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THE WILD WHITE MAN 17 YEARS WITH THE BLACKS Shipwrecked Sailors' Ordeal
The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1954) Tuesday 31 December 1929, page 4
Article
ChangedByOld LinesNew Lines
2009-04-29 13:15:04.0anonymousMembers of the trible from the sur-
Members of the tribe from the sur-
2009-02-04 15:40:46.0user:public:Stephen.J.ArnoldMorrill, and seven passengers-Mr.
eastern side of Cape Cleveland-the
Morrill, and seven passengers— Mr.
eastern side of Cape Cleveland—the
2008-11-26 12:18:19.0user:public:jhempenstallalive. Shortly after landing. Wilmot
tile young apprentice, who was a mere
During lils residence with these
blacks Morrill/ accompanied them In
thei>" tribal wars, went with them on
the seasliiore. He soon lost all Kuro
pean habits, and forgot almost his.
real domont.loa.led aboriginal. At.flrst,"
his associates at times trented him
roughly, Und would perhaps have kill-
ed him but. for the interference ol' tho
women, with, whoin he became a great
far as Ho recognise in him'a dear de-
should return n white man.
During the early p.nrt. ol' his sojourn
lie used lo hui Sd huts to sleep In dur-
ing wet and cold weather, lint as 1 li-
nn! ives often expelled him from his
retreat and., took poHsrwsion, lie -dis-
continued labouring for their (..inllorl,
The domain cf.the Irlbtvwitb which
lie associated extended from the Tlur
ile|>inUiver to the i.!ii|ck Uiver a <li,s
lance of some 30 miles, and their
-headquarters were in the pockets of
Mount lOlliott. A favourite haunt of
Hie tribe was near Cape Marlow,
about 2!) miles northwards (of Cleve-
land Bay. and here Morrill spent
up the rugged ..sides of Castle Hill,
and, from the summit scan the blue
waters ol' the bay, 'in the fond hope
of seeing a sail that would ri scue him
from solitude, but lor his trouble hu
In IStil he heard that white people
and with the lobject of coming in con-
Howling" Green. This .tribe did not
for his own security from other, tribes
of au unfriendly disposition he was
au expedition of discovery, and even
had he come suddenly. In contact willi
those of his own race, lie would un-
During Hie ,early part of January
lSGIl, thc tribe with which he lived
organised a kangaroo hunt in Hie near
vicinity of a sheep-station on tho
lower Burdekin, and lone day Morrill,
was detailed witli a party of the wo-
herself soon tdd Morrill that she had
seen il white man's hut, and when she
was directing, him to the locality '.hey
sighted name sheep. I'pon Morrill de-
-washed .himself so as to appear as
white as possible,, and walked on in
the direction of the-sheet). Soon lie
- came in sight of the yard, and then a
? | lilli, from which he heard voices. At
e; Hitit instant lie was confused and al
v j armed, anil was almost impelled t..i
'?run away. Mounting as high as lie
ii: could on the fence, he called out the
e sailor's salutation he- had so often
- repeated to himself- when alone:
ol "What cheer, shipmate?"
I. Hearing this one man looked out pf
-1 the: ililli, and soe.ihg 'Morrill, who was
- j wild-lci.oking in appearance, iinniedi
I'-ately called out, "Bring the guns,
I Wilson, here'.s a miked man on the
fence thal is white or yellow, hut is
his ??.rms and called ont, "I alu. a
were stockmen, took him into thy hut
and gave him bread to eat. which at
almost forgotten- the Knglish lan-
guage il was some' time before lie
could explain himself to fhe 'settlers.
Thal- nl.vrlit he returned to the abor,
igines' camp ?and' upon his advic ?,
they moved oft' some miles fin thor
that he intended to return to tile
wliiWfl. Hie natives at first uiid-islood
thal lie would be away for t'.'-roe wr
four days only, and begged of Kim to
talk to his countrymen and ted ll;i-m
not to shoot the native.". Wlu'n they
to see a great many while pe'uplo, ami
that he would bo away three o" f.ur
moons, some of them declared thai he
was going to leave them a Roset lui.
rest of the while men.
tribes lind lost their lives during a
great flood, and lt was a consoling
other great: flood would drown a .1 the
white men, with their horses cuttle
li" and sheep., Others lamented Hun he
would be too far away io do any-
thing lo 'save them from the whit us.
