ABORIGINES 
 
 o ;< AUSTRALIA. 
 
 -. , - - ;
 
 
 MACKANESS 
 
 s=*AUSTRALIANA
 
 .0'
 
 THE 
 
 ABORIGINES OF AUSTRALIA, 
 
 BEING AN ACCOUNT OF 
 
 THE INSTITUTION FOE THEIE EDUCATION 
 
 AT 
 
 POONINDIE, 
 
 IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
 
 Founded in 1850 by the Ven. ARCHDEACON HALE, a Missionary 
 of S.P.G. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 RIGHT REV. BISHOP HALE. 
 
 PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACT COMMITTEE. 
 
 LONDON : 
 SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE, 
 
 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, CHARING CROSS, W.C. ; 
 
 43, QUEEN VICTOEIA STREET, B.C. 
 
 BRIGHTON: 135, NORTH STREET. 
 NEW YORK : E. & J. B. YOUNG & CO.
 
 THE ABORIGINES OF AUSTRALIA. 
 
 I PROPOSE in the following pages to give some account of 
 the first formation of the Natives Institution of Poonindie in 
 South Australia. It was established in the year 1850 for 
 training and Christianizing some members of the aboriginal 
 race, and it is now (in 1889) still carrying on its beneficent 
 work. 
 
 But it seems right that I should, in the first instance, 
 explain how it came about that I, having gone to 
 Australia in the same ship with the Bishop of Adelaide 
 when he first went out, to be his Archdeacon, should after- 
 wards have devoted myself specially to work amongst 
 the natives, allowing the work properly pertaining to me 
 as Archdeacon to fall almost into abeyance. 
 
 My explanation must carry me back to the time of the 
 emancipation of the slaves in the West Indies. At that 
 time I thought much and deeply upon the great responsi- 
 bility which rested upon us, as a nation, with reference to 
 those heathen races, which, in various parts of the world, 
 had become subject to British rule. As regards the 
 slaves just alluded to, I had very great doubts whether the 
 measures which were being adopted for the amelioration 
 of their condition would be really beneficial to them if 
 those measures should be terminated by the mere Act of 
 Emancipation. 
 
 It appeared to me that the slaves, when freed from the 
 compulsory control of those who had been their masters, 
 would be subject to no control at all, unless some powerful 
 moral influence could be brought to bear upon them, in 
 place of the physical restraint from which they were being 
 relieved, and I know of no moral influence which could be 
 
 1491476
 
 brought to bear upon them except by means of Christian 
 teaching. 
 
 So strong was this feeling within me that, before I was 
 ordained, I earnestly desired to go to the West Indies and 
 to devote myself to the work which appeared to me to be 
 so loudly called for. Acting upon this desire I went to the 
 office of S.P.G. I was probably unfortunate in the 
 clergyman with whom I had an interview. My visit was 
 not encouraging, and I did not repeat it. Subsequently, 
 in a well considered letter to my father, I made a definite 
 proposition to go to the West Indies. But the proposition 
 was received so unfavourably by all the members of my 
 family that I gave up the project, and eventually I entered 
 upon a curacy in this country. 
 
 But the feeling, which had impelled me to take the steps 
 just described, never left my mind. I frequently spoke at 
 meetings, of S.P.G. , and also for C.M.S. ; and, from 
 time to time, I said to myself, " It is one thing to stand on 
 " a platform and to hold forth about the duty of going to 
 " the heathen ; but it is quite another thing to go oneself." 
 However, during the first eleven years that I was in Holy 
 Orders, my own path of duty seemed plain enough. It 
 seemed clear to me, during those years, that my work was 
 in the mother country. 
 
 Then came the year 1847, when four Bishops, all for the 
 Colonies, were consecrated in Westminster Abbey, on 
 St. Peter's Day. It was a great day for the Colonial 
 Church, and I do not hesitate to say that, in consequence of 
 the impetus which was then given to the cause of mission- 
 ary work generally, it was a great day for the Church at 
 home. 
 
 A few weeks after this event I was staying in the 
 house with one of those Bishops Dr. Short, the 
 Bishop for Adelaide, South Australia and I had many 
 conversations about the Church in the Colonies, and about 
 the treatment of the aboriginal inhabitants ; and one day, 
 during one of our conversations (we were walking), the 
 Bishop, in that peculiar abrupt way, which every one who 
 knew the dear old man will remember, stopped, and facing 
 about, and standing opposite to me said, in his peculiar, 
 short, quick manner, " You must come out, and be my 
 "Archdeacon." The thought of going out with him had never 
 entered my mind ; but, when I came seriously to consider
 
 the matter, I could see that there really was no good and 
 sufficient reason why I should not obey the call which 
 seemed to be thus sent to me. 
 
 For nearly six years I had borne the weight of the duties 
 of the parish of Stroud a parish of 8,000 inhabitants, to 
 which I had been appointed by Bishop Monk. But in 
 1845 I was compelled, by the effect upon my mind of a 
 great sorrow, to resign it. In 1847 I, and my two little 
 motherless children, were living with my father, who had 
 also not long become a widower, in Wiltshire. I had 
 taken charge of a small country parish, a daughter parish 
 of Bradford-on-Avon, and connected with my father's pro- 
 perty. One of my brothers (unmarried) was, at the time I 
 met Bishop Short, returning with'' his regiment from 
 India, and I knew that he could take my place with 
 my father. Circumstanced as I was, my arrangements 
 were speedily made ; and, on the 2nd of September, I and 
 my children and two female servants embarked in the same 
 ship with the Bishop and his family and two 'other 
 clergymen, whom he had engaged for work in his new 
 diocese. 
 
 During the early part of the voyage I kept a diary, in the 
 
 hope that some opportunity might occur by which I might 
 
 send it back to England for the information of my friends. 
 
 I must here give an extract from it, explaining that on the 
 
 day on which this was written, the Bishop was preparing a 
 
 document for my formal appointment of Archdeacon on our 
 
 arrival in Adelaide. And he had been good enough to call 
 
 me into his cabin to be present as assessor while he was so 
 
 engaged. My remark written afterwards was as follows : 
 
 ' The puzzling out of ,a beginning of things in a new 
 
 ' diocese will be a peculiar and difficult kind of work. 
 
 ' But it has its charms for my mind, and I much hope and 
 
 ' pray for grace and guidance to get pretty well through it. 
 
 ' Being thrown so much together, I have, of course, seen a 
 
 ' great deal of the Bishop, and have become very intimate 
 
 ' with him ; and the more I see of him, the more thankful 
 
 < I am that, having been so long desirous of entering upon 
 
 ' such an enterprise as the present one, I have been led to 
 
 ' embark in this one with such a man as the Bishop of 
 
 ' Adelaide." Written Feb. 24th, when we had been about 
 
 three weeks at sea. 
 
 These little personal explanations have seemed to me
 
 to be necessary in order that the reader may understand 
 that there had been in my mind, for a considerable time, 
 a readiness (if I may so express it) to enter upon work 
 such as that which I am about to describe. 
 
 On our arrival in Adelaide we found that the Govern- 
 ment had not been altogether unmindful of their duty to 
 the aborigines. Very excellent schools for native 
 children of both sexes had been for some time in 
 existence in close proximity to Government House. 
 The children were lodged and boarded on the school 
 premises ; but there were frequently absentees. The adult 
 natives, hanging about the town, would often get some 
 of them away for days, and even for weeks, together. 
 Those, however, who attended with any degree of 
 regularity, made fair progress with their lessons, and 
 proved that they were quite capable of receiving instruc- 
 tion, and, with God's blessing, of receiving into their 
 minds the first seeds of Christian truth. 
 
