The Aborigines of Australia

by R.N. Richard Sadleir

Some months afterwards Bennillong took to the bush again, sending a message to the Governor that he had had a dispute with his friend Cole-be and had been wounded, and could not appear at the Governor’s table, requesting at the same time his clothes, together with victuals, of which he was much in want. On his re-appearance at the settlement some time afterwards, he had a wound in the mouth and some teeth broken. The quarrel appears to have been occasioned by his over-attention to his friend’s favourite wife, Boo-ree-a, and this led to a severe castigation. Cole-be, meeting him shortly afterwards, asked him sarcastically “if he meant that kind of conduct to be a specimen of English manners.” As Bennillong had visited England, the sarcasm was the more pungent.

Bennillong, after his return from England, was asked where blackfellow came from—did he come from an island. He said he did not know, but that after death they returned to the clouds, ascending in the shape of little children, first resting on the tops of trees; their favourite food was little fishes.

Speaking of the habit of knocking out the tooth, he said that a man of the name of Cam-mer-ray-gal wore them round his neck, the tribe having performed the ceremony, but as to his own teeth they were buried in the earth.

When Bennillong’s wife died, many spears were thrown and persons wounded. He had a serious contest with Wil-le-me-ring, and wounded him in the thigh. He had sent for him to attend his wife, and he had refused, and at the death of his infant many spears were thrown, and he said he would not be satisfied until he had revenge.

Bennillong burnt the body of his wife Ba-rang-a-roo.

The ashes of the wife were the next day scraped together and covered over with great solemnity. The most affecting part of the ceremony was that Bennillong threw his infant child into the mother’s grave, casting a large stone on it, saying no woman could be found to nurse the child.

On the death of the boy, Ba-loo-der-ry, whom he had watched and sung over with Cole-be, he requested that the body might be interred in the garden. The burial was attended with much ceremony, while the burial of Bennillong’s wife was attended by the Governor, the Judge-Advocate, and the surgeon.

The natives had determined to kill Bennillong, it being supposed he had killed a man, of which he was innocent; he therefore appealed to the Governor to protect him. He had now given way to drink, and became more brutal and insulting, and therefore got into troubles. On the occasion of a fight he threw a spear amongst the soldiers and wounded one, and would have been killed, had it not been for the Provost-Marshal. Walking about armed, he declared he would kill the Governor. Now Bennillong associated with troublesome characters, and was once or twice wounded. In one of these battles, three natives were killed and several wounded. Amongst these Bennillong was dangerously wounded, and probably died. Thus perished Bennillong, as a drunken savage, after all the advantages he had had of visiting England, and living at the Governor’s House. Nor is this a solitary instance of these savages who have enjoyed like advantages.

We have here the failure of mere civilization, which produces only outward effects. Religion alone can reach the heart. The gospel is the power of God to the salvation of all who believe in and know it.

Bennillong has been immortalized in name, a point on the North Shore being called Bennillong Point. His history is a sad one. There is a street in Parramatta called, I suppose, after this chief.