They begged of -him to induce his
countrymen to let them bavo al least
tho swamps and saltwater creeks,
upon condition that they (tii^ blacks)
abandoned thc upper reaches and
rivers.' With much lamentation tn
the part of many of lils tried associ-
ates, on the following'morning Mor-
rill ended his almost 17 years .so-
Morrill: was not, Ino we vcr,- long to
survive his release. Janies Gordon,
tit Unit time the. sub-collector of Cus-
and presented him lo Sir Gooi-ge
Ferguson Bowen, Governor.of Queenu
laiul, who, however, took little inter-
est in H>e wild white niau. Koturnlnn
to Bowen he Was employed la the
Customs Department as one ol' the
crew of tho pilot-boat, at ul In 1NU4
he married a servant ol' the Police
Magistrate's at. Ural place.
Townsville was then Just beginning
lo grow on the shores ol' Cleveland
Bay, and at the foot lol' Onwllu Hill,
(he peak Morrill often climbed to
scan the horizon in search of a sall.
In-April, ISG'5, tho'first bonded goods
arrived at the new seaport, In the
schooner "Ariel," in, charge ol' none
?other than Jimmy Morrill. In June
ol' the following year, when the first
laud cf the now town wiyj sold, ti.
nuarter of an acre was knocked .down
to Morrill! at the upset price, no one
being Inclined to bid against, him.'
and thus he obtained ari allotment of
hind in what, he termed his country.
.lames Morrill died in the following
October at Mowen, leaving a widow
and a posthumous son, who lalor oil
drove a team lu the neighbourhood ol'
Townsville. From Hie lime ol' lils
release, tuarn the aborigine life to Hie
lii'iio of-lils death, Jimmy Morrill al-
ways lind ti. deep affection for. Hie
aborigines,- lind old-timers, still living
at, Bowen'have informed me Unit he
used to relate, some very touching
Inclde.ivlw concerning that race,, which
ot'lon bro tish j. tears |o Ui'.-'.i" eyes,
alive. Shortly after landing, Wilmot
the young apprentice, who was a mere
During his residence with these
blacks Morrill accompanied them in
their tribal wars, went with them on
the seashore. He soon lost all Euro-
pean habits, and forgot almost his
real domesticated aboriginal. At first,
his associates at times treated him
roughly, and would perhaps have kill-
ed him but for the interference of the
women, with, whom he became a great
far as to recognise in him a dear de-
should return a white man.
During the early part of his sojourn
he used to build huts to sleep in dur-
ing wet and cold weather, but as the
natives often expelled him from his
retreat and took possession, he dis-
continued labouring for their comfort.
The domain of the tribe with which
he associated extended from the Bur-
dekin River to the Black River a dis-
tance of some 30 miles, and their
headquarters were in the pockets of
Mount Elliott. A favourite haunt of
the tribe was near Cape Marlow,
about 25 miles northwards of Cleve-
land Bay, and here Morrill spent
up the rugged sides of Castle Hill,
and from the summit scan the blue
waters of the bay, in the fond hope
of seeing a sail that would rescue him
from solitude, but for his trouble he
In 1861 he heard that white people
and with the object of coming in con-
Bowling Green. This tribe did not
for his own security from other tribes
of an unfriendly disposition he was
an expedition of discovery, and even
had he come suddenly in contact with
those of his own race, he would un-
During the early part of January
1863, the tribe with which he lived
organised a kangaroo hunt in the near
vicinity of a sheep-station on the
lower Burdekin, and one day Morrill,
was detailed with a party of the wo-
herself soon told Morrill that she had
seen a white man's hut, and when she
was directing him to the locality they
sighted some sheep. Upon Morrill de-
washed himself so as to appear as
white as possible, and walked on in
the direction of the sheep. Soon he
came in sight of the yard, and then a
hut, from which he heard voices. At
that instant he was confused and al-
armed, and was almost impelled to
run away. Mounting as high as he
could on the fence, he called out the
sailor's salutation he had so often
repeated to himself when alone:
"What cheer, shipmate?"
Hearing this one man looked out of
the hut, and seeing Morrill, who was
wild-looking in appearance, immedi-
ately called out, "Bring the guns,
Wilson, here's a naked man on the
fence that is white or yellow, but is
his arms and called out, "I am a
were stockmen, took him into the hut
and gave him bread to eat, which at
almost forgotten the English lan-
guage it was some time before he
could explain himself to the settlers.
