall, (boatswain,)
Constantine, (carpenter,) Wright, Gromble, and
304 SHIPWRECK OF THE
Quin, (seamen.) Ireland states that they kept
away before the wind, and refused to take in five
other of their shipmates, who went on the reef
toward them. This refusal, however, was not the
result of cruelty, but necessity; for, had the
beseeching party been admitted into the boat, she
must have inevitably sunk, and all would have
perished together.
The statement of the wreck given by the five
seamen who escaped in the boat, is narrated as
follows in the ** Sydney Times.''
*' The barque Charles JEaton, commanded by
Captain G. F. Moore, left Sydney, July 29th, 1834,
and on August 15th following, at eight a. m. she
was making for an apparent reef near Sir Charles
Hardy's Island, Torres Straits, and breakers were
seen ahead ; in consequence of which, they made
an attempt to tack, but the vessel would not stay.
Both anchors were let go immediately, and the
vessel came close to the reef, upon which she fell
on her broadside, and the sea made a fair breach
over her. The long-boat and one of the quarter
boats were stove in by the concussion, wliich
rendered their situation more perilous and distress-
ing. The other boat was lowered, and the sailors
already alluded to jumped into her. The Captain
and passengers determined to remain in the ship,
as they were of opinion the boat could not live,
owing to the violence of the breakers. It was also
stationed for two days under the lee of the reef.
CHARLES EATON. 30i
''In this statement they are at variance with
John Ireland, who says, that no sooner had they
taken their station in the boat, than they pnlled
away immediately.
*'The men proceeded to say, that when they
left the vessel, the captain, passengers, and re-
mainder of the crew were on her poop. After the
little party and their frail bark had been tossed
about for five days on the ocean, they made the
east shore of the island of Timor Laut.
*' As soon as they landed, they were stripped of
every thing by the natives, from whom they
expected further ill-treatment, in consequence of
their horrible gestures. The work of death was
about to commence, when an elderly man, who
appeared to have some control over the others,
interfered, and had their lives spared. This person
afterwards took them under his protection, and
treated them very kindly ; but labour, as a matter
of course, was exacted from them, and great
restraint was put upon their liberty. After a con-
strained residence in the bush for more than twelve
months, they were permitted to leave the island of
Timor Laut in a proa, bound to Amboyna, (one
of the Molucca islands, containing about 50,000
inhabitants, and belonging to the Dutch,) and
from thence to Batavia. During the time they
resided at Timor Laut, they were informed that a
large vessel had been lost in the straits about six
years before their arrival, and on that occasion,
2 R
306 SHIPWRECK OF THE
the whole of the persons on board, with the excep-
tion of two, were massacred. They were boys,
and one of them died soon after he arrived on the
island. None of the seamen saw the remaining
lad ; but they learned that he was in the interior,
and had become so reconciled to the mode of life
of the natives, that he had no wish to return to his
native land."
It appears from these accounts, that of the
twenty-six souls who sailed in the Charles Eaton,
the five seamen named, the boy Ireland, and the
child D'Oyley, were all that escaped.
Ireland states that the savages on Boydary
Island feasted upon the eyes and cheeks of the
persons massacred by them belonging to the
Charles Eaton, It is stated that these rude bar-
barians are induced to this horrible custom, from
a belief that such conduct will increase in them a
more intense desire after the blood of white men,*
It appears that a vessel was fitted out to go in
quest of the crew of the Charles Eaton, and on
the 24th of June, the launch went on shore to a
small island near Murray's Island, which is called
by the natives Wyer, and it has the appearance of
a ruined fortification. The captain intended to
* An argument might be drawn from this custom in favour
of Dr. Lang's hypothesis respecting the migration of the Poly-
nesian nation, because it is well-known that a similar custom
once prevailed in South America.
CHARLES EATON. 307
search the island, in order, if possible, to find
something belonging to the lost vessel, or perad-
venture part of the crew. On landing with one
of the sailors, they went toward a hut not far from
the beach ; and on looking inside it, they were
struck with horror at beholding a long row of
human skulls, suspended by strings made of shreds
of bark ; but no satisfactory conclusion can be
arrived at in respect of them. The lad (Ireland)
says, that none of the crew of the Charles Eaton
were murdered on Murray's Island ; and that he
and the child William D'Oyley were taken from
Boydary by the natives of the former. He de-
scribes the huts to be similar to those noticed by
Baxter as being somewhat squatting and oblong,
with a hole at the base, about two feet and a half
in height, which serves for an entrance.
In some of the huts were seen the skins of human
hands hanging up, either as trophies or ornaments,
and it is with these that the natives partly adorn
their heads on great feasting or gala days.
The women in Murray's Island are described
as being much inferior to the men, both in per-
sonal beauty, and general symmetry. It would
really seem that the order of things is somewhat
reversed in these islands, for the women shave
their heads, leaving only a small tuft of hair on
the crown. The male natives belonging to
Murray's Island are a very fine race of people.
The person who adopted the child of Captain
30B SHIPWRECK OF THE
D'Oyley w^s called *'Duppah," and he seema |
to have behaved kindly to him all the time he
was on the island, and as far as that person was
concerned, the lad Ireland does not much complain.
It is much to be deplored that people, such
as the natives of the islands of Torres Straits,
who are endowed with so many natural advantages,
should be so cruel and treacherous. Perhaps the
ferocity of their disposition may be attributed to
the superstition which is prevalent among them.*
After remaining until the 28th of June, the
exploring vessel left Murray's Island about 8 a. m.
in the direction of the Isle of Darnley, at which
it was their intention to touch. After a sail
before a brisk gale, they nearly approached the
view of their intended landing place, when their
vessel struck on the extremity of Canoe Key reef,
which at that part was only six feet below the
surface of the water. The commander steered
by the chart laid down by the most recent official
survey, had no reason to suppose that he was in
the least danger, and there was nothing to indicate
* The effects of superstition on the human mind have been
shown amongst more enlightened people than the natives of
the islands and continent near Torres Straits. The Greeks,
Romans, and Carthaginians were very cruel in consequence of
their superstitions. Lucretius well says, —
" Tantxim rcligio potuit suadere maloras.''
" Such devilish acts religion could persuade."
Creech.
CHARLES EATON. 309
it except a slight ripple of the sea, several of which
they had passed over in the course of the preceding
forenoon.^ Luckily for the persons on board, the
commander caused the stream-anchor to be thrown
out, by which the vessel (whose keel had received
but little injury) righted again, and she was hove
off the reef, and soon found herself riding in
safety in twenty fathoms water. It was a very
fortunate thing that the vessel struck at a time when
the sky was clear, and the wind far from boister-
ous ; as, had the collision occurred under oppo-
site circumstances, the vessel and those on board
might have shared a similar fate with the Charles
Eaton and the Stirling Castle, and their hapless
crews.
As if to call upon their gratitude to a protect-
ing Providence, they had not extricated them-
selves more than two hours, ere the sky was
overclouded, the music of Boreas was heard,
and the ocean, obedient to its well-known sound,
commenced a corrohery ; but our voyagers were
at safe anchorage at Canoe-Reef Bay, before the
storm vented its most vengeful fury. Other cir-
cumstances than foul weather appear to have
* This circumstance lends its aid in favour of the hypothesis
of surveyors, who have sounded this dangerous passage, that
these sub-marine cities of coral sometimes break from their
foundation, and are driven, at the caprice of the element by
which they are surrounded.
310 SHIPWRECK OF THE
caused the party to locate in this friendly little
haven longer than was at first contemplated, for
they did not weigh anchor to leave it, until
Tuesday, July 6th, and they anchored at Darnley
Isle, in seventeen fathoms water. Here the pigmy
expedition waited for several days in order to
gain information, if possible, relative to the cir-
cumstances connected with the unhappy persons
with whom it originated. The inhabitants of this
place were much more numerous, especially when
geographical circumference is considered, than
at the island they had lately departed from ; but
their manners, habits, and customs, so far as a
superficial observation would warrant the con-
clusion, appeared to be similar with the natives
who inhabit Murray's Island. Shortly after the
exploring vessel had brought up, a canoe came
alongside, containing ten or twelve natives.
At first they evinced considerable confidence, but
all on a sudden it was changed into alarm, which
they manifested in such a manner, as could not
be mistaken by those on board. Whether this
arose from their accidentally beholding fire arms
on board, or because they saw Ireland and young
D'Oyley on the deck, remains a matter of con-
jecture ; but certain it is, that from some cause or
other, unfeigned apprehension took possession of
their minds. The more reasonable hypothesis
perhaps is, that they were actuated by regret at the
loss which they had sustained, for it is evident that
i
CHARLES EATON. 311
SO far as affection can be supposed to reside in the
breasts of savages, it had found a place in their
recesses in favour of Ireland and his juvenile friend.
When the canoe first neared the vessel, and they
saw the child, they called him ^' Ewass,'' and
Ireland they accosted as *^ WawMe^'' the name by
which they were called when residing among them.
Before the canoe sheered off, one of the natives
in the bow, with seeming friendship, shook hands
with little D'Oyley, and then, either from real or
pretended friendship, he kissed his own.
After waiting from the 5th to the 1 7th of July,
and the natives not venturing again to the place
of anchorage, it was resolved to man and arm the
two boats, and send them to the shore, with the
view, if possible, by bestowing small presents, to
relieve the minds of the natives of any hostile
intentipn existing to their prejudice. A conference
took place between them and the natives, when
they candidly declared that their long stay had
created an alarm among the elders and females of
their tribe ; and they did not hesitate to declare
that they should be heartily glad to see them
depart.
The treachery and cruelty of the inhabitants of
the islands in these latitudes are not confined en-
tirely to white people who may be cast on their
inhospitable shore in cases of shipwreck, but they
sometimes manifest them towards each other.
Ireland relates a horrible act of cruelty which
i
312 SHIPWRECK OF THE
prevails among them. Their thumb-nails are
allowed to grow remarkably long, and by artificial
means they keep them very hard and sharp at
their edges, and it sometimes happens that when
they are suddenly offended by their women or
each other, they fasten these talons into the throat
of their victims until they both meet, and some-
times by the incision of the jugular vein loss of
life ensues. Their revenge for real or imaginary
injuries takes such deep root in their minds, that
Ireland knew some instances where some of his
tribe lay waiting two days in order to maltreat or
kill those who had displeased them.
From the observations which he was enabled to
make, Ireland thinks that there were no chiefs
among them, or if there were, they enjoyed a
mere empty title ; yet he, as well as Baxter and
Mrs. Fraser, are of opinion that some degree of
reverence is manifested to seniority, and in this
sentiment they are supported by those writers who
have obtained partial information of the customs,
&c., of the various tribes which people the coast
and the various islands contiguous to New Holland.