 But we learned, with sorrow, that there was no 
 arrangement in existence by means of which these young 
 people, so long and often successfully cared for, could be 
 guided and protected after they had outgrown the school. 
 Just at the ages when they most needed care and 
 guidance they were thrown upon their own resources, and 
 lost to civilization. Hence the need of some supple- 
 mental institution into which they might be received 
 at this critical period of their lives. 
 
 It will, I presume, be clearly understood that nothing 
 could be done towards carrying out any such scheme as 
 seemed to be required without the sanction and assistance 
 of the Government. Happily, the gentleman who, at the 
 time I am now speaking of, was Governor of South 
 Australia was Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, and it 
 gives me much pleasure to record here how thoroughly 
 and heartily he entered into the scheme, and how ready 
 he was to assist me in every way. In fact it would have 
 been quite impossible for me to have attempted to carry 
 out my project if Sir Henry Young had been apathetic 
 or half-hearted about it. 
 
 As my narrative will show, important concessions from 
 the Government were absolutely necessary in order that 
 the scheme might be put upon a proper footing. And I 
 never should have obtained those concessions if the
 
 Governor had not used his influence on my behalf 
 with the other members of the Executive. 
 
 The necessity for the thing having been acknowledged, 
 I, at first, appeared simply in the character of the person 
 deputed to put some definite plan before His Excellency 
 on paper. I had two or three interviews with him 
 concerning the said scheme, and made certain alterations 
 which he suggested. Finally the thing was brought into 
 such a shape as to meet with his full approval. Then he 
 said, " And, now, who is to do it ? " And he evidently 
 had not at all expected the answer which I made when 
 I replied that, with His Excellency's permission, I was 
 prepared to undertake it. The Bishop's permission was, 
 of course, also necessary. But I knew that that would 
 be given. 
 
 I now introduce a letter written to the Governor by 
 myself, and His Excellency's reply. These documents 
 led to the immediate commencement of work. In this 
 letter the name of Mr. Moorhouse is mentioned. It will 
 be frequently mentioned in the course of the narrative. 
 He was a Government officer, the Protector of Aborigines. 
 The children, while in Adelaide, were in his charge. 
 He also fell in with the scheme thoroughly and heartily, 
 and was always ready to take any amount of trouble to 
 help me. 
 
 FROM ARCHDEACON HALE TO His EXCELLENCY SIR 
 EDWARD HENRY Fox YOUNG. 
 
 August ijth, 1850. 
 
 " MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY, 
 
 " I am encouraged, by the observations which fell 
 from your Excellency this morning, to address you 
 again on the subject of the contemplated Natives 
 Institution. 
 
 " The despatches which have reached your Excellency 
 by the Candahav appear to leave no doubt upon your 
 mind as to the answer which will be returned to your 
 Excellency's despatch of the i2th of July last. And I 
 further gather from your observations that, under the 
 influence of this feeling, you would be willing to sanction 
 the opening of the Institution, on a modified scale, without 
 further delay.
 
 " That there should be as little delay as possible before 
 commencing operations is, in my opinion, a matter of 
 great importance. The great need for the establishment 
 of such an institution arises from the necessity of so 
 extending the means which are at present in use for the 
 benefit of the natives that they may not be thrown back 
 wholly upon their own resources when they leave the 
 school. 
 
 " It appears that there are now at the present time 
 ' a set ' of school children of both sexes just arriving at 
 this critical age. Mr. Moorhouse has many times 
 described their state to me by saying ' they are just now 
 ' fit to be put under a missionary's care.' They have got 
 all that they will get from the school. They can, for the 
 most part, read and write and cast accounts, and are 
 acquainted with the leading principles and facts of the 
 Christian religion. 
 
 " If these young people are left to go their own way for 
 
 the next eight or ten months, there is every reason to 
 
 suppose (because the same thing has happened over and 
 
 . over again with their predecessors) that they will by that 
 
 . time have become vitiated and corrupted, either by being 
 
 drawn away again to their former wild habits of life or 
 
 by associating with the dregs of the population of this 
 
 city. 
 
 " So great is the anxiety of Mr. Moorhouse to preserve 
 them from these contaminating influences that he has 
 already run the risk of sending four young couples to 
 Port Lincoln, in order that they may be there ready to 
 enter the institution whenever it shall be ready for their 
 reception. 
 
 " On account of these persons I think it extremely 
 important that no time should be lost in commencing 
 operations. They will, for the present, be assigned as 
 servants, to certain persons in and about Port Lincoln. 
 But experience has too often proved that, however kind 
 and well-disposed settlers may be towards the natives, 
 they will not take the pains with them, nor exercise that 
 degree of vigilance and care which is necessary to prevent 
 their falling back from those good habits which they 
 may have acquired at the school. Their instruction is, 
 at any rate, quite certain to be neglected. 
 
 " But there exist even stronger reasons why they should
 
 not be left in the position above described. For natives 
 of Port Lincoln to return overland from Adelaide to 
 that settlement has become a very common practice ; 
 and, inasmuch as the Adelaide natives in question will 
 have frequent opportunities of seeing and conversing 
 with those who have already performed the overland 
 journey, there is great reason to apprehend that they 
 may be induced to attempt to return to their homes. 
 
 " Now any attempt of this kind, successful or unsuc- 
 cessful, would be extremely prejudicial to the prospects 
 of the contemplated institution, on account of the feeling 
 which it would give rise to amongst the Adelaide 
 natives. 
 
 " The original scheme might be modified in a very 
 easy and simple manner by merely leaving out, for the 
 present, the juvenile department. There are five couples 
 of our Adelaide natives already at Port Lincoln. Mr. 
 Moorhouse might take measures for pairing off a few more 
 couples of the young people now leaving the school ; and 
 our operations for the next few months might be confined 
 to these married couples. 
 
 "A grant of 200 and rations for a definite number of 
 such couples for twelve months (the number to be fixed by 
 your Excellency, after conference with Mr. Moorhouse) 
 would enable us at once to commence operations upon 
 this scale. 
 
 " It would be unjust to the Colonists to omit to mention 
 to your Excellency the many circumstances which have 
 occurred to encourage me to press forward in this enter- 
 prise. I beg, first and foremost, to state that there are 
 two persons, whom I believe to be most single-minded 
 and devoted in their purpose, who are willing to go to 
 work with me at any moment as coadjutors. Mr. Henry 
 Minchin, as schoolmaster, and Mr. John Martin, as 
 superintendent of out-door works. The latter person is, 
 I think, exactly the man for the situation an experienced 
 labourer, fencer, and sawyer, of 45 years of age. They 
 both desire to devote themselves to the work from motives 
 of piety, and because they lament and mourn over the 
 miseries of the unhappy blacks. 
 
 " I would next state that I find that there exists a degree 
 of interest in this scheme amongst the quiet, retiring portion 
 of our Colonists, which is generally much underrated. I there-
 
 8 
 
 fore anticipate considerable support from private sources, 
 and, with the amount of assistance above specified from 
 public funds, I have no doubt of being able to carry on 
 matters to the satisfaction of the Government until your 
 Excellency receives the answer to your despatch of 
 July i2th. 
 
 " I remain, &c., 
 
 " MATTHEW B. HALE." 
 
 NOTE, 1889. The answer to the said despatch of 
 July 1 2th, 1850, was not received in Adelaide until the end 
 of November, 1851. This will show how extremely im- 
 portant it was to my undertaking to have to deal with a 
 Governor like Sir Henry Young, who gave me his hearty 
 support, and was not afraid to act upon his own responsi- 
 bility when he saw that it was needful to do so. The 
 Institution was fourteen months old when Sir Henry 
 received the reply to his first request to the Home Govern- 
 ment to be permitted to establish it : 
 
 " FROM SIR HENRY YOUNG TO ARCHDEACON HALE. 
 
