PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1801. DARKEST AUSTRALIA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6062, 8 May 1891, Page 2

PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1801. DARKEST AUSTRALIA.

On the 28th of April, the following cablegram from Adelaide appeared in this journal: — "Some time ago two blacks were shot at Finke rivers, as it was alleged by black trackers. It is now beon found that the traokers shot the men under instructions from Constable Wilshire, who afteiwards burnt the bodies. He is to be arrested." The constable had previously reported that the double murder had been committed by his native companions. The human bloodhounds acted underthe orders of the European, who should suffer the extreme penalty of the law if deliberate and unprovoked killing be proved against him. There is no public opinion at work in the interior of Australia to restrain'aots of violence upon the members of a helpless and decaying race. Over extensive areas the aboriginal inhabitants of the island continent * are shot down on sight, and oho rarely ornerer hears of the murderers being brought to justice. In the opinion of some settlers in sparsely settled regions the blackfellows are vermin to be ruthlessly exterminated. They are regarded as a plague— just as the rabbits are in New Zealand, but, unlike the rabbits, they are dyingoufcin natural course. Contact with civilization must inevitably load to the extinction of the race. The application of the most humane principles both by Government and individuals could nob save the blacks from the impending doom. But it is as great a crime to murder a member of a decaying people as to out sh«rt th© hour of a sick European whose days are already numbered. Tho white murderers of Australia are too impatient to await the working of tho hand of destiny. Tho first men who trod the wilds of Australia arc regarded as a nuisance. They Bteal and maim cattle and sheep, and at times kill a shepherd. For any of these offences fearful reprisals are made. A score of men, women, and children may be slaughtered, and the world hear very little about the occurrence. It would not be correct to say that such butcheries take place often in Australia, nor would it be just to allege thafe there are not amongst the white residents of the back blocks many humane men who abhore the killing of their fellow -creatures, but.it is greatly to be feared that far away from fche centres of population, the murderous instincts of a large number of the vilest men who speak the English tongue are allowed full play upon the aborigines. The Governments of Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia have not anything like fully done their duty in the protection of the race whom the white man supplanted in the possession of the country. It may be necessary to employ blaok police, but more stringent means should bs employed to keep in check their savage instincts. By all accounts the aborigines in Government uniform delight in bloodshed. They require no second prompting to commit the most diabolical acts. Black trackers should bo used as auxiliaries, and not employed as the main body to pursue their fellow-countrymen to the death. One at times hears of a white inspector or sergeant of police, in company with four or five blaok trackers, starting in pursuit of aborigines who had committed some depredations. Next follows the announcement that the black fellows had been found and punished. What kind of punishment had been inflicted is left to the imagination to fill up. Now, in cases of the kind it would be m.ore f^isfaotpfy to read that tho ?pp@di>

tion consisted oi four or five -white troopers with one or two blacks as guides. 4rmed savages should be employed in such work as little as possible. There would not be muoh use in bringing black police who committed murders to justice. The only lesson which could be drawn from their trial and punishment would be that it was wrong to place the power to kill in their hands.

In the early days of New South Wales, fche Government taught the settlers a severe lesson thab they could not kill tho black fellows with impunity. A murder had beon committed by some aborigines, and a party of Europeans set oufc to avenge it. They came up with the tribe, and indiscriminate slaughter ensued. The white avengers were brought to trial, and seven of them suffered the extreme penalty of the law. After thaii the killing of blacks was not regarded as a trifling matter in New South Wales. The Victorian authorities have also laudably exerted themselves to protect the aboriginal people. In that colony, the person who kills a black-fellow would run as great a risk of being hung as if ho had killed a white man. And it should be the same all over Australia. In some districts of the interior a war of extermination is going on, and paid officers of the Government are pssisting in the diabolical work. We have been led to make the above remarks by the perusal of a book entitled "The Black Police, an Australian Story." The author is Mr A. J. Vogan, of Tauranga, who in the preface states that the scenes and main incidents depicted in the story are founded chiefly on his own observations and experiences, whilst the remainder are from perfectly reliable sources. The novel, which is capitally written, is highly interesting, and throws a most lurid light on the worst phase . of Australian life. Marcus Clarke, in "His Natural Life" drew a fearful picture of the horrors of the old convict days in Tasmania, bub that powerfully .written novel treats of a question which ia now a matter of history. Mr Vogan deals wibh a state of things 'which exists at the present day, and on that account the work should be particularly interesting. As the book may be obtained in Gisborne, and doubtless will be extensively read here, there is no occasion for us to go into a detailed review. The novel has, doubtless, been penned with the purpose of bringing enlightened and humane opinions to prevail ; with the Australian Governments concerned to take more active steps to protect men of an unfortunate and dying out race. The object is one of the worthiest that any writer could undertake.

