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| A 19th Century opium pot. MAAS, Sydney https://ma.as/253291 |
I am once again investigating the lives of Chinese shepherds on the Southern Downs in the later half of the nineteenth century. While this comes from a Leyburn reporter, Western Creek is closer to Millmerran therefore more properly thought of as Toowoomba story. But hey, you get so far down the fixing it up track you may as well publish.
As is often the case when looking at some of these characters on Trove, they leave a small footprint in the media. Throwing 'Lee Gaw' back into the search terms only yielded this article. There were other Lee Gaws but they could not be the same person. Likewise most of the other characters have left a small footprint.
What did I learn:
- That Chinese shepherds were using opium ... not a big surprise.
- Opium pots were distinctive enough to be identified as a personal belonging.
- That shipmates from China sometimes stayed together.
- They also stayed in Australia ... that is they did not have a few years in Australia and then go back to China (I think sixteen years is long enough to make this observation)
LEYBURN.
(From our own Correspondent.)
...
I believe that I mentioned the finding of some bones, supposed to be those of a human being, on the Western Creek Station. The Police Magistrate proceeded to Western Creek on the 5th instant, and held an enquiry into the circumstances, of which enquiry the following is a brief account : — (Before G. Elliott, Esq., P.M.) Enquiry made upon certain Human Bones found upon Western Creek.
George Hill, sergeant of Gold Police, sworn : From information which I had received I proceeded to a place in the bush about nine miles from here ; Dr. Hodgkinson and Mr Dunn were in company with me ; we found some human bones and a number of little things, viz., a new boot and a pouch, a pot of opium, a tinder box, part of a looking glass, a silver ornament, and the bowl of a pipe ; I brought the bones here with the assistance of the doctor.
Martin Barry, overseer, sworn : On or about 9th September, 1865, it was reported to me that a Chinese shepherd had left his flock in the bush, and that the man was missing ; his name was Lee Gaw ; we took some blacks and searched for the man several days ; no traces were found of him ; there was a very heavy thunder storm the day after he was lost, which would wash put any tracks he might have made ; Lee Gaw has been missing ever since.
Edward Hodgkinson, sworn : I am a duly qualified medical practitioner, residing at Leyburn; this morning I went in company with Sergeant Hill to a place about nine miles from here, and there found portions of a human skeleton ; the arm bones and shoulder blades were missing ; we could only find the ribs, six bones of the spine was missing ; the lower extremities were complete with the exception of the right foot; the skull and lower jaw were complete, with the exception of one tooth ; the skull was lying about three yards from the other bones ; none of the bones I examined showed signs of any violence ; the bones are those of a male human subject ; from the formation of the cheek bones I believe that they are the bones of a Chinaman : the missing tooth was from the lower jaw, and I believe that it was lost before death.
Thomas Brannan, sworn : I am storekeeper at Western Creek ; I now produce a boot which was found in Lee Gaw's swag, at the station he was going towards as far as I can judge; the boot is the fellow to the one now before the court, and which was found with remains.
James Dunn, sworn ; I reside at Western Creek ; the silver ornament, now produced, I recognise as one which Lee Gaw offered to give to me about two days before he was lost ; I refused it ; I was in company with Sergeant Hill this morning when we found the bones; it was not in the direction of where we supposed Lee Gaw was lost ; I was out for several days with the blacks in search of him ; I saw the silver ornament found alongside the bones.
Kim Yuing, Chinaman, being duly sworn, deposed : I know Lee Gaw ; he disappeared some time last shearing ; I identify the silver ornament, the pot of opium, and the tinder box, as all belonging to Lee Gaw, who was a shipmate of mine ; I have been in the country for about sixteen years; Lee Gaw was in the habit of both smoking and chewing opium.
This concluded the enquiry.
There can be no doubt but the bones are those of the missing man. How he came by his death must remain a mystery. If one might hazard a supposition — I would say a fit brought on by excessive use of opium, which I believe induces attacks of delirium of the worst kind.
Source:
Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser (Toowoomba, Qld. : 1858 - 1880), Thursday 13 September 1866, page 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75516510
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