By the northern mail, which arrived here yesterday, we have news of the fresh outrages by the Palmer Blacks, who, on the recurrence of the hot season, seem to be showing more restleness[sic] and daring.
They remind us of describing an exciting event at the Normanby, the Booktown Herald says: A bullock driver named John Hickey, who had camped there, had lost his bullocks and went up the river in search of them for some short distance. He suddenly came upon a mob of niggers who were rounding up some horses quite close to him.
His appearance at the scene diverted their attention from the equine to the human game, and they made after him.
Hickey had only three cartridges, and fired one at the first of the mob, who must have been hit, as he turned tail and fled incontinently. This did not stop the remainder who still advanced on him so he had to run for it, the niggers in full cry after him.
Having again loaded as he ran he turned and fired once more but did not succeed in checking them, so he was again compelled to fly. He exerted his utmost strength and managed to distance the savages and crossing the river arrived at the township thoroughly exhausted.
When his pursuers reached the bank and found their hoped-for prey in safety on the other side they raised the most fiendish yell of disappointed rage.
After a short and hurried consultation among the few men in the township it was agreed that the horses belonged to a well known carrier Mr. Klatte who was camped with his team there. Mr. Klatte, Hickey, and three or four at once started after them and came upon their tracks about a mile up the river. The tracks were very numerous and indicated that the blacks were in great numbers.
Here they found one of Mr. Klatte's horses dead with four spear wounds in its body, but they could not overtake the darkies and as night was coming on were reluctantly compelled to return to the township.
Information was at once sent forward to Sub-Inspector Douglas who was promptly on their tracks by daylight and has given them sufficient reasons for confining their sphere of operations to a spot rather more than a mile distant from a Native Police Camp. Six horses in all are speared or missing, Mr. Klatte losing five of the number.
From the same source we have the subjoined incidents:
On Friday the 8th inst., five Chinese carriers were climbing the range, on Coward's track, about 60 miles from Cooktown, and about 3 from the crossing at the Laura. They were suprised by a party of blacks, numbering from 15 to 20, who attempted to surround them, but did not throw any spears or molest them further.
The Chinamen, however, threw down their bamboos, and baskets, and made off at a slapping pace down the mountain, and reached the stores at the Laura, minus all their traps. They related their experiences, but unfortunately no notice was taken of their story by the people there, otherwise the accident that followed next might have been obviated.
On the following day (Saturday, 9th instant.) two men travelling up to the Normanby, (names unknown) arrived at Laura. They were informed of the occurrence on the previous day, but said they intended to go on, as the blacks, if they had been there, were most likely gone by that time. As they ascended the range, they found the place where the Chinamen had been attacked, and saw all the contents of their loading, rice, sugar, etc., lying scattered about, but all the baskets, poles, packs, and blankets, were gone. They kept on, seeing no blacks about, and just as they came to the last "pinch" on the hill, the foremost man heard his mate, who was about ten yards behind him, scream out. He turned round and saw him lying on the ground, with a spear right through him. He saw no blacks either then or subsequently; he remained with his companion, who was in great agony, till some packers fortunately passing, he got the wounded man moved down to the shanty at the Laura.
Previously to removing him, the spear, which was a very large one, was broken off close to the body, in which it was embedded over 14 inches having entered the back close to the spine, and between the short ribs, and protruding from the abdomen about two inches from the navel.
A man on horseback was at once despatched for surgical assistance. He, as it fortunately happened, met Antony, formerly wardsman at the Cook District Hospital, who offered his services in the emergency. Next day the spear was extracted successfully and the [line of text unintelligible].
Dillon first saw him, that he is of opinion that if inflammation does not set in, he will most likely recover.
Information was at once forwarded to Sub-Inspector Townsend, who immediately left on the war-trail. He came in on Sunday for rations, and reported that he had tracked the blacks, and found five of them on the table land, of whom it is needless to doubt that he gave a satisfactory account, though we have no information on the subject.
He had again gone in pursuit, when constable Dillon left on Wednesday morning. On his journey down the latter came upon an enormous mob of the savages, fully 50 in number. He had no rifle with him, and it was terrible odds; but with a liberal use of his revolver, Dillon speedily put the savages to flight, and arrived in town unscathed.
A correspondent of the Cooktown Courier details the following incident: The blacks have made another unprovoked attack on the Chinese. On Wednesday afternoon six of seven Chinamen rushed into the camp crying, Blackfellow! Blackfellow! Messrs T. Leslie Byrn and others; who happened to be in camp at the time, readily volunteered to go down and see what was the matter. They had not proceeded far before they met with one of the wounded Chinamen. The spear had struck him about two inches below the navel; it having broken off from the shaft, there was three or four feet of the spear being held by the poor fellow. On arriving at the camp, we found it had penetrated some six or seven inches. Some were for cutting it out, but the majority decided to leave it in; it being jagged. The poor fellow lived until Friday morning, seemingly without pain.
We are in daily expectation of an attack being made on the main camp, and if some steps are not immediately taken by the Government, you will hear of some fearful attrocity having been committed 'ere long. Since penning the above, a party named Wiseman came into the camp, who had just had two of his horses speared, when camped about a mile and a-half from them - himself merely escaping with life.
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