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(Copy)

Border Police Station Lake King
Gipps Land 20th December 1846.
Before Charles. J. Tyers Esq. J.P.

Christian De Villiers, of Melbourne
appeared before me this day and on
oath deposed as follows – I am in
charge of a party sent to Gipps Land
for the purpose of searching for a
white woman said to be detained
by the wild Blacks of this District.
On Monday afternoon 21st instant -
I arrived at the Snowy River with
six Natives belonging to my party
and three warrigals as guides. I met
Mr Dana’s party – and encamped
that night (about 100 yards from
his (Mr Danas) camp - Mr.
Dana informed me then that he
had surrounded several camps
of the Natives on the Snowy River -
Mr Dana had with him One old
man a woman and Three children,
the man & woman were secured with a
pair of Handcuffs fastened to their
legs. – In the evening I got information
from my blacks and also from the
warrigals that some of the Natives
on

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on the Snowy River had been shot
by Mr Dana’s party. On Tuesday
morning the 22nd. I went to Mr.
Dana’s Camp. I found the whole
party asleep and before mentioned
man & woman & children gone.
I requested the Sergt of the Native
Police to let me have the key of
the handcuffs in the event of
my meeting the Natives I might
liberate them – as I considered that
Mr Dana was acting without orders
to that effect from the Commr of
Crown Lands – this request was
refused – and I was told that it
was of little or no consequence to
the Natives whether they were set
at liberty or not.

My boat
having arrived Mr Dana and his
party left. I then ( a few hours
afterwards) proceeded up the Snowy
River with my party taking the
right hand branch, notwithstanding
Mr Dana’s having informed me
that it was not possible for my
boat to get up that branch
and

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and after proceeding for a mile
I observed on the Banks of the River
that the reeds had been greatly trampled
down. I landed with two or three
of my men and found there the
dead body of a male native a very
stout made man apparently about
30 years of age. I directed Mr.
Brodie, who is somewhat acquainted
with the Medical profession to
examine the body. The Head
was cut in two places and appeared to have
been done by a sharp instrument.
The body was partly covered with grass
and a few pieces of bark – there was
a mark upon the chest and another
on the legs which my Blacks told me
were gun shot wounds – done by black
fellow and white fellow belonging to
Naran being the Native name for
the Border Police Station.

On the 23rd. inst. I proceeded further
up the River – and on seeing a Canoe
near the Shore – I sent two or three men
of my party to search – and on landing
they proceeded a little distance from
the Banks of the River – they
fell in with the Black man and
woman