▁to ▁let ▁them ▁have ▁it , ▁only ▁reg rett ing ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁party ▁were ▁not ▁with ▁them , ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁less on ▁a ▁more ▁severe ▁one . ▁The ▁ass ail ants ▁spread ▁out ... but ▁seeing ▁eight ▁or ▁nine ▁of ▁their ▁compan ions ▁drop , ▁made ▁them ▁think ▁better ▁of ▁it , ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁finally ▁h unted ▁back ▁across ▁the ▁river , ▁leaving ▁their ▁friends ▁behind ▁them . ▁The ▁question ▁here ▁is , ▁who ▁was ▁tres pass ing ▁on ▁whose ▁land ? ▁Sure ly ▁the ▁K ok ober rin ▁war riors ▁were ▁merely ▁protect ing ▁their ▁families ▁and ▁their ▁traditional ▁lands .” ▁The ▁historian , ▁P . ▁P ride aux , ▁notes ▁that ▁the ▁J ard ine ▁brothers ▁were ▁very ▁young , ▁aged ▁ 2 1 ▁and ▁ 2 3 , ▁were ▁accompanied ▁by ▁four ▁other ▁Europe ans ▁plus ▁four ▁Queensland ▁Ab original ▁employees , ▁all ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁armed . ▁P ride aux ▁states ▁that ▁during ▁the ▁trip , ▁the ▁four ▁Ab original ▁employees ▁were ▁also ▁responsible ▁for ▁killing ▁" n atives ". ▁In ▁the ▁weeks ▁leading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁mass acre ▁at ▁N ass au ▁River , ▁the ▁K ok ober rin ▁had ▁attacked ▁the ▁party ▁several ▁times . ▁▁ ▁July ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁Native ▁tro op ers ▁amb ushed ▁a ▁Dar umb al ▁cer emon ial ▁gather ing ▁outside ▁Rock ham pton ▁and ▁shot ▁dead ▁ 1 8 ▁Ab original ▁Austral ians , ▁and ▁then ▁set ▁fire ▁to ▁their ▁corps es