what they consumed. "In fact, they have, although they have "been fed, and received wages at our station, attack and plundered "the gardens, and taken away whatever they could." Mr Massie instances a hutkeeper who was invariably kind to the Aborigines, but whom they treacherously and barbarously murdered.† "The female Aborigines," remarks Mr Dunlop, who appears to have considered the subject with the warm interest and the inspiring hopes of a religious mind, "are as modest in demeanour, "and quite as morally conducted as the native, or otherwise free "women. There is no instance of their leaving their tribe, or "connecting themselves with the white labouring population.' Aptitude for instruction.-Testimony has been repeatedly furnished that there is no general defect or incapacity in the Aboriginal mind with regard to memory, quickness of perception, or even the acquirement of the usual elements of education. This is abundantly exemplified in the success of the present experimental school for Aboriginal children at the Meri Meri Creek, under the direction of Mr Peacock. This quickness of the Aboriginal children is alluded to by Mr Dredge, in regard to the facility with which they learn to read, and he further remarks the readiness with which the young men take up various branches of pastoral labour. Mr Massie states that a young half caste boy he has in charge, is rapidly advancing in his education, and exhibits even greater aptitude for learning than is generally met with in a white boy of his own age. Mental Capacity.-But the symptoms are more doubtful with regard to the higher mental indications. Apt in many departments of knowledge, minutely observant of transactions, often amazingly shrewd and intelligent, the untutored savage shines with a lustre of his own, which appears in some respects as much superior, as in others it is manifestly inferior in the comparison with the civilized man. The casual observer is perplexed by seeming inconsistencies. But it is here that these two classes of mankind most widely diverge. In answer to a question from the Committee on this subject, the Rev Mr Schmidt admitted that any high degree of intelligence cannot be communicated to any black in one generation. He regards the Aboriginal Australian as the lowest in the scale of the human race that has come under his notice. "They have no idea "of a Divine Being; the impressions which we sometimes thought "we had made upon them prove quite transient. Their faculties "especially their memories, are in some respects very good; but "they appear to have no understanding of things they commit to memory-I mean connected with religion." There is, he conThe servant at the squatting out-stations, who acts as cook, &c., is usually so called, in contra-distinction to those who go forth daily with the sheep. + With characteristics of this description, it is rather amusing to understand that they entertain an insuperable objection to wearing any slop clothing that resembles the convict dress.-Dunlop, 12. tinues, either something wanting in their minds that occasions this defect of understanding upon abstract matters, or it is slumbering so deeply, that nothing but divine power can awaken it." The testimony of Mr Parker is to a similar effect. The conveyance of truth, says he, to the mind of an Australian savage is attended with formidable, he might almost say insuperable difficulties. "What can be done with a people whose language "knows no such terms as holiness, justice, righteousness, sin, guilt, "repentance, redemption, pardon, peace, &c.; and to whose minds "the ideas conveyed by such words are utterly foreign and inexplicable.' I. Past and Present Methods, and Proposed Plans for the Welfare of the Aborigines. All plans that have been hitherto adopted for the civilization of the Australian Aborigines appear to have prove almost uniformly unavailing for the accomplishment of any permanent good. Amidst the difficulties which beset the subject, and the discordant opinions as to the methods that are best adapted to their condition and circumstances, it is not to be supposed that the eye of the government possessed the faculty of discerning the proper path more clearly than others. Various apparently feasible plans have been tried, and are still being followed out by the authorities; and expense has not been spared, where there appeared any prospect of benefit. Missions The following table, taken from the appendix to the Committee's Report, contains an abstract of Mr Auditor General Lithgow's Return for the Colony of New South Wales, of the expenses of Missions to the Aborigines, from the 1st January, 1821, to 30th June, 1845. The period of duration of each Mission is taken from Mr Dredge's pamphlet: Aboriginal Native Institution, 1821 to 1833.. Total expense of Missions... £ S. 3,364 d. 9 101 388 4 4 2,145 5 10 10 2 1,516 14 2 4,538 8 9 17,917 13 12 Protectorate at Port Phillip, established 1838 30th June to 30th December,.. Making a total (exclusive of Police) of.. One-half of the expense of Border Police, Total.... £105,375 5 6 8 10 There is a Roman Catholic Mission at Stadbroke Island in Moreton Bay, where there are four Missionaries employed. This island is a band of sand about 20 miles long, and was selected as the site of a Mission in the hope that the barrenness of the spot might prevent its being settled on by the colonists. Parties have since settled there, however; and the Pilot Station is on the island. The Wesleyan Mission at Buntingdale, will be noticed hereafter. The Protectorate.-Missions to the Aborigines having proved unsuccessful, a generous effort was made by the British government in the establishment, about eight years since, of the Port Phillip Protectorate, by which it was intended to protect and provide for the considerable number of Aborigines scattered throughout the then newly colonized territory of Australia Felix. The Protectorate was established in conformity with instructions issued in 1838, under the Colonial Secretaryship of Lord Glenelg; and owes its existence to the results of the inquiries of a Committee of the House of Commons, which sat in 1833-4, to ascertain what measures should be adopted for the general benefit of Aboriginal races in British Colonies. The district was accordingly subdivided, and four sub-protectorate stations were occupied. According to general opinion in the Colony, the Protectorate has entirely failed in the accomplishment of the objects for which it was benevolently intended. But some consideration is due to the opposite testimony of the Protectors themselves. They have been able in some degree to restrain the Aborigines from robberies and mutual warfare. Mr Robinson claims that they have demonstrated that large bodies of Aborigines may be associated together without