 " 24^ August, 1850. 
 " DEAR ARCHDEACON, 
 
 " I have the pleasure of informing you that the modified 
 proposal contained in your letter of the iyth is approved. 
 You will learn from Captain Sturt, or the Auditor-General, 
 Mr. Singleton, the forms to be gone through for obtaining 
 the Grant. 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 " H. E. F. YOUNG." 
 
 Having thus obtained the sanction of his Excellency 
 the Governor, I was able to prepare for work without 
 delay. My next step was to put forth a prospectus 
 explaining, for the information of the colonists, what I 
 proposed to do, and the principles of action by which I 
 hoped to be guided in my proceedings. The said pros- 
 pectus was put forth as a letter addressed to the Editor of 
 The South Australian Register. 
 
 It was as follows :
 
 PROSPECTUS 
 
 OF AN INSTITUTION ABOUT TO BE FORMED AT PORT LINCOLN 
 
 FOR THE RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION AND MORAL 
 
 TRAINING OF ABORIGINAL NATIVES. 
 
 [From the South Australian Register, August 28th, 1850.] 
 To the Editors of the " South Australian Register." 
 
 " Gentlemen I trust you will permit me, through your 
 pages, to address a few words to your readers on a sub- 
 ject which cannot be otherwise than interesting to every 
 Christian mind, and which ought not to be a matter of 
 indifference to any inhabitant of this colony. That sub- 
 ject is the spiritual condition of the aboriginal natives. 
 My object in calling attention to it is to make a statement 
 with respect to an effort which is about to be made to 
 ameliorate the condition of certain individuals of this 
 unhappy race. 
 
 " Every one, who is acquainted with the measures which 
 have of late years been in operation for the instruction of 
 aboriginal children in the neighbourhood of this city, must 
 have this conviction, that further means over and above 
 those at present in use are required in order to accomplish 
 anything permanently beneficial. 
 
 " The whole means at present employed consist of schools 
 for the children of either sex. They are only schools the 
 machinery is not calculated or adapted to accomplish more 
 than would be accomplished by schools in any other 
 place under similar circumstances. The case is pretty 
 much the same as that of Ragged Schools in any of the 
 large cities of England : children are collected to receive 
 instruction from dark alleys and filthy courts, from the 
 daily companionship of relations and associates of the 
 lowest grade of society. If no efficient measures were 
 taken to separate the scholars from such associates if no 
 means were employed to give those scholars, if they 
 should wish it, a reasonable opportunity of carrying out 
 Christian practices in their daily life who would expect 
 any other result from the Ragged School than that the 
 scholars therein taught should go forth from it, sharpened 
 in intellect indeed, more apt for every deed of mischief ; 
 but still rogues, thieves, pickpockets, as their parents and 
 associates had been before them.
 
 10 
 
 " The point which I wish to illustrate must be suffi- 
 ciently obvious. Every reflecting person must see that 
 something must be added to the schools, as at present con- 
 stituted, before we can entertain any hope of their being 
 permanently useful to the natives. 
 
 " Three distinct sets of children have now been in- 
 structed in that school since its foundation, and have gone 
 forth again upon the world. Their position, upon leaving 
 the school, becomes at once one of banishment from the 
 sound of the Gospel of Christ. Their habits are such as 
 to prevent the employment of any agency to keep them in 
 mind of that Supreme Being whose name they have been 
 taught to call upon. They are without pastoral superin- 
 tendence, without the means of grace, without refuge or 
 protection from the contaminations of vice which surround 
 them on every side. The school has not been without 
 instances of youths who have given the plainest indica- 
 tions of being under strong religious impressions ; but what 
 youthful piety unless indeed sustained by a miracle of 
 grace could stand against the torrent of vice which must 
 assail the poor young native who goes forth amongst the 
 manifold temptations of this place. 
 
 " I now proceed to the statement which I wish to lay 
 before your readers, viz., that an attempt is about to be 
 made to supply the grand desideratum, in order to turn to 
 better account those means which are at present in use. 
 An institution is about to be formed, where those natives 
 who have been brought up at the Adelaide School, and 
 others who may seem fit subjects for admission into it, 
 may be gathered together in one little community apart 
 from the vicious portion of the white population and the 
 wild portion of the blacks, where they may be kept under 
 regular Christian instruction, and enjoy the means of 
 grace where the attempt may be made to lead them by 
 degrees into habits of industry and a more settled mode of 
 life. 
 
 " And here, if space would permit, I should be tempted 
 to answer in anticipation the objections which will be 
 raised by some persons against any such scheme, on the 
 ground of its hopelessness, and the consequent so-called 
 waste of time, and trouble, a.nd money which will be 
 incurred; I shall, however, content myself with one single 
 answer. It is unphilosophical in the highest degree, it is
 
 II 
 
 unreasonable, it is bigoted, to condemn any proposed 
 experiment as hopeless, because certain other experiments, 
 bearing some degree of resemblance to it, have been tried 
 without success. It is by trying again and again, correct- 
 ing each later experiment by the information derived from 
 former failures, that success in all difficult cases is ulti- 
 mately to be obtained. That success in the case before us 
 is possible, no one who believes the Scriptures can doubt ; 
 being men, it cannot be impossible that these natives should 
 come to the knowledge of the truth, and obtain eternal 
 life. There may be certain extraneous circumstances 
 acting upon them which may render them, humanly speak- 
 ing, incapable, for the time being, of receiving Divine 
 knowledge ; but to say that the individual men, women, 
 and children, of any given race are absolutely and essentially 
 incapable of attaining to everlasting life, would be a posi- 
 tion which I trust no one would venture to advance. If, 
 then, there is a way of guiding these benighted beings into 
 the paths of eternal happiness, how shall we dare to stay 
 our efforts, or say that we are weary of the work, until we 
 shall have exhausted every means which God shall put it 
 into our power to attempt ? 
 
 " Here, again, it would be well pleasing to me to enlarge 
 upon the great motives to missionary exertion which 
 should prompt the inhabitants of this colony to assist, to 
 the utmost of their power, in carrying out this good work. 
 We might many of us, with much advantage to ourselves, 
 indulge in such reflections as these that although we may 
 have, in our own minds and in a very easy and summary 
 manner, settled all questions relating to the occupation of 
 this country by the right of conquest these questions 
 have hereafter to be tried again before a much higher and 
 more impartial tribunal than any earthly judgment seat. 
 The Anglo-Saxon race are deriving countless wealth from 
 the sunny hills and dales of South Australia, we have 
 acquired here a noble country, destined, perhaps, to sustain 
 its millions of population in prosperity and power. Here- 
 after we shall have to give an account of the return which 
 has been made to the original proprietors of this territory ? 
 What have we bestowed upon them as a recompense for 
 the wrongs, the privations, the miseries, which they have 
 suffered through our intrusion ? 
 
