Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2Grey, George
History
Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2
Grey, George
Natural history -- Australia -- Western Australia; Western Australia -- Discovery and exploration
In the afternoon I walked up to the jail attended by Peerat, his wives,
and a crowd of natives, to release little Dalbean. Peerat and myself
alone entered the jail; I told the jailor to hand him the whip, he took
it, and said, "Yes, yes, I will strike him; let not another beat him,
Governor."
The door of the cell was then opened and the little boy was led out: his
father ran up to him, caught him in his arms, and began kissing him;
having done this he told him he was going to beat him. The little fellow
did not answer a word, but, standing as firm and erect as possible,
presented his back to him, the father gave him one blow, and it was
ended--justice was satisfied; the criminals had surrendered to salutary
laws, of which they had but a vague and undefined knowledge. It was their
first offence; I explained to them the nature of the laws they had
broken, warned them to be careful in their future conduct, and let them
go. Little Dalbean, directly we got outside the jail, walked up to me,
took my hand, and squeezed it, and then turned to his mother; he just
looked at her, she cried, but did not dare to kiss him, or to show any
symptom of emotion; and the whole party, after showering thanks
innumerable upon my head, moved off, saying, "What a good fellow--what a
good fellow;" or, to give a literal translation, "One good man--one good
man."
Sunday January 26.
Old Manniotte, a native dressed in an old uniform, attended the church
service as usual this day and was apparently as attentive as any other
member of the congregation.
JUDICIAL CASE OF ASSAULT.
February 14.
This evening a native came up to me as I was in the Commissary's house,
and said: "Djanga kain nganya goree bomb-gur"; "A white man has just
struck me." At the same time he showed me his side which was severely
bruised. I accompanied him to the beach and there found a number of
liberty men from some American whalers walking about. There were also
several natives on the beach who were in a state of great excitement, and
came hurrying up to me. I had sent for the constable, and as I was coming
up I saw a sailor moving off to the boats, on which the natives all
shouted out, "Now, now, walk away."
The natives were soon satisfied that strict justice would be done them,
and as the sailor who had struck the native was a man belonging to the
Russel, commanded by Captain Long, who had previously taken me to Shark
Bay, it was arranged with him that the offender should be brought before
me at 11 o'clock the next day to answer the charge.
February 15.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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