and three other natives around William driving their spears into his body. The horrified boy of thirteen years old rushed away to obtain assistance, and the natives, fearing immediate punishment, disappeared in the bush. A party of whites was soon on the scene, and found the hacked corpse of William Keats. About three hundred yards away lay the bodies of Yagan and Heegan. The latter was still alive, but moaning pitifully. There was a gaping wound in his head, from which the brains oozed; one of the party "put him out of his misery." A white settler took the head of Yagan, and flayed that part of his body hearing the wales and scars of his tribe. They were dried and kept for many years as memorials to one of the bravest and most intelligent members of a rapidly disappearing race. Thus ended the story of Yagan. The outlawry of Munday was withdrawn by Government proclamation, and James Keats received the reward, but through the influence of others left the colony in fear of retaliation.
The Gazette of 20th July expressed the opinion that the death of Yagan was caused by "a wild and treacherous act, not the heroic and courageous which some unthinkingly have designated it. The unfortunate youth has suffered for his temerity, and has entailed upon us a stigma which it will be the work of time to eradicate. . . . What a fearful lesson of instruction have we given to the savage! We have taught him by this act to exercise towards us deceit and treachery, which, in him, we have daily reproved; and led him to draw no very favourable conclusions of our moral and physical superiority. We do not remember to have heard of one instance in which the aborigines of this country have abused our confidence when we have encountered them in the bush; we must therefore again deplore an act which it appears to us will annihilate the surest road to perfect amity—mutual confidence. We must remember Yagan was killed after spending the morning in company with the youth who shot him, and when upon the point of taking his frugal repast, a portion of which he would not have withdrawn from the hand that slew him. We are not vindicating the outlaw, but, we maintain, it is revolting to hear this lauded as a meritorious deed. It was a rash and unadvised adventure of youth, which we should regret to see held up by children of larger growth as a laudable example of courage to our rising generation."
The deed became known in the other colonies and in Great Britain, and some hard and unfair things were said of West Australians, which were in no wise true. The Government had acted in a fair and impartial spirit towards the aborigines, and were not to blame for the objectionable method adopted of obtaining their reward. As the result of Midgegooroo's death, two natives, Yellowgonga and Dommero, in August fought a duel for the possession of one of his wives, while Munday took the other. On September, the son, young Midgegooroo, was by the order of the Lieutenant-Governor delivered up to his mother. She received him with the warmest affection, and the whole of the tribe, women and children included, gathered together and "shed tears of joy." There were few depredations for the remainder of 1835. The natives feared the whites for a time, and wanted the vitality of the bold and determined Yagan.
Before passing from the subject of natives, it may be interesting to mention the names awarded by them to different main features of the country then settled by the English in Western Australia. Mr. R. M. Lyon compiled the list and published it in the Perth Gazette in 1833. We first give the English designation:—Fremantle, Walyalup; Point Preston, Niergarup; Point Walter, Dyoondalup; Point Heathcote, Gooleegatup; the eastern shore of Melville Water, Beenabup; flats of the Canning, Wadjup; Kelmscott, Goolamrup; gorge of the Canning, Gargangara; Rocky Bay, Garungup; Black Wall Beach, Jenalup; Fresh Water Bay, Minderup; the rock at the entrance of Fresh Water Bay, Mandyooranup; Point Pelican, Boorianup; Eliza Bay, Godroo; Mount Eliza, Gargatup; Perth, Boorlo; bay opposite Perth, Goboodjoolup; point opposite Mount Eliza, Gareenup; the angle between the two main branches of the river, Boornoolup; Belmont, Goorgyp; the flats, Matta Gerup; Guildford, Mandoon; gorge of the Swan, Wurerup; Monger's Lake, Galup; two hills north of the Sailor's Winding Sheet, Ngangurgup; lake beyond Monger's, Ngoogenboro; Mount Brown, Booyeeanup; Rottnest, Wadjemup; Carnac, Ngoolormayup; Garden Island, Meeandip; St. Ann's Hill, Ngowerup; Mount William, Weebip; Blue Mountains, Moorda; the whole of the country from the Murray to the Gyngoorda, Derbal; the country to the north of Gyngoorda, Knoobar; King George's Sound, Monkbeelven; the Swan River, Derbal Yaragan; Melville Water, Dootanboro; Perth Water, Booneenboro; the north branch of the Swan, Warndoolier; the Helena, Mandoon; Ellen Brook, Gynning; Canning, Dyarlgarro; southern branch of Canning, Booragoon; Murray, Meeton; estuary of Murray, Gilba; King River, Kalgan; the Avon, Gogulger; Lennard's Brook, Boora; Bannister's River, Gyngoorda; a lake to the north, and not far from Gyngoorda, Bookal.
Captain Stirling remained in England throughout 1833, and judging from letters to local people hoped much from his advocacy of their claims at the seat of government, Captain Irwin occupied the position of Lieutenant-Governor until September, when he left for England, and Captain Richard Daniel was sworn into the office in the same month. The people of Western Australia were eagerly looking forward to the return of Stirling, and watched for any news which bore on the results of his embassy. From his letters it was gleaned that His Majesty's Government, although they had established the colony in deference to the wishes of several individuals, were not indisposed to afford it a reasonable and proper degree of protection and countenance. They seemed determined to make the civil establishment more efficient, and to double the military, but not to render them more costly. The burden of supporting these institutions would still be borne by the Crown, but when the growing means of the settlement were sufficient, colonists would be expected to bear the whole charge. It was proposed to found a colonial fund which should meet all expenditure unprovided for by vote of Parliament. The first charge on this fund should be the equipment of mounted police corps for protecting, and at the same time controlling, the aborigines. The membership of the Legislative Council was proposed to be increased by the addition of two or more settlers, and the Emigration Committee promised to lend its assistance to Western Australia when the necessary security was given it. The colony would be periodically visited by the King's ships from India, and by colonial vessels, so that food supplies might be more evenly regulated. The land laws would also be liberalised. Stirling concludes his sketch with the following:—"In making these several concessions, the Government considers it will have accomplished all that the settlers ought to expect. In the advancement of their particular pursuits, in the cultivation of the soil, and in the conversion of its natural resources into a productive state, the colonists could not derive any solid or permanent benefit from the assistance of Government, and in all such matters they must therefore rely upon their own means and industry. They will be protected by a local Government; they will enjoy the benefit of English laws; their interests will be superintended by a legislature composed in part of persons taken from their own body, and with these advantages, if private capital