On Thursday, July 21st, the vessel weighed
anchor, and proceeded from Darnley's Island by a
north-west course, soon after which they hauled
up toward another, which had the same woody
appearance. At this time it was the intention of
the captain to order out two whale-boats, well
manned and armed, in order to explore two other
f ((
CHARLES EATON. 313
islands, called by the natives '^ Masseed'' and
I Caddow,'' As soon as they neared the island
; already alluded to, a great number of natives came
down to the beach, and instead of being armed
with their warlike spears and waddies, they bore
in their hands branches of trees, which, even in
this rude territory, are deemed emblems of
peace." — They appeared to be very much
alarmed, no doubt imagining that reprisals were
about to be made, and the hour of retribution
had arrived.
From a statement made by Ireland, the captain
was induced to believe that they had been guilty
[ of foul murders, and had several skulls of Euro-
peans concealed in the bush. When interrogated
upon this point they stoutly denied it, although
the lad was confronted with them, and assigned a
plausible reason for being so positive of the fact.
■What strongly inclined the commander to lean to
the conjecture of the j^outh, was an anxious desire
on the part of the natives to break up the confer-
ence and run away. The captain seeing them
evince this disposition, had recourse to threats,
and make it known, in terms which they well
understood, that if they attempted to flee he would
fire upon them, although he did not intend to
carry that into execution.
After parleying for some time they regularly
withdrew ; and when they got at what they deemed
a safe distance from danger from the muskets,
2s^
314 SHIPWRECK OF THE
they ran precipitately into the bushes. Some
little time after this retreat a canoe was seen at a
distance proceeding toward another island ; but
before chase could be given, the crew of the boats
had to haul them over a large flat, and when this
was done, the canoe had got so far away, that all
hope of overtaking her before dark was precluded ;
hence they returned to their ship, where they
arrived about 9 o'clock p. m. The sudden departure
of the canoe after the abrupt departure of the
natives, created a suspicion (and we think not an
unreasonable one) that they were bearing away
some white captives to the opposite shore ; but
this was a mere conjecture. . J
The commander again proceeded on his voyage
of discovery, and on the 25th of July he anchored
off an island, called by the natives, ^* Owreed,"
but to which Captain Lewis gave the name of
^^ Skull Island.'' For the purpose of exploring
this island the parties went on shore, as they ex-
pected at least to find some white people in cap-
tivity, or if not, their skulls, which mementoes
of mortality had caused Capt, Lewis to designate
it as a ^* Golgotha.'' Being well armed, and
their number not inconsiderable, the foraging
party penetrated far into the bush, but they did
not come in contact with a single native, but from
a variety of causes they were convinced that the
place had recently been visited by natives. Dur-
ing their search, thev met with a number of
I
CHARLES EATON. 315
kangaroo dogs. After being some time in the
bush» some of the party found a kind of avenue
in a rocky mound, which on entering, they found
to be on both its sides lined or adorned with shells,
which were painted red, and at the extremity
of the passage they beheld a hut, which appeared
to be dilapidated by the hand of time.
The party having collected together, it was de-
termined to enter the grotesque building, if an
excavated and infernal den is worthy of such an
appellation. They had not entered a moment,
before the party in advance were horror-struck
at beholding a large figure composed of tortoise-
shells, to which were appended the skulls of
several human beings. They were fixed to it
by pieces of European rope, and some of the
bones exhibited marks of violence, such as might
have been inflicted by the force of the massive
waddies, sometimes used by the natives in the work
of death. The lad Ireland said, that the natives
of his island had a similar figure, which was
brought out at the time of their corroberies, on
feasting days, or those of general rejoicing. There
can be no doubt, we think, but that these were
the relics of the mortal remains of some of our
countrymen, who have been wrecked in these
terrible straits
At the approach of evening, the party returned
to the ship, but on the following morning they
went on shore again at another part of the
316 SHIPWRECK OF THE
island, when they found several huts, which had
lately been occupied, as appeared from the ashes
where the fires had been kindled. They also found
several articles which had evidently belonged to
eome European vessel, which they brought away
with them, having first destroyed all the houses
or huts which belonged to the natives.*
Nothing of importance appears to have occurred
until Saturday, the 6th of August, when the vessel
made Croker Island. About seven p. m. they
heard a gun fired, and five minutes, the sound of
which was afterwards found to proceed from the
" Tigris.'' Being convinced that the vessel was
on shore, the captain tacked, and stood in the
direction from whence the sounds had issued.
The captain judged it expedient to bring up and
run down to the brig in the boats, which were
launched and manned with all speed ; and after
hoisting lights, firing a gun, and discharging a
rocket, the boats proceeded towards the distressed
vessel. When the boats, after arduous and unre-
mitting industry, reached her, she was rolling so
heavily, that although alongside, it was found
* We are inclined to think that this act of spoliation was
both impolitic and injudicious, as the only tendency it could
produce, would be to arouse the ire of the natives, and cause
them to wreak summary vengeance whenever an opportunity
off'ered itself.
** Harsh measures will never assuage wrath."
CHARLES EATON. 317
very difficult to board her. The gunner informed
them that she had struck with great violence on
the reef, and that her rudder had been already
carried away. The crew, by most praiseworthy
exertion and perseverance, were enabled to back
the foundered vessel off, and enable her to make
sail, and at length bring her to anchor under their
quarter. On the following morning they were
enabled to take the vessel into Raffles Bay, and
it was a matter of surprise to every one to see how
well the Tigris worked her way without a rudder.*
On their approaching one of the islands, the
crew beheld a large quantity of animals, some
basking in the sun, and others at their gambols.
These, by the'^aid of the glass, w^ere supposed to
be alligators ; but as soon as they perceived them-
selves approached by the boat, they all rushed
into deep water, and w^ere seen no more.
[The following are extracts from a pamphlet
written by Mr. Brocket, of Newcastle, a young
gentleman who was on board the Isabella during her
voyage of discovery ; and we gladly avail ourselves
of the opportunity of selecting a few matters which
have not been hitherto noticed in full detail.]
** When the Isabella was first despatched to
* The liarbour of Port Raffles is very good and secure. The
anchorage is described as being in about four fathoms and a
half. The anchorage is muddy, slightly mixed with sand, and
is in all its parts extremely regular.
318 SHIPWRECK OF THE
Torres Straits, the plan which was considered the
best adapted to rescue our countrymen from the
bonds of slavery, was to ^ bring up' with few hands
on deck, and to make no display of guns or other
fire-arms. This prudent measure was adopted,
partly for the purpose of reconciling the natives to
us, and partly to restrain the seamen who might
be on the shore from any act which would en-
danger their lives, and cause them to become a
sacrifice to the natives. The captain had received
orders to treat the natives with great lenity, and
to barter goods for the emancipation of our un-
fortunate countrymen. If, however, they should
prove inexorable, we were desired to avail ourselves of
other means ; and accordingly the Isabella was well
armed and manned, and had every thing on board
to ensure the success of the expedition.
''On the 28th of June, (1836,) we came to
anchor off Murray's Island, in twenty fathoms
water. When the natives came off to the vessel,
we made signs to them to know if there were any
white men on the island, upon which they signified
to us that there was one. The captain then made
known to them his desire that the white man
should be brought off the island. They hesitated
for some time, and appeared as if they did not like
to part with him ; but at length we perceived a
canoe coming towards the vessel, with a white
boy sitting on the platform with some of the
natives. As the canoe approached us, the un-
CHARLES EATON. 319
fortunate boy exhibited the mingled emotions of
fear and delight. The captain ordered silence,
and there was not a single word spoken either
[ by the seamen or natives : there was a dead silence,
■ and it was to us all a moment of anxiety ; each of
fiis appearing to manifest the greatest attention,
'and listened for the commencement of a conference.
The captain at length asked the boy in what ship
he had been wrecked ? to which he replied, *' The
Charles Eaton ;" and upon being asked how
many more there were on the island ? he answered
that there was only a child three or four years of
age. It may well be supposed that a spirit of
horror was excited in our breasts, when the boy
nformed us that all the rest of the white people,
with the exception of the few seamen who had
escaped to Batavia in an open boat, were all
Srowned or murdered. He told us that they were
inurdered on an island which the natives call Boy-
dary, which has no English name. The boy
appeared almost stupified, arising, I should imagine,
either from fear of the natives, or from over-joy
from a prospect of emancipation. The captain
told the boy to step forward in the canoe, with
which request he immediately complied ; but it
was evident that the natives wanted a ransom, as
they held him for a time. They gave him up,
however, for some tomahawks. The captain
allowed them to trade with us a little after he had
obtained the boys.
320
SHIPWRECK OF THE
*'Tlie other boy informed me, that William
D'Oyley was snatched from his mother's arms,
and that the savages killed her in a brutal manner.
The natives of Murray's Island seemed to be very
partial to the child ; and when the captain told
him (Ireland) to bring him off in one of their
canoes, they said he was crying, and would not
leave the black women who had charge of him.
They made other excuses of a similar description,
before they allowed the boy to depart ; at last,
they were persuaded to bring him off. On being
brought alongside, he appeared to have been much
burnt by the sun. He could not speak a word of
English, but could converse freely in the native
language. The natives had not disfigured these
boys in the least degree, which is considered
a very extraordinary circumstance. The little
boy cried bitterly on being given up by tlie
natives, and I dare say, he thought he had fallen
into bad hands ; he soon, however, forgot his black
companions, and became, perhaps, more partial to
us than he had ever been to them. In a little
time, he ran about the decks, and appeared quite
cheerful and contented. It was astonishing to hear
him describing, as we imagined, some of the
events that had happened after the vessel was
wrecked. He either recollected the murder of the
people, or else Ireland had told him of it on the
island ; for he used to sit beside the sailors, and
relate various things to them in the native Ian
CHARLES EATON. 321
guage, at the same time making signs, and de-
scribing the manner in which they had been
massacred. Both boys had several sores about
them on different parts of their bodies. The
natives of the islands in the straits are very subject
to sores and cancers."
[For Ireland's account of the massacre, the
landing at Murray's Island, &c. vide p. 300.]
The narrator goes on to state, —
'^ The heat of the sun, and the different manner
of living, appeared to have injured the intellect of
the elder boy ; he, however, daily improved both
in body and mind.*
''It is not the least among the extraordinary
circumstances connected with this truly tragical
event, that the lady who took the charge of the
ransomed child, viz. Mrs. Slade of Sydney,
proved to have been at one lime, intimately ac-
quainted with the D'Oyley family. This fact is
learned by a letter written by that lady to Mr.
Bayley, (before referred to,) dated Sydney, Nov.
14, 1836, in which she described the child as a
fine, quick, amiable boy. The letter states, that
in 1809, a twin brother of Captain D'Oyley, toge-
ther with an elder brother, went out to India with
Captain Cameron, in the Jane, Duchess of Gordon,
which ship foundered at sea, and every soul on
* Perhaps fear had its share in producing this temporary
iwbecility.
2t
322 SHIPWRECK OF THE
board perished. Mrs. Slade is the daughter of
that Captain Cameron, and now resides at Sydney
with her husband, who has a civil appointment
under government.''^ Upon the arrival of the
Isabella, Mrs. Slade waited upon the governor,
for leave to have the child of her old friend deli-
vered to her care, which request was complied
with, after strict inquiry had been made. When
the child was embraced by Mrs. Slade, he called
her ^ Mamma, ' the only word he could utter in
English."
