The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-19 00:00:00

THE EXTINCTION OF A RAGE.

It is impossible (says the Daily News) to conceive a more
mournful and depressing story than that which is related
by Mr. James Bonwick, F.R.G.S., formerly an inspector of
schools at Victoria, in his interesting, though too senti-
mentally-written volume, "The Last of the Tasmanians,
or the Black War of Van Diemen's Land." It is the story
of a race not only subjugated, but demoralized—not only
demoralized, but extinguished. The native popu-
lation of Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land, is
now a lost race ; and, though it did not exhibit many
qualities capable of inspiring admiration, there is always
something tragical in the utter extinction of a nation in
its own hereditary dominions, especially when its dis-
appearance has been to a great extent brought about by
the vices which its conquerors have introduced among an
inferior people. The last male of the aboriginal popula-
tion of Tasmania died as recently as the 3rd of last March.
He was only 32 years of age, and like, so many of his race,
was addicted to drinking—a vice for which the natives
have to thank their subjugators. This unhappy man's
name was William Lanne, and he was popularly
known by the designation of " King Billy." He
gained his living by going to sea with whalers, though ho
was very proud of his royal blood, and considered himself
quite the equal of the Duke of Edinburgh, when, in Janu-
ary 1868 the Prince kindly took notice of him on the
Hobart Town Regatta ground. Poor Lanne seems to have
had but little intellectual power; but his spirits were gay
and his habits festive. After his death, a disgraceful struggle
for the possession of the body took place amongst the local
scientific societies. The head was surreptitiously cut
off in the dead-house of the hospital where the corpse
lay, and the body was subsequently taken out of its
grave by night, and carried away. The value of a complete
skeleton of this peculiar race can, of course, be readily
understood ; but the proceedings with reference to Lanne's
body were characterised by that spirit of rapacity,violence,
and disregard of right which have distinguished most of
our dealings with these savages. Doubtless, it is a
hard and difficult task to plant a new colony of civi-
lised men in the midst of a barbarian race. But that
which is too often accomplished by reckless violence
has sometimes been effected with a regard to justice and
good feeling; and the success of William Penn in
treating with the Indians is a proof that even in such
transactions equity is a better law than spoliation. Mr.
Bonwick gives a lamentable account of the cruelties com-
mitted on the blacks at various periods by the white
settlers. As early as 1804 a collision occurred between
the two races, in which, there is too much reason to believe,
the whites were chiefly to blame, and which, it is certain,
resulted in a terrible massacre of the aborigines. In sub-
sequent
years the cruelties of the settlers became sys-
tematic and perpetual. Native boys were kidnapped and
virtually enslaved; native women were forced to the most
immoral purposes, and themselves and offspring abandoned;
men used openly to beast of the number of "black crows "they
had destroyed ; and it is stated that this destruction was
often done in sheer wantonness, without any provocation,
and for the sake of " sport," or in order to supply food for
the stock-keepers' dogs. The editor of a Wellington paper,
writing about the year 1830, said he had heard of the
empiermse+ of pnisonpd rum. Bad, however, as the
conduct of the ordinary settlers often was, it was sur-
passed by that of the convicts who, in 1806 and some
other years, were allowed to disperse themselves abroad
in search of food during times of famine. These
men were at first kindly treated by the natives of the
forest ; but the liberated prisoners committed upon them
such acts of atrocity that at length the blacks (who seem
to have been naturally of a peaceful and harmless disposi-
tion) retaliated by attacking the whites. This went on
for several years, and in 1831 the blacks were so much in
the ascendant in the open parts of the country that there
gas a perfect reign of terror. The aborigines, however,
always showed themselves open to the influence of
kindness; and in 182, a working bricklayer of Hobart
Town—the late George Augustus Robinson—proposed
to go on a mission of conciliation to the native tribes.
He was employed in these admirable labours for some
years, with the countenance, and to some extent the assist-
ance, of the Colonial Government; but, though he gained
immense influence among the poor hunted savages, by
whom he was regarded as a father and friend, he
could not avert their ultimate fate. Slain by the
rifles of the settlers, and decimated by drunkenness
and the diseases of civilised life, the wretched natives
;rew fewer and fewer, and are now represented
ny one woman, whose real name is Truganina, but
who has long gone by the nickname of Lalla Rookh
the is said to lileve been a great beauty in her
youth, though the fact is difficult to believe when looking
:it the portraits of her engraved by Mr. Bonwick, after
photographs taken in 1866. This woman is now old, and
at her death the Aboriginal race of Van Diemen's Land
will be entirely extinct. A small number of half-castes
ire to be found on the island ; but they have a tendency
to die out. Great doubt exists as to whether the fecundity
of the mixed race continues for long. Many of the women
Follow an abandoned course of life, and the children are
~ften cruelly neglected, or even actually slaughtered. It
is not likely that there will be many of these hybrids left
twenty years hence.

Mr. Gladstone has left town. It is particularly
requested that all letters to be forwarded to him may be
Addressed to 10, Downing-street, S.W.

A FEMALE STUDENT AT THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS.
—We understand that at Steeven's Hospital, Dublin, 9
lady is attending the lectures, and that she 'intends to
Apply for admission to the preliminary examinations of the
Royal College of Surgeons.—British Medical Journal.