A London cable message saya :•— lt is reported that 2000 Russian Jews are emigrating to England and Australia.

At their weekly auction sale to-morrow morning Messrs Pitt and Davies will also offer for the executors in the estate of the late R. Williams two a'lotmen.s of land, the first being 15 acres in the Makauri block with dwelling house, and the other 6 acres in the same block.

Large numbers of people upon whom demands for back rates have been served have visited the Harbor Board office during tho past two days, and a great many of these have shown receipts for sums which they have paid in. By this means a further sum of Ll6O has boon added to the liab of defalcations.

The Hawke's Bay Farmers' Co-operative Association, with a capital of LIOO,OOO, has been successfully floated. Messrs Williams and Kettle are also floating their business into a limited company on co-operative principles with a similar capital, and amalgamation is proposed.

Last evening the machinery of the launch Snark became somewhat injured, the valve spindle giving way, end the vessel was only run with difficulty. The Snark, whilst repairs are being effected to, the shaft oi the Noko, has to tow the lighters, and difficulty is experienced doing all the work owing to the defect in the machinery and the bad stato of the rivor.

" Few people beyond thoso connected with shipping realise the extent to which the river is silting up, and had the Harbor Board been alive to the position they would have given the Harbormaster's report consideration on Tuesday evening. The river is silting the whole way from above the wharf to the root of the breakwater, and it is in such a bad state that the Snark drawing only three feet of water is unable to get out except after three-quarter tide, as, for instance, it was found impossible to get the Uunch out between 8.30 a.m. and 1.45 pm. The sand is encroaching on the channel very rapidly, and the authorities would do well to see from where the silt comes, and whether if possible they can remedy the serious position before the river becomes blocked altogether.

The Bishop of Waiapu arrived in Napier last Friday after a prolonged visitation to the districts on the East Coast and the Bay of Plenty. His lordship left Giaborne on horseback about two monlliß ago, accompanied by Miss Stuart, and visited in turn the numerous centres of Church work lying between Giaborne and Tauranga. Starting from the latter place in his buggy the Bishop returned to Napier via Rotorua and Taupo.

Mr F. Walcob arrives in Gisborne to-morrow morning for the purpose of furthering the sale of his emery file sharpening stone. The inventor has been having a wonderful sale of his article at every place he has vidted in the colony, and its utility is so great that it is bound to sell. The Hawke's Bay Herald says : — "Mr F. Walcofc, the patentee of the 6< Emery file sharpening stone," has left at our office two samples of his articles. They are very hard, and easily cut into ordinary emery stones, and even into hardened steel files, while they cut glass Jike a diamond. One side is scored to make a file, useful as a rasp for wood or the softer metals, and the stone is so shaped as to adapt it for sharpening tools of all shapes and scythes, as well as knives and scissors," ;

The Native Minister writes to Auckland referring to a letter he has received, intimating the desire of the principal Native owners of Tihoi and other blocks of land, to effect the sale to the Crown of an extensive area, to which he replies :— I have the honor to inform you that it is the intention of the Government to ask Parliament next session to vote a substantial amount for the purchase of Native lands wherever suitable for settlement. Should Parliament see fit to make the necessary provision, it is then proposed to acquire, as far as possible, all such lands, provided the title in each case is in a position Lo enable the negotiations to bo completed within a reasonable period, and so that any advances which mny be made will not be locked up for years, as hitherto appears to have beeu the case in many instances in which negotiations were entered into.

