Page:Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies.djvu/185

1833.] the soil is strong, and stands in remarkable ridges, called in this country, "Dead-mens-graves." These occur, also, on the Macquarie River and in other places, and are, beyond doubt, of natural origin; nevertheless, the manner in which they have been formed is not easy to determine.

On the 8th, we reached John Batman's, on Buffalo Plains, under Ben Lomond. These plains are so named from horned cattle, imported from India, which obtained the name of Buffaloes in V. D. Land, and were fed here. J. Batman was formerly employed by the Government to take the Aborigines, by capture, if practicable, but by destruction, where they could not be captured! This was at a time when they had killed many white people. Under these instructions, about thirty were destroyed, and eleven captured! Those captured became reconciled, and highly useful in the peaceable arrangements, successfully made of latter time, by George Augustus Robinson and Anthony Cottrell. The last time A. Cottrell passed down the west coast, he had a friendly interview with a tribe, near the Arthur River, that a few months prior, attempted the destruction of G. A. Robinson.

Previously to this, two white men, of A. Cottrell's party, were lost in crossing a river on a raft, before the tide was out. When some of the native women saw them in danger, they swam to the raft, and begged the men to get upon their backs, and they would convey them to the shore; but the poor men refused, being overcome by fear. These kind-hearted women were greatly affected by this accident.

9th. When walking with J. Batman, in his garden, he pointed out the grave of a child of one of the Blacks, that died at his house. When it expired, the mother and other native women made great lamentation, and the morning after it was buried, happening to walk round his garden before sun-rise, he found its mother weeping over its grave: yet it is asserted by some, that these people are without natural affection.

10th. We visited John Glover, a celebrated painter, who came to this country when advanced in life, to depict the novel scenery: his aged wife has been so tried with the convict, female servants, that she has herself undertaken