SHOCKING MURDER IN NEWCASTLE. - The
2Verthern Empress reports that between two and three
o'clock on Thursday an " unfortunate " was stabbed by a
man named George Weirs, fireman of the screw steamer
Fusilier, one of the vessels belonging to the fleet of the
Tyne Steam Shipping Company. The man, who says he
was robbed, has been arrested.

A SCION OF ROYALTY IN A WILD BEAST SHOW.
—The North British Daily Mail states that on Wednes-
day the Rev. Mr. Stern, one of the Abyssinian captives,
identified Prince Bouba Workey, who was exhibiting in
Wombwell's Menagerie at Dundee as King Theodore's
son. He had a short conversation with the prince in his
native language.

MEIJM AND Tuum IN RUSSIA.—A St. Petersburg
paper tells the following singular story :—" A short time
ago the chief magistrate in one of the principal towns of
Southern Russia was robbed of a silver dinner service. A
Du BARRY'S Delicious Health Restoring Revalouta few days after he was invited to supper at the house of
Arabic's Food, which contains three times the nourishment of the
best meat, saves fifty times its cost in other remedies, restores the Director of Police, and saw, much to his amazement,
Perfect digestion, strong nerves, sound lungs, healthy liver, re- the missing plate on his host's table. Next day he re-
ported the circumstance to the Crown Prosecutor, who in
freshing sleep, functional re larity, and energy to the most
enfeebled, removing speedily and effectually indigestion (dys-
Pepsis), habitual constipation, diarrheca, hEemorrhoids, liver his turn
COI:11111r nicated it to the Covernor of the town.
complaints, flatulency, nery Listless, biliousness, fevers, sort
throats, catarrhs, colds,' o
influenza, noises in the head and ears, The latter then simply requested the Director of Police ir,
rheum ttism, gout, impurities, eruptions, hysteria, neuralgia, a polite letter to-return the stolen plate. This was done,
irritability,
ache, debility, dropsy, cramps,%liasins, nausea, and sickness, and nothing morO was said about the matter."
his WALESa l TOi ii g
hTnlelsl.s.
sleeplessness, acidit • mipitation, heartburn, heasl-
bsientli.enegnfitthse, csihmovsulliase,rsa:;:elm. al,vberonchitis, incipient consumption,
serofala, tightness of the chest, pains at the pit of the stomach,
PRINCE.
—The Pope's health restored by Du Barry's Food, Cure No. 1 I
oi,ll `VISITonx
I 8.-1". ' Rome, July 21. 1886. —The health of the Holy Father paid a privAte; visit to the Holborn Viaduct, accompanieC
is excellent. especially since, abandoning all other remedies, he I Captain h(of 1' '
)3,) thaw Lie Fire Brigade), Mr. Haywood (the
has confined himself entirely to Du Bar'ry's Ileval uts, Arabica
Food, of which he consumes agjudoatteefaulfeawt eovuetryofn:Bo'a°l°.° (I'ttirheass: engineer. of the Viaduct), and several gentlemen. The
Produced a surprisingly beneficial effect on his health, and his „
..
Holiness cannot pralse this excellent food too highly."—From , since a rrived soon after noon, and first closely inspected
the Gazette du Midi, July2s. Cure No. 9,832: "Of Piny Year. the fra attired granite pillars supporting the Viaduct in
indeseritubfe agony from dyspepsia, nervousness, asthmt
cough, constipation, flatulency, spasms, sickness at the stomach Farring ,iron-street, and next went on to the Viaduct, pass-
and vomiting. Maria Jolly. Northam, Ling, near Diss, Norfolk ing NO thecwhole length of it, from Holborn end to Newgate-
Cure . 47,121: Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, of Nazing Vicarage
Waltham Cross, Herta, of extreme nervousness, indigestion street,' Thence the Prince was conducted throughout the
gatherings, low spirits• and nervous fancies. Important Caution uncle
—Beware of the many unsavoury and more than sloppy imita- rground works of the iaduct, and inspected the
, ••
in.l a adopted in laying down the water and gas mains,
. V
lions to which, without authority, Baron Liebig's name is most sYs
audaciously attached
t eleg raphic wires, tic Mr. Haywood explaining the whole
In tins, at Is Lid; Ilb 2s 9d; 21b1; 4s 6d 5 lbs 11s; 12 lbs 22s ; ~
25 lbs 40s. —Also Du BARRY'S REVALENTA. ARIBIE
POWDER is packed in tin canisters: for 12 cups at is, for 24 cups
A CrrocorAris dets ails in reference to the Viaduct, its building, cost, and
at 3s 6d, for 48 cups at 6s, for 288 cups at 30s, for 576 cups at 555
of the
—being about one penny per cup. The 30s and 55s tins are sent the , residence of Captain Shaw, at the headquarters
free of carriage in England on receipt of Post-Office°, ler. where lun-
BAR t, YDU BARRY and Co., l'i9,, 77 Ji egezat greet, f.douclOrli and litan Fire Brikde in Watling-street,
Its iropo .
~,,,.. .
.. 2...... ._—---, -
gen oral arrangement. His Royal Highness then went to
all cfrecers and Chemists, luu )94ik4otti_ed,,