APPENDIX.

P.

LETTERS to the GOVERNOR of NEW SOUTH WALES, respecting the ABORIGINES.

To Major General Richard Bourke, K. C. B. Governor in Chief of New South Wales.

Frequently, since G. W. Walker and myself had last the privilege of being guests at the Government-house, at Parramatta, my attention has been recalled to a remark of the Governor, respecting the desireableness of doing something for the Aborigines of New South Wales, and the difficulty of knowing what to do, in order to promote their improvement; and some ideas have impressed my mind, on this subject, which I believe it my place to submit to the Governor's notice, in the hope that they may tend to the removal of the difficulty, and to the opening of the way, for the amelioration of the condition of this injured race of our fellow-men.

In order to make myself clearly understood, it seems necessary for me to advert to the original state of the Black Population of the Colony, and to several other subjects connected with their history, with which, I cannot doubt, that the Governor is already well acquainted. This may be necessary, for the illustration of the subject, to any person whose eye this letter may meet, who may not be so well acquainted with the state of the Aborigines of Australia, as the Governor of New South Wales.

The native Blacks, of New South Wales, are a people of very simple habits, and few wants: existing, in their original state, without clothing, and having, in the southern and middle parts of the Colony, no habitations, beyond rude shelters formed for the

night, or against rain, and subsisting on such food as they can obtain with ease, in fine weather, in the wilds of the country, or along the coast; consisting of Kangaroos, Opossums, Emus, and other birds, with fish, grubs, roots, &c.

In those parts of the Colony, in which the White Population have taken possession of the lands, the Kangaroos and Emus, which were among the chief animals, on which the Blacks subsisted, have been generally destroyed, and the ground on which those animals fed, is now depastured by the flocks and herds of the usurpers of the country; who have also introduced profligate habits among the Blacks, that are rapidly wasting their race, some tribes of which have already become extinct, and others are on the verge of extermination.

It is scarcely to be supposed, that in the present day, any persons of reflection will be found, who will attempt to justify the measures adopted by the British, in taking possession of the territory of this people, who had committed no offence against our Nation; but who, being without strength to repel invaders, had their lands usurped, without an attempt at purchase by treaty, or any offer of reasonable compensation, and a class of people introduced into their country, amongst which were many, both free and bond, who, regardless of law, and in great measure exempt from its operation, by the remoteness of their situation, practised appalling cruelties upon this almost helpless race. And when any

of the latter have retaliated, they have brought upon themselves the vengeance of British strength, by which, beyond a doubt, many of the unoffending have been destroyed, along with those who had ventured to return a small measure of these wrongs, upon their white oppressors.

Upon every hand, it is evident, that a heavy responsibility has thus been brought upon the British Nation; in which also, the Colonial Government is deeply involved; and that it is their bounden duty, to make all the restitution in their power, by adopting efficient measures for the benefit of the Aborigines of Australia, in affording them protection and support, and in endeavouring to civilize and settle them.

These desirable objects are, however, difficult to accomplish, in consequence of the wandering habits of the Aborigines, and the few motives they have for attaching themselves to places, where such means can be made to bear upon them; but it is to be observed, that Stockmen in all parts of the Colony, by availing themselves of these few motives, prevail upon as many of the

Blacks, as they wish for the assistance, or the company of, to spend a large portion of their time at their stations, and in some instances, permanently to remain with them.

The Blacks are universally fond of bread, potatoes, and beef, and of tea, highly sweetened; and they soon acquire a liking for tobacco and spirits; they are also glad of better shelter, in inclement weather, than that afforded by their own frail erections of bark; and they soon become sensible of the comfort of clothing, though on first being supplied with garments, they have no idea of taking care of them, and will often throw them off entirely, when

too warm.

The Stockmen take advantage of these predilections, and thus gain their object; and there seems no ground to doubt, that if the same means were used, so far as they could be with Christian propriety, which would necessarily avoid the use of spirituous liquors, an influence might be produced upon the Aborigines, highly favourable to their civilization and settlement.

