AUSTRALIAN EXPLORING PARTY AND THE ABORIGINES.

New Zealander, Volume XVII, Issue 1637, 25 December 1861, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN EXPLORING PARTY AND THE ABORIGINES.

(From the •• Sydney Herald,”)

The narrative which ve gave of the Victorian ex ploration party, and the disastrous consequences to the adventurers, has been read by many thousands. Great interest belongs to the enterprise as establishing the communication across the continent. We cannot at present form any idea of its ultimate effects. As an achievement it is magnificent, and will awaken the liveliest interest in Great Britain. 'There can be no question that a colony will be established on the other side of the continent, and that at no distant period our intelligence will arrive by the Dutch line of telegraph, so as to place us in rapid communication with Europe. We hope that the discovery made will benefit largely the enterprising colonies by which it has been achieved — assured that no advance on their part can detract from our prosperity, but must rather promote its development.

That which, however, strikes us most in the perusal | of the narrative is the display of character by the I natives in their intercourse with the whites. Here we i I find a race of,aborigines almost in the centre of the i | lino of communication, and in a very low condition, I ihowing dispositions of the most pleasing kind. After ( I the loss of their means of subsistence, it is evident that i I the travellers must have almost immediately perished j I hut tor the help afforded by the natives. It is no i I matter of surprise that these ’were alarmed .at the ( I appearance of the whitefellow, however they aequired ( I a knowledge of his name. Wo may imagine how an H inhabitant of a desert land, who had never seen any . fl European, would feel when a party came suddenly I upon him and displayed all the signs of ragged civilij nation, or attended with the strange procession ot |i gigantic animals. I ihe generosity of the natives is a costly sacrifice, i; The appearance of a stranger or two in a native camp, , i when all their food is obtained by such laborious effort, must be no small charge upon their hospitality. The I Uwdoocake upon* which the English subsisted so long rei fuired great toil to gather and much labour to preand yet these good people did not refuse ot their ‘I jwy scanty supply to relieve the half-starved stranger. I *• has often been asserted that *.he natives are selfish l nd unfeeling, and yet how much personal toil is retired to obtain what they are expected to give- 1 lie interloper values it by comparison witli the richer of civilised countries, but natives have to Tle * it in the light of labour incut red, and as a new call to exertion. How natural, and yet how humane \ the conduct of the poor woman who brought the nardoo I 1 a k and apologised for its small quantity by pointing l » her arm, which was disabled by an injury! Most ot Jhese burdens fall on the women. It has been stated “y those who have seen little of the natives that they irt: wanting in parental affection, but how few civilized mother* would not faint were they compelled to bear, *“ l he native women, the burden of a child during l hdr constant peregrinations, as well as the hard task *hich uncivilised people always assign to the weaker it is thus incautiously that people are judged, *jjd those who come to these hasty conclusions forget J ‘ nt they furnish an argument to those who wished 0 reconcile themselves to their owe cruelty and oppression. The anxiety of the natives to get rid ot tlr guest might, therefore, accounted for, I t " e h‘ simplicity and gentleness may be interred H 10111 their submitting to Ids resolution to remain 1 r 08 ? them. He determined not to leave them, and I finally relinquished the attempt to persuade him, J entertained him as their guest. Would an encamp • ei 't of while men have suffered equal importunity and Perseverance? We strongly suspect that the native, ;|| ~' oever he might be, who should thrust himself upon I: 6 w “ite man’s damper aud sugar would be told to go I hi PPntle terms, although himself the invader ot the H W «kinan’ B hc,me. I hr, , e haveffteard few tilings more impressive than the I blacks on the death of Burke and H Ehere is a language of signs which is intel i■l amlV Veil w i' cn vocal communication is impossible, 111 wp, t le *k # th and burial of the companions ot King 18 im» C known by simple gestures, such as the coycr--1 the hu tWO fingers with sand. This conveyed to «ur-- nat ' Ves ‘he knowledge that King was the only 'fl h' s party, and, instead of exposing him, as I Crn.l? a , Ve heen imagined, to an immediate attack, I visible commiseration, lie says that t. icy 1 felts Upoa 111,11 with marks of deep compassion, i »ey 1 , hje ‘ how > n ely he was, and that loneliness touched I CuK- lh This goodwill was .ncreased I unf„ r , Km b' ied them to the spot where he had left his I wiial'“ nate cora Panion. On seeing his remains the 1 su v s the narrative “ wept hitterly, and I have A hlm whh bushes.” What could civilised man I »lrim„ 0n ! ttlore to testify bis human relation to tli A «fi? ? What are we to say in the presence of such of the e«tiwe have too

formed of these unfortunate people ? It was thus they bewailed the death of the first white man who nad fallen in their neighbourhood. How high a degree of instruction and humanity it demands before a true estimate of the rights and woes of humanity awaken similar emotions for the unfortunate tribes who are destroyed by our presence ! A generation will not pass away before, probably, the last of the aborigines will die where his tribe prepared the grave of the first white man—and who will bewail his fate? This consideration is the more remarkable when we consider that something like hostile intercourse had transpired. Poor Burke himself had fallen in some act of violence he would not accept the fish which they brought because he was afraid of bring too friendly—lest they should be always at the camp.” They did not leseiu the scuffle, and continued their kindness until the poor solitary traveller was relieved, when they hailed with infantile joy and gratitude the presents by which their good conduct was rewarded. It is evident that the natives had some intercourse with white people before the appearance of Burke and his companions, and that it left upon their minds feelings ol apprehension. Unless colonisation is greatly believed, the use of poison is not one of the least common or formidable means of native extinction. We notice these interesting points to deepen the impression, it this could be required, of native character a* presented in this narrative. At some future time, when charges of wholesale cruelty are poured upon aborigines, it will be perhaps useful to remember that when the white stranger was thrown entirely into their power and was compelled to trust them—when his sense of danger was overpowered by the solitary position in which he found himself-—when compelled by his necessities to cling to them as Ids only succour they, without desiring his company, and being in some dread of its consequences, nevertheless treated him with signal benevolence, and illustrated the sentiment ol Cowper (the poet), which has been exemplified bypeople ofevery land, that—•

“ Skins may dilVer, but ulljctimi Dwells in white and black the same.”

How forum.,te it would he if before the inevitable spread of European population over these distant conn tries, it were anticipated by a milder influence. We do not indeed deny that there are immense difficulties in any such mission, hut if it where practicable, the obligation is certainly stronger upon the British people than those thousand missionary enterprises which do so much honour to the nineteenth century.