That night he returned to the abor-
igines' camp and upon his advice,
they moved off some miles further
that he intended to return to the
whites, the natives at first understood
that he would be away for three or
four days only, and begged of him to
talk to his countrymen and tell them
not to shoot the natives. When they
to see a great many white people, and
that he would be away three or four
moons, some of them declared that he
was going to leave them altogether.
rest of the white men.
tribes had lost their lives during a
great flood, and it was a consoling
other great flood would drown all the
white men, with their horses, cattle
and sheep. Others lamented that he
would be too far away to do any-
thing to save them from the whites.
They begged of him to induce his
countrymen to let them have at least
the swamps and saltwater creeks,
upon condition that they (the blacks)
abandoned the upper reaches and
rivers. With much lamentation on
the part of many of his tried associ-
ates, on the following morning Mor-
rill ended his almost 17 years so-
Morrill was not, however, long to
survive his release. James Gordon,
at that time the sub-collector of Cus-
and presented him to Sir George
Ferguson Bowen, Governor of Queens-
land, who, however, took little inter-
est in the wild white man. Returning
to Bowen he was employed in the
Customs Department as one of the
crew of the pilot-boat, and in 1864
he married a servant of the Police
Magistrate's at that place.
Townsville was then just beginning
to grow on the shores of Cleveland
Bay, and at the foot of Castle Hill,
the peak Morrill often climbed to
scan the horizon in search of a sail.
In April, 1865, the first bonded goods
arrived at the new seaport, in the
schooner "Ariel," in charge of none
other than Jimmy Morrill. In June
of the following year, when the first
land of the new town was sold, a
quarter of an acre was knocked down
to Morrill at the upset price, no one
being inclined to bid against him,
and thus he obtained an allotment of
land in what he termed his country.
James Morrill died in the following
October at Bowen, leaving a widow
and a posthumous son, who later on
drove a team in the neighbourhood of
Townsville. From the time of his
release from the aborigine life to the
time of his death, Jimmy Morrill al-
ways had a deep affection for the
aborigines, and old-timers, still living
at Bowen have informed me that he
used to relate some very touching
incidents concerning that race, which
often brought tears to their eyes.
2008-11-26 11:52:37.0user:public:jhempenstallwhite man," who lived for I 7 years with the blacks.
for a War Service dwelling. \
On February 2S, 1S40, a barque
named thu "Peruvian" lot' Dundoo, left
Sydney bound foi- China. She lv.nl a
ei'ew of 22 all told, and was com-
were l-l sailors, afnongst whom was
.Morrill, and seven. passengers?Mr.
nursemaid, Mr. J. tt. Quarry and*
child, and Mrs. Pitkelly, Hie oaptn.in's
wife. For a tull week the vessel ex-
was blowni along for several days
with'only the bare mn.st& Karly on
the morning of March S, the. vessel
washed up so high that onliy the
TThe boats were destroyed, lone at
the time ol' thu collision with the
rocks, and tho other when attempts
wore being-"made to leave the ves-
sel -in them. The. second-mate was
thu first mate was lost, whilst he was
maining boat ttl for the sea. From
casks, rigging, spars, etc., a ran was
formed, upon which the. survivors, af-
finned moat and soup, drifted from
¦ Their sufferings during the clays
that followed "were fearful. For 2 2
days they" drifted about, without any
signs ol' rescue from passing vessels.
Then Mr. Quarry died. Next -follow-
carpenter, co'ok, two seamen, two ap-
morning they saw the topsails ot' a
ing day. -Again the raft drifted on
the Barrier Iteef. and two days af-
terwards they sighted Cape Upstart..
Tossed hither and thither with the!
tides and current'.-?, they came'in view j
ol' Cape Bowling- Green two days later.
At last, titter 44 days from that ow
which it drifted from the wreck, Hie
eastern side of Cape Cleveland?ithe ;
captain and his wife, Slr. Wilmot,
rill Iscainen),. and Wilson (appren-,
tiee), seven iii all, reaching the land ¦.
and Goioley died, and Miller, finding
the blacks. The .survivors sheltered
some members of one 'ol' the aborig-
inal tribes found them. At tl rsl they
were afraid of the white p.'oplie. bul
soon each ol' them became the centre
of a group ol' the dusky race, whose
curiosity led them to examine eacli
carefully from the crown ol' the head
to the sole ol' the foist. They next
supplied them willi food, and by signs
Indicated Hie direction in which there
blacks and whites camped and «lept
together, and next morning tiley till
carried.' On arrival at the camp the
white people were supplied willi fciad,
but carefully covered -with boughs to (
conceal them from the general gaze.!
