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PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.
NOKTHKRN EXPEDITION.
The followiug papers were on Wednesday laid
before Parliament, and ordered to be priuted:—
Extracts from a Private Letter from B. T. Finniss.
Estl ., Government Kesident Northern Territorv.
ui ing nou. aeurj Ayers, imiel secretary south
iVuetrujja.
. ^ o.DeR0.t» ^I* UIitf8- August 13, 188L
Dear air— 1 have enclosed in a public despatch
some general orders, which 1 have issued for the
immediate safety of this camp, and others which
1 reserve to be communicated to the whole body
when they join me. The Henry Kllis sails for
Colombo on the 17th instant, und the lieatrice
sailed yesterday for Timor wjth the most impor
tant port of Hie mail. This I send by way of
Colombo, and it may reach you a month earlier
than the Timor despatches. But not to excite
alarm, which you will find there is no occasion
for when you get the full details of my
proceedings, 1 mention now that we are all well
except Air. Pearsou,- wounded in three places, but
only tlesh wounds. There is, however, experienced
a want of good wholesome fresh food and vege
tables aud fruit, which causes the men to break
gut ill sores and depresses their spirits. The pork
in half-barrels i=s inferior and uueatuble, and f am
qb|i«ed to substitute flour for it. Pork in u climate
like tlita leads to cutaneous disorders, and we Have
no beef. The mutton has always been diseased
dry. and leau, and with veiy little nourishment
from the bad treatment the sljeep had to put up
with on board, from which they have not even yet
recovered.
I am at Escape Cliffs with part of the stores,
and 18 men including myself. The rest of the
party and the Yatalu are at the river camp, and I
expect the Yatala will leave there to-night or to
morrow with a cargo of stores for this place, where
1 am anxious to see all assemhluas soon as possible.
It must, under any circumstances, be ten days
before that cau happen; aud then commences the
work- of erecting bur stored wooden houses, and
stockade.
'Commander Hutchison has behaved to me not
only as an oftjeer aud a gentleman having the good
of a certain t-urvice at heart, but as a friend. I um
deeply indebted to him for valuable assistance, aud
pruuent, sagacious, intelligent advice whenever 1
have had occasion to consult him.
' My mind is strongly determined in favour of
making thia the capital, with Adam Bay fur an
outer and the mouth of the river for an inner
harbnur. It appears to me that we have every
thing sought tor, aud certainly mure tlwu the
Ministry expected. Ijut iq deference to Com
mander liuicHisou's 'judgment, and in order to
avoid the imputation of having acted precipitately,
and without sufficient information, 1 shall abide
his return iu order to visit Bynoe Harbour, which
1 am sure is the only other place that can com
pete with this if it can even be put in comparison.
Uur great Uimculties are already vanquished it
establishing a position as we have done, am
acquiring the statistical knowledge which 1 pos
scss. If I were to give all the varied details of this
expedition, 1 should have to write quires of paper
and require three or.f our clerks ; as it is, 1 give on h
general accounts, as clearly and succinctly as I can
My difficulties arp rcaU)' hidden from view in thy*
reports, both as to risk and exposure, and anxiety
and annoyance.
' The mangiove scrubs, which are described ii
such awful terras, are simply tall straight tree
without branches, from lu to ;i0 feet from tin
ground, aud which men and cattle can freely pass
There is no grass or thicket growing under them
and the so-called scrub is only u fringe or grove 0
timber about a hundred yards tlirough to the plaii
beyond. There are a few vines, about ten yard
through, at the very edge of the aeok.'
'Dppot, Escape Cliffs, August 1C, 1864.
