Page:Some account of the wars, extirpation, habits.djvu/86

78 two of which, that were amongst the least unsound of them, were connected with Tasmania, one styled the Van Diemen's Land Company and the other the Van Diemen's Land Establishment, it was with the last named that Thomas was connected, as manager I believe.

The professed, or indeed the real aim of the Establishment, was the improvement of the live stock of the colony, for which purpose some of the best blood that the ample means of the company enabled them to procure was shipped for this colony, along with a number of farmers and farm-hands, to manage the lands and stock of the Establishment. But the fatality that brought to grief nearly all the companies of 1825, attacked this one also with disaster, but it survived it. The misfortune arose from the I death of a very large proportion of its costly blood stock between land and land. Thus of five and thirty most valuable horses shipped in England, only twelve were disembarked here, the rest dying at sea; and much the same thing happened to their sheep and horned cattle.

If I remember rightly, it was the first intention of the manager to take up the large tract of land that the partners were entitled to on the coast of Bass's Straits, nearly opposite to Waterhouse Island, which may be about twenty miles westerly of Cape Portland; but happier thoughts eventually prevailed, and the fine estate of Cressy, by Longford, was fortunately selected instead.

But some disagreement occurring between the partners at home, and the manager on the spot, Captain Thomas, he cut the connection, receiving, as I have read, a good round sum for what he gave up, with which he fixed himself at Port Sorell, on a tract of land he was entitled to, and which he called Northdown; and was the first settler established on the long line of coast between Emu Bay and the western head of the Tamar.

I have here to state that after the death of the gentlemen whose names are at the head of this section, their bodies remained undiscovered for many days, notwithstanding the vigorous but not very well managed search that was made to find them. But they were eventually traced out by the indefatigable Mr. M'Kay, from whose narrative and the newspaper report of the inquest, given in a journal then published in Launceston called the Independent, it is that the following sketch is compiled.

At this time M'Kay was employed by the Government, but under Robinson, in pursuit of the natives, and he was just then stationed at the Western Marshes, near to the present Deloraine. In the absence of his chief, M'Kay, was at the head of a small party, amongst whom were one or two blacks. News did not then