 " But it is time that I should now confine myself to the
 
 12 
 
 particulars of the scheme which is proposed at the present 
 time. It has already been stated, in the heading of this 
 paper, that Port Lincoln has been selected as the locality 
 for the intended Institution. Our natives, from this part 
 of the colony, will be there removed from the influences 
 which the elders of their own tribes at present exercise 
 over them ; and it is known from experience that natives 
 who have been brought up as strangers to each other are 
 by no means forward to associate together in the wild state. 
 There is therefore scarcely any reason to fear that our 
 people will ever wish to forsake the Institution with a view 
 to join the Port Lincoln natives in their bush life. It is 
 hoped also that they may be prevented from making any 
 attempt to return to this part of the colony overland : the 
 fear which they have of the Port Lincoln natives on 
 account of their wilder and more daring character will go 
 far in deterring them from making this experiment. But 
 our unwearied endeavour will be to engender in their 
 minds a feeling of real attachment towards the Institution 
 as their home ; we shall give to the married couples their 
 own hut, their own plot of ground, their regular, though 
 light and easy daily employment, we shall contrive variety 
 and change in their occupations, and add a due admixture 
 of relaxation and amusement ; and, above all, we shall 
 strive to make them feel the value of a settled mode of 
 life as affording them the means of religious instruction, 
 and of enabling them to attend to those things which con- 
 cern their everlasting welfare. 
 
 " With respect to the willingness of the young natives to 
 go from Adelaide to Port Lincoln, this point has already 
 been ascertained. Five young couples have actually gone 
 to that settlement, where for the present they are cared for 
 and employed by certain settlers in that district. There 
 are several more still about Adelaide who are quite willing 
 to follow the example thus set them. 
 
 " In the first instance these young married couples only 
 will be admitted to the Institution. Schools for the children 
 of either sex will next be added, so soon as our means and 
 other opportunities enable us to adopt this measure. 
 
 " We next come to the question of the support of the 
 Institution. It is to be carried on by means of funds con- 
 jointly furnished by the Colonial Government and by 
 voluntary contributions, administered through the Church
 
 13 
 
 of England. The latter for her part will find t pay, and 
 support the living agency, i.e., the Missionary Superin- 
 tendent, and all other Europeans employed in conducting 
 the affairs of the Institution. I make bold to undertake 
 for her that she will never do less than this. I shall hope 
 and trust that she will do more. I more especially trust 
 that she will do more at our first commencement ; that we 
 may be enabled to make a good beginning, and have no 
 unnecessary difficulties to contend with. 
 
 " The Government aid at present granted amounts to 
 the sum of ^"200 for the erection of the necessary huts, and 
 the promise to maintain a limited number of married 
 couples for a period of twelve months. In the mean time, 
 his Excellency the Governor is in correspondence with the 
 Home Government on the subject ; and there can be 
 scarcely the shadow of a doubt but that, if the scheme 
 proves itself to be worthy of support, assistance will here- 
 after be given to a much larger extent. But while this in- 
 creased assistance is as yet only in prospect, we trust that 
 the measure will be cordially and liberally supported by 
 the inhabitants of this colony. With ^"200 to expend upon 
 the erection of huts, the purchase of tools, implements, the 
 necessary articles of simple furniture, and the various 
 other needful appliances, we can make a beginning, it is 
 true, but what sort of a beginning it would be, I will leave 
 each person to judge for himself. But, no ! I will not 
 believe that the colonists of South Australia will permit 
 that the first expenditure in such a cause should be limited 
 to this sum. 
 
 " Our first care, however, must be to see our living 
 agency provided for by means of voluntary contributions. 
 The unworthy individual whose name is attached to this 
 paper, has the honour of being appointed to the superin- 
 tendence of this enterprise ; he asks nothing of the 
 colonists for himself but he does ask a provision for those 
 true-hearted men who have pressed forward to join him in 
 the work, who are ready to go to it without fee or reward ; 
 and are determined, " having food and raiment, to be 
 therewith content." But " the labourer is worthy of his 
 hire ;" and, however well it may become them to set forward 
 thus in this labour of love, it would ill-become us to permit 
 them to remain unrequited as to worldly goods, and without 
 that compensation to which they will be so justly entitled.
 
 14 
 
 " These men are Mr. Henry Minchin, assistant religious 
 instructor and schoolmaster ; and Mr. John Martin, 
 assistant schoolmaster and superintendent of out-door 
 works. One other person it will be highly advisable to 
 add to the establishment, viz., some Christian-minded 
 female, rather advanced in life, who would teach and 
 superintend the female natives, and instruct them in the 
 performance of their domestic duties. If we fail in finding 
 either the person suited to this position, or the means of 
 securing her services, it will be necessary to authorise one 
 of the native women to perform these duties so far as she 
 may be able to do so. I trust we may have it in our power 
 to make an arrangement less unsatisfactory than this 
 would be. 
 
 " One word more, gentlemen, and I bring this lengthy 
 letter to an end. I have now only to entreat, to implore, 
 that the prayers and intercessions of those who address 
 themselves to the Throne of Grace may be earnestly 
 offered up in behalf of myself and those who will be 
 associated with me in this arduous undertaking. We 
 desire to go forth to our work with a single eye to the 
 glory of our common Saviour, striving, after His example, 
 ' to seek and to save that which was lost.' To all our 
 Christian-minded friends, who love such works of piety, we 
 reiterate again and again -pray .for us that this one work 
 may prosper in our hands. 
 
 " I am, Gentlemen, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " MATTHEW B. HALE, 
 
 " Archdeacon of Adelaide. 
 
 " Adelaide, August 26th, 1850." 
 
 As soon as possible after this we proceeded with our 
 work, and, a few months later, having been asked to give 
 some account of our doings for publication in a little 
 local periodical, I give the following extracts : 
 
 " On the loth September we set up our tent upon Boston 
 Island an island of great beauty and many attractions, 
 forming the shelter to the far-famed harbour of Port Lincoln. 
 It will readily be understood, from the remarks which I 
 have made above, that our object in choosing that locality 
 was principally seclusion that we might be cut off from 
 the society of blacks living in a wild state, and protected
 
 15 
 
 from the unwelcome intrusions of evil-minded persons 
 amongst the whites. These advantages we set against 
 the formidable disadvantage that no permanent fresh water 
 had, as yet, been discovered upon the island. We thought 
 that we should be in a position to make a closer search 
 for this necessary element than had ever been made before 
 we trusted much to the acknowledged natural sagacity 
 of the natives in such cases we determined to persevere 
 in making well after well, so long as a hope remained 
 of our obtaining the object of our search. However, 
 all our expectations all our efforts proved fruitless. Salt 
 water ! Salt water ! was the oft-told tale of every well that 
 was sunk. So prevalent is salt in the composition of the 
 soil, above as well as below, that even the rain-water as it 
 trickles down the sides of the hills, when but newly fallen 
 from the clouds, tastes almost like the briny sea itself. 
 Our wants in the mean time had been mainly supplied 
 from a fine natural reservoir in a rock, where pure water to 
 the amount of about 150 gallons is deposited by every 
 moderate shower of rain ; and which we duly and carefully 
 stowed away in casks for our daily use. But the angry ocean 
 deprived us of even this resource. High and secure as our 
 reservoir appeared upon ordinary occasions, the foaming 
 billows beat up into it, on the occurrence of a storm, and 
 showed us that even this resource might at any time 
 fail us in the hour of greatest need. 
 
 " I need scarcely add that after this we abandoned the 
 island. But the beauty of its scenery the romantic 
 wildness of its hills the state of seclusion in which we had 
 lived, and the primitive habits of life to which we had 
 conformed during our sojourn of one short month upon its 
 shores, made us all feel some measure of attachment 
 towards it ; and I believe scarcely one of our party, 
 whether white or black, quitted it without some feelings of 
 regret. 
 
