August 27-28 1831 - TPIC

Commentary by Patsy Cameron.
Reference: (FM) Plomley, N.J.B. (ed.) Friendly Mission: the Tasmanian journals and papers of George Augustus Robinson (1966)

Daily Project Commentaries

27-28 August

Robinson’s troupe, (except Stansfield and young lad, Lacklay, who were sent on a different trek), left the Bedford Hills camp and headed towards the west. They were lead by Mannalargenna who seemed convinced that the clanspeople were in that direction. Crossing over the Little Forester River they made camp about 4.8 kilometres inland from Double Sandy Point. That night Robinson again stressed the promise he made on 6 August to Mannalargenna and Kickerterpoller that their exile would only be temporary and that they would return to their own Country and be protected from further incursions there in due course (FM, 1966, 413). It could be argued that he was doing so as an insurance policy to ensure his ‘missions’ would be successful. Thus Robinson would gain wealth and status as the number of clanspeople he ‘captured’ increased.

As the troupe travelled in circles east of the Little Pipers River doubt crept into Robinson’s mind as to whether Mannalargenna was ‘deceiving’ him. He asked Kickerterpoller if Mannalargenna could be trusted and was told that the bungunna relied on his spirit connections to tell him where to go. Robinson was ‘at a loss to conjecture why the chief took this route, as I did not myself expect to meet with natives in this situation’ (FM, 1966, 414). However, it is possible that Mannalargenna was waiting for signs from the clanspeople that they were ready to meet Robinson. It should also be remembered that Mannalargenna had told Robinson when he returned to the Bedford Hills camp that he had followed the group in this direction.

Eventually they arrived at a small point on the west side of Little Pipers River called worewoterpeender (the point) and worewotermoretermooner (river). From this point Mannalargenna told Robinson that he intended to go in the direction of the mountains and soon after smoke was seen in that very direction which Mannalargenna identified as belonging to the clanspeople. The bungunna, Kickerterpoller and 3 of the women headed towards the fire and Robinson moved to camp away from the coast towards some lagoons. From a small hill near the mouth of the river Robinson had a clear view of the Bass Strait islands and the fire. Soon after, he saw traces of a camp site, tracks and bones on a rise near to a pond.

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