* How mysterious are the ways of Providence, and how un-
searchable his dispensations! A poor, bereaved, destitute
child, rescued from the hands of sanguinary men, finds on a
foreign shore, where he had the least reason to expect it, a
sworn friend of his murdered parents, ready to supply their
place, and give him not merely shelter and subsistence, but
every endearment and kindness which either the remembrance
of former friendship, or a view of the little feHow's helpless con-
dition, could suggest to a compassionate mind.
The author of the history of these shipwrecks acknowledges
th?e assistance which he has derived from a pamphlet, written
by the able pen of Mr. Thos. Wemyss, which is dedicated by
that gentleman to the Rt. Hon. Lord Glenelg, Her Majesty's
principal Secretary of State for the Colonial Department.
Since the foregoing pages went to press, we have had, as we
anticipated we should, an interview with John Ireland ; and a
fine-grown, handsome lad we can assure our readers, he is.
Having progressed thus far before we saw the youth, we could
not well retrograde ; had we done so, the additional information.
CHARLES EATON. 323
as it might be, would have occasioned considerable delay in the
publication. We read, from a duplicate copy, the narrative
which was in the hands of the publisher, and requested that
if any statement was incorrect, he (Iieland) would point it
out, that it might be rectified. After he had heard us with
attention, he pronounced that as far as it went, the detail was
correct, at the same time hinting, that had he been at our
elbow when we compiled it, he would have amplified the state-
ment. He gave us a little information of which we shall avail
ourselves, when we pen the chapter of '* Odd Bits," connected
with these catastrophes.
We observed in Ireland a great disinclination to return to
sea, if he can obtain other employment ; and this evidently
arises not from the dislike he has of a nautical life, but from a
dread which seems to have been implanted instinctively, that he
may again fall into the hands of a savage tribe, whose tender
mercies might be more cruel than those of the tribe with
which he so long located.
From all that we can learn, the only terror which haunts the
minds of our tars is, lest they should be cast upon an inhabited
island, and meet with barbarous treatment : while the fortune
of war, and chances of shipwreck are matters of calculation, and
inspire no fear in their breasts. This circumstance alone, we
think, goes to prove, that the sufferings the captives meet with
must be of a most horrid description, or the dauntless minds of
seamen would not be thus paralyzed.
324 SHIPWRECK OF THE "
CHAPTER XX.
" They shall lift up their voices they shall sing for the
majesty of the Lord ; they shall cry aloud from the isles of
the sea.'* — Isaiah xxiv. 14.
It has been well observed by a writer on this
subject, that '^ the first view of the conduct of
these savages will naturally be succeeded by a
burst of indignation at the atrocious massacre of the
unhappy persons who were thus thrown upon their
shores; — and as British enterprise and British
commerce are yearly leading numerous vessels into
the same dangerous region, and our seamen are
consequently ever exposed to similar calamities,
the question is, What can be done to prevent the
recurrence of them ?"
There are several methods which present them-
selves, as in some degree likely to accomplish
this object : we notice some of them.
Fiy^st. — That the British government shall send
a suitable force from India and New South Wales
to seize these islands, and take possession of them
in the name of their sovereign, and then extermi-
CHARLES EATON. 325
nate the whole of the inhabitants ; after which
settlements or colonies should be formed, in which
the shipwrecked mariner may, in future, find
refuge and security.
This scheme, which is sanctioned by many nau-
tical men, we well know, is quite repugnant to the
feelings of a great mass of the people, beyond
which it is alike opposed to the scheme of Chris-
tianity and humanity. What right have we to
seize their territory in the first place, and then by
what authority could the law of extermination be
put in force ? Were the British nation to take this
step, they would deservedly '^ become a by- word
and a proverb'' among all the civilized nations of
the earth : — this being so, this method we repu-
diate without further observation.
Second. — Another suggestion is, to invade the
islands of the sea, and in lieu of exterminating the
natives, to expatriate them to the coast of New
Holland, and abandon them to their own natural
resources on that vast continent.
What just man can say that such a measure as
this would be consistent with the principles which
he holds in the highest estimation ? Were Eng-
land to adopt such a measure, she would herself
act the part of the savage, and add to the stains
which attach to the early part of her own history.
Third, — Another method proposed is to subdue
the islands, subjugate the inhabitants, and make
them tributary ; but at the same time to use every
326 SHIPWRECK OF THE
effort to civilize and improve them, so that in
future they would become less formidable to those
who might fall into their power.
Tliis is, doubtless, the most feasible proposition
which has been made ; at all events is more con-
sonant with the demands of justice and the law of
humanity.
Fourthly, Others say, as all efforts to civilize,
by merely introducing the arts of life, have proved
either very tedious or absolutely ineffectual, there
remains only one other plan, and that is, to intro-
duce the Gospel among them by means of mis-
sionaries, and by translating the Scriptures into
their language.
This suggestion is a kind one, but there exist
insuperable objections to it, as we shall attempt to
show in the sequel; but before we do so, we had
better proceed with the general subject for the
present.
If the indignation felt at their past conduct, and
the vindictive feeling natural to man, should in-
duce any to say that these savages are unworthy of
such a boon, and that they ought to be made to
feel the effects of their own barbarity, let us first
consider whether there are no palliating circum-
stances, which may tend to mitigate the severity of
our decision. Our firm belief is, that the savage
character is very much misunderstood, and their
actions generally receive too hasty a construction.
Are they not men ? Certainly, we say, they are ;
CHARLES EATON. 327
although we may incur the displeasure of those
who pretend to doubt the fact. Many of them are
men married according to their rude rites ; and
even where polygamy prevails among them, they
manifest a desire of domestic affection ; and when
among the rudest of the tribes, they show an
ardent attachment to their own children, however
cruel they may be to those of their enemies when
they become their captives. "*
It is true that they are uneducated, unculti-
vated, and moreover destitute of the benign in-
fluences of religious and moral instruction ; hence
their will is uncontrolled, and their passions are
accustomed to have their free bent ; and it is
known and admitted that they lead a kind of
animal life, and are unacquainted with the softer
sensibilities of society.
That which is most highly estimated by them is
bodily strength, and valour in combat — these are
the endowments which are most highly prized.
* Baxter, in answer to our inquiry upon this subject said,
that immediately after birth the child was taken from its
mother, and carefully attended to ; after which it was carried
to her, and on its reception the yearnings which none but a
mother can appreciate, burst forth. After the recovery of the
parent, which was generally after two days, the babe was
carefully wrapped in the skin of a kangaroo, or some other
animal, and a little hut was made of bark for it to repose in,
when the mother had occasion to leave the encampment, which
was always guarded by faithful dogs.
328 SHIPWRECK OF THE
while every pursuit of a mental and intellectual
nature is never cultivated, and why ? — because
they are unknown to them. They have no science,
or any thing which deserves the name of art, yet
it is quite apparent that they possess a great share
of natural genius, as some of the rude, and we
might add diabolical works of their hands abun-
dantly testify. As we have said in a preceding
page of this volume, their chief concern is the
satisfying their natural appetites ; and after they
have enjoyed the precarious subsistence of the day,
they lie down in sloth, and take no thought as to
the morrow. Degraded as they are, and low as
they stand in the scale of mental degradation, yet
it is quite clear that they possess sensibilities, and
can even make at least some moral distinctions —
for instance, show them attention, and they re-
member it; perform an act of kindness for them,
and they are grateful ; prove by your demeanour
that you do not suspect them, and they imme-
diately throw aside their suspicion ; but on the
other hand, impose upon them, and they by way
of retaliation will cheat you.
Those of our readers who have read history,
have undoubtedly learned that our most famed
circumnavigators, and other travellers, have re-
corded numerous actions of moral honesty mani-
fested in their dealings, which are, alas ! no part
of the conduct of many who live in civilized chris-
tian England ! It has been generally remarked
CHARLES EATON. 329
that in their bartering transactions with our people
they have reposed a great reliance and faith, when
they once discovered that they were fairly treated.
Take a walk with them unarmed, and unaccom-
panied by any stranger, and they will reward your
confidence, by expressing high gratification in
countenance and gesture, and by escorting you in
safety. Englishmen are too apt to view these
beings in no other light than as wild beasts ; but
this arises from prejudice, and a misconception of
their real character.
This is not mere assertion, for numerous in-
stances might be adduced of Europeans proceeding-
far into the woods, at a distance from their ships
and settlements, and where they might easily have
been overpowered by numbers, and slain ; yet, on
the contrary, they have been hospitably treated,
the best fare they could procure has been set before
them, and they have been carried across streams
and marshes on the shoulders of the willino; natives.
In instances, too, when from the rarity and
value of articles within their reach, the temptation
to theft, ^^ the sin that doth so easily beset them,''
appeared in a manner irresistible, they have been
known to abstain from touching any thing, and
have proved by their self-control, that they were
not the habitual pilferers they are reported to be.
Perhaps we should not be wide of the mark, were
we to say, that this rude people have, in this
respect, been " more sinned against, than sinning.''
2u
330 SHIPWRECK OF THE
There can be but little doubt, (at least we have
but little) that the greater part of those dreadful
transactions which have both disfigured and out-
raged humanity, and which have brought so much
odium on the natives of these islands, has, in a
great measure, if not altogether, been owing to the
outrageous behaviour towards them of European
and American sailors, many of whom are them-
selves lawless vagabonds, and who, while em-
ployed in traffic upon these shores, discharge
pistols at them, and in other respects are guilty of
horrid cruelties. Whenever such occurrences take
place, they are calculated to engender a feeling of
revenge, which is doubtless inflicted upon the next
European that falls into their power. It is the
duty of every one, and a duty which ought to be
enforced, to behave with the greatest mildness and
caution in his intercourse with the natives ; and
more particularly with those whose abode lies in
the track of ships, the crews of which may be, as
they have frequently been, entirely at the mercy
of these ignorant, but perhaps not naturally ill-
disposed savages.
Who knows but that the fate of the crews of
the Charles Eaton and the Stirling Castle
was a vindictive return for some outrages which
the islanders had suffered from persons of the same
colour, at a prior period not far remote ? That
the islanders are cannibals, and that it is their
general custom to feel the fleshy part of the arms
CIIATILES EATON. 331
with apparent delight, has not only been surmised,
but asserted ; but in many instances the proofs
have been far from satisfactory.*
That they are guilty of, yea, perhaps we may
sa}^ addicted by nature to thieving, is fully ad-
mitted ; yet it is a question of policy whether for
their depredations in this way, they ought to be
punished severely. It should be remembered that
they have meagre ideas of the rights of property.
