VICTORIA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1883, 18 June 1863, Page 3

VICTORIA.

PRESENTATION 1 OF ADDRESS TO HER MAJESTY BY ABORIGINES. At the levee held at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, in honor of her Majesty s Birthday, a congratulatory address was presented to his Excellency the Governor, to be forwarded to the Sovereign, by tbe aboriginies settled oh the Watt's River, Upper Yaira. It seems tbat when the blackfellows became acquainted with the news of the Royal Marriage they at once expressed a wish to offer their congratulations to the Prince 'and Princess as well as to the Queen. The Society for the Protection of the Aborigines assisted them in carrying out this desire, and tbe result was that an address was drawn up, and a deputation of blacks came to Melbourne to present it, and also to bring a gift of native implements as a further testimony of their good wishes. We are informed that tbe idea really originated with the Aborigines themselves, and that the deputation walked a distance of forty miles in order to present their peace offering yesterday. The deputation consisted of fifteen males, of different tribes, and they were introduced to his Excellency at the close of the levee.

The chief one of the tribes then came forward with the address from the aborigines. It was inscribed on vellum, and was written in the native language, with an interpretation in English. The vellum was ornamented with appropriate pen and ink sketches, oue representing a mia-mia with a black fellow, lubra, and children, the others representing a kangaroo and emeu, and a native dog, the whole being surrounded with a border combining waddies, spears, shields, fishing- nets, and other implements in use among the natives. Mr Brough Smith presented the address to His Excellency, and read the translation which, was as follows: — Blacks of the tribes of Wtwoorong Boonoorong, and Tara-waragal, seiid this to the Great Mother, Queen Victoria. We and other blackfellows send veey many thanks to the great Mother Queen for »any, many things. Bla-jkfellows now throw away all war spears. No more fighting, but live like white men almost. Blackfellews hear that your first son is married. Very good that ! Blackfellows send all good to him, and to you his great mother, Victoria. Blaukfellqws come from Miam and Willum to bring this paper to the good Governor. He will tell you more. .All blackfellows round about agree to this. This is all. His Excellency said — I shall be obliged to the protector to tell the natives that I will send this address and their presents, across the sea to the Queen, " their mother," as they call her, and her son. Tell them, too, that their Queen loves all her subjects, of whatever race, or country, or colour they aye; and tell them that she will be very glad to hear that the black- ! fellows of this country love her, and send her presents, and that she will be very glad to hear that they have given up fighting amongst each other, and live like her white subjects. This address haying been intrepreted by Mr Thomas, the blackfellows came forward to make their presents. They were all dressed in English costume, but wore opposum rugs over their other garments. The chief before mentioned spread out a rug on the floor, and exclaimed with a very good pronunciation, •• That's for the Queen." Several others hud gifts upon the rug — one laying down a spear another a wimmera, another a waddy, and others different imple menls. From the interpretation of their remarks, which was given by Mr Thomas, it appeared that they were anxious that most of the presents should be given to the Queen, and " to the son who had got mairied," but that some of them desired that the other Princess should also share in the gifts. In answer- to one fellow, who desired that Prince Alfred should have a spear. His Excellency directed Mr Thomas to inform the Aborigines that perhaps the Prince would soon come out to see them, with which announcement they were highly pleased. After all the presents had been collected together, the blackfellows retired, each man ranking a bow to his Excellency, with a dignity and grace which would have put some of their more civilized brethren to shatg£. His Excellency and Lady Barkly remained for some time inspecting the addresses and the presents, and they then left the building, and the proceedings of the afternoon were brought to a close.