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204 their tribe toward the north-east; though we find Colonel Arthur writing: "I am very apprehensive that Mr. Cottrell may lose the Natives he has already taken." In the following November he made an excellent haul. His advocacy of the principles of the Conciliatory Mission may be gathered from his official report, in which he was proud to say: "There was not the least force used toward the people that joined us on this occasion, and they were allowed to retain their spears, &c., and to do as they pleased."

He subsequently went to the west coast, and followed after the Arthur River tribe that had speared a Sydney Native, and had forced Mr. G. A. Robinson to run for his life. Two of his men were unhappily drowned near the mouth of Pieman's River. On January 10th, 1833, he fell in with the tribe of twenty-six, some thirty miles from the Macquarie Harbour Heads, and would have met with a favourable response to his appeals, but for the vindictive jealousy of Edick. They had agreed to submit, and stayed one night and part of a day with him; but afterwards, when passing through a dense scrub, Edick persuaded the party to leave their white friends. Mr. Cottrell could not detain them, as he was unprovided with trinkets and provisions to induce them to remain.

However, he gallantly pressed forward in pursuit, and saw them, at length, on the opposite shore, at the mouth of the Arthur River. Rapidly constructing a raft, with the assistance of Mr. Robinson's son, then with him, he attempted to cross; but the frail vessel struck against a bar, and was wrecked. Nothing daunted, Stewart, one of his men, manufactured a rude canoe. In the meantime, Mr. Cottrell saw some on the other bank ready to join if they could get over. As the exploit would be one demanding not merely courage, but good swimming qualities, a Sydney Black of the party undertook the work. One by one did he succeed in securing the voluntary prisoners. There were five men, two women, and a child. The last time of crossing, Edick observed the treason, and rushed down to the shore with his spearmen. The Sydney man lightened the bark, by leaping into the water, leaving his last rescued to paddle more swiftly and safely to the other bank. Rapidly came the storm of spears; but, instead of blindly swimming onward, the wary New Hollander watched the progress of a spear, dived, and