'Sir— I have the honour to enclose copies 0
orders which 1 have pippared and propose to issu
when Hi, Alapton's Jwty join' ipe. 1 wish you l
assure His Excellency the Goyernor-in-Chicf thu
I have written these orders with great regret, am
only on the necessity to which I have been drivei
by the hostile and alarmed attitudes which hav
Iwen assumed by some of my officers. Hostile
mean as regards me ; theeti'ect of which must b
to create distrust at a time when union and con
cord are our chief hope of safety. I have beei
obliged to justify myself as publicly as I have beei
attacked. The despatches by the Beatrice wil
give full details. The Yatala is expected thi
evening or to-morrow with the chief loai
of stores from the camp, and perhaps th
whole party if she can remove everything. Ou
men are suffering in strength and spirits at thi
camp from want of animal food. The pork ii
half-bairels, which is the only supply here, i
stinking and cannot be eaten. We live on dampe
and preserved vegetables, but we want change 0
food— beef and good wholesome mutton, potatoe
or yams, fruits, and good bread. Some of thes-
we shaU obtain whei} the other stores arrive, am
the lieatrice will' supply us, with, air (bat is neccs
sary from Timor, Our party is weak jn men. W,
also waut revolvers. Many of those sent fron
Melbourne appear to be defective. The ColU
heavy pattern are the best and surest'
' Depot Escape Cliffs, August 13, 1864.
'Genkiul Osdkk.
'Our relations with the aborigines having as
sumed a very unsatisfactory and dangerous cha
racter, owing to the unfortunate conflict whicl
took place at the camp on the 9th instant, up thi
Adelaide Biver, iu charge of Atr. Manton, in wind
Mr. Pearson was wounded, and one at least of thi
natives shot dead, the Government Resident issuei
the following orders:—
'1st. He calls on all officers and mentoassis
him heartily hi prompt obedience to order, and ii
bearing the difficulties, exposure, and privation]
which the special duty and circumstances of tin
expedition impose on all, and without which unioi
disaster of this must fataj character must ensue..
'2nd. He repeats fhp brqefs given at the rive:
camp oh the 1-Jth July respecting guards, whicl
will be read and must be communicated ant
explained b,y the oHjcers. .
' 3rd. He enjoins all men to keep their weapon!
clean, free fron; rust, and always ready for efficient
use, aud wii no account to walk about camp al
present without weapons of some kind.
' 4th. He strictly prohibits any one from leaving
tbe camp on fishing or shooting excursions unless
with his express sanction, in which case he must
lie informed of the names of the party and the
means of defence.
'5th. The Government Resident wishes that the
natives should be prevented from approaching
within 100 yards of the camp except one at a time,
and then unarmed. If thry approach, they must
be waved off aud the camp turned out.
'6th. In the event of a conflict, the men must
be cool and collected, taking sure aim. firing (il
armed n ith a rifle) at the bottom pf the belly, as
the rifle balls at short distances rise as much as
two feet
'7th. Sentries will fire with effect, if possible,
on any of the natives found prowliug about the
stores after dark.
'B. T.Foraiss,
government Resident, N.T. '
?' Qbs^baI' Obdkb.
'The Government Resident has received a
report from Mr. Manton, giving an account of an
affray with the natives on the Oth instant, in which
Mr. Pearwn was wounded and a native shot dead.
The Government Resident expresses his deep
regret at this untoward event, which has resulted
in such serious injury to Mr. Pearson, with whose
sufferings he sympathizes most sincerely. He
also takes this opportunity of thanking Litchfield.
Dyer, and Murray for their gallant conduct and
chivalrous devotion in exposing their lives to cover
Mr. Pearson's retreat. Alaric Word also deserves
highly for his cool, determined courage in leading
the party on foot, which passed through the scrub
to the rescue of the horsemen, and it is probable
that his conduct was the means of preventing
serious loss of life.
' B. T. Finniss,
Government Resident, N.T.
'Depot Escape Clifffa, August 13, 1861'
'The Government Bfiiidjent has received w#h
Mr. Mantbn's report of the 9th instant the finding
of s Jury on the inquest of the boar of a native
Bbot by Atoric Ward, with the following rider
attached:— 'And the Jury feel it then* duty 'to
express their unanimous opinion that the disasters
which have occurred to-day are solely attributable
to the. fact that the camp at this place has been
pitched upon a site surrounded on all sides by a
dense mangrove scrub, which on one side is only
95 yards from the outside tents, &c, in which the
natives may lie in ambush, as they did this
morning, unknown to any one in the: camp.'