Members ol' the trible from the sur-
rounding district kept coming in, vi nd
ti. grand exhibition was made, of thc
articles that h'ad been found with the
served by so-me of the people with
After a short time thc shipwrecked
survivors were conducted to lints pre-
pared -fbi"' theiii,-'" "and'"\vere."supplied j
with such food as the aborigines I
possessed. For a long limo parties |
of the tribe kept arriving llb see the |
¦strangers, who settled down as mem-
bers of the wild community. Tiley
although treated with, rare indulgence,
they sintered frightfully..' The ¦whole'
of the fioor unfortunate creatures
months, -when the captain died, and
his unt'ortuiiae -wife ..only survived
him three months, dying ol' a broken
heart. Thc remaining' two endea-
voured to lind their way south, but
stands. Twelve n'lontlis after Hie
prentice died,, and Morrill was left
life sole survivor of that ill-fated
party, with only tho aborigines for
history, is that of James Morrill, known as "thc wild
One pf thc strangest stories of early Queensland
white man," who lived for 17 years with the blacks.
for a War Service dwelling.
On February 28, 1846, a barque
named the "Peruvian" of Dundee, left
Sydney bound for China. She had a
crew of 22 all told, and was com-
were 14 sailors, amongst whom was
Morrill, and seven passengers-Mr.
nursemaid, Mr. J. B. Quarry and
child, and Mrs. Pitkelly, the captain's
wife. For a full week the vessel ex-
was blown along for several days
with only the bare masts. Early on
the morning of March 8, the vessel
washed up so high that only the
The boats were destroyed, one at
the time of the collision with the
rocks, and the other when attempts
were being made to leave the ves-
sel in them. The second-mate was
the first mate was lost, whilst he was
maining boat fit for the sea. From
casks, rigging, spars, etc., a raft was
formed, upon which the survivors, af-
tinned meat and soup, drifted from
Their sufferings during the days
that followed were fearful. For 22
days they drifted about, without any
signs of rescue from passing vessels.
Then Mr. Quarry died. Next follow-
carpenter, cook, two seamen, two ap-
morning they saw the topsails of a
ing day. Again the raft drifted on
the Barrier Reef, and two days af-
terwards they sighted Cape Upstart.
Tossed hither and thither with the
tides and currents, they came in view
of Cape Bowling Green two days later.
At last, after 44 days from that on
which it drifted from the wreck, the
eastern side of Cape Cleveland-the
captain and his wife, Mr. Wilmot,
rill (seamen), and Wilson (appren-
tice), seven in all, reaching the land
and Gooley died, and Miller, finding
the blacks. The survivors sheltered
some members of one of the aborig-
inal tribes found them. At first they
were afraid of the white people, but
soon each of them became the centre
of a group of the dusky race, whose
curiosity led them to examine each
carefully from the crown of the head
to the sole of the foot. They next
supplied them with food, and by signs
indicated the direction in which there
blacks and whites camped and slept
together, and next morning they all
carried. On arrival at the camp the
white people were supplied with food,
but carefully covered with boughs to
conceal them from the general gaze.
Members of the trible from the sur-
rounding district kept coming in, and
a grand exhibition was made, of the
articles that had been found with the
served by some of the people with
After a short time the shipwrecked
survivors were conducted to huts pre-
pared for them, and were supplied
with such food as the aborigines
possessed. For a long time parties
of the tribe kept arriving to see the
strangers, who settled down as mem-
bers of the wild community. They
although treated with rare indulgence,
they suffered frightfully. The whole
of the poor unfortunate creatures
months, when the captain died, and
his unfortunate wife only survived
him three months, dying of a broken
heart. The remaining two endea-
voured to find their way south, but
stands. Twelve months after the
prentice died, and Morrill was left
the sole survivor of that ill-fated
party, with only the aborigines for
history, is that of James Morrill, known as "the wild
One of the strangest stories of early Queensland

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