Children of nature, accustomed to ramble on the
wild common of their own settlements, and to take
freely whatever comes in their way, they have not
the scruples about appropriating anything to their
use which more enlightened people entertain ; and
perhaps, were a mild and conciliatory conduct
adopted when these depredations were unattended
with violence, some valuable lives would be saved,
and much inconvenience prevented. Several in-
tances of civilised delinquency might be quoted, far
less excusable than those committed by these untu-
tored beings. Our people have been known to take
tlieir canoes, and rig and fit them for their own use,
thereby robbing a whole family of the principal
means of getting a subsistence ; and, forsooth, this
vile transaction was never imagined to be in the
slightest degree dishonest. These predatory habits
* These remarks do not apply to the tribes to which Mrs.
Fraser and Mr. Baxter were attached, because they witnessed
human flesh served up as food on more occasions than one.
332 SHIPWRECK OF THE
on our part are only the exercise of '' might against
right." Can it be wondered at, then, that these
poor ignorant people should sometimes retaliate ?
Dr. Wilson, (from whose valuable work some of
these remarks have been gleaned) when speaking
of the aborigines of Raffles Bay, says : —
''Although it may seem paradoxical, yet I do
not hesitate to say, that the natives, far from being
such untameable savages as originally represented,
are in reality a comparatively mild, and by nature
and in disposition a merciful race of people. They
have frequently interposed their good offices to
prevent the children of the soldiers from being
chastised. I have seen them run between the
mother and the child, and beg the former to desist
from what seemed to appear to them very unna-
tural conduct, viz. to punish their own offspring.
Like all uncivilised people, they are very irascible,
but very easily pacified ; in short, they require to
be managed just like children. They were easily
taught to distinguish conventional right from
wrong, and many instances occurred which proved
their aptitude in this respect. They placed im-
plicit reliance on those who, having given a pro-
mise, performed it punctually."
The same may be observed of other savages,
in whatever quarter of the globe ; and whoever
reads '' Halketfs Account of the North American
Indians,''' will find many traits of character in
which they excel their white brethren. There is
CHARLES EATON. 333
a rationality, a courage, a patience, a self-denial,
and a resignation amidst trials, that would do
honour to any race of men ; they are an injured
people, and like all other injured people, they have
been traduced and vilified by their oppressors, by
way of excuse for the injury they inflicted on
them .
It cannot be doubted that if a British settlement
were founded on some one or other of the islands of
the Torres Straits, or on the north coast of New
Holland, very great advantages would be derived
from it, and would not only facilitate intercourse
between the Chinese and the Malays, or furnish
an entrepot for commerce, which would assuredly
create a great reciprocal advantage ; but what is
of much higher importance, it would form a con-
venient place of refuge in cases of shipwreck, which
are of such frequent and melancholy occurrence in
the adjacent seas.
Mr. Wemj/sSj a gentleman to whom we beg to
express our high obligations for the occasional
assistance he has rendered us, writes thus, in refer-
ence to the important desideratum to which we
have copiously alluded : —
*' But let us look higher ; and though mammon
be the ruling deity of the day, though exports and
imports — traffic and barter — produce and specie,
be the great objects of commercial pursuit; yet
in this late age of the world, can we find nothing
else to send to our brethren of mankind on foreign
334 shipVvreck of the
shores ? Are cottons and calicoes, iron and cut-
lery, the only exportable commodities ? May not
arts and sciences be exported ; above all, that
most ennobling science which teaches men * to
know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he
hath sent V This science has been already proved
to be the only effectual mode of civilizing bar-
barians, of refining the rude, of restraining the
passionate, and taming the vindictive. It has
been tried : let it be tried again ; once intro-
duced and received, their islands will cease to be
a Golgotha — 'a place of skulls;' ^ the Ethiopian
will change his skin, and the leopard lie down with
the kid/ The promise of God to give his Son
the heathen for his inheritance is sure to be ful-
filled sooner or later. The success of the past also
gives a good augury for the future. The triumphs
of Christianity in the South Sea Islands ; the
remarkable improvement of the Caffre tribes; the
change wrought on Canadian savages, and the
influence of the gospel on West Indian negroes :
to say nothing of the light thrown upon geo-
graphy and natural history, the discovery of new
channels for trade and commerce, the contributions
made to science in general, and all the other
benefits accruing from the extension of pure and
undefiled religion, — these are sufficient not only to
recommend past efforts, but to encourage to future
exertion in this great and holy cause.
'' It may be said, and indeed it has been said,
CHARLES EATON. 335
that while extensive and populous continents,
where life and property are to a considerable ex-
tent protected by law, remain destitute of the light
of the gospel, these continents are the field which
every consideration points out as the proper pro-
vince of missionary exertion. While myriads in
Africa and America, and millions in various parts
of Asia, continue ignorant of saving truth, lohy
should the resources of Christian labour he consumed
in missions to a few scattered islands ?"
This reasoning is really, at first view, very plau-
sible. Missionaries among savage islanders, where
no laws afford them protection, are not merely ex-
posed to persecution for ^' righteousness' sake," as
in other places, but to the danger of being mur-
dered for the sake of plunder, or simply from the
impulse of a barbarous disposition. All this is
very true : but the foolishness of God is wiser
than men ; and the reception which the gospel has
already met with in Polynesia, after an exercise of
faith and patience for many years, proves that the
directors of the London Missionary Society did
not miscalculate when they pitched upon that
unpromising region for the sphere of their earliest
labour. In fact, it is to this day uncertain whe-
ther at any former period these islands in the
Pacific Ocean had ever heard the name of Christ,
and they might have remained in the same de-
plorable ignorance almost to the end of time, but
for the philanthropy and zeal of British Christians.
33G SHIPWRECK OF THE
To have evangelized Tartary or China might have
appeared a more splendid achievement, and might
have produced larger fruits ; but when we consider
the advantages accruing to our commercial vessels
which every season visit these scattered isles ; and
the benefit arising to our shipwrecked sailors from
having a temporary home in such as have been
christiajiized, the case assumes a high degree of
importance. China is at present, and has for a
long time past, been hermetically sealed against
missionary enterprise ; whereas these islands present
an open door to all who are willing to make the
attempt. Nor is the population of these islands
on a despicable scale ; the aggregate number of
the inhabitants being very great. There are
many large and extensive groups, such as the
New Hebrides, New Caledonia, the Teejee islands,
and New Guinea, which are said to be 1200 miles
long, and in some parts 300 miles broad. The
Teejee comprise from 100 to 200 islands, varying
in size from five to 500 miles in circumference.
The various groups already christianized embrace a
population of from 275,000 to 300,000 persons.
Tf in the language of prophecy it is said, ''''Kings
shall see and arise, princes shall worship ;" the same
volume assures us that '^ the isles shall wait for his
law,''
The abject state of the inhabitants of the nu-
merous islands which are scattered about the seas
contiguous to New South Wales, and Australia,
CHARLES EATON. 337
has for a long time occupied the attention of the
christian, the philanthropist, the politician^ and
the emigrant ; all of whom agree, that their
civilization is an important desideratum, especially
as these islands are probably destined at no distant
day to be important specks in the map of British
territory ; but different opinions have been ex-
pressed as to the means to be used in order to
effect this purpose.
It is the opinion of some that the most efficient
mode would be, in the first place, for the Govern-
ment to form a *^ Civilization Society,'' upon a
plan something like the following, — viz. :
That a number of persons of good character
be sent at the expence of Government to the
principal islands, \vho are versed in mechanical
and agricultural knowledge.
That these persons have with them a sufficient
number of soldiers to protect from outrage, but at
the same time under orders not to intimidate the
natives.
That the work of civilization should take tlie
precedence, in order to prepare their minds for
the reception of gospel instruction.
That the settlers should make it their study to
conciliate the natives in every possible way, by
making them presents of such articles as are held
in the highest estimation by them, so as to inspire
that confidence, which appears to be the principal
step towards attaining the desired object.
2x
338 SHIPWRECK OF THE
Whether such an attempt will be made in our
day *ve know not ; but it appears to us to be well
deserving consideration on the grounds of hu-
manity and sound policy, apart even from those
of a moral and religious kind. Could such set-
tlements be established as are here suggested,
they would afford an asylum for shipwrecked
mariners, and prevent their falling into the hands
of the savages. It is also worthy of consideration,
whether it should not be promulgated to the
different tribes, that they would be amply re-
warded for the rescue of every life which came
within their power, and we doubt not but their
natural cupidity would preponderate against their
sanguinary disposition.*
* It is admitted by almost every one with whom we have
conversed on the subject, that the attempt at civilization ought
to be resorted to, and not the work of extirpation, as some have
suggested. There is ample encouragement to induce the former,
from the happy results which have crowned the labours of those
who have visited Owhyhee, the natives of which island, savage as
they were sixty years ago, when they shed the blood of our
immortal circumnavigator, Captain Cook, are now not only
more than demi-civilized, but in some degree evangelized,
through the instrumentality of British missionaries and British
mechanics; at all events they have repudiated many of their
barbarous, brutalizing customs, and substituted those which are
consonant to the spirit of true religion and right reason.
Who can tell but the savages inhabiting the regions of which
our history treats, may act, ere long, as those did at the place
where the vessel tourVipd, in which Paul made his memorable
CHARLES EATON. 339
We have ever been an advocate for missionary
exertions, yet it has often struck us that there
ought to be persons going before them like
pioneers to clear the way ; and this might be, in
some degree, effected by the adoption of a plan
like that which we have suggested. These har-
bingers, by means of friendly intercourse with the
natives, would learn their dialects, and be able to
act as interpreters to the missionaries when their
minds were prepared for their reception.
Of all men living, perhaps the persons who go
forth as missionaries are, physically speaking, the
most unfit for hardships and privations ; and their
habits and studies must have precluded their hav-
ing great practical knowledge of men and things.
Hence they carry with them, and act upon notions
which are founded on evangelization, and insist
where they ought to humour. It should be known
that prejudices will never yield so easily to coercion
as they will to mild and persuasive measures. The
Christian missionary should remember the plan
voyage to the capital of the Roman empire, nearly 1800 years
ago? The great apostle, after giving a detailed narrative of
the wreck, and the fears and sufferings of the sailors and
passengers, says, —
*' And when they were escaped, then they knew that the
island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed
us no little kindness : for they kindled a fire, and received us
every one, because of the present rain, and because of the
cold." — Acts xxviii. 1, 2.
340 SHIPWRECK OF THE
upon which his great prototype acted, viz. to ^* he-
come all things to all meriy so that he might save
some. *
The following judicious remarks are made by a
writer in the Missionary Chronicle for May, 1837,
* While writing upon this subject (and we deem it an all-
important one,) we shall be excused for extracting a paragraph
from a widely-extended and respectable journal, in order to
show that there are others who have ventured to assert this
opinion as well as ourselves. — *' The * Victor,' Capt. Crozier,
returned to Sydney on the 27th of December, 1836, having
been three months absent, visiting various South Sea Islands, in
the course of which she picked up nine seamen belonging to
different whalers, some of whom had suffered much from the
treatment of the savages. A French brig had been captured
some short time since, and the captain and part of the crew
murdered by the natives of the Feejee Islands. It appeared,
however, that the outrageous and unprincipled conduct of the
Europeans had brought the punishment on themselves, and the
same may be said of the * Active,' English vessel, two of the
crew of which are now restored to civilized life, their shipmates
having been murdered between two and three years ago.