It is with extreme surprise and regret that the
Government Resident read this document which
has placed some of his officers and men in the
position of censuring his conduct in reference to
the site of the camp, and attributes, in short the
melancholy occurrence of the 9th instant to his
want of judgment and forethought The Govern
ment Resident is alone responsible for the choosing
of camps when he is present and for the admi
nistrative affairs of the expedition generally. He
is not called upon or required to ask the opinion
of the second in command, or of any other
officer, on such subjects, although if he
should do so he should expect their assistance.
The rider assumes that the site Mt the camp
is the sole cause of the consequences which
have ensued. The Government Resident can
point to many others. 1st The character of
the native tribes, who are bold, treacherous, and
aggressive, and sufficiently numerous to hold in
contempt the small body who compose the first
expedition. 2nd. Ihe leaving the stores on the
bank of the river at 6 o'clock on the previous
evening without a guard until 7 o'clock, wheu the
plunder of the flour took place, .trd. The firing to
alarm the natives caught in the act of plunder,
instead of firing with effect to protect the public
property in the oct of being stolen after dark.
The duty of the Government Resident and of his
officers is to protect property as well as life,
although the utmost forbearance and prudence
should be exercised with respect to the
former. But forbearance has its limits, and when
it is clearly shown that the natives were aware that
they were wrong, as was the case— for they had
been warned and pursued, and even fired on by
one of the guards, a few days previously when
swimming across the river with stolen property
it then becomes justifiable and even necessary to
nave recourse tojsevere measures. 4th. The sending
Mr. Pearson with three men only on horseback
without the support of a party on foot was an act
of weakness which really lei immediately to the
defeat of the party ; but the sending them away to
follow up natives who were not to be molested in
the possession of their plunder was a mistake.
It was an aggression on our part which could
only lead to disaster unless well planned and
well supported. The Government Resident never
thought Ilia party, when he was himself in camp,
sufficiently strong to make an aggressive attack on
a native camp, or lie had ample provocation for
so doing. He refrains, and intends to refrain, and
enjoins all his officers to refrain from movements
against the natives to recover stolen property until
he feels sccuritv in the strength of his canin
sufficient to warrant ins sending a strong party
away for any hostile purpose. Lastly, the camp
was capable of a good defence, if defence alone
had been the object, having a log house, from
which numbers might have been repulsed, and
also a stockyard, and tanks and cases,
which added to the safety of the party
in case of attack. The camp, which has scrub
on two sides only— for there is none on the
north or on the south, an open plain being on the
south, and the river bank, with a few bushes here
and there, on the north side, whilst the nearest
scrub ou the west side is described as being U5
yards distant -cannot truthfully be described as
being surrounded on all sides by scrub. Ouder all
circumstances, it was the only convenient place in
which a camp could be placed to be sufficiently
near the river to enable- the party to assist in
moving the stores; aud its exposure to scrub or
other hiding-places for natives is what must happen
with perhaps most of the camps to bu formed
in a new country, completely intersected by
trees, creeks, swamps, aud almost impassable
grass and reeds. The Government Resident
finds that Mr. Ward, his clerk and ac
countant has taken a prominent part in tl;Q
passing of this resolution of censure, and the
Coroner has shown a veiy marked and active
(iftsire in the leadihs nuustions nut bv him to
inculpate the head of the expedition, buch
conduct it will be the duty of the Government
Resident to report in the proper quarter, and to
express his strong disapprobation of conduct as
contrary to all rules of public subordination and
contrary to the instructions which those officers
have received from the Hon. the Chief Secretary.
'B. T. FlSNlss,
Government Resident, N,T.
'Depot, Escape dills, August 13, 1S04.'
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