Continent of Smoke
by
Jeff Timbery, Alberta Hornsby, John & Clare MacDonald
Episode Eight
1st May 1770
DAWN
THE LANDING PLACE
THE BUGEEN hidden in the bush observes the following….
Surgeon Munkhouse
THE BUGEEN hidden in the bush observes the following….
SURGEON MUNKHOUSE reads the BURIAL SERVICE, as FORBY SUTHERLAND’S BODY, shrouded in his hammock, is lowered into a sandy grave.
SURGEON MUNKHOUSE
Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of Forby Sutherland our dear brother here departed…
COOK, BANKS, DR SOLANDER, PARKINSON, GREEN, SURGEON MUNKHOUSE, SERGEANT EDGCUMBE and TUPIA stand on one side of the grave. On the other side of the grave are assembled the REST OF THE PARTY – BRISCOE, TARHETO, JOHN CHARLTON (Cook’s servant), JOHN REYNOLDS (Green’s servant), TWO MARINES, and SEVERAL SAILORS.
COOK (Journal entry)
“His body was buried ashore at the watering place which occasion my calling the South point of this bay after his name.”
SURGEON MUNKHOUSE (cont’d)
“…we therefore commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to a ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.”
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SOUTH SHORE
INSIDE A DESERTED HUT
COOK (Journal entry)
“This morning, a party of us went ashore to some huts, not far from the watering place, where some of the natives are daily seen; here we left several articles.”
The hut has been decorated with a display of GIFTS.
The central item is a SHIRT; spread on the floor in a shape which clearly demonstrates its use. Around it are distributed the rest of the presents – LOOKING GLASSES (mirrors), COMBS, RIBBONS, GARTERS, STRUNG BEADS, KNIVES and NAILS.
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THE WOODS – SOUTH SHORE
COOK (Journal entry)
“After this, we made an excursion into the country.”
BANKS (Journal entry)
“The Captain, Dr. Solander myself and some of the people, making it all 10 muskets.”
COOK, and the PARTY OF EUROPEANS come to a sudden halt in the woods.
Ahead A GWEAGAL MAN becomes suddenly aware of their presence. Immediately he runs into the woods and is lost to view.
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A DIFFERENT PART OF THE WOODS (on the south peninsula).
The sound of MANY GUNS BEING DISCHARGED.
Large flocks of WHITE COCKATOOS, CROWS and LORIKEETS flee from the racket.
The SEVEN SHOOTERS – COOK, BANKS, DR SOLANDER, PARKINSON, GREEN, SURGEON MUNKHOUSE and TUPIA – have spaced themselves across a broad front, towards whom the REST OF THE PARTY drive the fleeing game.
Banks discharges his musket, bringing down a CROW.
BANK’S SPANIEL returns to his side with the DEAD CROW in its jaws. BANKS gives the DOG a pat and tosses the bird onto the PILE OF OTHERS – an assortment which includes WHITE COCKATOOS, CROWS, and several varieties of COLOURFUL PARROTS.
PARKINSON holds up a LORIKEET, the sun glittering on its extraordinary plumage.
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ANOTHER PART OF THE SOUTH PENINSULA
Open wood and grassland. THE PARTY are dispersed across the piece of country.
SOLANDER (shouting)
Tally Ho!
A fleeting glimpse of A SMALL ANIMAL bounding through the long grass. THE GREYHOUND catches sight and gives chase at full speed.
There is a painful yelp and the dog cartwheels into the air as it collides with a STUMP concealed in the grass. It limps back to BANKS nursing a bleeding leg.
BANKS (calling to Solander)
What was it?
SOLANDER
A small quadruped … about the size of a rabbit! Quite gone I’m afraid.
A Long-nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus): Often cited by historians as the most probable candidate for the “rabbit” seen at Botany Bay due to its size and gait.
– OR –
A species of Bandicoot: Such as the Long-nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta), which is also rabbit-sized and common to the coastal heath of the Sydney region.
Banks with BRISCOE close behind, carrying Banks’s SECOND GUN set off again through the woods. The limping GREYHOUND following.
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ANOTHER PART OF THE WOODS
The party dispersed moving through the woods.
BANKS (Journal entry)
“We saw also the dung of a large animal that fed on grass which much resembled that of a Stag, and the footsteps of another animal clawed like a dog or wolf; and of a small animal whose feet were like those of a polecat or weasel.”