The officers of the * Victor' speak very highly of the natives
whom they have visited in various islands during their trip^
who exhibit the rapid march of improvement through the exer-
tion of missionaries, a considerable drawback to whose exer-
tions exists in the too rigid discipline of the natives, the
missionaries appearing to require too much from them, and treat-
ing them as if they had been born in a civilized country. Many
of the natives complained of their dances, and other amusements,
being prohibited, and hence the instructions administered were,
in many instances, disregarded." — London Weekly Chro-
nicle, June ISth, 1837.
CHARLES EATON. 341
relative to the catastrophe we have already nar-
rated ; we hope they will be duly estimated by
our readers.
^^ Under whatever feelings the natives of this
island acted, whether in revenge for some real or
imagined wrong they had received from a vessel by
which they had been before visited, or the outrage
and violence of convicts from New South Wales,
who had reached their shores, — from a desire of
plunder, or from savage delight in shedding
blood, no Christian mind can contemplate the
horrible massacre, without the deepest commisera-
tion for the unhappy sufferers.
" But, while sharing these feelings in common
with others, the friends of missions will in this
transaction see new reasons for increased liberality
and zeal in sending forth the humanizing gospel
of peace. They will also perceive in this event
additional evidence of the advantage of missions.
How differently would the shipwrecked crew have
been treated, had a missionary dwelt on the island,
or had the natives been made acquainted, by his
occasional visits, with the truths of the Bible ;
Then, instead ol being met, as they landed, with the
murderous club, they would have been welcomed
and cheered by sympathy and succour ; instead of
the grave, they would have found a home, as comfort-
able as the resources of the island could have made
it; instead of their countrymen having been sent to
search for their mangled bodies and unburied bones.
342 SHIPWRECK OF THE
the natives would have worked, to assist them in pro-
viding the means of returning to their friends, even
though such efforts should have met with no other
compensation than forgetfulness. Deeds of murder,
equally appalling, were perpetrated at the Sand-
wich and Society groups, and other islands of the
Pacific, after their first intercourse with shipping,
and when there were no missionaries among
them ; but since they have received the instructions
of missionaries, they have treated the mariners
with kindness, protected any property which they
might have rescued from the deep, mitigated, to
the utmost extent of their power, the calamity of
shipwreck, and thus proved the true friends of
humanity, and entitled themselves to the esteem
and gratitude of the benevolent in every part of
the world. These facts, while they animate those
already engaged in the work, will, it is hoped,
recommend Christian missions to the encourage-
ment and aid of many who may not hitherto have
contributed to their support."'^
Notwithstanding we have ventured an opinion
as to the seeming inutility of sending missionaries
before the way is, in some small degree at least.
* This statement reminds us of a fact which was noticed in the
early part of the work, viz. the hopes that Captain Fraser and
his companions entertained, that they might reach some spot
where a Christian missionary was located, and through whose
influence they might find succour in ihe day of tribulation.
[ARLES EATON. 343
paved for their reception, and their probable use-
fulness, — we should be sorry to be misunderstood
upon this important subject. From our early youth,
we have been staunch friends to missionary en-
deavours, and unflinching advocates for them,
when attacks have been made by infidels or others,
who view them as chimerical and Utopian. No-
thing is more certain than the fact, that wherever
Christianity is planted, she carries on her heavenly
wings blessings which are calculated to make '* the
heathen to rejoice and he exceeding glad;'' and in
exact proportion as her humanizing doctrines are
disseminated or suppressed, will civilization and
morality, which may be considered as her two
handmaids, be extended or limited. Nor is it to
us a matter of consideration by whom this good
may be effected, whether by a Paul, an Apollos,
or a Barnabas ; yet we hope that a sectarian spirit
will never find its way to ^* the isles of the sta."
Time was when our ancestors were as rude in
their manners, and as cruel in their dispositions,
as are *' the wild untaught Indian brood ;" yea, as
barbarous perhaps as at present are the savages of
New Holland : what then has made us to differ ?
The diffusion of gospel truth ; and in proportion
as that has been received, have we progressed in
moral intelligence, and the cultivation of the arts
and sciences; ^'for godliness is profitable unto all
things, having promise of the life that now is, and
of that which is to come.''
344 SHIPWRECK OF THE
It is acknowledged on all hands that the in-
habitants of the Emerald Isle stand pre-eminent
for shrewdness, and native intelligence ; yet how
low do the peasantry stand in point of moral
elevation, when compared with those of our own
country, and that part of the United Kingdom
called Scotland ! What is then the cause of this
disparity? Why the wide dissemination of re-
ligious truth, and the progress which has been
effected by means of education and moral instruc-
tion. How widely different is England now, from
what it was when a little band of Wesleys and
Whitfields broke through the walls of university
cloisters, and went forth among the colliers at
Kingswood, and other heathenish parts of the
land, at the peril of their lives, and instructed the
inhabitants in the way of truth ! The change
which has been effected in those neighbourhoods is
of a truly cheering character, and the fact is too
self-evident to be denied for a moment.
We are aware that giving our opinion upon such
a subject may expose us to the scorn and ridicule
of a few, but we feel assured that those for whom
we write, namely, the many, will agree with us ;
considering as we do that he who takes up his pen
(however humble it may be) ought ever to avow
his sentiments, regardless of censure on the one
hand or of commendation on the other. We often
think, and deeply too, upon the declarations of
prophecy, that God " will give his Son the heathen
CHARLES EATON. 345
for his inheritance^ and the uttermost parts of the
earth for his possession ;" and feel convinced that
eventually '' all the kingdoms of the earth will
become his kingdoms^ and his dominion over them
be an everlasting dominion.'' Then how great will
be the amount of happiness which will flow to all
the human race, when the Gospel has met with
universal and complete success ! Great progress
has been made within the last forty years in mis-
sionary exertions by almost every sect into which
the christian world is divided, but at present they
are only in their infancy.* Their past exertions
have been crowned with signal success in some
parts of the globe, and with partial good in others ;
so that they are encouraged to go on, obeying the
instruction of wisdom, which teaches them — '^ In
the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold
not thine hand, for thou knowest not whether shall
prosper, either this or that, or whether they both
shall prove alike good. ' '
* Who in the mightiest river hath not seen
A spring unlook'd for, shallow, poor and mean?
Meandering on, unconscious at its source,
What tributary streams might join its course ;
Supplied along by many a gurgling rill,
At length becomes a stream to turn a mill ;
Rolling its flood through many a lengthened mile.
Becomes at last a Ganges or a Nile !
These lines are exemplified in the " source '* and " course
of the Thames, the queen of rivers.
2 Y
346 SHIPWRECK OF THE CHARLES EATON.
In our introduction (page 4), we referred to the
gallant conduct of Lieutenant Otter; and we do
hope, that men of talent, wealth, and above all, of
sterling piety, may volunteer, like him, in such a
cause. Men born to princely fortunes, risk them in
order to obtain honour and fame. How many
who seek a competence go out to India, and endure
the heat of the climate, and the fatigues of study,
in order to acquire the language of the natives !
The finest scholars devote themselves to travelling
in the most inhospitable regions, from a love of
science, and in order to become perfect in the
knowledge of geography, botany, natural history,
and geology. Let such listen to and obey the
command of Him whose life was spent in doing
good — ^* Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature.''
*' Already," says a recent writer on this subject,
'* already the Burmans are calling for teachers,
and the word of life : Hindoos cry, * Come over
and help us :' China groans to be free ; Africa
stretches out her hands to God ; the American
aborigines thirst for the waters of life : but then
the desire shall be fulfilled, the arms shall embrace
the longed-for boon : the parched soul shall be
satisfied with heavenly cordials ; and days come
on this apostate world, such as it never saw since
the creation of man : and all nations, people,
kindred and tongues, shall bow before the throne
of Him * who is over all, God blessed for ever.' "
SHIPWRECK OF THE STIRLING CASTLE. 347
CHAPTER XXI.
A Chapter miscellaneousy but not irrelevant — odd bits —
on-dits, shreds, patches, S^c. S^c,
When penning the early pages of the history
which is now drawing to a conclusion, we had an
expectation of being able to give something in the
shape of a memoir of the lamented Captain Fraser ;
but a circumstance, not at that time anticipated,
has dried up the spring which we expected would
be the source from whence to draw our information,
therefore we abandon the proposed task.
From all that we have been able to collect re-
specting him, it appears that from his early youth
he became a votary to Neptune, and with the
exception of the disasters which appeared to have
been reserved for his latter days, his life was
monotonous — we mean, he was either making a
voyage or preparing for one. For a long series
of years the stream ran smooth, and his trips, as
he called a sail to the antipodes, rendered him, if
not a scientific, yet a clever nautical man, in the
ordinary sense in which the phrase is received. H6
348 SHIPWRECK OF THE
was, moreover, a person of strict probity, as many
can testify who frequent 'Change and Sweeting's
Alley ; and his constant engagements are the best
proofs of the estimation in which he was held by
the owners of vessels and the underwriters at
Lloyd's. As a commander we are assured that he
combined the simplicity of the Christian with that
sternness which is ever and ought to be a prominent
feature connected with his nautical and highly
responsible station, thus insuring the affections of
his crew and obedience to anticipated desires,
which in a great degree superseded dictation on his
part. It has so happened that we have fallen in
with those who were united to him by the ties of
consanguinity and strict friendship, and they all
concur as to his being moral in his deportment,
urbane in his manners, and in altitude and features,
what is deemed a handsome man ; who fell a
victim to wanton barbarity on an inhospitable
shore, ere (we believe) he had completed his fifty-
sixth year.
In an early page we hinted that we had been
favoured by a copy of verses which were once
addressed by the sister of Captain James Fraser,
and which we promised to give, because they have,
to say the least of them, a collateral connexion
with our history. This sisterly effusion contains
much good advice, given in a narrow compass;
and the fair writer deserves our praise. Young
raen entering upon life, wc think, might read
«■
r
STIRLING CASTLE. 349
this to advantage, because the rocks and quick-
sands allui^d to, exist on the shore as well as in the
oceaji.
[*^^ The respectable female who gave us the
MS. has since expressed her disinclination that it
: should be published, \«ishing, as she says, to
I avoid being brought into public notice. Anxious
: as we are to listen to feminine requests, we are un-
able, after the promise we made in an early page
of this work, to comply with that of our fair corre-
spondent, well knowing that the lines about to be
introduced contain excellent advice, and convey a
moral lesson upon the very important points to
which they have allusion.]
A Sister s Advice*
Accept, dear James, from thy most anxious friend,
Some useful counsel by affection penn'd.
To my advice you've oft indifference paid,
Which bids me hope this last will be obeyed.
Then, my dear brother, kindly plead excuse
For every error in your sister's muse.