The second cup match of the season takes place to-morrow at Capt. Tuoker'a paddock, when the Gisborne Club play against the Wnerenga-ahika (Native) Club. The following are the teams:— Gisborne— Fullback : Langford ; three-quarters : Skoefc, Staite, and Tv ; halves : Fisher, Murphy, and Rees ; forwards : Mowat, Watson, Wildish, Lewis, Colebourne, Herewinia, and Dods. Waeren-ga-a-hika — Full-back : Tarapuhi ; threequarters : Pera, Hemi, and Manu ; halves : Mimi, Tuhoe, and Himiona ; forwards , Mohi, Hata, Weka, Harawira, Karaibiana, Mokaraka, More, and Kiwha. The firat of the junior matches also takes place, the Waverley playing against Turauganui second fifteen. A charge of admission to ground is being made. Although the attendance at the Union Literary Society was not as large as usual, the meeting was very successful. The subject was " Impromptu bpeaking." After lota had boen drawn for chairman, Mr Akroyd was installed in the position. The other members were divided into two parties, and then the subject of debate waa announced by the Chairman. This was, " Life in the Colonies is better than life at Home." Rev. A. Gardiner and Mrs Akroyd led on the two sides, and the other speakers were Messrs Crawford, R. N. Jones, W. Morgan, Mann, Greenwood, and Rev. Canon Fox. The debate was one of the most amusing and successful that the Society have had. On a vote being taken, the supporters of the colonies won by a narrow majority. Next week a debate on " Education ', takeß place,

MeaflM Magitire and Co. publish a price list as an inset with this evening a issue.

The Acclimatisation Society to-day received three young deers from Auckland.

The over-carried passengers arrived by the Rotomahana to-day. The steamer arrived at 11.45, but it was 2.45 before the passengers were landed, owing to the bad state of the river and the accident to the Snark's machinery having prevented her going outside early in the morning.

Captain and Mrs Holdaway and Cadet Tamatae, of the Salvation Army, arrived by the Rotomahana this afternoon, and conduct a special holiness meeting, to which all are invited, at the barracks this evening. They were much grieved to hear of the fatality reported in another column, Lieut. Mackie having been one of their brightest officers and over twelve months engaged in the Maori mission work.

Tho representative of M. E. Porter and Co., a largo firm dealing in fruit and ornamental trees, is in Gisborne, and will shortly wait on the settlers of this district. The firm guarantee their fruits trees to be of very high quality and in order to ensure careful delivery will when the Gisborne shipment is made send a man with the trees to see tha*; each parcel is carehilly de-

Hvered.

At the Police Court this morning Frederick Martin, Donald Ross, and Donald McKenzio were charged on the information of the police with having used insulting behaviour, to wit assaulting one Louisa Soloman, on Gladstone Road, within view of passors by, whereby a breach of the peace might have been occasioned. Mr Day appeared for Martin and Ross who pleaded not guilty, and McKenzie also pleaded not guilty. Frank Weaver gave evidence that he parted with his wife and sister-in-law on Saturday night, and shortly afterwards hearing a scuffle went down the road and found Miss Soloman and about five men around her. He told them to atop ifc, and they told him to shut up or they would sit on him. He identified one of them as Martin, but could not recognise any of the others. The men cleared out, some going down the road, and two of them went into the Royal Hotel. Mrs Weaver deposed that she saw five men seize her sister who was walking along the footpath by the neck and waist. One of the men pofnted out Ross, and asked her to give him in charge. She asked him what he meant by insulting her, and he replied by asking her what she meant by insulting him. Her sister ran away to get safe. She surely recognised Ross. The men used bad language. Louisa Soloman gave evidence that the two who assaulted her were Ross and Martin, but not McKenzie. The Sergeant eaid there was no doubt two of the accused had been very insulting, McKenzie was discharged, and tho Bench decided there was a case to answer. Frederick Martin was sworn and said at the hotel Weaver asked him what he meant by insulting some of his women. He said he had not, and if Weaver aaid so he would sit on him. At 11 o'clock he was arrested and put in the lock-up for killing a horse. He stopped no woman that night. Donald Ross gave similar evidence. Ross eaid he had been in McKenzie's company that evening. The Bench were satisfied the case was proved, though the evidence had in Mr Matthewson'a opinion been very unsatisfactory. Larrikinism was getting too prevalent in Gisborne. Accused would be fined L 2 or one month's imprisonment.