Page:An account of the English colony in New South Wales.djvu/607

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1800.]
OF NEW SOUTH WALES.
529

Early in Auguſt, the Albion whaler ran into Broken Bay, to complete her wood and water. She had on board 600 barrels of oil ; but had not been able, through bad weather, to ſecure more than a fourth part of the whales which they had killed. They had ſeen an immenſe number of theſe fiſh.

Toward the latter end of the month 1016 gallons of ſpirits, being attempted to be landed without a permit, were ſeized by the centinel on duty.

Information had been received of the death of a convict of the name of Wilſon, ſeveral times mentioned in the preceding narrative, and who was better known by that given him by the natives, of Bun-bo-e. This young man had preferred the life of a vagabond, and paſſed the greater part of his time in the woods with the ſavages, whom he was ſuſpected of inſtructing in thoſe points wherein they could injure the ſettlers with the greateſt effect, and moſt ſafety to themſelves. With the wood natives he had ſufficient influence to perſuade them that he had once been a black man ; and pointed out a very old woman as his mother, who was weak and credulous enough to acknowledge him as her ſon. The natives who inhabit the woods are not, by any means, ſo acute as thoſe who live upon the ſea-coaſt. This difference may, perhaps, be accounted for by their ſequeſtered manner of living, ſociety contributing much to the exerciſe of the mental faculties. Wilſon preſumed upon this mental inability; and, having impoſed himſelf upon them as their countryman, and created a fear and reſpect for his ſuperior powers, indulged himſelf in taking liberties with their females. However deficient they might be in reaſoning faculties, he found, to his coſt, that they were ſuſceptible of wrongs ; for, having appropriated, againſt her inclinations, a female to his own excluſive accommodation, her friends took an opportunity, when he was not in a condition to defend himfelf, to drive a ſpear through his body, which ended his career for that time, and left them to expect his return at ſome future period in any ſhape that their fancies might form.

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