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[top left] Jany 20/43
[top right] [illegible]
To the Colonial Secretary -
I have the honour to transmit the enclosed Statement of the Revd Mr Schmidt, (Missionary) in reference to your Letter of the 21st of Decr last - agreeable to his Excellency's Instructions I have also conferred with him upon the subject, but cannot discover that he had any other foundation for his previous Statement than that it is currently believe[d] by the northern Tribes - He states that not being protector of the Aborigines, he did not consider himself bound to go out of his way to investigate the reports - to which I objected that though not paid Protector, surely as a Christian Missionary, supported by voluntary subscription, it was inferred as his duty not only to back but protect them & more especially to bring the author of such atrocious acts on the one in question to condign punishment, ---
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his disinclination to follow up the investigation has no doubt arisen from his fear of offending the Squatters generally --
SS.
The Revd Mr Schmidt states that on his return from Sydney in March 1842 he heard
1st From the Revd Mr Eipper that a rumour was spreading that a considerable number of blacks had been poisoned in the northern part of the District -
2nd From the Lay Missionaries Nique & Rode, who returned from an excursion in April to Umpi boong, that Natives of different Tribes had related the same to them as a fact.
3rd From the Runaways, Davis & Bracewell, who stated that there was not the least doubt but such a deed had been done - Davis who stated the number of persons poisoned from 50 to 60 - who considered it unsafe from the discovery to make an excursion to the Bunya Country -
4th From the Natives who carried our provisions up to Mr Archer's Station & gave the statement as a reason why they would not accompany us any further to the Bunya Country --- Jany 14/43
Signed Wm Schmidt, Miss.