Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-07-26
A Few Chapters on Australia
BY REV. JOHN FRASER.
THE ABORIGINALS.

THE ABORIGINALS.
They occupy the lowest place in the
scale of humanity. l have witnessed in
my day some not very fattering specimens
of mankind, who originally "were made
only a little lower than the angels" | re-
member accompanying a friend, an Afri !
can explorer, through Negro suburb of
Philadelphia. l visited the Chinatown"
of California cities, inspected the Josh |
house, and, whatever they may sing of
Celestial odors" endured martyrdom
from more and worse smells, than Coler- |
idge numbered in the old city of Cologne.
have been Mortified by the appearance of
Digger Indians, with a funeral head dress |
made of the "ashes" of departed friends |
But nowhere have | seen such abject and |
squalid beings as Australian Aboriginals.
They have no house and are almost des- |
titute of clothing. They are unacquainted
with the arts of husbandry. Their hunt
ing and fishing implements and weapons
of war are of the rudest continuance and
workmanship. Their intercourse with Eu-
Topeans has not caused any apparent
change in their habits or led to a semi-civ-
ilized state. They appear to be of the
Negro race. Their color is a dark choco
late. They have the African fiat nose Large
nOstrils, wide mouth and thick lips, but
their hair is not woody except in Van Die
mand's Land. The inhabitants of the
neighboring islands, except New Guinea,
are of the Maylay race.
They are more degraded spiritually than
physically. In the native tongues they
have no words that correspond to piety or
charity; and no equivalents for any of the
christian virtues; but they have half
dozen synonym for vices that are name
less with US. 1t is no wonder then, that
the race is doomed to speedy extinction.
Twenty years ago they were reduced in
Tasmania to 40. All that remain of their
tribes there now. are three or four old wo-
men.
NATIVE CUSTOMS.
The married life of the natives is any
thing but agreeable. The wives are called
gins" and are treated as slaves The
bachelor who has no such drudge, is uni
versally denominated poor fellow. They
have an excessive amount of laziness the
original sin of all savage races. Their
nearest approach to home is a few slips
of bark slanting against tree, under which
| they crawl during bad weather. Their
| food is usually of kangaroo and Opossums,
roasted skin, entrails and all. After the
husband has gorged himself, he filings
over his shoulder to his gin" and the
"pickaninnies" who sit behind him, the
remains and ofaI At times they have a
larger bill of fare, consisting of roots.
greens, birds eggs and frogs, together with
craw fish, lizards and grubs. for delcacies.
They are fond o. their children; yet in
| fantcide is common. Sometimes mother
when asked for her infant will cody re-
ply, " | believe diag0 patta," l. e., she be-
lieves the dogs have had it. They think
more of pickaninny cooley" (alittle boy
than "pickaninny cubra," a little girl
The tribes are small, consisting Of about
100 persons all told of every age and both
sexes. They are forbidden by the govern
ment to unite or assemble in larger bodies
Each tribe has its allotted territory. They
have frequent quarrels, but it is remarka-
bic that their conflicts seldom extend to
warlike loss of life Their feuds after q
great deal of clamor and a few unimport-
ant wounds generally end in the murder
of a child or of female, admitted by mu-
tual consent as an atOnement for the ground
of quarrel. Like other tribes and class
for instance, the ancient Hebrews or Amer
/
converts the nearest of kin into the "aven-
ger of blood" This sort of wild Justice
as Bacon calls it, produces such general
apprehension, that they rarely sleep two
, nights in one place. The spear seldom
, quits the hand of a man from childhood to
death, and they become accustomed to
witness, endure and practice the greatest
Outrages. Their only government Is the
l-tr hn i Il i
shown to the aged and to medicine men
or magicians.
They have "womera' or throwing stick
which enables them to cast their spears
with amazing force and precision. These
spears are made of bulrush, and pointed
+ with hard wood. They have rude bark
=, canoes. The Aboriginals of Van Diemen'.
l Land, q more degraded race. now all but
e extinct were ignorant of the art of fishing
had as canoes and when obliged to cross q
. sheet Of water, constructed a wretched raft
f for the occasion.
The natives near the settlements are
I supplied with blankets by the government
I Those we saw were dressed somewhat il
the European style; and their clothing
: though poor seemed sufficient. The wo
q men carry their pickaEinnies, who seldom
or never cry, at their backs, in bog OF
= basket If the poor thing ever does cry
p blow from the mothers elbow soon quiet;
i it. The " lenbras" or " gins labor all day
to dig roots or prepare something for tht
mimi, as the family meal is called. Tn,
black fellows" like to show off. and as
s sumo wonderful airs, when they can tricL
,, up their lazy carcasses in cast off article
of European clothing. In the interior,
t chief with one Wellington boot imagine.
. himself in full dress. Another when he il
fortunate enough to wear an old hat
|, Whilst the possessor of an ancient Goa
with brass buttons, affects more than rega
J state, as he shows off his costume to tn,
l. best advantage. He PAGES deliberately
along, planting his foot at every step as i
on his enemies necks, and gazes with su
preme Indifference on all sublunary anC
y vulgar splendors.