A note on Structure
th of March, 1816: Governor Macquarie to Earl Bathurst
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18th of March, 1816: Governor Macquarie to Earl BathurstGovernor Macquarie’s dispatch to Earl Bathurst is informative in a number of ways. It confirms that there had been a severe drought which had lasted for three years before being broken by rains in December 1815. This drought caused a heavy loss of stock. Governor Macquarie signaled his intention to take military action against Aboriginal people, who had in March 1816 killed “no less than five White Men”. Macquarie signaled his intention “to Inflict exemplary and Severe Punishments on the Mountain Tribes who have lately exhibited so Sanguinary a Spirit against the Settlers”. The killings on the Lewis farm and the attacks at Ryde in late March 1816 widened the scope of Macquarie’s planned military expedition. Whether the attacks on the Nepean were from “Mountain Tribes” and whether they were in any way related to the killings on the Lewis farm and the attacks at Ryde is a moot point. ‘I have the Pleasure to report to Your Lordship that this Colony continues in a progressive State of Improvement.136 The Very Extraordinary and Unprecedented Droughts, We have Experienced for the last three Years, have, as might be Expected, Occassioned a very great Mortality amongst the Horned Cattle and Sheep throughout the Colony, as well as greatly Injured the Crops of Wheat, Maize, Oats, Barley and Potatoes; which Consequently occasioned a Considerable Rise in the price of Animal Food and Grain during that Period tho’ never Amounting to an Actual Scarcity. But as the last harvest promised to be a very indifferent one, I deemed it a necessary Measure of precaution to Commission One Hundred and fifty Tons of Wheat from Bengal for the Use of this government, and this Quantity together with a Supply of Sugar and Spirits at reasonable prices for the Use of the King’s Stores, Arrived here a few days Ago, Which proves a Very Seasonable Supply as it will be the Means of preventing Monopolizers from raising the Prices of those Articles on the poorer classes of the People. By the latest Accounts from the two settlements on Van Diemen’s Land, the Harvest there has promised to be a Most Abundant one; the Droughts We had here not extending to that Island, and besides the Soil being Infinitely Superior to that of the Settlements of Port Jackson excepting Immediately on the Banks of the Rivers Hawkesbury and Nepean Where the Lands Are Occasionally flooded and Consequently much enriched; there is now, I am happy to say, every Reason to expect that We shall have more favorable Seasons for the time to Come, as We have lately had Very Copious and Seasonable Falls of Rain throughout every part of the Colony, which were greatly Wanted, the Lands every Where being quite parched and burnt up, Affording Neither Grass nor Water for the poor famished Cattle, which Were dying in Hundreds 'till this favorable Change took place in December last. About the latter End of that Month, the Rain fell in such Torrents that We were threatened with a Flood, the River Hawkesbury having risen in the Course of a few Days No less than twenty two Feet above its Usual Level. The Rains however soon Moderated, and We are again relieved from the Apprehension of a Flood for this Season. I much Concerned to be under the Necessity of Reporting to Your Lordship that the Native Blacks of this Country, Inhabiting the distant Interior parts, have lately broke out in Open hostility against the British Settlers residing on the Banks of the River Nepean near the Cow Pastures, and have Committed most daring Acts of Violence on their Persons and Depredations on their Property, in defending which no less than five White Men have been lately Killed by the Natives, who have not been known to act in such a ferocious Sanguinary Manner for many years past. I have Uniformly made it my Study since my first arrival in the Colony to do every thing in my power to Conciliate the Native Tribes by Shewing them on all Occasions much Kindness, and frequently Supplying them with Provisions and Slops. Indeed I had entertained Very Sanguine Hopes of being enabled to Civilize a great proportion of them in a few Years by the Establishment of the Native Institution and School at Parramatta for their Children, and Settling Some few Grown up Men and Women on Lands in the Neighbourhood of Sydney; but I begin to entertain a Fear that I shall find this a More Arduous Task than I at first Imagined, tho' I am Still determined to persevere in My Original Plan of endeavouring to domesticate and Civilize these Wild rude People. In the mean time it will be Absolutely Necessary to Inflict exemplary and Severe Punishments on the Mountain Tribes who have lately exhibited so Sanguinary a Spirit against the Settlers. With this view it is my Intention, as soon as I shall have Ascertained What Tribes* Committed the late Murders and Depredations, to send a Strong Detachment of Troops to drive them to a Distance from the Settlements of the White Men, and to Endeavour to take some of them Prisoners in order to be punished for their late atrocious Conduct, so as to Strike them with Terror against Committing Similar Acts of Violence in future. Many of the Settlers have entirely Abandoned their Farms in Consequence of t he late Alarming Outrages. In Order, however, to Induce them to return to their Farms, I have sent some small Parties of Troops as Guards of Protection for those Farms which are Most exposed to the Incursions of the Natives; but these have of late become so very Serious that Nothing Short of Some Signal and Severe Examples being made will prevent their frequent Recurrence. However painful, this Measure is Now become Absolutely Necessary. Unwilling hitherto to proceed to any Acts of Severity towards these People, and if possible to Conciliate and Keep on friendly Terms with them, I have forgiven or Overlooked Many of their Occasional Acts of Violence and Atrocity, exclusive of Numberless petty Thefts and Robberies Committed by them on the defenceless remote Settlers for the last three Years.’137 Directory: docs docs -> Application for acem docs -> Observational Assessment of Teaching Practices Teaching Assessment Initiative Proposal Submitted to The Teachers for a New Era project docs -> Traditional British values docs -> From Warfighters to Crimefighters: The Origins of Domestic Police Militarization docs -> Borzoi Club of America Register of Merit Program I. 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