metimes shows itself in a very fierce and
unexpected manner. In the valley of the Wollombi, between Sydney and
Hunter's River, some years ago, three boys of a certain tribe had been
persuaded to reside in the families of three of the British settlers
there. These were marked out for vengeance by the natives belonging to
a tribe in a state of warfare with them, about 100 of whom travelled
between 20 and 30 miles during one night--a thing almost unheard of
among the natives--and reached the neighbourhood of the settlers on the
Wollombi very early on the ensuing morning. Two or three of them were
sent to each of the houses to entice the boys out, but these, it
appeared, somewhat suspected the intentions of their enemies. However,
they were at length persuaded to join the native dance, when suddenly a
circle was formed round them, and they were speedily beaten to death
with _waddies_ or clubs. Immediately after which deed, the troop of
natives returned back again to their own neighbourhood. A European
happened to pass by, just as the boys were dying, but being alone and
unarmed, his interference might have been dangerous to himself, without
proving of any the slightest advantage to the unfortunate sufferers.

Another instance of that cowardly cruelty, which will take every
possible advantage of a helpless age and sex occurred many years before
this, when the colony of New South Wales was quite in its infancy. The
father and mother of a little native girl, aged about seven years, had
belonged to a party by whom many robberies had been committed on the
banks of the river Hawkesbury, but an armed troop of Europeans was sent
in pursuit of these robbers, and when a meeting took place, the child's
parents were among those that fell, while she accompanied the victorious
party to the British settlement. Here she behaved herself with
propriety, being a well-disposed child, she was a favourite at
Government-house, where she resided under the protection of the
governor. This circumstance, and the fact of her belonging to a
different tribe from their own, awakened the jealousy of some of the
natives, who belonged to the neighbourhood of Sydney, and she was
consequently put to death in the most cruel manner. Her body was found
in the woods, speared in several places, and with both the arms cut off.
The murderers of the poor child escaped.

But, while we justly condemn and pity the cruel and cowardly acts of
this description, which, unh