I would therefore suggest, that the Government should afford the means for supplying the Blacks with food, clothing, and shelter, at all the Mission Stations; where every Black who chose to be there, at the known meal-times, which should be, at least, three times a day, should be liberally supplied with wholesome and properly cooked victuals; and that such as chose to remain for longer, or shorter periods, should be accommodated and clothed, in such a way as to give them a taste for comfort. This is scarcely at all effected, by the mere supply of blankets, distributed annually to each of the Blacks, by the Government, as is the general practice in New South Wales, or by the donation of a little boiled wheat, by the Missionaries, as at Wellington Valley. In the first adoption of such a plan, a considerable loss, by want of care for articles of clothing, ought to be patiently borne. The clothing should be considered as the property of the Government, and it ought to be of such a character as to be easily identified, in order to prevent its being purchased from the Blacks; many of whom, it is also to be observed, have a great objection to wear such, as is the common garb of the prisoners in the Colony.

At each of these Stations, provision ought also to be made, for the board, clothing, and education of any children, that the Aborigines might be disposed to leave, for longer or shorter periods, for instruction; as it is chiefly, upon the children, that the most decided impression of civilization, may be expected to be made.

Encouragement should likewise be held out to other persons

than missionaries, to engage in this work of benevolence, who ought to be liberally provided for by the Government, until a sufficient number of Stations should be occupied, to afford the assistance and protection, needed by the whole Aboriginal Population; who, by these means, would be drawn away from towns, and from the habitations of Settlers and Stockmen, where they are now debased and demoralized.

To prevent collision with Settlers, in the time of the maizeharvest, the Blacks ought to be liberally supplied, at that season, with maize, in the state in which they so much like it, as now to induce them to steal from the fields.

No work ought to be exacted from the Aborigines, for a considerable period; nor at all, except in assisting on the Establishments, at such labour as might be made to appear to them to be reasonable; but every encouragement of industry should be held out to them, by rewarding their labour, perhaps, chiefly by payments in money; in order to teach them its use and value; but only in cases where they might be willing to lay it out in suitable things, a store of which should be kept on each of the stations, for the purpose. As soon as any of the Blacks might be disposed to cultivate land for themselves, or in other ways, to adopt settled and civilized habits, they ought to receive encouragement to do so, by the allotment to them, of portions of land, or by other suitable means; and no discouragement, in the pursuit of the desired object, ought to be given way to, either by the Government, or by the parties employed by it, in consequence of occasional, or frequent disappointments, even if, for some time, at the first, these should occasionally threaten, the forsaking of some of the Establishments by the Blacks.

Every person employed in this service, should be regarded as a servant of the Government, in this description of labour, and should be paid as such; and where it might be combined with religious instruction, this should, on the part of the Government, be regarded as gratuitous: yet every individual, engaged in this service, should be expected, religiously to fulfil his various duties, before God and man, in this work of benevolence and humanity.

The expense of carrying into operation such a plan, as is thus briefly sketched, would obviously be considerable; but seeing the state to which the Blacks are reduced, and the vast pecuniary advantage, derived by the Whites from the possession of their soil, the expense ought not to stand in the way of the amelioration of their condition, especially, when it may be amply provided for, out

of the proceeds of the Government sales, of the very lands, which were the natural possession of the Blacks, and to which, their right has been only questioned by a foe, too powerful for them to contend or to argue with.

The priority of claim for the benefit of the Blacks, upon the funds arising from the sale of lands, by the Government of New South Wales, to whatever extent, it may be required for their benefit, must, I conceive, be admitted, by every person who regards equity, or common justice. I therefore trust, that I shall not be counted as improperly interfering in a political question, in thus plainly, yet respectfully, urging it; seeing my plea is in the cause of humanity, and on behalf of the oppressed,—of a people who require to have justice done them speedily, or the opportunity will be gone for ever, and the unmitigated guilt before God, of their extermination, will be fixed, irremediably, upon the British Nation and its Australian descendants.

Hobart Town, Van Diemens Land,

25th of 4th month, 1837.

JAMES BACKHOUSE.

1

To Major General Richard Bourke, K. C. B. Governor in Chief of
New South Wales.

On a subject so deeply important, as that which suggests means for rescuing from destruction, an entire race of human beings, such as the Aborigines of Australia, I trust the Governor will not deem me intrusive, in giving expression to my individual concurrence, in the views submitted by my friend James Backhouse, in the accompanying communication. Having shared with him, in the opportunities he has had, of ascertaining the real condition of these unhappy people, I have been forcibly struck with their deep moral and physical degradation.

The encroachments of Europeans have curtailed their means of subsistence, and consequently augmented the misery of the Blacks; and the vices that have been grafted on their native habits, through association with Europeans, have not only contributed to this end, but have also sunk them considerably below their former level, in the scale of morals. A fearful responsibility, therefore, lies at the