The party are stopped, examining a camp of deserted huts.
BANKS (Journal entry)
“We walked till we completely tired ourselves, and saw many Indian houses, and places where they had slept upon the grass without the least shelter but saw only one Indian.”
COOK (Journal entry)
“Between 3 and 4 o’clock we returned out of the country and after dinner went ashore to the watering place.”
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BOTANY BAY – QUIBRAY BAY
COOK (Journal entry)
“In the morning I had sent Mister Gore with a boat up to the head of the bay to dredge for oysters.
COOK (Journal entry)
He saw some natives who by signs invited him ashore….
Dharawal people of the Gweagal clan
(These are a different group from those familiar to us from the watering place. Their camp is on the shore of Quibray Bay.
GORE, MAGRA, MIDSHIPMAN MUNKHOUSE, Gore’s servant NATHANIEL MOREY, a COXWAIN and FOUR SAILORS in the YAWL. They are a little offshore in QUIBRAY BAY dredging for oysters. A GROUP OF THIRTEEN ARMED WARRIORS on shore signals the boat an invitation to land.
Gore does not respond, so FOUR WARRIORS make a point by throwing their WEAPONS onto the ground and retiring further back, while their NINE COMRADES come down to the water’s edge, and issue a challenge to battle.
MAGRA (Journal entry)
“They singled out as many men from among themselves as they had counted in the boat, and then came down to the water’s edge – their countrymen throwing down their arms and retiring a good distance – and there they challenged us to battle!”
GORE declines their offer by waving them away.
THE NINE WARRIORS have a short discussion, then most of them retire to join their companions, leaving TWO of their number on the water’s edge, who signal a challenge for two from the boat to meet them in combat.
MAGRA (Journal entry)
“This being refused, they selected two only, out of their number, and challenged as many of us to fight them.”
GORE
A very sporting offer. Little do they know their adversary.
THE TWO WARRIORS indicate their disdain, rejoin their companions and they all retire into the bush.
THE BOATMEN haul another heap of OYSTERS into the already well loaded boat.
LATER
SEVERAL WARIORS return to the shoreline opposite the BOAT.
MAGRA
They appear resolved to fight us.
GORE takes up his MUSKET.
GORE
This will show them how far it will carry. It may correct their resolve.
Gore FIRES A BALL into the trunk of a TREE at a considerable distance away. The WARRIORS react at the explosion. A piece of BARK flies off the tree. They approach the tree. One WARRIOR picks up the bark. The WARRIORS examine the bark piece, then cross to the tree where they examine the wound left by the imbedded musket ball. The WARRIORS signal their approval.
The WARRIORS stand back from the tree and signal for Gore to let them see another discharge.
MAGRA
They’re asking for another if I’m not mistaken.
GORE obliges with a SECOND SHOT. The WARRIORS gather at the tree again and examine the second wound.
MAGRA (Journal entry)
“They soon after retired apparently well pleased at the demonstration.”
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5 PM
THE WATERING PLACE
COOK and servant JOHN CHARLTON, HICKES and servant WILLIAM HARVEY, SURGEON MUNKHOUSE, SOLANDER, TUPIA and servant TARHETO, BANKS and servant BRISCOE, SERGEANT EDGCUMBE and THREE MARINES, and the WATERERS at the WATERING PLACE.
HICKES is first to spot the approach of the 17 OR 18 WARRIORS armed with SPEARS and WOOMERAS. (These are same warriors seen at the earlier confrontations at the landing place).
Two of them advance from the rest and can be seen haranguing the Europeans, demonstratively commanding them to go away and daring them to single combat. The Europeans ignore the invitation, and the warriors retire.
HICKES (Journal entry)
“At 5PM about 17 Indians came to our party armed with lances and swords. Two of them advanced and talked much in an unknown tongue. I believe the purport was either commanding us to go away or daring to single combat.”
COOK (Journal entry)
“In his return to the ship Mister Gore and another person came by land and met with these people who followed him at a distance of 19 or 20 yards.”
With only TWENTY YARDS separating them, THE WARRIORS (whose numbers are now increased to twenty-two) and the TWO EUROPEANS (Gore and Magra) engage in a droll pursuit which somewhat resembles the children’s game of “Grandma’s footsteps” – the followers freezing every time the leaders turn to confront them, retreating when the leaders advance on them, and setting off again when the leaders continue on their way … while all the time maintaining a constant distance of twenty yards, “parleying” in their “unknown tongue”, but “never daring to attack them”.
