The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-29

improvement nor degeneration, and it will
require long acquaintance with, and q
careful consideration of, their various Gus
toms, habits and pursuits, before any
clear insight into the history of their past
can be obtained. *ss>>2$H .x.=.
There are here none of those indica-
tions which mark the growthsof almost
every community. The AUST elian Abo.
ringes are, and appeart o hayeefeysr been,
utterly destitute Of even the Sruiidest at.
stempts to perpetuate any sign 3or trace of
their career. Nolnonnment,, howeversrude,
no sculptured rock or stone, however I'M
couth. no hireoglyphics, painting nor
symbols Of any kind, not even those ira
ditions and legendary lore, with which
barbarous nations usually TEEN, to help
the most imaginative speculator towards
a probable conclusion, as to what their
past has been.
The apparently inevitable decree of
fate which marks the gradual and un-
ceasing approach to extinction, of nearly
all savage nations, seems not to be pecu-
liar to the natives Of Australia only, but
to extend it's doom as well along the
shores of the Atlantic, as over the in
Vulnerable islands of the great Polyne-
sian group. 1t rears it's desolating hand
alike among the superior native races of
America, Malacca, Tahiti or New Zea-
land, as among the inferior orders inhab-
itirg Australia, New Caledonia, Fegees
and others. |
One great and most important cause Of
the extinction of this race, is undoubted~
~ found ir the barbarous custom of in
fanticide, aud that too, more particularly
in the destruction of their female off.
spring;
As Ear as we can ascertain from history,
the practice of infaticide has only been
against recorded people sunk very low in
the depths Of poverty, and teeming with
surplus population, las in India or China);
but here this is not the case, not only
are their numbers rapidly decreasing, but
at the present time it is marked feature
amongst all the Australian tribes, the
great preponderance Of males over fe-
males. One would imagine that this would
suggest the careful preservation of their
female children, such however, is not
the practice.
The fact of the appropriation Of nu-
merous :'gins'' (wives) by one or two of
the seniors of the tribe, reduces as of
necessity it does, the greater proportion
of their young men to a state Of bache-
lordom.
The women are of short statue, dirty,
ugly, and wretched. They are literally
the beasts of burden: to the community,
and in times Of scarcity are invariably
the last to be considered as having such
an inconvenient thing as an appetite.
When seated in conc'ave round their
fires, the women are anywhere but at the
privileged places where ANYTHING is likely
to be gotten; and, if it be true that the
status Of the women of a country is
fair criterion Of the civilization tozwhich
its people have attained, truly no
stronger proof of the deepest deyrada-
ton need he cited against the Australian
aborignes.
A other cause Of their diminished mum
bers is to be found in an invariable Gus
tom which prevails among them when
any Of their tribe dies; no matter from
what cause, another from neighboring
tribe is sacrificed to the memory Of their
departed friend, and thus constant ate
OF warfare and vast destruction of life
is maintained. heard OF an instsnce Of
an old black fellow dying Of as near an
approach to old age as may be possible;
but, as usual, he was questioned after
death by one of the mischief makers Of
his tribe, who pretended to elicit from
him report to the effect that his death
was caused by the influence Of some one
belonging to a neighboring tribe, doubt
less pitched upon by the old william out
o; spite; the consequence Of course was
demand Tor vengeance on the head of the
| unfortunate victim thus selected. The
usual fighting cnsued and several on each
side were killed, each Of whom having
been likewise supposed to impart after
his death the name of his murderer, oc-
casioned still further necessity for slaush-
ter. These battles Of course have their
examinations, but in the space of two
years the destruction of between sixty
and seventy lives out Of two tribes was