The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-16

Nil take up n map "i SuS''"'d anu WV"
,o,e the hug. ndcntation in the northern
.oos, marked Gulf Of Carpentaria, You
,il SEQ a little group Of islands at the lower
ond of this gulf designated the Wellesley
Islands. If your map is good one you
,ll observe chat one Of this archipelago
/. named Mornington Island.
II is with this island that this article will
Ian, for il has lust been found that upon
h live perhaps the most primitive savages
4, tho world About the middle of June
rbi,e men landed upon its shores probably
,,r the first time. Certainly no white
man had been there in more than CEN
try Undoubtedly these men explored
,ori,ory which had never been trod by
any civilized person
Il was one Of the few spots upon tho
.,rh'. surface, this island. that had been
o,erlooked altogether by the man OF the
steam engine, the telegraph. the steam
shin Nay. more. it had not been visited
oven bv other savages, so far as is known,
end il had been in undisturbed possession
If men and women of the race lowest in
+bc human scale since the human family
began ages ago.
All this came to light through DIR, Roth
Of Queensland, Northern Protector of Abo-
ncnes, an official corresponding in some
respects to our Indian Commissioner.
and Charles Hedley, f. l.. S., conchologist
Of the Australian museum Of Sydney. DR..
Roth is one OF the leading ethnologists OF
nd b.. into 10 rx,rta.
count of this event. Mr.. Hedley has been
Studying the mollusca of Australia for
fifteen years, and of late he has been devot-
ing his vacations to trips to the north coast
Of the continent.
Dr. Roth invited him to accompany him
upon his annual cruise in the gulf, which is
part Of his duty as Protector of Aborigines,
and Mr. Hedley gladly accepted. The
two scientists took a mail steamer about
two months ago to Thursday Island. which
lies Just off the horn that sticks upward
from Australia toward New Guinea, and
there after a delay of ten days. due to the
illness Of captain, they boarded the cutter
MeIbidir Thursday Island is worth an
article itself
The cutter ran down the west side of the
York Peninsula to Batavia River, which
runs into the Gulf of Carpentaria. Here
stop was made at the Mapoon mission for
the aborigines. Then the party ran on.
skirting the shores of the gulf until they
cane to the Wellesley group, which con-
sists Of Mornington Island, Sweer's Island
and Bentinck Island.
Sweer's Island holds some whites, who
drove away or killed on the blacks there.
Bentiuck Island is wild as wild can be- but
whites visit it now and then. Mornington
ad never been so visited, so far as is
;6wn.
DR.. Roth and Mr.. Hedley went ashore
/! arriving off Bentinck Island. They were
-med, as were the tame blacks they had
rought with them upon the cutter, some
{ these being mission boys from Mapoon.
They penetrated a short distance into the
1ush, which was not far from being jun
gle, for it should be remembered that
,orthern Australia reaches up well within
The tropics.
Suddenly Mr.. Hedley saw a savage black
ace peering at him over bush. The face
disappeared quickly and then the two
gentlemen heard what seemed to be band
If savages running away through the thick
But it was upon Mornington Island that
surprises came-bloodless and rather anus
ing ones. fortunately. They anchored
The cutter Off the island and had their black
boys row them ashore. They had rifles
md revolvers, for the Queensland blacks are
dangerous foes, especially at night and in
ropical forests.
The two scientists beached the boat and
hen the whole party, in skirmish line for
nation. the black boys acting as fankers
and scouts, made for the interior of the
Island. After wading through thick man
grove swamps, the most marked feature
of which was oozy black mud knee deep,
hey came upon higher ground and pres
'nty they saw thin blue spiral of smoke
Using over some underbrush.
Iney went toward this and soon came
Ipon party of savages, who scuttled away
nto the bush like rabbits-all but three
women, who We're unable to run. This trio
covered over the fire expecting evidently
rom their faces to be carved up and eaten
by the white men, but they were soon re-
assured by the tame blacks and entered into
quite lively conversation with them, and
llso with their savage lords, who kept up a
steady "fubber, yubber, yubber" from the
pushes where they lay concealed.
II turned out from the explanations made
BY the tame blacks that the islanders could
Understand the native dialect which is
current among the blacks about Burke
own. Burketown and Normanton, it
mould be explained. are the only two set
Iements Of whites upon the southern shore
u The Gulf Of Carpentaria. the coast line
u which measures probably thousand
niles from Cape York to Port Essington.
JIaIect is perhaps msnomer, for the
sIstFalan aborigines speak practically |
ne same tongue, wherever found. There
re, however. certain variations of minor
description.
Not only could the islanders understand |
ne tame boys, but they Immediately recog-
i@ed the respective classes Of the tame |
'acRs This likewise requires explanation. |
'hlcIl Is this: The Australian aborigines, |
we other savage or barbarous peoples.
WOE themselves into classes to represent
ne different degrees of relationship, such |
COUSIN, sister and brother, to prevent
% close tribal intermarriage. It is a
r'mtlve custom and began in primordial
mes as ethnologists will tell You at much
teater length and with much more acclI-
4'y than can be done here. Only mem
srS OF the tribe belonging to the same
lass may marry, and those belonging TO