 " We had been, of course, thrown entirely upon our own 
 resources as to our habitations, and a round or bell tent, 
 which was kindly lent to us by the Surveyor-General, 
 served for a shelter for our stores and such other things as 
 most required protection from the weather, as well as for a 
 sleeping apartment for the females of our little party. 
 With respect to ourselves, the men (both white and black), 
 the particulars of our sleeping apartment are soon given : an
 
 i6 
 
 ample fire to counteract the keenness of the night air, 
 some closely wattled branches to defend us from the wind, 
 and the glorious canopy of heaven for a roof over our heads 
 thus did we pass the first nights of our residence upon 
 Boston Island. 
 
 " Our exertions by day were of course directed to the 
 formation of a hut. The materials which presented them, 
 selves were long gum poles of a kind which I do not 
 remember to have seen anywhere else in the colony they 
 are of all lengths up to 16 or 17 feet, the longest being five or 
 six inches in diameter at the larger end. The character of 
 this material seemed plainy to indicate to us that our 
 intended habitation would be most conveniently erected 
 in the shape of a A. hut. A small shrub, apparently a 
 species of broom, formed an excellent material for thatching 
 the same. Accordingly in due time, Mr. Rayner being the 
 director of the operations, a very commodious habitation 
 was the result of our labours ; the dimensions being 32 feet 
 in length by 12 in width. Having accomplished this object 
 in order to secure to ourselves some degree of comfort in 
 the event of unsettled weather, we next directed our 
 attention to an active and energetic search for permanent 
 fresh water of the result of these labours I have already 
 informed you." 
 
 When I found, as above explained, that our position on 
 Boston Island, was absolutely untenable, I wrote another 
 letter to the Governor, explaining all the circumstances of 
 the case, and praying for the sanction of the Government 
 to our removal to the main land. After most careful 
 consideration, I had come to the conclusion that a 
 locality about ten miles, by land, from Port Lincoln, was, 
 I considered, admirably suited to our purpose. And the 
 following extracts from my letter will explain the nature 
 of the petition which I then made. 
 
 Our party at this period was composed of thirteen 
 persons five native couples (one couple having joined 
 us on the island) Mr. Minchm, Mr. Raynor, and my- 
 self. Under what circumstances Mr. Rayner took the 
 place of Mr. John Martin, previously mentioned, I do not 
 at all remember. Mr. Rayner was quite an elderly man ; 
 but still strong and active, and handy at work of all 
 kinds ; but, unfortunately, he had a temper, and he did
 
 17 
 
 not remain with us long. The following are the extracts 
 referred to : 
 
 " The Tod opens into South Bay in Spencer's Gulf about 
 nine miles by sea, from Port Lincoln. There are on and 
 about it thirty-five sections of surveyed land. These sec- 
 tions cannot be said to be in much request amongst 
 settlers, inasmuch as, although they have been surveyed 
 and laid out for eight years, only two of them have ever 
 been purchased. The proprietor of one lives in England, 
 and the other in Adelaide. Neither of them have ever 
 derived a fraction of profit from the sections. My peti- 
 tion, therefore, to your Excellency is that the remaining 
 thirty-three sections be declared Natives Reserves (three 
 of them, by the way, are Native Reserves already, and 
 means will be taken to re-purchase the two already sold), 
 that they be let to some responsible body (say the Society 
 for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts), for 
 the purposes of the Institution ; upon the longest lease 
 possible at a nominal rent, so long as the Institution should 
 continue in a vigorous and efficient state. But if the 
 native inmates of the Institution should, at any time, be 
 so reduced in number (the exact minimum number should 
 be specified) as to afford sufficient evidence that the 
 scheme was not succeeding, it should then be competent 
 for the Colonial Government to demand a real rent for 
 or call upon, the parties connected with the Institution to 
 give up the bulk of the sections, retaining at the nominal 
 rent a number of sections only proportionate to the 
 number of inmates still connected with the Institution, at 
 the rate of one section for every adult native and one 
 section for every two children. 
 
 " I need say nothing in support of the practice of 
 making Native Reserves, nor of granting a section for the 
 benefit of one individual native (as in the case of a black 
 woman marrying a white man), since these practices have 
 already received the sanction of precedent and of the 
 highest authorities. I will only say that there is every 
 probability that the number of inmates in our Institution 
 will be sufficient to entitle them to ask for these sections 
 upon the plea that they wish to settle upon them, and how in- 
 finitely greater will be the probability of their deriving benefit 
 from them, granted in this way, than if they were granted 
 as isolated sections, scattered throughout the Colony. 
 
 c
 
 i8 
 
 " I now proceed to explain how- I propose to use this 
 land for the benefit of the natives. It forms no part of my 
 scheme to make them settlers on their own account in the 
 early stage oi their training. I would work a small farm on 
 account of the general fund of the concern, and employ the 
 individual natives as labourers at fixed wages. 
 
 " I must here explain that it is intended even from the 
 first, to give every man his own separate hut, with his 
 little garden, to be cultivated at leisure times." 
 
 My letter then goes on to explain the absolute necessity 
 for having not only the surveyed sections under the control 
 of the Institution, but also the small sheep run surrounding 
 those sections. I remark that, so long as the run is in the 
 hands of any person not associated with us in our under- 
 taking, we should be liable to the intrusion of shepherds, 
 hut-keepers, stockmen, and persons of this description, who 
 would, if they should come amongst our people, be always 
 in the way, and might do us incalculable mischief. 
 
 The Governor, again, in this case, heartily supported 
 my application, and the sections in question were declared 
 to be a Native Reserve. Then came the question of the 
 run. I know that it would be quite too much to ask that 
 the Government should purchase the sheep and run, and 
 I therefore determined to make that purchase myself, 
 that is to say, I induced my father to advance the money 
 for me. I no doubt fully explained to him how my heart 
 was set upon this enterprise, and I felt sure that he would 
 help me in the matter. I therefore drew upon him for 
 ^"1,200, and my bills were, in due course, readily accepted 
 by him. 
 
 I must here explain that when a run having stock upon 
 it changes hands, the stock, having been absolutely the 
 property of the vendor, becomes absolutely the property of 
 the purchaser, and the purchaser takes the place of 
 the vendor as lessee of the run under the Govern- 
 ment. 
 
 The run, known as the Poonindie run, is a most interest- 
 ing and picturesque bit of country, on the shore of 
 Louth Bay in Spencer's Gulf. The most prominent fea- 
 tures are the River Tod and Mount Gawler. The last- 
 ' named is a very pretty round-topped hill, rising perhaps 
 about 300 ft. above the sea, and is excellent feeding ground 
 throughout. The Tod is a very short tidal river, which ceases
 
 19 
 
 running during the dry weather in summer, but in the 
 rainy season a large body of water is sometimes poured 
 down from the sides of Mount Gawler, and the river 
 becomes impassable at the ford. The river is at all times 
 deep and of considerable width as far as the tide comes up, 
 the banks being steep and well-defined. 
 
 It was at this part of the river, on a level, pleasant, 
 grassy plain, that our little village was eventually placed 
 and the river, with its deep water holes, for swimming and 
 fishing, was a never-failing source of pleasure and occupa- 
 tion to the natives. The one drawback was that sand- 
 banks, or shoals, barred the entrance from the sea, so that 
 the river was of no use to us as regards our intercourse 
 with the ships which brought our stores or took away our 
 produce. 
 
