shot by the police or others. The true reason is, that after the coming of the whites the women cease to bear children. In their wild state the blacks are subject to a certain set of laws and code of morality (though a strange one) binding on them through the superstitious veneration in which they hold the old men of the tribe. When the white man arrives among them, his moral ascendancy makes them lose all respect for the elders, and consequently all morality is at an end. I am afraid nothing can be devised to replace their old system. It would be almost as useless for whites to try and make animals moral as the Queensland aborigines.
With regard to "Humanity's" trooper's thrilling story of Native Police warfare. I simply do not believe it. There is nothing a half-civilised blackfellow so delights in as the making up of stories of this description, and I have often wondered at the cleverness they show in regulating the amount of sensation according to the supposed credulity of the listener. I can assure you I have had blacks give me the most circumstantial accounts of murders of whites by blacks, with all the minute details, and I have found afterwards there has not been a shadow of foundation for the stories to rest upon. I have had considerable experience of Native Police affairs, and I can safely say that as a rule the officers find the "dispersing" business a most painful and disagreeable duty, and one never to have recourse to unless under great provocation. It seems to me a great shame to persistently run down a force which (as every reasonable, thinking pioneer must admit) has been to a great extent the means of saving life and property in all outside districts. We have heard of instances of great cruelty on the part of one or two officers, but then one black sheep does not make the whole flock black, and as a rule I am sure that the officers are as much averse to anything in the shape of cruelty as "Humanity" himself.
With regard to the boys, those who come in or are brought in from the bush—"stolen," as "Humanity" puts it—lead not only useful but happy lives, and are brought to as high a state of civilisation as they are capable of attaining. As a rule they are kindly treated, well fed and clothed, and can always obtain a holiday. But the holidays are not generally of long duration, for, although fond of change, they soon tire of wild life and begin to long for the comforts to which they have grown accustomed. This, however, is the case only with those who have been brought in young.
And now with regard to the grown-up blacks. As to the success or otherwise of the missionary station spoken of by "R. S." I cannot say anything, but I do know that missionary boys are notoriously the most unmitigated scoundrels, combining polished hypocrisy with their own natural vices. With regard to making reserves for blacks, whatever success may have attended this plan amongst the half-civilised coast blacks, I am quite sure that it never would answer amongst the wild blacks. In the first place force would have to be used to keep them within the prescribed boundaries, which would lead to all the old evils complained of, and confinement to one place is so totally opposed to their nomadic instincts that any restraint of that kind would be intolerably irksome to them. But the great objection to any such scheme is this: I have already pointed out that the main source of evil amongst the blacks is the upsetting of their social laws, and I think all who have seen much of outside blacks will agree with me that under any such white supervision as proposed the relation between the sexes would be more unsatisfactory than ever. And in connection with this matter I allow the whites have been much to blame, and I would be the last to palliate their conduct. But practically this is an evil which no Government measures can reach, and which must exist as long as human nature is what it is. At the same time, as I have already pointed out, this is not the fruitful source of bad blood and ill-feeling between the races which it is represented to be.—Yours, &c.,
—Queenslander, June 12, 1880.
North Gregory.
Sir,—I have read all that you have published in favour of a more humane treatment of our blacks and of a reform in the Native Police system with that view, and also all that has been said against your proposals; and I wish to assure you that I entirely concur with your views, and hope they may be carried out. I have always thought it monstrous that the actions of the Native Police were not allowed to be properly witnessed and regularly reported, and consider that the reverse should be the rule. The force should protect as well as punish blacks. There ought to be degrees of punishment too, and far more trouble should be taken to find out the real