First, my young sailor, let me recommend
In life's fair spring to make your God your friend.
That Power which you in bloom of youth engage,
Will ne'er desert you in declining age
Unto your mother every reverence pay,
'Tis God's command her precepts to obey.
Be duteous, tender, open and sincere ;
She then shall love thee, and thy name revere.
Written when Ciiptain F. was in early life.
350
SHIPWRECK OF THE
Be firm in friendship— scorn all mean disguise
Nor suffer mean resentment to arise.
Beware of passion, it unmans the soul,
If once indulged, it never brooks co'i-^ol.
Temperance, dear James, I warn^y recommend,
In fumes of wine too oft is lo^t a friend.
Trembling I charge thee, f^tal gambling shun,
A desperate vice, which thousands have undone !
Oh ! fly the frenzy with contempt and scorn ;
Though mad at night, reflection comes with morn.
Of wedlock's state I can but little say,
For youthful hearts in general take their way :
I only raise to Hymen's throne my voice,
That he may lead you to a happy choice.
Dear as you are — detested be your name.
If ere you bring the innocent to shame,
Or stain the honour of a virtuous race,
Or bring a hapless female to disgrace.
Scorn not their ruin — every aid pray lend,
For man was made their honour to defend.
When we're apart — thou on some distant shore,
Think on the writer, and these lines read o'er.
They are her counsels, and with hope sincere.
She trusts James Fraser will to them adhere.
Then will his fame ever unclouded shine.
His age will brighten as his years decline.
M. A. F.
To Captain James Fraser, ^c.
THE PIETY OF A YOUTH.
Mrs. Fraser gives an interesting proof of the
piety and filial confidence in God, manifested by
young Fraser, the Captain's nephew, aged thirteen,
under circumstances the most appalling.
STIRLING CASTLE. 351
After the Stirling Castle had struck on the Eliza
Reef, and the Captain had declared it was im-
possible she could ^Mive" for any length of time,
the little boy was missing ; the sound of his voice
led Mrs. Fraser to open the door of the cabin
water-closet, when she discovered him on his
knees, audibly imploring the forgiveness and the
mercy of God upon all those who like himself (in
his situation) were about to perish in the deep.
Addressing her he said, '^ Aunt, are you prepared
for death?" What a question,^ and at such a
moment too, from such a child ! She replied,
^^ Robert, I am afraid I am not prepared for death."
He then said, *^ Pray, aunt, pray — that's the only
way — God will have mercy on us !" She then
said, '^ Robert, how do you feel yourself — do you
think you are ready ?" He replied emphatically,
'' I hope so : the Lord's will be done !" The little
fellow outlived the wreck, but finally the waves
of the sea became his winding sheet; and who
dare doubt that the Lord, to whose will he was
resigned, took him to that place where prayer is
never heard ?
Although the youth with the others escaped
from the wrecked vessel, it may be said in reference
to him, that '^ tht time of his departure was at
hand/' for after the lapse of a few intervening
days, ^' he finished his course'' on earth, by being
drowned when searching for oysters, as has already
been noted in the early part of our narrative, and
352 SHIPWRECK OF THE
he thereby escaped many of the horrible sufferings
and privations, which his relatives and companions
were doomed to undergo.
CONFIDENCE IN GOD A PREVENTION OF SUICIDE.
Amidst sufferings so dreadful, and the infliction
of them so unremitting almost on every consecutive
day, their only prospect of deliverance from which
was death either by torture or starvation, it would
have been no wonder if they had been tempted by
their own hands to have *' dared the presence of the
God who made them !" That they were tempted
more than once to commit the dreadful deed, they
will not dare to deny ; but the preventing interfer-
ence of Heaven restrained them from doing this
evil in his sight .'" — " His strength was made perfect
in their weakness.'' They were taught to obey the
moral to Cowper's little poem, called ^^ The Need-
less Alarm," —
** Beware of desperate steps. The darkest day,
Live till to-morrow, will have pass'd away." *
* The author cannot refrain from adverting, by way of note,
to a circumstance which, when it occurred, gave him great
pain, and has since been a frequent source of mournful recol-
lection. A very few years since a youth, with a head possess-
ing literary and intellectual wisdom, and a heart as kind as it
could be expected a youthful heart to be, buoyant with hope,
callous to fear, indifferent to every thing but obedience to
STIRLING CASTLE. 353
** They cried unio the Lord in their tj^ouhle, and.
He delivered them.'' And they did not cry in
vain. What an awful sense must they have had
of a present Providence at the time they were
about to be rescued ! Who can tell the overpower-
those to whom, in a literary sense, he was subordinate ; but his
heart was not shielded against the darts of Cupid, nor was his
brain proof against tenanting a suspicion of unrequited love.
On the day we last saw him, (the last day but one that he lived !)
he had seen that which excited a conviction in his mind that his
fair one was a coquette, and he became suspicious that he had
a successful rival. He was then about to take a hasty ride to
a fashionable watering place, fifty miles from a respectable
tavern, in which we for the last time met. Oh ! that he
had then unbosomed himself, — we should have been able to
prove that his surmises were unfounded, and that the object
of his choice doted upon him with that ardent affection which
is ever the concomitant of genuine female love.
He travelled and arrived at B -w, and ere the dawn of
the following day he was a suicide !
From respect to his friends we forbear the mention of names ;
but many of those who read this narrative will be sure to re-
member the catastrophe of their youthful intelligent friend,
and the following lines, which were written extempore the day
after his interment.
The body was laid in the burial ground of Lady Huntingdon's,
or what is commonly called Spafields Chapel.
Extempore Reflection, penned in White Conduit Gardetts.
'* 'Tis but a week — a little week
Since healths we quaffed, and hands we parted ;
The bloom of health was on his cheek,
1 little thought him broken-hearted !
2z
354 SHIPWRECK OF THE
ing fear and agonizing doubts which pervaded
their minds, and then alternately the joy, the
gratitude and extacy, amounting almost to deli-
rium, which caused their hearts to palpitate within
them ! We ardently hope that all those who have
been especial objects of favour in the sight of
Heaven, so as to escape from their enemies by
miracle, will ever evince their gratitude to Him
who hath brought them out of *' the valley of the
shadow of death " — and they can only do so by
keeping His commandments. Their daily lan-
guage ought to be, and we hope it is — '' I will
magnify the Lord as long as I live, because he hath
dealt bountifully with me.''
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE OF GOd's WAYS TO MAN.
The lip of truth hath declared that, *^ when the
judgments of the Lord are abroad in the earthy the
inhabitants thereof will learn righteousness.'' Per-
haps it may have been from this consideration that
when some great evil hath visited a city, a kind
of religious commotion has been observable. With-
This morning I beheld the grave
Where weeping friends had lowly laid him ;
And sighed that man should dare to brave
The presence of the God who made him !
But let him rest — his faults were few,
And such as may be well forgiven ;
Save one dread deed — and may that too
Find favour in the sight of Heaven !"
STIRLING CASTLE. 355
out reciting cases generally, we need only refer to
the plagues and fires in London, and the epidemic
called cholera morbus, which prevailed at so recent
a period, that it need scarcely be alluded to, ex-
cept to remind those who survived, how they
lamented the death of those they held dear, and
the dread they then expressed lest they also should
be numbered with the dead !
Also when a frightful thunder-storm has visited
a location (for they are generally partial in their
destructive operation), how great an alarm has been
created I
There was one visited London and its environs,
A. D. 1806, when the writer was a mere lad, and
on the following Sunday the awful event was de-
scanted upon by preachers who occupied the pulpits
on that day, both episcopalians and dissenters.
We remember well, and hope ever to remember,
attending a service at St. George's Church, South-
work, on the sabbath alluded to, when a then po-
pular divine propounded the question to young
persons, and made it the motto of his discourse —
* * Hast thou an arm like God, or canst thou thun-
der with a voice like him ?"
In the destinies of empires those services are
not overlooked, and particularly in protestant
countries, where solemn fasts are appointed in
times of war and other dire calamities, and days
of public thanksgiving after a great victory, &c.
Sometimes there are facts so strikingly impor-
356 SHIPWRECK OF THE
tant in the fates or destinies of individuals, as to
call forth public attention and religious feeling.
This was the case in respect of the happy de-
liverance of Mrs. Fra^er, Baxter, and a few of
their companions. No sooner had they reached
Sydney, than the inhabitants of the metro-
polis of the new world prevailed upon the
Bishop of Australia to preach a public thanks-
giving sermon in the principal church, in order to
return thanks for the mercies vouchsafed in the
preservation of seven fellow-creatures from a horrid
captivity, and restoring them to civilized society.
The service must have been a solemn and impressive
one.
In our own country, the fact of their deliver-
ance gave rise to some stated public religious
services, one or two of which we attended ; and we
have been told that several divines connected
with the established church, and the various sects
of dissenters, made incidental, and some of them
striking, allusions to the captivity, sufferings, and
deliverance of the persons of whom our history
treats.
Notice was publicly given, that on Sunday,
August 27, a sermon would be preached at the
Mariners' Church, Wellclose-square, by Mr. G.
C. Smith, in order to return thanks to God for his
pres.erving mercy, &c.
As it was announced that Mrs. Fraser and other
persons connected with this history would be present,
STIRLING CASTLE. 357
the church was crowded to excess ; and among the
audience were several officers of the royal navy in
their uniforms, and a great number of captains
and masters of merchant vessels. The rev, gen-
tleman chose for his text the following words : —
' ' O God of our salvation, who art the confidence
of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are
afar off upon the sea,'' — Ps. Ixv. 5.
The discourse was certainly not only appropriate,
but excellent, and what may properly be termed
a nautical one. The knowledge which the preacher
possessed of navigation and maritime affairs, en-
abled him to make statements and allusions which
riveted the attention of a dense auditory, some of
which were very striking, and produced an evi-
dent sensation — the thumb of many a tar wiped
the rebel tear from his eyelash.
We give the substance of the concluding obser-
vations, because they remind us of FlaveVsi^mows
book, " Navigation Spiritualized,'" and show also
the ingenuity of the preacher. Some of the places
referred to are dotted in Our map of New South
Wales ; but the scale to which we were confined
})recluded the insertion of every speck connected
with the passage from Sydney to India, by the way
of Torres Straits.
The rev. gentleman, in tne beginning of his dis-
course, remarked upon the chart of the Sea Islands,
&c., which are marked down in connexion with
that part of the ocean where the ^' Stirlifig Castle''
358 SHIPWRECK OF THE
and Charles Eaton were wrecked. There were
some of the places, he said, which so exactly
corresponded with the voyage of the Christian from
time to eternity, that he should be excused making
a few observations upon them, and he was the
more induced to do so because most of them
derived their names from gallant commanders
and circumnavigators, in consequence of disasters
they had experienced in this dangerous sea, or of
mercies which thev had received.
c/
(1.) In the first place he would notice a water
marked down on the canvass, which is called
*' Trinity Bay.''' Here it was that sinful man
cast anchor for a season whten he commenced his
spiritual life, which is often compared to a voyage.
