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189 6.
Fix this textQUEENSLAND.
Fix this textREPORT ON THE ABORIGINALS OF QUEENSLAND.
Fix this text(BY ARCHIBALD MESTON, SPECIAL COMMISSIONER UNDER INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE QUEENSLAND
Fix this textGOVERNMENT.)
Fix this textLroaouted to “both Houses of Parliament by Command,
Fix this textTO THE HONOURABLE HORACE TOZEB, HOME SECRETARY.
Fix this textSib,_ In acqordmice with your instructions, my work has included a careful inquiry into the Working
Fix this textf* yrf ™ nous Mission Stations and various other centres where food is supplied 'to tho aboriginals
Fix this text. w (i ) overnme ™’ Ihere has also been an exhaustive investigation of the nature aud causes of the
Fix this textI th ®. “F 1 ? aai the settlers in the Cape York Beumsula, and the general condition
Fix this text?y 0xt ‘ 16 ™, abon g ma ls. My travels hare brought me in contact with about 2,000 members of sixty
Fix this textnre different tribes, speaking thirty different dialects, and extending over 9 degrees of latitude. The time
Fix this textoccupied was exactly four months, and during that period I travelled over 6,000 miles by steamer, whale
Fix this textboat^dingy, horse, and on toot. .The names and localities of all these tribes are included in an Appendix
Fix this textto tins Report,- with specimen vocabularies from dialects entirely new to Australian philology, Man? of
Fix this textthe tribes were absolutely wild, and had held no intercourse whatever , with white men. My only
Fix this textcompanion throughout the whole peninsula tour was a solitary aboriginal (“ ftuoOtaringwau”) from tho
Fix this textEoen. Iwveiyon the west coast. lie had been for some time at the MApoou Mission Station,
Fix this textji i , ~o r , 6 worJt 'undertaken it was necessary to possess a very accurate knowledge of tho inner nature.
Fix this textW ai !r ?u t 0? o£ *1? atlcm g mals < Being among them since seven years of age, and able,
Fix this textbj speaking other dialects, to rapidly acquire sufficient temporary knowledge of new ones, and to use all
Fix this textAeir weapons, it was possible lor me to establish friendship with even the wildest and most suspicions
Fix this text~ M Henceforth there would be no hesitation on my part in going alone and unarmed through all
Fix this textthose between whom and myself a mutual confidence was created, The' prevalent mischievous delusion
Fix this textconcerning the supposed "treachery of the blacks” is the result of complete ignorance of aboriginal
Fix this textcharacter. "All war," according to Carlyle, "is a misunderstanding." Such have been most of the
Fix this textmiserable contests between the black and White races in Australia.
Fix this textMy starting course took me by steamer direct to Thursday Island. A west Indian negro, a pearl-
Fix this textsheller, having taken two gins from the mainland, the Hon. John Douglas took these women back to
Fix this textCape Grenville in the "Albatross," and invited me to accompany him. The Oape Grenville tribe
Fix this textS een Luendlj to the whites, and Mr. Douglas, being a consistent and generous protector
Fix this text2*J” 6 ■ vo races, has eyer displayed; towards them that Madly xaocleratioa and intuitive 1 delicate
Fix this textforbearmc© which so readily CJeates Bew lriemdships aud retains the'old."
Fix this texttook mo to the Mapoon Mission Station at
Fix this textths-mouth oi- the Batavia River, 120 miles down tho west coast.
Fix this textOn the day of arrival we left again for Albatross Bay, taking Mr. Brown, the now missionair'
Fix this texttlackboya, and the Mission whaleboat. A new Mission
Fix this texton fh« w O T l i eiune ' t 0 ™ lt I th . e nevr riTers and obtain my opinion in deciding
Fix this textS JV I ' Next clay we arrived in Albatross Bay, and anchored in the month of
Fix this text*tf a °v J? e ? n as.the Mission River. There being absolutely nothing whatever known
Fix this textof tbisuiver, both hrattchea andthe land on both sides were carefully explored. Erom there we went
Fix this textroundtothe south-east corner of the bar, and joined the « AlUwQjing there at anchorWillft
Fix this textfriendly interview with a large party of natives on the south beach, they told au unpleasant tale of
Fix this textformer treatment by the native police, and at least two of them still bore the old bullet wounds All
Fix this textthe women and cMdren were sect away some distance White men had left a bad record
Fix this texton that part of the coast. A boat anchored there the sastoe night and took away six of these natives to
Fix this textwaSerLTelfnelr B ‘i f ?v y - rm a T ay so(m . affce1 ’ awiTOl > swam over to the mainland, and
Fix this textr lpf „ k n 2o i } i? lll fr- tO j *1? I ° WU £ omo ’, SW “S Port Musgrave, in defiance of sharks and
Fix this textcrocodiles, and calling at the Mission Station after they had crossed.
Fix this textBumesthl « wr’°° ee A 6d J? “4 lba^ oas ” P° ox P lo !’e new river which Mr! Douglas had
Fix this textSII y ‘ °? th ® « I]da T T 0 t 0 tie Wuth of the Bmbloy, and there
Fix this textZt i^ at r fT *S°R f ld ? ySO i t Y lth f e haleboai We started up the Imhley Eiver, and next
Fix this textl o, +' r “^ es from the'mouth. Thorn there Mr. Brown returned
Fix this textImbW 5! at m n St MlSBi r 8t na * * emoua °l the Batavia, leaving mo at the head of the
Fix this textwho accompanied me across to York. Downs Station on Myall Creek, a
Fix this texttributary of the Mission River. Thom York Downs I went to the ! Morefcoh overland Telegraph 1 Station
Fix this textG. A, 85-1896.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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Meston, Archibald. (1896). Report on the Aboriginals of Queensland Retrieved April 8, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52864172
Meston, Archibald. Report on the Aboriginals of Queensland Brisbane: Govt. Printer, 1896. Web. 8 April 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52864172>
Meston, Archibald. 1896, Report on the Aboriginals of Queensland Govt. Printer, Brisbane viewed 8 April 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52864172
{{Citation
| author1=Meston, Archibald.
| title=Report on the Aboriginals of Queensland
| year=1896
| section=18 p. ; 30 cm.
| location=Brisbane
| publisher=Govt. Printer
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52864172
| id=nla.obj-52864172
| access-date=8 April 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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