 I am not sure of the extent of the run, but I think it was 
 about twelve square miles. The important question, how- 
 ever, about a run is not so much How big is it ? as What 
 amount of stock will it carry ? There were 3,400 sheep upon 
 the run when I got it, and, with that number upon it, it was 
 supposed to be fully stocked. The only building upon it 
 near the Tod was a hut in a very dilapidated condition. 
 It had, in fact, been seriously damaged by fire not long 
 before I came into possession. (It was built of stone, with 
 a mud floor.) We were, therefore, under the necessity of 
 putting up all our own buildings, and tliis, as may be sup- 
 posed, afforded abundant occupation for all hands for a 
 long time. As regards our immediate wants in the way of 
 shelter, after our experience on the island, we had very 
 little difficulty in putting up temporary huts, similar to 
 those which we had erected before. We therefore lost no 
 time in getting about the permanent huts and other 
 buildings for the natives and my white assistants. For 
 myself and family, I rented a wooden house in the little 
 township of Port Lincoln, until, other things having been 
 attended to, I could get a dwelling for myself put up. In 
 the meantime, I spent most of the week at Poonindie, 
 sleeping sometimes in one place, sometimes in another, 
 as the case might be. But I was always in Port Lincoln 
 on the Sunday, where I held services regularly for the few 
 Europeans who lived in the little township and the neigh- 
 bourhood. 
 
 Now, about the sheep and my white helpers. Sheep in
 
 2O 
 
 Australia are not only valuable property, but they are also 
 perishable property : that is to say, they are especially liable 
 to injury if they are not very carefully watched and guarded 
 by night as well as by day. I thought it would be very bad 
 policy to expose them to any unnecessary risks, and there- 
 fore I retained the services of the European shepherds for 
 some months, and I also engaged an overseer. The task of 
 putting up substantial buildings also required more skill 
 and knowledge than the natives possessed ; and again, the 
 natives were not, at first, skilled as farm labourers. So 
 that in one way and another, I had several white men 
 in my employ when we began to form our settlement. 
 There was, however, plenty of work to be done which could 
 be done by unskilled hands ; so that there was no lack of 
 employment for the natives. And, as will be seen as my 
 narrative proceeds, they themselves very soon became 
 skilled hands, and were able to take the place of the 
 Europeans both in shepherding and in the cultivation of the 
 soil. 
 
 My predecessor on the run Mr. Spicer had not 
 attempted cultivation of any kind ; but with us it was 
 necessarily a matter of supreme importance that we 
 should grow our own grain ; and I began at once to pre- 
 pare very energetically for the performance of this duty. 
 Our first operations were, as may be supposed, on a com- 
 paratively small scale. Our first crop was harvested at the 
 end of 1851, and it will be seen that we made pretty rapid 
 progress when I state that the crop of the end of 1855 (the 
 last harvested before my departure) yielded no less than 700 
 bushels of wheat of excellent quality, 
 
 I brought with me from Adelaide two horses and a spring 
 cart, and I bought a pony from Mr. Spicer. These animals 
 enabled us to keep up our communication with Port Lin- 
 coln, and the journeys between the two places were 
 necessarily pretty frequent. We had to procure every- 
 thing from that township. The post-office was there ; 
 and there came all communications with Adelaide and 
 the rest of the world. But, although our light horses 
 enabled us to keep up this communication, heavier 
 animals became necessary when we began our building, 
 fencing, &c., &c. 
 
 It would have been of no use to begin our cultivation 
 until we had formed our paddocks, and protected them by
 
 21 
 
 proper fences. I was getting horned cattle on the run, as 
 I found opportunity of buying good ones, and quiet ; and 
 nothing but post and rail fences would be sufficient to 
 keep them off growing crops. These fences I had put up 
 .by white men, working by contract. 
 
 The overseer whom I first engaged was not a satisfactory 
 person, and I kept him only a short time. The next 
 was Mr. George Wollaston, one of the sons of the 
 Venerable John Ramsden Wollaston, appointed first 
 Archdeacon of Western Australia by Bishop Short 
 (Western Australia having been included in the diocese of 
 Adelaide). Mr. G. Wollaston understood the care ot 
 sheep and farming in all its branches, and gave me most 
 valuable assistance in all my outdoor operations. He did 
 all the ploughing the first season ; the natives, of course, 
 giving him all the assistance he required in looking after 
 his teams, driving for him, &c. 
 
 Mr. Minchin's duties detained him more upon the 
 premises amongst the huts. He kept school for the 
 natives during school hours, and at other times had to 
 look after those who were not engaged upon any fixed 
 job. He had to see that there were none of them idling 
 about, but that they were all doing something. 
 
 It was my duty to send regular reports to the Govern- 
 ment, and I did send them, sometimes more fully, some- 
 times briefly. These reports were published in the 
 Government Gazette, and are, of course, now accessible, 
 if any one wishes to see them ; I find that I have pre- 
 served a few of them, but not many. 
 
 I must here make mention of other reports which it was 
 my duty to make ; but which I fear I did not make except 
 with great irregularity, viz., reports to S.P.G. The Society 
 was extremely liberal to the Bishop on the first formation 
 of the Diocese, and indeed for many years afterwards. I 
 was one of its missionaries, and others of the clergy were 
 greatly indebted to it for its bounty. I therefore ought to 
 have sent in my reports with strict regularity ; but, having 
 duties of so many kinds upon my hands, I found that 
 rendering my quarterly reports to the Government was as 
 much as I could manage. It was, in fact, a serious tax 
 upon my time and attention, and I fear my more lenient 
 master, S.P.G., was rather badly treated in the matter of 
 reports. From one of my reports to the Government, viz.,
 
 22 
 
 that for June, 1851, I find that same periodical, which I 
 have already made use of, has in its issue for August of that 
 year made the following extracts. These extracts will 
 serve to show what our position was at the above-named 
 date, seven or eight months after we commenced opera- 
 tions : 
 
 " By purchasing the sheep depasturing on the surround- 
 ing runs, I have acquired also the use of about 12 square 
 miles as run ; so that, as far as locality is concerned, I con- 
 sider that our advantages are very great. We have good 
 (though not first-rate) agricultural land, good pasturage, 
 abundance of fuel, and good water. 
 
 " The buildings at present consist of three substantial 
 stone huts, and nine log huts. 
 
 " A well-manured paddock of five acres has been cleared, 
 fenced with a three-rail fence, and sown with oats. A por- 
 tion of another eighty-acre paddock is also being fenced 
 and ploughed. Three wells have also been dug. 
 
 " These works have been carried on mostly by European 
 agency. The natives are helpers, or (as the Archdeacon 
 terms them) ' second-class labourers,' whom they have 
 ' employed in a variety of ways ; and, thus employed 
 (says he), they have worked with considerable steadiness, 
 and have cheerfully performed their duties.' 
 
 "Their wages, in ordinary cases, are 6d. per day (of five 
 hours), but for extra work they are paid more. These 
 wages, it appears, they only draw as they require cash ; 
 and when drawn, ' they never squander it, but lay it out 
 in clothes or articles which may be useful about their 
 houses.' 
 
 " Each couple reside at present in the small log huts, 
 which they keep tidy, and ' make decided efforts to surround 
 themselves with the comforts of civilised life.' 
 
 "The number of natives in residence at the Institution 
 at the present time is fourteen ; four couples ; two single 
 men, two single women, and two boys ; 19 in all have been 
 sent to us from Adelaide.. Of these, three have been dis- 
 missed and sent back to Adelaide, one out of five who have 
 been to Adelaide on a visit, did not return, and one has 
 died.' 
 
 "The Archdeacon considers the native school in Adelaide 
 very desirable for first teaching our language and inculca-
 
 23 
 
 ting right principles and habits, as the impressions made in 
 their early life will be the most durable. 
 
 " The amount of funds in aid of the Institution have been 
 as follows : Contributions in the Colony, about ^"80 ; from 
 the public funds granted by his Excellency, ^"300. 
 