injury to themselves or to Europeans. Mr Thomas attributes much of the harmony of his district to his continually moving about with the Aborigines, and settling their mutual disputes and the aggressions. They have doubtless been instrumental, within the sphere of their influence, in checking the practice on the part of the colonists of shooting or otherwise destroying the blacks, whom hunger or revenge had impelled to rob them, and whose lives were frequently sacrificed on very slight pretexts. The inconvenient scrutiny which the Protectors have exercised with reference to the commission of any violence upon the population placed under their care, is not to be ranked in the list of their non-efficiency. "Indeed, the virulent opposition evinced against the department, I am sure," says Mr Robinson, " must be considered rather as a proof of its efficiency than otherwise." In most other respects, however, the Port Phillip Protectorate appears to have been equally unsuccessful with other experiments on the Aborigines; one of the Assistant Protectors himself honestly acknowledging, that though he cannot charge himself with dereliction of duty towards the Aborigines, to whom he has endeavoured to communicate religious truth, yet as far as regards his own exertions, no visible benefit has resulted. Mission at Buntingdale.-This Wesleyan Mission which had in vain laboured to effect some change in the habits and religious sentiments of the Aborigines, was within the last three years about to be abandoned as an unsuccessful attempt, when it occurred to the Rev. Mr Tuckfield, one of missionaries, to try a new principal of management with these untractable tribes. This was simply to separate the different tribes, and maintain them distinct and isolated, alike from the white population, and from one another. Buntingdale is a retired spot about thirty-five miles to the south west of Geelong, and remote from any principal thoroughfare. Mr Tuckfield appears to have selected one of the tribes of that locality There are at present (1845) about fifty Aborigines attached to that mission. Its Success-The results of this experiment appear to have exceeded expectation. The natives have remained on the place. Some of them have built slab huts for themselves; others have made their own shirts and trousers. Some of the young men have become expert at fencing, ploughing, reaping, &c.; others have shepherded, washed, and shorn small flocks of sheep-contributions from neighbouring settlers. From these successful beginnings, Mr Dredge is so sanguine as to anticipate that the mission will ere long even more than defray its own expenses, and assist in the formation of other missions. Plans and Alterations proposed-Experience of plans, and more accurate knowledge of the habits and character of the Aborigines, have combined to give a somewhat definite and mutually accordant aspect to the methods that have latterly been suggested. The plan of the Protectorate appears to have been in error chiefly in the attempt to amalgamate different tribes, without respect to their long standing mutual antipathies, and prejudices. It appears, indeed to be quite as necessary to separate and remove the respect tribes from one another, as to isolate the whole body from the whites. Mr Robinson admits, with reference to the Protectorate operations, that it is questionable how far it may be advisable thus to congregate large numbers of Abori Mr Parker, Assistant Protector of Aborigines, denies that the principle of the Protectorate differs so essentially from that pursued at Buntingdale, as Mr Dredge makes it appear. All the difference Mr Parker can find is, that whereas Mr Tuckfield's exertions are limited to fifty individuals; there are from 250 to 300 immediately connected with his own station, all of whom have been held together without any sacrifice of life, or even the occurrence of bloodshed.-Parker, quoted by Robinson, 18. gines, unless teachers, as originally intended by government, were appointed to promote among them the knowledge and practice of Christianity. Mr Dredge recommends that Missions be established in each of the most numerous and powerful of the tribes; and that the location of the respective Missions be as remote as possible from purchased lands and squatting stations; and also from one another, so as to prevent the members of one tribe from mixing with those of another. Their mutual animosities are deep rooted and incurable. They should, therefore, be taken in hand, tribe by tribe ; and not a tribe here and there, but at one and the same time, as those who are not in charge will decoy the others. Missions in the vicinity of squatting stations will not answer, on account of the many inducements presented to the natives to ramble from the establishment; those planted far in the interior would, however, require the assistance of a police force. There is undoubtedly more hope of success with the children than the grown-up blacks; but it appears to be absolutely necessary to withdraw the former from association with their parents and the tribe. Little can be otherwise accomplished towards the improvement of their condition. "The boys are invariably practising to throw the spear and bomerang, and look forward "with evident pleasure to the time when they may be permitted "to join in a hunt or a fight; the charms of both seem to be equal." Mr Robinson remarks, that, when out of their own districts, the Aborigines have been found exceedingly tractable; and he thinks that interchange of locality with those of Port Phillip and the middle district would prove beneficial. Distributing of Clothing and Provisions-It had been the practice of government to distribute considerable numbers of blankets among the Aborigines; but within the last two or three years this liberality had been much restricted, under an impression that that the privilege was generally abused or disregarded by the blacks. One of the queries of the Committee's circular relates to this subject, and the evidence afforded by the answers is almost unanimously to the contrary effect. The Aborigines have a strong partiality for blankets. They will patch and mend them to the last. Other descriptions of dress are passed about from one to another, and soon disappear; and they have been known to make fires and burn very good clothes on leaving town. An oppossum rug has frequently been given in exchange for a blanket. In the Broulee district, blankets had been issued regularly since 1837 up to last year (1844); and in expectation of the usual supply, the Aborigines of that district had made no suitable provision for winter, so that many old people perished in conse quence. Mr Dunlop describes the plaintive but indignant remon strance of the native chief at the discontinuance of the miserable |