The anchor of his hope was in a triune God — the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who dispenses par-
don, redemption, and sanctification.
(2.) Looking a little further on, you perceive
** Cape Tribulation' stands conspicuous on the
chart ; and it was impossible for the Christian
voyager to arrive at the end of his travel without
touching at it. ** For it is through much tribula-
tion we must enter the kingdom of heaven.'' His
hearers would notice the word much, for indeed it
was verified in the experience of every one ; and
no doubt the commander who gave this place the
name, had to struggle with some extraordinary
difficulty, which however, by perseverance and
the mercy of Heaven, he overcame. Thus will it
STIRLING CASTLE. 359
be with the Christian, if he relies upon the Anchor
which is sure and steadfas.
(3.) After beating about for a considerable time
near this cape, tempest-tossed and care-worn, and
having been deprived of the light of the sun, moon,
and stars for many days, the weather clears up,
and the sails are again set ; and whither proceeds
the vessel? Why, into '' Providential Channel,''
which is the next place he should notice on the
interesting canvass. The voyage of life is a
chequered one, and happy for the Christian sailor
that it is so. Were he to remain almost continually
at Cape Tribulation , his soul would be dispirited,
and he would be discouraged because of the per-
petual roughness of his way. But having got into
the clear stream of Providential Channel, his vessel
glides gently along upon the smooth surface ; and
instead of clouds and darkness being round about,
a brilliant sunshine settles on the head of her top-
gallant-mast. While in that current, there are no
*' coral reefs," shoals or quicksands, and no reason
for fearful apprehensions as to her fate.
(4.) The next place he should notice in the
chart is Endeavour Straits. How illustrative again
of the progress of the Christian navigator ! It
would not do for him to sail always on clear water
and under a cloudless sky, for if that were so, he
would become listless, and perhaps self-secure.
In order to prevent this, the Great Pilot ordains
that their energies shall be called into action, so
360 SHIPWRECK OF THE
that they may behold the necessity of using their
endeavours so to steer that they may in due time
arrive at the desired haven.
(5.) The last place which he should remark upon,
as connected with the latitude of the globe under
consideration, was *' Cape Deliverance,''' Blessed
cape ! When the christian sailor arrives here, he
may say. Farewell, raging seas ; farewell, Borean
winds ; farewell, cloudy days and stormy nights !
Then will the fair haven of a happy eternity ex-
pand to his delighted view.
" Heaven opens on his eyes : his ears
With sounds seraphic ring."
Arrived at this blessed cape, he may exultingly
exclaim — '' My warfare is ended, my voyage is
accomplished,'' and instead of anticipating boisr
terous waves, he may look forward to the stream
** which maketh glad the city of God,'' and sing- -
" There shall I bathe my weary soul
In seas of heavenly rest ;
And not a wave of trouble roll
Across my peaceful breast." —
* ' He*s been our Pilot, favour'd crew,
He hush'd the winds that rudely blew,
And op'd the port to our raptur'd view.
Where we shall moor in glory,"
*^* The author begs to state, that the above
observations are not verbatim those of the rev.
gentleman who uttered them ; the service was so
STIRLING CASTLE. 361
impressive, that his short-hand became unnerved,
and therefore he has written from the aid supplied by
the faculty of memory — a handmaid which seldom
forsakes him ; but which, excellent auxiliary as it
is, will never do justice to a speaker unaided by
the graphic evolutions of the stenographist.
The rev. gentleman above alluded to, and who
has been respectfully named in the course of this
work, and his poetical effusions inserted, ad-
dressed a letter to the lord mayor (a copy of which
was transmitted to us), in which he gives his opi-
nion upon several matters relevant to that to which
some of our pages have reference. Among other
things he says, —
^' The notoriety and excitement in the case of
Capt. Fraser's widow and her orphan boys, have
enforced in my mind, in connexion with many
other most agonizing cases, the absolute necessity
of repeating and re-urging our application to the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, for one
of our many otherwise useless un-scagoing ships
of war, and for craving your Lordship's permission,
as conservator of the Thames, that she might be
cradled, and moored end on to the shore in the
river, for the purpose of a prompt asylum to take
about 1000 orphan boys of shipwrecked, castaway,
killed, or poor destitute captains and sailors, where
they might be clothed, victualled, lodged, and
trained up with a nautical, and also with a de-
cidedly religious and temperance education.
3 a
362 SHIPWRECK OF THE
*' If your Lordship were to promote this appli-
cation, it might convey to posterity a brighter
monument of the period when your Lordship filled
the civic throne of the first city in the world, than
all the marble pillars or tablets a grateful metro-
polis could possibly raise to your memory, as
' The father of the fatherless: 'Sept. 27, 1837."
AUSTRALIA.
Until within these few years, no attempt had
been made to explore this coast ; but in 1827,
Capt. Stirling sailed from Sydney, and reached
GazS's Roads, at the mouth of the Swan River. As
yet but little intercourse has been held with the
natives ; but so far as they have been observed, they
differ but little from those of Port Jackson. At
first very high expectations were formed as to the
probable prosperity of this colony, and it received
the encouragement of the British government, by
an order from the Colonial Office in 1827. The
report of Mr. Fraser, who accompanied Captain
Stirling's expedition, was very favourable in re-
gard to its climate, soil, &c. But the more recent
accounts have been unfavourable ; many settlers
have returned in a state of destitution, and it must
be left to time and experience to determine the sta-
bility of its future prospects.
The successive accounts which have been pub-
lished of this colony, show a very rapid progress
in its wealth and population. By the census taken
STIRLING CASTLE. 363
in 1821, it appears that the settlers amounted to
40,000, and at the present time it is supposed to
be at least 60,000. The climate in the vicinity
of the colony is highly salubrious, though the heats
in summer are sometimes excessive ; the thermo-
meter ranging from 95° to 100° in the shade. This,
however, happens only during the hot winds,
which do not last above ten or twelve days in the
year. The general heat of summer is about 80° at
noon. In winter hoar-frosts prevail ; and at a little
distance from the coast ice is found. The rain gene-
rally falls in March, April, and May. The coast
for about five or six miles is encircled with a girdle
of barren soil, and for ten miles further there is no
visible improvement. But after passing these ex-
tensive borders, the country rapidly improves into
an endless variety of hill and dale clothed with
the most luxuriant herbage, and large spreading
trees. A variety of flowering shrubs, unknown in
Europe, of the most exquisite perfume, abound
in those parts which are free from trees, and
among these a remarkably tall shrub, bearing an
elegant flower, which to the smell resembles the
English maytree, but much more powerful, and
peculiarly delightful, perfuming the air to a vast
distance.
The chief vegetable produce of the colony is,
wheat^ maize, barley, oats, and rye ; potatoes, cab-
bages, carrots, turnips, peas, beans, lettuces, onions,
and in fact, almost all kinds of English vegetables.
364 SHIPWRECK OF THE
some of which improve in this new soil, and some
degenerate. Fruit trees of all sorts flourish re-
markably well. Peaches, apricots, nectarines,
grapes, pears, plums, figs, oranges, pomegranates,
and melons, attain the highest degree of perfection
and maturity in the open air ; even the pine-
apple is produced with very little artificial heat.
The apple, the currant, and the gooseberry do not
thrive so well ; raspberries and strawberries grow
in great abundance.
In the quadrupeds of New Holland there is a
striking diversity from those found in other quar-
ters of the globe. Of these, the principal is the
kangaroo, the flesh of which is highly estimated
by the settlers. The remarkable peculiarity of
this animal is the disproportion between its fore
and hind legs— the former not half the length of
the latter. It is, nevertheless, exceedingly swift,
and bounds over bushes seven or eight feet high.
The wombat is another animal peculiar to this part
of the globe. It is a squab, thick, and short-
legged quadruped, slow of foot, and about the
size of a large dog. There is also a species of dog,
very different to those known in Europe, which is
exceedingly fierce, and difficult to be tamed.
Another singular animal is the ormithoiy hjiichus
paradoxas, an amphibious creature, with the body
of a quadruped, and the head and beak of a bird.
Besides these animals, there are several varieties
of the opossum, the flying squirrel, and the kan-
garoo rat.
STIRLING CASTLE. 365
The domestic animals have all been imported by
the colonists ; and with the exception of the goat,
they have all very rapidly multiplied. Among
the birds, the most remarkable are the ostrich,
the emu, the cassowary, and the black swan.
Eagles of uncommon size and strength are found
in the mountains. The beautiful bird of paradise
is found here, and a great variety of the smaller
kinds of the feathered creation. Several sorts of
serpents, enormous spiders, and scolopandras are
also met with here. Shell-fish are found in great
numbers on the coast, as well as shoals of whales,
sharks and dolphins.
The aboriginal tribes of New Holland are repre-
sented as the most miserable and savage race of mor-
tals upon earth. *' They go entirely naked, and^
pleased at first with any ornament that may be given
* It has already been mentioned that " the islands of the
eccij*' contiguous to the coast of New Holland, are very nu-
merous ; and it appears that while the natives have all of them
habits and customs, which lead us to believe they originally
sprang from one common stock, yet, generally speaking, their
manners and language differ very much from each other. For
this reason we have deemed it advisable to give the accounts
of various historians, at the same time taking the liberty of
interspersing them with some explanatory remarks of our own.
We consider that nothing which relates to a people to whose
distant shores thousands of our countrymen are yearly emigra-
ting, will be deemed unacceptable, and it is for the informa-
tion of these that we chiefly write.
366 SHIPWRECK OF THE
them, they soon become tired of it, and throw it
away. Their natural colour is rather a deep
chocolate than black ; but the custom of colouring
their skins with gums and ochres of a red or black
hue, renders it almost impossible to tell what the
native colour really is, for unctuous matter is
poured upon the infant as soon as it is born. This
fact at all events, we think, proves clearly that
they are not satisfied with the hue in which nature
has arrayed them, as were that so, they would not
thwart her wise intentions by having recourse to
artificial and inelegant bedaubings.
Their hair is also filled and matted with the
same preparation, and feathers are inserted. Some
of the tribes render their bodies hideous by in-
cising them in the most fleshy parts by means of
sharp shells, &c. ; but in their folly they consi-
der that the unseemly gashes add to their beauty.
Some of them perforate the cartilage of the nose,
and wear a large piece of bone, or other splendid
ornament through it. Although they thus put
on ^' the outward adorning" of red, black, and
occasionally white paint, it is a remarkable fact
that the most common feathers, at least in the
estimation of Europeans, are used at their toilet,
while the beautiful plumage of the birds of para-
dise, and others equally splendid, are repudiated.
In some of the tribes most of the men have a tooth
deficient in the upper jaw, and this is deemed a
badge of honour ! and it is equally common with
STIRLING CASTLE. 367
the women to cut off the first two joints of the
little finger of the left hand ; — they assign as a
reason for this, that it is in their way when they
wind their fishing-lines ! Many of the native
tribes are athletic and well-proportioned, but others
are under the standard of average European alti-
tude. They live chiefly on fish, which they cap-
ture sometimes in nets, and sometimes by spearing.