 " The agency at present consists of Mr. H. P. Minchin, 
 Mr. G. Wollaston, Mr. W. Chandler, and Mrs. Smith." 
 
 I wish here to make some explanation about the cases 
 of dismissal referred to in the above report. The object 
 which I had primarily in view (and I always tried to have 
 this clearly understood) was to carry on the instruction and 
 training of those children, or young persons, who had been 
 brought up in the Adelaide School. Those who, so to 
 speak, had been thus handled by European teachers when 
 they were young, had acquired, at any rate, the idea of 
 being under control. I may go further and say that, as a 
 matter of fact, they had acquired, not only the idea of 
 order, but habits of order and obedience. 
 
 It was my purpose to try to induce those who were put 
 under my care to go on training themselves in the habits 
 of civilised life, and all my plans would have been defeated 
 if I had allowed, especially in the first instance, the daily 
 presence amongst us of those who had not acquired even 
 the idea of obedience and of order. But, while I firmly 
 declined to receive anyone who had not been in the 
 Adelaide School, I was more than willing to receive back 
 those who had simply outgrown the school, and had left 
 it from no fault of their own. Some, who proved to be 
 amongst our very best inmates and most efficient work- 
 men, were young men who had been in the school, and 
 had left it ; some for a considerable time. But, having 
 been under the quieting, training, influence of school life 
 in their early years, those who had any real desire to 
 remain in the Institution, and were likely to be benefited 
 by it, soon fell again into habits of obedience and order. 
 
 I remember quite well the three persons mentioned 
 above as having been dismissed. Two of them were men. 
 They had, apparently, associated with white men of a low 
 class after they left the school and before they came to us. 
 They gave us a great deal of trouble, and did much harm 
 while they were with us ; and we found that matters went on 
 much better and more quietly after they were sent away.
 
 2 4 
 
 Upon the third case, that of a female, I must dwell at 
 some length. Maria, the black girl at Government 
 House, was known by repute to almost every one in 
 Adelaide. The fact of her being an inmate of Government 
 House, and the further fact of the remarkable progress 
 which she had made towards civilization, combined to give 
 her this general notoriety. 
 
 The Bishop and Mrs. Short were guests of Governor 
 Robe for some time after our arrival, and the Bishop, writing 
 to a friend in England, said : " We have a native girl in 
 " the house. She has been here five years ; and makes a 
 11 very good servant. She does our washing, and I am told 
 ' gets up linen very well ; but I have not yet seen her 
 ' performance. If she is treated harshly, or offended, she 
 ' will walk off for a day or two, and then come back. And 
 ' I am told that, when the weather is very hot, she will 
 ' leave her clothes and throw a blanket over her shoulders 
 ' and go into the bush." 
 
 I get this out of a little book published by S.P.C.K., 
 " Annals of the Colonial Church Diocese of Adelaide." 
 Nothing is said about the date of the letter, but I am of 
 opinion that there is conclusive internal evidence that it 
 was written soon after our arrival in Adelaide, say early in 
 1848. As I have already implied, Maria was a person 
 much talked about, and many little incidents were repeated 
 to illustrate her advancement towards civilization, and 
 to show that she attached considerable importance to her 
 attainments. For example, it was said that some young 
 man once spoke to her in that jargon in which the un- 
 cultivated natives are usually spoken to. Whereupon 
 Maria drew herself up and said, " Why do you talk to me 
 like that ? I can speak English as well as you can." 
 
 Maria came to us in October, 1850, probably about two 
 years and a half after the writing of the Bishop's letter. 
 She had, unhappily, in the meantime, fallen into disreput- 
 able habits of life. But, as she was willing to join us, I 
 was quite willing to receive her, hoping that she might 
 retrieve her character, and become a respectable woman. 
 She brought with her a little half-caste son about seven 
 months old ; and partly on the child's account, and partly 
 on her own account, she remained at first chiefly in our 
 own house. But, we found after a time, that it was im- 
 possible to keep her. She conducted herself in such a
 
 25 
 
 way that it was quite certain that she was not trying to 
 reform her own habits ; and that she would, necessarily, 
 do much harm as an inmate of the Institution. I kept her 
 only about four months, and was then obliged to send her 
 away. She was quite willing to leave her little son, and 
 we were quite willing to keep him. He grew up to be a 
 young man, and was drowned in a boat-accident in Louth 
 Bay early in 1872. 
 
 This case of Maria, being so very widely known, became 
 a stock case in the mouths of all persons who wished to 
 throw cold water upon efforts to civilize and Christianize 
 the natives. "Look at the case of Maria ; think what was 
 done for her ! Think how everyone was led to suppose 
 that that she was going to be a truly respectable woman. 
 See now what has become of her : she has taken to bad 
 ways, and has altogether gone wrong." Yes, but who led 
 her into those bad ways ? I have the authority of Mr. 
 Moorhouse himsell for stating that the person who first led 
 her astray was the proprietor of a thriving store in one of the 
 best streets in Adelaide. He systematically laid siege to 
 the girl, gave her presents, flattered and fed her vanity, and 
 set her going upon her downward path. There was no 
 reason why anything about the natives should be unknown 
 to Mr. Moorhouse. From one or another of them he 
 he could find out anything he wished to know. 
 
 The first death amongst the natives is referred to in this 
 report, and, because it is the first mentioned, and because 
 in the course of my narrative, many more will be mentioned, 
 I desire to make some remarks on the subject of native 
 mortality. 
 
 English readers, who know only about the rate of mor- 
 tality in European countries, will be startled on learning 
 how frequently deaths occurred amongst us. But every- 
 one who knows even a little about aboriginal races is 
 aware that those races which are of a low type mentally, 
 and who are, at the same time, weak in constitution, rapidly 
 die out when their country comes to be occupied by a dif- 
 ferent race much more vigorous, robust and pushing 
 than themselves. The phenomenon is explained in 
 many different ways, according to men's preconceived 
 opinions and habits of thought. But, whatever may 
 be the true explanation, there can be no doubt about the 
 fact.
 
 26 
 
 When I was making my final report to the Government 
 on leaving the Institution, I asked our medical attendant 
 Dr. Lawson to state, in writing, the result of his ex- 
 perience. He says : 
 
 " I have had some thirteen years' professional experience 
 " amongst the aborigines of this Colony. 
 
 " Having acted as medical attendant to the Native 
 " Training Institution since its commencement in 1850, 
 " and, having visited and prescribed for, I believe, every 
 " case which has proved fatal, I can, with confidence, state 
 " that the principal cause of death was of a pulmonary 
 " character, in one form or other. The disease is very 
 " common with natives (he means those in the bush) : 
 "only their deaths are not particularly taken notice of, or even 
 "inquired into. Let the cause be as it may, once they are 
 " attacked there is little or no hope of a recovery. This 
 " has been proved at the Poonindie Institution, where they 
 " have had all the comfort and attention that could be 
 " given in such cases. They are by nature too weak, I may 
 " say, to stand any disease." 
 
 This evidence is, of course, of infinitely more value than 
 anything which I can say. But I must repeat here some 
 remarks which I copy from my own printed report to the 
 Government : " I fully admit that, as regards health and dura- 
 " tion of life amongst our inmates, our efforts have not met 
 " with that measure of success which I had hoped for and 
 " expected. But whilst admitting this, I by no means admit 
 " that the question of the utility of the Institution is 
 " affected, except to a very limited extent, or that the duty 
 " of maintaining it is affected at all. Health and duration 
 " of life are unquestionably great and important objects in 
 " this world, and great blessings when it pleases God to 
 " grant them to us. But they are not the chief objects of 
 " life. So far from these being the chief objects there are, 
 " undoubtedly, many other objects which it is a man's duty 
 " and also his interest to pursue, even though health and 
 " duration of life be sacrificed in the pursuit." 
 
