| Narrative | Following the killing of a cedar cutter, Sub-Inspector O'Connor and 6 troopers captured 28 Aboriginal men and 13 women in a gorge at Cape Bedford. 24 men were shot and 4 men escaped by swimming but were thought drowned. The women were released.
'We have been favored by Mr. W. H Campbell with the following account of the prompt retribution visited upon the blacks near Cooktown for their unprovoked and wanton attack upon Messrs. Hartley and Sykes:
"Your readers have already been made acquainted with the particulars concerning the recent outrage of the blacks at Cooktown, when Captain Sykes and Mr Hartley were severely wounded in an attempt to bring off a cedar log from the north shore of Cooktown harbor. I can now give a history of subsequent events in what has proved to be a tragedy of no mean interest. On February 7 (the day following the affray), a party of three crossed the harbor with the intention of securing and bringing back the articles left behind by Captain Sykes. The party consisted of Mr Browne of the Herald office, a boatman named Harris, and myself." The group found and followed tracks for some time and found recently abandoned gunyas before returning to their boat and sailing for Cooktown.
'A party of six native troopers and two Europeans, who started out the night previous, and crossed the Endeavor twenty miles above us, never reached the scene of the affray, the intervening swamps being uncrossable by the horses. On Thursday the 14 instant [February], sub-Inspector [Stanthorpe] O'Connor with 6 troopers crossed the harbour in a boat at night and by moonlight picked up the tracks of the blacks. The latter however, discerned the approach of the troopers, and retreated across the ranges to the ocean beach. The inspector then divided his forces, and with one party, made a detour in the direction of Cape Bedford, and by Sunday morning [16 February], had hemmed the blacks within a narrow gorge, of which both outlets were secured by the troopers. There were twenty eight men and thirteen gins thus enclosed, of whom some of the former escaped. Twenty four were shot down on the beach, and four swam out to sea. The Inspector and his men then sat down on the beach, and waited for the swimmers to return, but without success, and after several hours they were lost sight of, it is conjectured they were drowned. One woman also swam out from the land, and after remaining four hours in the water, was captured by a trooper, who went in after her. The men [troopers] hunted up the remainder of the gins, and having found a meerschaum pipe and tomahawk in their possession belonging to Mr Hartley, the inspector was satisfied he had not killed innocent people. This was explained to the lubras, and they were permitted to go away. Mr O'Connor returned to the north shore on Monday afternoon [17 Feb], and lighted a large fire as a signal of success, a boat was sent across the harbour to bring him back to Cooktown."' (Brisbane Courier, 1 March 1879) |
