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political power and remain there except by the brute force of selfish and ignorant operative class. The employment of the Indian Coolie in North Queensland is the only solution of the detestible difficulties which beset you; and until that solution is applied, this colony will steadily continue to decrease in everything which could insure its permanent progress.
At first sight sight you would say, and I think, say well, that the fittest labourer, and the one most adapted to the soil, is the aboriginal of the soil. The Australian Caliban ought to be kept at Australian work. But the fact is, the Australian Prospero has not proved himself equal to the task of taming the Australian Caliban. The Australian Caliban has been allowed to ally himself with the Australian Stephano and Trinculo; that is, to political conspiracy and drunkenness. His hateful nature has been allowed to gratify its lust on the Australasian Miranda. Neither the Australian Prospero nor the Australian Ariel have any power over the Australian Caliban He will do anything but work, he will not even carry logs. If Prospero pinches Caliban or makes him feel his power, the highly respectable rich religious people at home cry out, "you shall not do that;" and in fact, the Australian Prospero has never shown any gifts, supernatural or scientific, for keeping Caliban in his place.
That I think is deeply to be regretted. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts has, I am told, been very successful in its century of operations. The Church Missionary Society has probably converted India to Christ. It may be so. I do not know. What I do know is, that the Australian aboriginal is, at this hour, a more debased creature than he was before he was taught to hide his shame in a regulation blanket. The last time I was at the neighbouring port of Bowen three or four cockle shell canoes paddled in the early morning up to the starboard side of the English commercial steamer on which I was a passenger. Each canoe contained what appeared to be several bundles of rags. Presently the rags fell from half-a-dozen full grown naked women, who proceeded to cover themselves with the waters of the transparent sea. Some ardent youths, my companions in travel, began to waste their substance in riotously throwing half-crowns, shillings, florins, and silver sixpences into the great laughing water. Down went the bronze mermaids head first into the deep, out of sight, bringing up the shining coin which they had caught, and showing it in gleeful triumph. This submarine exhibition of Australian art was open for more than an hour, and those Australian mermaids paddled to their camp each with sixteen shillings in her mouth, which would be spent in rum and tobacco.
I had seen men and boys diving for silver sixpences on heathen coasts, but it was reserved for me to see full grown women do the like within sound of the English Church bell. Each of those women had a little baby, and I think it is right to ask if those babies are to be allowed to grow up as irresponsible as kangaroos, and to have free warren over the Australian vineyard without being compelled to take their share in dressing and keeping it?
However, the Australian Caliban is not available for the Australian sugar garden. He will steal as much sugar as he can; but I think he should have a fair share of the educating cane.
