New South Wales, and Van Diemen's Land; and all tending to prove that the sterility of the female is not accidental, but follows laws as cogent, though as mysterious, as the rest of those connected with generation."
The common opinion among colonists is that such sterility is in consequence of their mode of life, as with the prostitutes of Europe; and that, though very occasionally a half-caste has appeared, the females became so rapidly diseased, or internally enfeebled, as to be unable to produce. This is especially seen in the Australian races, and those of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Whatever the exceptions, births with Blacks, after intercourse with Whites, were, as a rule, unknown. While travelling through the volcanic country of Mount Gambier, I heard of an instance of a woman bearing a child to a young Black, after she had been delivered of two half-castes. Other examples have been mentioned to me. Addressing the Rev. Mr. Ridley upon the question, as he had had great experience among the Natives of New South Wales, he answers, "In all parts I have heard it said that black children are never born of mothers who have given birth to half-castes. I never heard of one instance in which this occurred." Mr. A. Oldfield, of Western Australia, says, "During twenty years' observation I have ever found the Count's statement to be correct."
On the other hand, the German Gipps Land Missionary, Mr. Hagenauer, writes thus to me: "This is not true, for every woman (at his mission) who had a half-caste child has had black children afterwards, and is still getting them." The Rev. George Taplin of Queensland Missions has this observation: "I have known many instances of women bearing black children after half-castes." Many are ready to declare the same of negro nations. Though six Tahitians were with nine seamen of the Bounty in association with thirteen Tahitian females, the children were all half-castes.
As to our Tasmanians, Dr. Milligan has at least one exception. Writing in 1851, he says: "There is now living at the Tasmanian Aborigines' Establishment, at Oyster Cove, a native black woman of Tasmania, who, when young, bore black children to her native husband—then several half-castes, of whom two grown-up women are now alive—and, finally, two or three black children
