The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-22
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT RACE
TRIDA HITHERTO UNKNOWN IS
 FOUND IN AUSTRALIA,
Greatly Astonished by Strange Ap- pearance of the White
 Explorers.

pr. Roth, the Queensland protector of aborigines, who Is familiar with aborig- inal life and character, and Charles He'd ley, the conchologist of NIe Sydney mu- scum, have ascertained the existence in the far north of people who had never previously seen a white man. fact which shows that the days of Australian explo- ration are not yet at an end.
 They were making scientific tour Of the Gulf of Carpentaria and of the Well lesley archipelago at the southern end of the gulf. Mornington Island, which has an area of ten by forty miles, was dis covered by Captain Matthew Flinders in loO2 while surveying and mapping out the gulf, but he does not appear to have landed on it. Since that time the island mas been known only by name. It is not an inviting place for the settler, the soil being poor. with extensive tracts of marshy country. There is plenty of bush and coarse forest, and this affords shell ter to large numbers of kangaroos and other animals. which furnish a plentiful supply of food for the islanders.
 Dr. Roth and Mir. Hedley experienced no difficulty in effecting a landing and round the islanders. scientifically speak ing. an interesting people, their modes of living and general characteristics show ing that they had been separated from the mainland natives for many genera tlons With one exception, an aboriginal who had visited the shores of the gulf, none of the islanders had ever seen a white man, and the use of clothing, how ever scanty. was unknown to both sexes ! alike. The visitors, together with some tame blacks-that is, natives who have been educated at the mission station in Northern- Queensland and elsewhere--re- mained on the island three days, employ Ing the tame" blacks as guides and scouts, and it was speedily discovered that the latter could converse in a fashion with the islanders, whose language was a dialectcal version of that of the gulf na- tives. Great caution had to be observed by the visitors, who were always armed. the islanders having spears and few poomerangs, but always running away as the white men advanced. At last how ever, a couple of the islanders were in- duced to make friends with the two ex- plorers, whom they regarded with A stolid gaze, as If their unexpected appearance was an everyday occurrence This seem- ing indifference is an aboriginal charac- teristic.
 Fire-making Surprised Them.
 Their assumed apathy vanished the mo- ment that Dr. Roth and MT Hedley If Int ed their pipes. They stared in bewiider- ment and, according to the 'Iame' boys, declared that the white men were burn
 
 They were equally astonished when A match was used for lighting a fire and a
 billy employed for boiling water. MT. Hed'ey distributed among them a number or penny whistles which he had brought from Sydney and soon the bush began to be filled with sounds to which 1t had pre- viously been a stranger.
 The islanders, who form a race new to ethnologists, are supposed to bs a retro grade a yrHn~ than the ordinary Australian aboriginal They do not make huts as do the natives on the mainland, but simply collect heaps or grass and sleep on the bare ground to the leeward of them. Articles which have to be carried from one place to an- other are wrapped fin bark. the use of baskets beirg unknown, as is that of ca- noes, the water craft employed being rudely constructed rafts. consisting each Of a couple of logs with some light weed, propelled by branches as paddles. Com pared with the natives on the mainland, the islanders seemed far behind in knowledge of even the rudest aboriginal appliances. They have, however, a string ent system of tribal classification, intend- ed to represent different degrees of rela- tlonship and to assist in preventing too close intermarriage.
 n Their Laws Regarding Marriage.
 The origin of this system. so prevalent among all classes of Australian aborigi- nals. remains an unsoived mystery. Its existence on Mornington Island was dis covered by Dr. Roth when one of the is- flanders refused to speak to one of the
 tame" boys because he was his father in-law." Only members of the tribe be- longing to the same class are allowed to marry, and much to the amusement of the two explorers they found an island ! woman flirting with one of theNS.tameI blacks she having ascertained thSN both | belonged to the same class and that she | therefore. could marry him if he were willing.
 Notwithstanding the rough nature of life among the islanders they look strong | and healthy. although somewhat under. sized and were apparently of a peaceful disposition. They were ignorant of the arts of cultivation, their food consisting of wild fruits, fish and meat. fire being obtained by rubbing couple of sticks to- |, gether. Except their weapons and few |, cooking appliances there is no personal Il pr pc ty aim st everything be ng sharei II In common. It is probable that a spconI Il visit may be paid to the island q few hence, when some further infor. nation respecting the islanders will h. p ocurable, there being an opinion that lurther lnves igation will assist in throw hg some ght on the character of Ans trL Han abOr' iY,