occasion, a singular compliment was paid to the benevolent travellers; for they tell us: "A large party of the Native women took tea with us at the Commandant's. They conducted themselves in a very orderly manner; and, after washing up the tea-things, put them in their places." It would have been gratifying to have been present at the party of the Government official in his regal state, the two smiling Quaker gentlemen, and the ebon fair ones. One wonders what they talked about. If among themselves, over the scandal cup, the ladies might have been traducing the character of their absent lords, showing some waddy marks upon the skull, or detailing slights to one and favours to another. But before three such gentlemen, and in the palace of Flinders too, they must have "conducted themselves in a very orderly manner." It is not usual, however, to invite company, and then to leave them to wash up.
A formal Report of this visit was made to the Governor, at his request From this a few extracts are given. "Little," said they, "can be said of the religious state of the establishment; yet there is reason to believe the pains that have been taken have been successful in producing attention to the most prominent points of morality." The good men had little belief in the machinery of religion, and even doubted the efficacy of knowing the Catechism and prayers by rote. One point of improvement they notice: "Nearly the whole of them are associated as married couples. No marriage ceremony is used among them; but when the parties agree to be united, they are thenceforth recognised as husband and wife, and are not allowed to change." The latter provision must have struck the aboriginal mind from being novel to their habits, and at variance with their traditions.
The moral work attracted much of their attention, and the Friends dilate upon it satisfactorily. "The Catechist," they write, "has taken great pains to inform the Aborigines of the existence and character of the Deity, and most of them now have some idea of these important truths. He has translated into one of the dialects a large portion of the first three chapters of Genesis. The Natives are daily instructed either in the house of the Catechist or in their own huts, amid the interruptions to which both of these places are subject."
Anyhow, sufficient was seen to satisfy one that the civilizing
