A REMARKABLE ABORIGINAL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 261, 21 October 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

A REMARKABLE ABORIGINAL.

Interview With an Australian Native.

Probably one of the most interesting natives in Australia, and certainly the cleverest, is Mr. David Vnaipon, a full-blooded aborigine whoso special bobby is research after that elusive wonder, perpetual motion. Air. Unai[•on, who for a long tune has lived at ihe Point Macleay Mission Station, has always taken a deep interest in science Every !-..'nd of machine interested him, and it was not long before a love ot s.-ienc-e causeJ imn to practically demonstrite his knowledge of mccmmies Mr. Unuipon carefully studied the writings of New tor. and has sought diligently for the secret of perpetual motion Ho accepted Newton’s theory that the secret could not he discovered on present knowledge, and as a working basis took that great scientist’s remarks on curvilinear motion. Five years ago Mr. Viiaipon began to apply it, and has .succeeded >n converting curvilinear motion into a straight-line movemr-nt. The device is now affixed to sheep-shears, and a Commonwealth patent lias been obtained for it. At present the motion of tho cutting shear is circular, but Air. I'naipon’s invention has mode it straight. The blades of iiis machine are always at right ancles when in action, and that result, means better work with less friction. The application cl the principle, savs Mr. I naipon. can be extended almost indefinitely. It is, how ever, such a big scientific invention as to bo almost before its time. The inventor has no doubt that it will bo quito possible to produce motion traversing a rquare, a triangle, a circle, and indeed any geometrical fo-iu desir-

cd. For this reason the invention should be most useful from a mathematical point of view, and as far ns m.nehinerv is concerned its application seems possible everywhere.

Through an unexpected meeting tn the street with the Coljiorteiir the snb-ji-i t of the abov-.- sketch in the daily Press came into the Bible House, Adelaide, and the Editor availed himself ot the opportunity of a chat with this clnskv" Australian on work among the aborigines. Air. I naipon gate n luck! account of the opening up of Alission work among the natives nn the southern shores of Lake Alexandrina. He mentioned that hio father was tho first convert to the Christian fniih among the Narrinyeri tribe, and afterwards became a kind of native evangelist. His fathc-r, strangely enough, without any assistance from schools, learned to rend sonic of the chapters of tho Bible. H's curiosity was nioused to know what was in the Bible through hearing tho pion eer rnissionarv. the Rev. .Tamos Reed, road some sentences from tnc sacred volume. Wilh praiseworthy determination lie began to spell out the Divine revelation to man, and Lis son considered it wcllnign miraculous that he slroild have suecooded so well as to road ami ultini Tt.-*-ly tn expound it to others. Afr. Unnipon referred feelingly to his bnvhood in a native enmn .and how hi- fitle.-r used to tek? him into the solitude ot the bush, lay open the Bible and read

some oortions to him, ehen kneel and prav tiiat ins son might grow up a go*, i maii. -On eat’li occasion,” said Air. L’ni’ipon "he impressed on my mind two' things i—(1) 'Thou shall not covet; and (2) T,ivo at peace with' all men. And those two appropriate mottoes for natives have guided my whole lite. As time advanced my father grew in kaow-b-d-re and in the experience of Chnst-ii-iutv. Aiv father’s copy of the Bible was so well lued that its pages became as black as a frying-pan. Mith the assistance rendered l>y my father and tho advantages given by the Point Macleay Alission 1 grew up to know the Scriptures more fully and joined the Church as a member and a Christian worker. Being of an inquiring turn of mind I availed myself of good books and read well Sir Isaac Newton’s works and Huxley’s ‘Lay Sermons’ ; but for years my favourite writer has been Professor Drummond. I read and re-read Natural Law in the Spiritual World’ and the 'ldeal Life.’ From these I have learned many valuable lessons. Questioned about the characteristics of tho natives tho visitor said that while their views of religion were necessarily imperfect, the natives had a reverence for tlio Supreme Being, whose i;i.me tiiov feared to mention, using anoib'.’i' t ci m—signifying a tenderer relat:on—'' Father.” " Aly views of the native oucstioo can best be expressed in ih-j following lines by Bryant:—‘l take it our vilify is not only feeding them, clothing them, or contributing to their temporal support when other calamities r vei tako them, b’lt a much greater duty

is rendered them w hen they are led to a more elevated plain of thought by ideals which stimulate to solf-develop-Asked as to his views of the Bible the answer camo quicklv and with emphasis. —” Love the Bible"! Why, every morning I have made it a practice to read to my little bov. From the Bible 1 teach my boy to repeat every morning these two tests; ‘Teach me, O Lo r ;i, the way of Thy statutes’ and 'Blessed are tho pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ Tlio Bible is the book for the v holo family of man. My people had ci ly dine gropings after the truth, b'it t-i.i book shows me clearly the way oc salvation. Th-? Bible is the grandest loc k I know. I nevei go about without my Bible. I never go on a journey or on business without a Testament in iny jeocket. Look at me and you will see ivhat th*? Bible can do. Sixty or seventy year- ago my people were wandering about with spears and boomerangs, living their wild and savage life; but the coming of tho Gospel has changed all this, and 1 stand as one of many who have been brought cut of darkness into light and from tho power of fsatan unto God. My favourite hymn is 'At even. <re tin* sun was set.’ and there is' one line in it that I can prove to bo true by my own conversion. It is this:—‘Tuy touch has still its ancient power.’ ” Such -i testimony should cheer all who are strh ing to uplift the native races of .Australia.