Correspondence with the Colonial Secretary's Office

David Punchard being duly sworn states. I am a bush carpenter in partnership with Francis Henry Farrington. On the twenty fourth of December last I was at Mr Balbi's. I went there just after breakast. I do not remember to have heard anthing when I was there about any blackfellows having been shot near the head station, but I was drinking heavily. As I returned from Balbi's on Thursday two blackfellows told me they had been shooting some blackfellows in the scrub. Mr Farrington told me next said that was the same day that I came home to the best of my recollection. I think it was on the following day I went by myself to the scrub and I saw a human body very much burnt. It was the same body that I showed the Coroner to day. It was not burning when I first seen it, but just as it appeared to day. On the Sunday following, that is on last Sunday I went again to the scrub in company with a man on the station called "Blackmore". I then found another. It was partly covered with some red article of clothing. It was the body of an aboriginal. I took it to be the body of an old man. but I did not stop to take particular notice of it as it smelled so badly. his Taken and acknowledged upon oath ) Daniel x Punchard on the head Station Fassifern this third ) Mark day of January 1861 before me ) [signed] Henry Challinor J.P. )

Charles Blackmore being duly sworn states. I am a Smith and carpenter in the employment of Messrs Hardie and Weinholt. I have been I have been spending Christmas in Limestone. While there I read in one of the local newspapers that four blackfellows had been shot in Fassifern. I returned to Fassifern the following day, that is on Saturday. On Sunday morning I went with David Punchard to the scrub in the bush paddock. I saw the bodies of two men there. One was very much burnt. The other was the body of a old black fellow, whom I thought I could recognise. I have no doubt the other was the body of a black fellow. The shooting of the blacks in the scrub I have referred to, has been the subject of general conversation on the Station. After dinner on Sunday I went again and took two other men with me belonging to the Station. [signed] Charles Blackmore Taken and acknowledged upon oath ) on this third day of January 1861 on the ) head Station Fassifern before me ) [signed] Henry Challinor J.P. )