When they retire to the interior they subsist upon
kangaroos, opossujns, berries, fruit and vegetables.
Generally speaking they are wandering tribes,
and never locate for any period in one place.
Naturally indolent as they are, with respect to
migration, locomotion appears to be interwoven
in their nature. Their temporary hovels or huts,
if they deserve the name, are formed of bark of
trees, grass, &c., each containing space enough
for a single person, without any room for an article
of furniture or convenience. Their largest clans
seldom extend beyond the family circle ; and from
their familiar and promiscuous intercourse it may
be supposed to be diverse in its ramifications. Of
the benefits arising from social life they appear to
have very crude ideas ; and the only one observ-
able is, that the elder of the tribe is called by a
name which is synonymous with '* father ; " but
it would seem that like other children, ^' whose
lines are cast in pleasant places, aiid who have a
goodly heritage,'' they neglect to '^ obey," while
the ** honour " they manifest is too often com-
368 SHIPWRECK OF THE
pulsory, instead of the emanation of filial affec-
tion.
Having no impelling motive to the performance
of a good action, and nothing to deter them from
a bad one, no wonder that they are sunk so low
in the thermometer, and almost to the very zero,
of civilization. When a woman dies in the hour
of parturition, or while a sucking child is yet by
her side, it is customary for the babe to be thrown
into the same grave, when the father throws a
stone upon his offspring and her who bore it, and
his example is followed by the rest of the tribe.
Parental care appears never to have suggested
itself to the minds of these rude and barbarous
people. The nearest relations in the same tribe
are also perpetually the victims to the worst of
passions, and feuds are continually arising among
them, which call forth ^* an expiation by blood,''
and that is made either in open combat or by
secret stratagem. Should it be a matter which has
called forth judicial recognition, the person who
is adjudged guilty is obliged to expose himself to
the spears of the injured family, and as many as
choose are allowed to hurl their deadly spears at
him from a certain distance. If he be able to
parry the shafts by his dexterity, or sinks under
them, dreadfully wounded, a reconciliation im-
mediately takes place, and friendship supersedes
animosity ; but should the criminal refuse to
undergo this ordeal, both himself and family are
STIRLING CASTLE. 369
considered fair game for murder and attack where-
ever they are met with. Even in the article of
love they show a savage ferocity, for the first act
of courtship is for the young man to knock down
the girl he desires for his companion with a heavy
club ; and then, while in a state of insensibility,
drag her away from her friends ; hence it is that
scarcely any woman among them, who has lived
in a state of sexual intercourse, but what has a
scar on her person, which is deemed a mark of her
paramour's affection !
THE BRAVE GRAHAM.
It is with pleasure that we, almost at the close of
the twelfth hour, have it in our power to announce
that the Colonial Government, in addition to his
emancipation from slavery, presented Graham
with thirty guineas, for his enterprise in the rescue
of Mrs. Fraser, Baxter, and the others from cap-
tivity ; and that the conditional pardon granted
by Governor Bourke, has been made a general
one by the fiat of the Home Secretary. We feel
induced to say more about Graham, whose inter-
esting ^* log book" we hoped to have appended to
our narrative, but in this expectation, we are sorry
to say we have been disappointed. We console
ourselves that Graham is a free man, and we are
informed intends to proceed to England.
3 B
370 SHIPWRECK &F TlIE
BRITISH BENEVOLENCE. — THE ERASER FUND.
No sooner had the melancholy recital of the
sufferings of the survivors of the ivreck of the
Stirling Castle been made to the Lord Mayor, than
he expressed a confidence, that if upon investiga-
tion, the details should prove correct, (which we
are happy to say has proved to he the case,) the
public, and more especially British females,
would readily contribute toward the present
comfort and future support of the widow of Cap-
tain Fraser, and his three orphan children. His
lordship's anticipation, as we shall show in the
sequel, was founded upon a proper estimate of
true English feeling, for no sooner had the narra-
tive given before him at the Mansion House by
Mrs. Fraser and others, gone the ordinary circuit
through the medium of the public press, than the
streams of benevolence flowed from various sources,
and from all grades of the community, so that his
lordship became the depository of a sum, the
amount of which by far exceeded his most san-
guine expectations.
We feel quite sure that the public will be
gratified by receiving an account of the sum
received, and the manner in which it has been
disposed of; and indeed it is what the donors
especially are entitled to. When it is considered
that the money flowed in spontaneously, without
any appeal to public sympathy by advertisement,
STIRLING CASTLE. 371
it is a proof that the chord of philanthropy need
only receive a gentle touch to cause it to vibrate,
and respond to the calls of the widow and the
fatherless.
We have been favoured by the chief magistrate
with an account of the amount of subscriptions
which he received from a generous and humane
public; a general statement of which we have
much pleasure in submitting to the public.
AMOUNT OF SUBSCRIPTIONS
Received at the Mansion House by the Lord £. s. d.
Mayor, on behalf of Mrs. Fraser and her three
orphan children . - . - 553 7 2
DISBURSED AS FOLLOWS.
Cash paid to Mrs. Wilkinson for necessaries sup-
plied to Mrs. Fraser - - - - 1 6
Cash paid to Mrs. Fraser, (together with some
useful articles of apparel supplied by a lady in
Baker Street) . - - 50
Cash transmitted to Rothsay for the use of Mrs.
Cook, the aged and widowed mother of Brown,
the chief officer, on whom she depended for
support. - - - - -10 00
Cash paid to John Baxter, the second officer - 10
Cash remitted to the Rev. P. Learmouth, and the
Kirk Session of Stromness, in Trust for the
benefit of the three orphan children of the late
Captain Fraser - - - . 482 1 2
£553 7 2
372 SHIPWRECK OF THE
The list of contributors being very numerous,
and the amounts varying from 25. 6d. to £10. and
upwards, we have not space to insert them here,
but it may be inspected at any time, by applying
to the publisher. But it will not be deemed an in-
vidious distinction when we notice that His Grace
the Duke of Devonshire kindly contributed £26.
to the fund.
CONCLUSION.
It now becomes our pleasing duty to pen a few
words by way of farewell address, and it is rendered
doubly so, because we have been enabled to re-
deem every pledge which was given in our intro-
ductory announcement. It cannot be a grateful
task to detail the deaths, sufferings and privations
of our fellow-creatures, who are not only exposed
to the violence of the stormy ocean, but also to
the diabolical insults of men, whose habitations are
those of blood and cruelty ; nevertheless the
irksomeness of such a task is in a great degree
neutralized by the more pleasing record of the
deliverances and mercies of Him ^^who carries the
winds in his fists, and the waters in the hollow of
his hand,'' and visits with his benign presence ** the
dark places of the earth.''
We promised that we would detail the facts
which came .to our knowledge ''with the pen of
fidelity," and we have kept our word, for we have
neither distorted, exaggerated, nor amplified them
excepting when explanation became necessary.
V
STIRLING CASTLE. 373
We have used every effort to detect error, had it
existed, and to obtain and vindicate truth ; and
proud are we that tlie viva voce statements of the
late Mrs. Fraser, Baxter, Darge, and Ireland,
have been confirmed by testimony as incontro-
vertible in its character, as the source from which
it flowed is respectable.
In order to enliven our pages, and divert the
mind from the tragic horrors with which our
narrations abound, we have introduced a variety
of topics connected with the distant part of the
globe to which our history has an especial refer-
ence — such as the manners and customs of the
aborigines, and the natural history of the islands
in which their habitations are located.
The melancholy wrecks which form the founda-
tion of our history, have excited us to procure
every possible information relative to the dan-
gerous passage from Australia to India by way ot
Torres Straits ; and among the interesting embel-
lishments with which the work abounds, will be
found a map which points out a course, by at-
tention to which the destruction of vessels and
distresses of the mariner would be less frequent ;
and we have carefully noted down the latitude
and longitude of the various places referred to in
the course of the work.
Our history exhibits not only a detail of the
barbarity of the heathen, but also the benevo-
lence of the Christian ; and moreover the splendid
374 SHIPWRECK OF THE
liberality of a generous public, who voluntarily
transmitted, from various sources, to the Lord
Mayor of the first city in the world, the sum of
five hundred and fifty -three pounds, seven shillings,
and two pence, for the benefit of the fatherless
children of the late Captain Fraser, and others
who were connected with this perilous enterprise.
We are sure that the gallant conduct of a
British officer, as well as the intrepidity of an
exiled convict, will be admired, as, but for their
united exertions, in all probability, none of the
persons connected with the Stirling Castle would
have ever reached their native land to detail the
awful end of their kindred and friends.
It has been a constant desideratum with us as to
what methods can be adopted to civilize at least
the natives of the barbarous island of which our
history treats. We have collected the opinions of
many upon this all-important subject, nor have we
failed to note down our own.
In page 16 we announced that we should give
some account of the wreck of the Charles Eaton ;
and we have spared neither trouble nor expence in
order to ascertain the full particulars of the suffer-
ings and melancholy end of the crew and pas-
sengers of that ill-fated vessel. In doing this,
we have been assisted not only by several official
documents, but also by the oral account of the
lad John Ireland. It was not our intention, at
first, to have given so lengthened an account of
STIRLING CASTLE. 375
the loss of the Charles Eaton, but have been in-
duced to do so, as we found many circumstances
connected with it that tended fully to corroborate
the accounts given us by the unfortunate crew of
the Stirling Castle.
We cannot conclude without beseeching the
indulgence of the reader for the style in which we
have written this narrative, as we have endeavoured
to give, as nearly as possible, a verbatim account, as
taken from the lips of the sufferers. At the outset
we promised to render the history subservient to
the cause of morality, and we trust that we have
performed our promise. We considered the sub-
ject a melancholy one, and we trust it has been
treated with becoming seriousness.
In thus taking our farewell, we would fain ex-
press sincerely a hope that our readers may be
enabled to shun and avoid the gulfs and quick-
sands with which the stormy ocean of life abounds,
until they finally reach that shore of serenity and
peace, where tempests never howl, or wrecks are
known ; where the cruel and ' ' the wicked cease
from troubling.''
* There shall we bathe our weary soul
In seas of heavenly rest,
And not a wave of trouble roll
Across our peaceful breast." — Dr. Watts.
Through the kindness of the highly-respected
Secretary of the London Missionary Society, we
376 SHIPWRECK OF THE STIRLING CASTlE.
are enabled to give a faithful representation of the
manner in which the skulls of the unfortunate crew
and passengers of the Charles Eaton were arranged
by the savages on Boydary Island. For a full
description of this emblem of barbarity, refer to
page 296 of this volume
J. Kider, Friiiier, II, Kartholonicw Clote, Londua.
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SaitONILL
AUb U 5 1998
U. C. BERKELEY
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JAN 5 2007
FORM NO. DD6
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
BERKELEY CA 94720-6000
ivi216880
€9-
THE UNIVERSITY OF CAUFORNIA LIBRARY