schooner, the Myria, was at this time lying off Broome, 500 miles north-east of Cossack, and it was in the endeavour to visit him that his brother Roderick lost his life. The schooner in which he had taken his passage left port in the teeth of a terrible storm, or "willy-willy," and was never heard of again. Mr. Donald Mackay saw the best of the pearl fisheries, and only left it when the falling price of shell and the restrictions placed on the trade by the Government rendered it unprofitable. The station which was founded with so much pain and trouble is situated on the Yule and Turner livers, is named the Mundabullangana, and has an area of over 3,000,000 acres. The stock comprises 90,000 sheep, between 2,000 and 3,000 cattle, and 500 horses. In 1875 Mr. Mackay commenced importing blood stock, and several high-class blood horses were placed on the station for breeding purposes. Mr. Donald Mackay retired a few years ago from the active management of the property, which is now entrusted to his nephew, Mr. Samuel Mackay. He soon after settled in Fremantle, and in 1893 married Miss Vincent, of that town.
Mr. Mackay is one of nature's gentlemen. barred by the circumstances of his early life from attending school, he is yet an educated man, conversant with the manners and customs of all kinds and conditions of men. The school in which he studied was the rough one of experience, through which he has emerged with the highest and best qualities of man. In the Legislative Council, to which he was elected in 1896 to represent the North Province, he will be a valuable acquisition, as his knowledge of the country should enable him to suggest laws that will be a benefit to the whole community.
HENRY BRIGGS, J.P., M.L.C.
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Photo by HENRY BRIGGS, J.P., M.L.C. Nixon & Merrilees. |
ACCORDING to Carlyle, a dominant force in every civilisation is the teaching class—priests and schoolmasters. The great mass of people in a nation must be taught those useful lessons which stimulate reason, and separate modern individuals from the primitive and hazy understanding of old time worshippers of mythology. The latter wandered idly over the face of the country, and knew not of the natural laws which caused the sky to cloud and open in great peals of thunder and dazzling lines of instantaneous light. They observed streams flow from the mountain sides, cereals spring into beneficent fruit, a great ball daily rise in the light east and set some hours later in the dark west, floods roar in resistless anger; and unseen winds passed them from the distant unknown, going to their homes in the equally dim yon, making trees to groan and creak, catching up rustling leaves, and tearing, and rolling, and lifting them hither and thither into the unseen. All these things betokened in their sight voices of the gods, some of divine anger, some of omnipotent approval. They were ignorant of all nature's eternal forces, and hence imputed them to greater beings or spirits which, inhabiting the air about them, constantly watched their every action. Did they pray for propitiation of their chief god, sometimes he acquiesced, and sometimes "their unavailing prayer great Jove refused, and tossed in empty air. The "red comet,"
"A fatal sign to armies on the plain,
Or trembling sailors on the wintry main;
With sweeping glories glides along in air,
And shakes the sparkles from its blazing hair."
was to them an indication of retribution which gods in council had decided to mete out to their poor ignorant selves.
Even now, when we consider ourselves so widely wise, "we wretched mortals! lest in doubts below, but guess by rumour, and but boast we know," and therefore are as little children entering into youth with everything to learn. But our ancestors have learnt something, and our priests and schoolmasters impart that little to us. They prepare us with the information which places us on some equality with our fellows, and enables us to do battle with them in our daily routine.
Western Australia during its short history has felt the influence of the teaching class. Her sons, judging by their success in public affairs, have learnt lessons of wisdom from their masters, which have fitted them to cope with the general requirements of civilisation. Priests and schoolmasters have formed no inconsiderable force in her peoples, and their insinuating influence has been ever present. Mr. Henry Briggs, J.P., M.L.C., has for many years been quietly and effectively engaged in this colony in impressing on the receptive, mobile brain of youth sweet incipient knowledge. Recently he carried his useful work farther into the heart of the colony's interests in that gathering of senators—the Legislative Council.
Henry Briggs is a native of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, and was born in 1844. His youthful studies were carried on at Leicester, under Canon Fry, and at the age of nineteen years he gained the Queen's Scholarship which entitled him to go to St.
