Volume II Part 22 (1/2)

The good encouragement it has lately received has, to a certain extent, assisted in bringing it back to the position of one of the h we must attribute iven by the policy of Colonel Gawler, which, though it may have caused a te its happy effects sensibly felt

THE OVERLANDERS

The eastern extent of the country of South Australia was deter stock from New South Wales The first that ca account of them will be found in Captain Grey's work Many of these pioneers of civilization endure extraordinary hardshi+ps during their expeditions; as an exa to find a new route, was compelled to kill a calf and drink its blood to save his life On this occasion water was found by the cattle, turned loose for that purpose Another gentleman, who had lost his way in the bush, had recourse to a curious expedient to assuage his burning thirst, namely, to bleed the horse he rode, which was theboth himself and the quadruped also

On our arrival in Adelaide the toas full of the Overlanders, and everyone was engaged in buying or selling stock, which gave the place quite an anientlee in cannibalis the hand of a child that had been partly eaten

Since that time the matter has been placed beyond a doubt by the report of the Protector, Mr Sievewright, itnessed with his own eyes awoman It is extraordinary that a custo wanted confirmation

(Footnote See Mr Eyre's Discoveries in Central Australia)

CAPTAIN STURT

At Adelaide I had the pleasure ofthe acquaintance of the intrepid traveller Captain Sturt, who has since again taken the field, endeavouring to penetrate to the interior of the Australian continent, and to res over it Froe kind of bird, a species of rail, that once visited Swan River, also made its appearance in South Australia on one occasion I have already alluded to this re our stay we visited Mount Lofty, placed by our observations in latitude 34 degrees 58 rees 30 e, the greatest elevation of which is 2200 feet, was very pleasant after a ride over the heated plain I was agreeably surprised to find in the heart of the hills a most comfortable inn, where our party sat down to a luncheon of lareen peas, with a beautiful cool bottle of sherry

Such is the march of civilization! To the north of our road was a lead reat riches to the colony; for which, indeed, nature has done much in the way of reatly pleased with the apparent success that had attended the schools of the German Missionaries; and especially with the aptitude for learning displayed by both boys and girls; but my pleasure would have been much increased had I not felt convinced that the system of education adopted, possessed many serious defects In the first place, sufficient care did not seem to have been taken to recommend the schools to the natives, and to induce them to send their children voluntarily That it was necessary to resort to so this beyond mere persuasion, will be evident e recollect how useful even the youngest member of an Australian fains to walk, certainly as soon as it is capable of receiving instruction, light tasks, even in the hunting expeditions, are allotted to it; so that, to reirls, and take them to school, is, in reality, to deprive their friends of assistance, which to thee should be offered to the father, to prevail on hiain, when once pupils have been procured, it is exceedingly unwise to allow them to maintain a constant intercourse with their tribe, and be thus subjected to deteriorating influences that must almost irresistibly combat the beneficial effects of their education But it is needless to dwell further on this subject, as Mr Eyre has so completely stated the question in his late work

REMARKS ON THE SYSTEM FOR CIVILISING THE NATIVES

I cannot, however, refrain fro to another point in connection with this matter; namely, that when I visited South Australia, all instruction was coe My attention had already been drawn to the subject on visiting Tahiti, in 1835, when I perceived with regret, that the lish tongue, persisted in i instruction in a kind of corrupted dialect, of which the words were for the most part native, whilst the syntax and construction were in exact conformity with our own; the observation of the same circumstance at New Zealand, had further induced me to reflect on the subject How much more prudent would it have been to introduce, at once, the language of Great Britain into the islands of the Pacific; as, judging from every indication, it must ultimately prevail over the vast variety of primitive and imperfect dialects now spoken; and which serve as barriers between the various tribes That the same mistake should have been made in South Australia was the more remarkable, as public opinion seems to run completely counter to it It appears evident indeed, that if the object was to benefit and civilize the aboriginal inhabitant, the right course to take, was to give hie histo expect thathihts had been accustomed to e, within the bounds of a dialect which was only iht it I am aware that the excellentthe natives to acquire a facility of co with the vicious part of the white population; but had they taken a ed view, and considered the absolute i a certain amount of intercourse--had they had more confidence in the better part of their own race, and reflected on the ie would derive frohten him by their answers, they would more speedily have effected their benevolent intentions I a the Australian in the scale of civilization could have been devised, than to put hilad to hear that the opinion I so early forth been partially acted upon

The natives will soon be open to an engagement on board a vessel, and may expect to emulate the New Zealanders, some of whom have risen to be mates; and to acquire the information and experience of which they stand so e confined to their own imperfect dialect, not only would they be unable to extend their acquaintance with other parts of the world, and with the arts of civilization, but they would remain, aswith many inhabitants of their own districts

For it must be borne inone valley is ignorant of the language spoken in the next So that to instruct them only in their own forms of speech, is not only difficult, since, on the death of each rammar and vocabulary to supply his place, but absolutely tends to perpetuate the isolation in which the natives now live; and which is the main cause of the little development of their minds, and the inferior position they occupy in the scale of civilization

LEAVE HOLDFAST ROAD

We sailed froht winds, with occasional very heavy squalls, it was not until the afternoon of the 10th, that we got out to sea by Backstairs Passage, between Cape Jervis and Kangaroo Island On the ed to shorten all sail to a very heavy squall from West-South-West, which announced its appearance by a distant roaring, soenerally succeed the hot winds that prevail at this season in South Australia, co the hot winds we observed the therrees)

ARRIVE AT SYDNEY

Easterly winds prevented us fro in towards the coast, seven or eight miles west of Cape Ote found that it projected three or four miles too much on the charts

Bass Strait appeared under a different aspect froht winds, by nous till the 21st, e got a kick out of the eastern entrance froood run up to Sydney, where we arrived on the 23rd

CHAPTER 27

Land Sales

Unsettled boundaries

New Zealand

Hunter River

Midnight alares in Officers of shi+p

Leave Sydney

Port Stephens

Corrobory

Gale at Cape Upstart