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43

rook, in Victoria, and a similar establishment in New Zealand, and we will find a ready solution to that present problem, "What shall we do with our blacks?"—Yours, &c.,
Millungera, May 29. Charles Knife.
Queenslander, June 26, 1880.




Sir,—Your Lower Herbert correspondent of the 15th ultimo evidently writes with a desire to contradict the truth when he states that he has been a resident on the river for many years, and never heard of a black gin having been shot or burnt in the district. I will not trespass on your columns by going into details; but with your permission will inform your correspondent that a few years ago a sub-inspector of Native Police was dismissed from the service for the shooting and burning of a gin named Kassey, on Mr. Cudmore's selection, near the public road, Lower Herbert—not the Herbert River out west. A few days after this outrage occurred the Premier of this colony visited the Lower Herbert, and the matter was brought before that hon. gentleman's notice. I could mention other cases of this kind if you correspondent is not satisfied with the above.—Yours, &c.,
Ingham, Lower Herbert, June 11. James Cassady.
Queenslander, June 26, 1880.




Sir,—Certain articles in your paper, "How we Civilise the Blacks," have attracted my attention, and I regret to say that to my knowledge many of the incidents therein recounted are facts, I having heard them from eye-witnesses or the actors; but it is fair to state that most of them happened years ago, though there is reason to fear much the same kind of thing is going on still in the far North and West.

Having lived in Northern Queensland since 1862, and in this neighborhood since '64, my personal experience may be worth something, though this letter may in consequence appear egotistical. I have employed and do employ numbers of the aboriginals; for eight years they have done all my sheep-washing, and I always have a few working on the place. At shearing time, with the washpool, I employ about thirty shepherding, &c., &c., and I find they do the work as well as any other men. As a rule I never engage them for more than "two moons," and discharge them whether they like it or not at the end of their time—for a spell. The mind of a "nigger" is so fickle that he can scarcely help bolting if kept long at one employment—caused no doubt by the wandering instinct inherited from their ancestors, who have followed a roving life from time immemorial and which it would take many generations to eradicate thoroughly.

Until 1868 the Native Police used to visit this station constantly. The result was—shepherds killed, and sheep, cattle, and other property destroyed to the value of £200 a year. At my request, in that year the Native Police promised to visit me as little as possible, and not interfere with my blacks (which promise has been kept by the various gentlemen in command in the district since); with the result that I was able to explain to the niggers that if they kept away from the cattle camps and did not molest the shepherds they might hunt and camp all over the run. The first year of the new régime the damage to property did not exceed £60, and per contra they saved £50 in wages, and since that have done on an average £10 worth of damage per annum, against £100 saved in wages through their labor. The blacks since they have become friendly tell me that in the old days of "reprisals," carried out in the usual manner—i.e., shooting the men and destroying their nets, water-bags, and implements—we used to starve numbers of the old men, women, and children to death; for, being hunted into the desert (spinifex country), they had neither means of carrying water nor of catching game (the former article is very scarce), and of course the weaker members of the tribe felt it most.

I do not pretend that a display of force has not been necessary a times, or that the natives are the harmless animals some people would have us believe; but, as I knew the blacks personally, I was able to discover who committed any offence, and in most cases get him or them given up to me, whereby indiscriminate punishment was avoided. The tribe to whom this part of the country actually belongs, being obliged to return home sooner or later, are only too glad to act as police and give up offenders in their own tribe, or track "raiders" belonging to strange tribes. The Native Police should certainly be abolished, and white police with armed black