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25 STURT AND THE MURRAY BLACKS IN 1830. Captain Charles Sturt, the devoted and successful Australian explorer, set out for Sydney in November, 1829, and succeeded in following down the Murray river to its embouchure through Lake Victoria into Encounter Bay, South Australia. First tracing our northern boundary, he was the earliest European visitant of those distant tribes. It will be seen that though these had not before seen a white man, they had to a fearful extent experienced in an indirect manner the curse of contact. New and loathesome diseases appeared among them, for the suffering of which they had no means of alleviation. Both in going down the stream and in returning, Mr. Sturt came in sight of thousands of natives. His courage prompted him to undertake so adventurous a journey, and his benevolence occasioned that perilous expedition to he unattended with bloodshed. For further particulars of that voyage we refer the reader to the “ Discovery and Settlement of Port Phillip ; ” we have now to confine our remarks to the Captain’s intercourse with Buckley’s Black Friends. He thus introduces his first visit from the Murray tribes. “ Some natives were observed running by the river-side behind ns, but on turning the boat’s head toward the shore, they ran away. It was evident they had no idea what we were, and, from their timidity, feeling assured that it would be impossible to bring them to a parley, we continued onwards till our usual hour of stopping, when we pitched our tents on the left bank for the night, it being the one opposite to that on which the natives had appeared. We conjectured that their curiosity would lead them to follow us, which they very shortly did; for we had scarcely made ourselves comfortable, when we heard their wild notes through the woods as they advanced towards the river ; and their breaking into view with their spears and shields, and painted and prepared as they were for battle, was extremely fine. They stood threatening us, and making a great noise, for a considerable time, but finding that we took no notice of them, they at length became quiet. I then walked to some distance from the party, and taking a branch in my hand, as a sign of peace, beckoned them to swim to our side of the river, which, after some time, two or three of them did. But they
