"Seven Years in the Australian Bush...was widely read in Australia and the British Islands. Throughout his life Mr. Stevenson bore the scars of the spear wounds inflicted by the savage natives of the northern parts of Australia." -Hilo Daily Tribune, Dec. 14, 1921
In the 1860's James Stevenson emigrated to Queensland, Australia, and found work as a "stockman" (cowboy) on the "cattle station" (ranch) of a "squatter" who had a large extent of land in the "bush" ( scrubland) along the Upper Burdekin river.
In 1880, Stevenson described his adventurous life as a stockman herding "mobs" of cattle in the Australian outback in his book "Seven Years in the Australian Bush."
Stevenson would have many run-ins with the Aborigine inhabitants of the bush, including ransoming several captives:
"Two of the boat's party advanced undercover of the guns of the others, taking the presents with them. These they laid down beside the man, and, lifting him up, began their retreat to the boat. Before they reached it, however, the blacks seemed to regret their bargain, for they came forward in numbers with their spears raised, and evidently intended to prevent the embarkation. It was a critical moment. Just as the men reached the boat a rush was made..."
About the author:
James Bristow Stevenson was born al the family estate, Knocken, near Belfast, Ireland, and he wa3 78 years of age at the time of his death in 1921. For, the past quarter of a century before his death he was an official of the Sydney Harbor Trust, before that being for many years with the Bank of New South Wales as manager of branches and as chief accountant of the head office in Sydney. Mr. Stevenson in his younger days was an explorer, and with William and John Hand, the noted Australian exporers, in 1864, first ventured into what is known as the "Gulf Country" in the region of the Gulf of Carpentaria, away up in the north of Australia. It was when with this expedition that Mr. Stevenson gathered the material for his book, "Seven. Years in the Australian Bush," was widely read in Australia and the British Islands. Throughout his life Mr. Stevenson bore the scars of spear wounds inflicted by the savage natives of the northern part of Australia. He was a noted horseman in his young days and both on the flat and over the steeplechase courses he won many a victory.