The duo arrives within sight of a WOODING PARTY (adjacent to the watering place) where GORE AND MAGRA join the wooding party at the same time as ANOTHER GROUP OF EUROPEANS returns out of the woods from the hunting expedition. This second group includes SURGEON MUNKHOUSE (brother to Midshipman Munkhouse) and his servant THOMAS JONES, CHARLES GREEN (Astronomer) and his servant JOHN REYNOLDS.
The TWENTY-TWO WARRIORS retire.
The two EUROPEAN GROUPS have a short conference, then SURGEON MUNKHOUSE and his COMPANIONS set off, unarmed, towards THE WARRIORS, half a mile away, while the WOODERS, though appearing to return to their job of cutting wood, arrange themselves inconspicuously in a position for an ambush.
SURGEON MUNKHOUSE and his COMPANIONS, pretending caution, approach within TWENTY-FIVE YARDS of the WARRIORS.
GREEN
No further, we’ll frighten them off.
SURGEON MUNKHOUSE (to the servants)
Tom … you and John stay back a little … we’ll get a little closer … make ready to run … when you see me remove my hat … that’s your signal to desert.
THOMAS JONES
I’ll not desert Mister Munkhouse!
GREEN stifles a laugh.
SURGEON MUNKHOUSE
It’s a pretense you ass!
GREEN AND MUNKHOUSE move another FIVE YARDS towards THE WARRIORS.
GREEN
I hope to God the rest have a better idea of the plan!
SURGEON MUNKHOUSE
Are you ready?
GREEN
Ready.
MUNKHOUSE TAKES OFF HIS HAT. JONES AND REYNOLDS FLEE on cue.
SURGEON MUNKHOUSE (to Green)
Run sir!
GREEN turns and runs.
MUNKHOUSE pauses a moment, savouring the danger of facing the TWENTY-TWO ARMED WARRIORS alone … then runs for his life! …
He has covered only twelve yards, when, with “loud shrieks” THE WARRIORS come down upon him. MUNKHOUSE glances behind. THE WARRIORS have launched A SHOWER OF SPEARS. MUNKHOUSE has scarce sufficient time to save himself BEHIND A TREE. ONE SPEAR enters the ground he has quitted, ANOTHER pierces deep into the tree behind which he shelters.
A little ahead – fifty yards from the Warriors – ANOTHER SPEAR impales itself in the ground BETWEEN GREEN’S LEGS … and ANOTHER sticks fast in the branch of a tree above his head. MANY OTHER SPEARS fall farther from their mark.
THE WARRIORS retire towards the woods.
SURGEON MUNKHOUSE emerges from hiding. He walks up to GREEN, collecting the fallen SPEARS as he comes. JONES and REYNOLDS come jogging back. Further off, THE WATERERS raise themselves above the grass where they lay in ambush.
GREEN (delighted)
What do you say sir? … quite an adventure, eh? Here John … raise me up! … this one was truly meant for me, and I mean to have it!
With difficulty, REYNOLDS shoulders GREEN while he attempts to retrieve THE SPEAR from the branch above. MUNKHOUSE and JONES have a good laugh at the spectacle as Reynolds struggles to maintain Green trying to retrieve the spear. Green grabs the spear as Reynolds collapses bring them both into a heap on the ground.
GORE, and MAGRA, now joined by COOK, BANKS, DR SOLANDER, and TUPIA, come hurrying towards Munkhouse’s group.
BANKS stops to examine the SPEARS.
COOK, SOLANDER and TUPIA continue past after THE WARRIORS, who walk leisurely away into the woods.
COOK (Journal entry)
“We made all the haste we could after them but could by neither words or actions prevail upon them to come near us.
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NIGHT
THE SHIP – THE GREAT CABIN
THE GREAT CABIN
COOK, BANKS, SOLANDER, GREEN, SURGEON MUNKHOUSE, PARKINSON, HICKES, and SERGEANT EDGCUMBE are seated for supper.
TWO PIES are carried in by SERVANTS BRISCOE and CHARLTON and placed on the table. The head of a CROW protrudes from one. That of A COCKATOO from the other. JAMES ROBERTS supplies a musical accompaniment on his FRENCH HORN. The occasion earns a round of applause from THE COMPANY.
End of forth day at Botany Bay
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Discontinued.
Our warm thanks to those who have been following 1770 Imagined.