神秘的河第一季

威廉桑希尔是泰晤士河畔一个没受过教育的船夫，性情直率，敢爱敢恨。因为偷窃木材，在1806年被流放到新南威尔士州。像许多犯人一样，他在几年内被赦免，并开始在霍克斯伯里河上讨生活。很快，他获得了河畔的一块土地。但当时，移民者和原住民在霍克斯伯里的矛盾日渐激化。而桑希尔的土地正处在咽喉之地。他的发家之路似乎即将开始，可问题也随之而来。土著人认为这片土地应属于世世代代生活在这里的达鲁格人。面对侵略者建立的栅栏、道路和房屋，他们拿起最原始的武器，开始反击。桑希尔渐渐意识到，土地所引发的战争或许终将不可避免。他的邻居斯迈舍和赛吉提等人认为，土著人是原始野蛮的动物，不应手下留情；但有的人选择与土著人和谐共存，例如布莱克伍德先生就成功融入了土著人的生活；还有人选择妥协，就像海蒂太太会说“他们要什么就给他们什么好了”。但随着时间流逝，移民者与原住民的矛盾不断升温。有些移民者决定要“一劳永逸”地解决问题。桑希尔会加入他们吗？无论是否，这个决定都将伴随他度完余生。WilliamThornhill,anilliterateThamesbargemanandamanofquicktemperbutdeepfeelings,stealsaloadoftimberandistransportedtoNewSouthWalesin1806.Likemanyoftheconvicts,he'spardonedwithinafewyearsandsettlesonthebanksoftheHawkesburyRiver.PerhapstheGovernorgrantshimthelandorperhapshejusttakesit-theHawkesburyisattheextremeedgeofsettlementatthattimeandnormalrulesdon'tapply.Howeverhegetstheland,it'sprimeriverfrontacreage.Itlookscertaintomakehimrich.There'sjustoneproblemwiththatland:it'salreadyowned.It'sbeenpartoftheterritoryoftheDarugpeopleforperhapsfortythousandyears.Theyhaven'tleftfencesorroadsorhouses,buttheyliveonthatlandanduseit,justassurelyasThornhill'splanningtodo.Theyaren'tgoingtohandovertheirlandwithoutafight.Spearsmaybeprimitiveweapons,butsettlersknowthattheycankillamanassurelyasaballofleadfromamusket.Asherealisesallthis,Thornhillfacesanimpossiblechoice.Someofhisneighbours-SmasherSullivan,SagittyBirtles-regardtheDarugashardlyhuman,savageswithaslittlerighttolandasadog.WhentheDarugobjecttobeingdrivenoff,thosesettlershavenocompunctioninshootingorpoisoningthem.Otherneighboursmakeadifferentchoice,andfindwaystoco-existwiththeDarug.Blackwoodhasmadeafamilyamongthem.MrsHerring"givesthemwhentheyask".Hostilitybetweenblacksandwhitesgraduallyescalates.Finallyagroupofsettlersdecidestogooutand"settle"theDarugforonceandforall.WillThornhilljointhem?Thedecisionhemakesiswithhimfortherestofhislife.