Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/598

 The capture parties were fliscontimied. Robinson's salary was raised to i:250, and a force was placed at his disposal. He forbade firearms, but some of his subordinates secretly carried them. With his native guides, amongst wliom Truganma, the wife of Wooreddj, was conspicuous, he sought to parley and induce the wild blacks to join their captive conntr^'men. He met Enmarrah in the forest, and the cliief, who was not to be won by the civilities of a Governor, rushed to his former captor and grasped his land with fervour. A chief, ^ilanalagana, was conspicnona for his noblo qualities. In 1831 Eobinson was able to report that he had leceived 128 submissions of natives, and bad communicated with many more. In the same year the Big Eiver, or Ouse Paver, tribe yielded themselves not as prisoners, but as friends. There were but sixteen men, nine women, and a child among them ; bat they had been a terror to the land. They had been thought numerous, because, chased like wild beasts, the blows they struck were in various places. Their capture had been one main object of the cordon in 1880. After numerous marches and traverses, in which lie vainly sought the distrustful Tasnianians, Eobinson came upon them in the mountainous region on the west coast. He had previously sent forward some native guides, Imt knew not whether they bad found the natives, who did not fly from his suiall band. Their chief, Montpeliata, strode forward with his spear. His fifteen warriors shouted their war-cry, and were hardly restrained while lie advanced. Eobinson^s companions thought themselves doomed. At iirst he himself could not see his friends, but on nearer approach he recognized them gladly. To Jlontpeliata's question he replied :—'' We are gentlemen. We have no guns; no pistols." One of the native guides in alarm took to flight* Montpeliata called him back, *' for he would not hurt him.*' The ai>parition of a white man not bent upon murder— a white man unarmed — bewildered thecliieftain, Truganina» with some friends, had already made a circuit and joined the wild women. Montpeliata retired to discuss the situation with his friends. His comrades retained their warlike posi- tion. The assailing dogs were called off by the wild tribe, and Hilenee reigned for a few an.y.ous minutes. The signal of