During His Sickness He Reposed Entire Confidence In Us.
Although a stranger
to medicine, and nauseating the taste of it, he swallowed with patient
submission innumerable drugs,* which the hope of relief induced us
to administer to him.
The governor, who particularly regarded him, caused him
to be buried in his own garden, and attended the funeral in person.
[*Very different had been his conduct on a former occasion of a similar kind.
Soon after he was brought among us he was seized with a diarrhoea,
for which he could by no persuasion be induced to swallow any
of our prescriptions. After many ineffectual trials to deceive,
or overcome him, it was at length determined to let him pursue his own course,
and to watch if he should apply for relief to any of the productions
of the country. He was in consequence observed to dig fern-root,
and to chew it. Whether the disorder had passed its crisis, or whether
the fern-root effected a cure, I know not; but it is certain that he became
speedily well.
**The regard was reciprocal. His excellency had been ill but a short time
before, when Arabanoo had testified the utmost solicitude for his case
and recovery. It is probable that he acquired, on this occasion,
just notions of the benefit to be derived from medical assistance.
A doctor is, among them, a person of consequence. It is certain that he
latterly estimated our professional gentlemen very highly.]
The character of Arabanoo, as far as we had developed it, was distinguished
by a portion of gravity and steadiness, which our subsequent acquaintance
with his countrymen by no means led us to conclude a national characteristic.
In that daring, enterprising frame of mind, which, when combined with genius,
constitutes the leader of a horde of savages, or the ruler of a people,
boasting the power of discrimination and the resistance of ambition,
he was certainly surpassed by some of his successors, who afterwards
lived among us. His countenance was thoughtful, but not animated:
his fidelity and gratitude, particularly to his friend the governor,
were constant and undeviating, and deserve to be recorded.
Although of a gentle and placable temper, we early discovered that he was
impatient of indignity, and allowed of no superiority on our part.
He knew that he was in our power; but the independence of his mind
never forsook him. If the slightest insult were offered to him,
he would return it with interest. At retaliation of merriment he was
often happy; and frequently turned the laugh against his antagonist.
He did not want docility; but either from the difficulty of acquiring
our language, from the unskillfulness of his teachers, or from some
natural defect, his progress in learning it was not equal to what
we had expected. For the last three or four weeks of his life, hardly any
restraint was laid upon his inclinations: so that had he meditated escape,
he might easily have effected it. He was, perhaps, the only native
who was ever attached to us from choice; and who did not prefer
a precarious subsistence among wilds and precipices, to the comforts
of a civilized system.
By his death, the scheme which had invited his capture was utterly defeated.
Of five natives who had been brought among us, three had perished from a cause
which, though unavoidable, it was impossible to explain to a people,
who would condescend to enter into no intercourse with us. The same
suspicious dread of our approach, and the same scenes of vengeance acted on
unfortunate stragglers, continued to prevail.
CHAPTER V.
Transactions of the Colony until the Close of the Year 1789.
The anniversary of his majesty's birth-day was celebrated, as heretofore,
at the government-house, with loyal festivity. In the evening, the play
of 'The Recruiting Officer' was performed by a party of convicts,
and honoured by the presence of his excellency, and the officers
of the garrison. That every opportunity of escape from the dreariness
and dejection of our situation should be eagerly embraced, will not
be wondered at. The exhilarating effect of a splendid theatre is well known:
and I am not ashamed to confess, that the proper distribution of three or four
yards of stained paper, and a dozen farthing candles stuck around the mud walls
of a convict-hut, failed not to diffuse general complacency on the countenances
of sixty persons, of various descriptions, who were assembled to applaud
the representation. Some of the actors acquitted themselves with great spirit,
and received the praises of the audience: a prologue and an epilogue,
written by one of the performers, were also spoken on the occasion; which,
although not worth inserting here, contained some tolerable allusions
to the situation of the parties, and the novelty of a stage-representation
in New South Wales.
Broken Bay, which was supposed to be completely explored, became again
an object of research. On the sixth instant, the governor, accompanied by
a large party in two boats, proceeded thither. Here they again wandered
over piles of mis-shapen desolation, contemplating scenes of wild solitude,
whose unvarying appearance renders them incapable of affording either novelty
or gratification. But when they had given over the hope of farther discovery,
by pursuing the windings of an inlet, which, from its appearance,
was supposed to be a short creek, they suddenly found themselves
at the entrance of a fresh water river, up which they proceeded twenty miles,
in a westerly direction; and would have farther prosecuted their research,
had not a failure of provisions obliged them to return. This river
they described to be of considerable breadth, and of great depth; but its banks
had hitherto presented nothing better than a counterpart of the rocks
and precipices which surround Broken Bay.
June, 1789. A second expedition, to ascertain its course, was undertaken
by his excellency, who now penetrated (measuring by the bed of the river)
between 60 and 70 miles, when the farther progress of the boats was stopped
by a fall.
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