 With reference to the constitutional weakness of the 
 natives I said, " In an unhealthy season, in which there 
 " would be, amongst Europeans, an unusual prevalence of 
 " sickness (as in influenza, &c.), but, perhaps, no unusual 
 " number of deaths, the sickness amongst the natives would 
 " assume a much more serious and deadly character, and
 
 27 
 
 " the number of deaths amongst them would be very 
 " greatly increased." 
 
 With reference to the rapidity with which certain tribes 
 die out and disappear, I said as follows (and it must be 
 borne in mind that this was written in an official document 
 to be presented to the Government, with a view to its being 
 printed and published for general information. I was not 
 likely, therefore, to hazard such a statement as this without 
 being very certain that it was correct) : " I may, as an 
 instance, refer to the case of the tribe which formerly 
 occupied the country whereon the city of Adelaide and 
 the surrounding townships now stand. In 1836, as I 
 have been repeatedly informed by old colonists, there 
 dwelt in that country a numerous tribe. Fourteen years 
 from that time, viz., in 1850, when my acquaintance 
 with the natives commenced, that tribe was on the very 
 verge of extinction. The members of it had, in that 
 short time, become so few that, although I have received 
 from Adelaide for this Institution sixty-seven individuals, 
 six only belonged to the tribe I speak of. ... I 
 know also, from my own observation during my residence 
 here, that the process of extinction amongst the natives 
 of this district has been going on at a very rapid rate." 
 In consequence of this want of stamina, or the powers of 
 endurance, the working hours at Poonindie were much 
 shorter than the usual working hours of white men. From 
 five to six hours a day were our usual hours. I have no 
 doubt, however, that, at busy times, harvest time and 
 shearing time, the men worked very much longer. I am 
 quite aware that there might have been found many picked 
 men capable of enduring great fatigue. In almost every 
 exploring expedition the party would include probably two 
 natives, who, in some cases, rendered most important 
 services during the journey, and appeared to be equal to 
 the white men in their powers of endurance. 
 
 I have gone into this digression on the first mention of a 
 death amongst our inmates, because I am afraid that the 
 frequent mention of death, which will be found in my 
 narrative, might prove a serious stumbling block to some 
 of my readers. My purpose is not only to mention the 
 deaths as they occur, but, in some cases, to dwell on them. 
 It is unhappily the habit of the ordinary unthinking colo- 
 nial man (I am speaking of white men) to look upon, and to
 
 28 
 
 treat, the natives as scarcely human beings. They seem 
 to think that they are found in the land to be treated and 
 made use of merely as beasts of burden. The idea of the 
 possibility of these natives becoming Christians never 
 enters into the minds of the white men of the class I speak 
 of. What I want to show is that not only can they become 
 Christians, but they can become Christians of a very high 
 order measured by the true standard of Christianity. They 
 can receive the Truths of Christianity with that mind most 
 dear to our blessed Lord the mind of the little child, with 
 its meekness and docility and truthfulness, and they can 
 go on growing in grace, responding in their lives to the 
 exhortation set before the Christians at Rome, "rejoicing 
 " in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing constant in 
 " prayer." 
 
 In making this digression, I have anticipated somewhat 
 in time ; but we are still engagd with the events of 1851. 
 We had only the one death in that year ; and the move- 
 ment amongst the natives in favour of Christianity had 
 not yet commenced. 
 
 Early in the year some of our leading men went to 
 Adelaide for an outing. They had been scholars in one 
 of the Church Sunday Schools in Adelaide, and by this 
 and other means they had many friends and acquaintances. 
 There were also many other friends of the Institution who 
 were glad to see them. First and foremost amongst those 
 friends were the Bishop and Mrs. Short, who were always 
 most kind and hospitable to them. Such visits to the 
 chief city did good to the men themselves, and they did 
 good also to the Institution. 
 
 It was by means of such visits that we got back many 
 of those, of whom I have already spoken, who had left the 
 school and had gone elsewhere. The news quickly spread 
 that some Poonindie boys (they were always spoken of as 
 boys) were in Adelaide, well dressed, and made much of 
 by the white people, and that they liked Poonindie, and 
 were going back. Old schoolmates came in to see them ; 
 and, as I have just said, several were thus restored to 
 civilization who had wandered away. The white friends had 
 nothing but what was good to say of the conduct and man- 
 ners of their black visitors ; and the latter returned to their 
 homes and to their work at the appointed time, bringing 
 with them sometimes one, sometimes two or three recruits.
 
 2 9 
 
 Amongst the many duties which engaged our attention 
 when we first took possession of our run was the duty of 
 tracing and marking the boundaries thereof. Mr. Spicer 
 and the white shepherds had, no doubt, a general know- 
 ledge of the boundaries such as answered their purposes. 
 But, for various reasons, it was absolutely necessary that 
 we should have those boundaries distinctly marked. And 
 this could be done only by a professional surveyor. The 
 person who rendered this service to us was John 
 Macdougal Stuart, afterwards known to fame as the able 
 and daring explorer who crossed the Australian Continent 
 from South to North, and planted the Union Jack on the 
 sea shore on the northern coast. The track which he laid 
 down in the chart became, a few years afterwards, the tele- 
 graph line from Adelaide to Port Darwin. 
 
 The affairs of the Institution, negotiations with the 
 Government, &c., &c., made it necessary for me to go to 
 Adelaide from time to time. Moreover, I could not rightly 
 separate myself altogether from diocesan affairs. I, there- 
 fore, paid two or three visits to our chief city in the 
 course of 1851. The distance was about 200 miles 
 by sea, and our passenger vessel was a small schooner 
 of about 30 tons. If the wind and weather happened to 
 be fair the passage either way was not so bad. Some- 
 times we had anything but fair weather, and then the 
 knocking about in the little craft was miserable enough. 
 
 Sometimes the wind would blow persistently for several 
 days from one quarter ; and when the persistent wind 
 blew from an unfavourable quarter a start would be post- 
 poned from day to day in the most trying manner, 
 intending passengers being obliged to remain in the 
 township, or run the risk of losing the passage. 
 
 I was detained in Adelaide in this way in the month of 
 September in this year. A neighbour who lived near to 
 Poonindie, and, with whom I was very intimate, Mr. 
 William Peter, was detained in the same way. (He 
 has been now, for many years, a prosperous settler in 
 New Zealand, and a member of the Upper House of the 
 Legislature.) He became very impatient in consequence 
 of the delay and the great waste of time. At last he 
 could stand it no longer, and determined to go overland 
 round the head of Spencer's Gulf; and I agreed to go 
 with him. I had to furnish myself with everything for
 
 30 
 
 the journey horse, saddle and bridle, tether rope and 
 hobbles, saddle bags, &c., &c. However, we soon made 
 our preparations, and started on the nth of September. 
 
 I find the following entry made in my diary at Port 
 Lincoln in the same year, under date July 23rd, making 
 mention of the same journey made by four police troopers. 
 When I made the entry I little thought that I should so 
 soon make the journey myself. 
 
 " July 23rd : This evening arrived the four policemen, 
 " who left Adelaide June 25th, to travel overland round the 
 " head of the gulf. They were thus twenty-seven days on 
 " their journey. At one period of their journey, something 
 "north of Franklin Harbour, they suffered much through 
 "the want of water. Their provisions also ran short, as 
 " they started with only ten day's rations." 
 
 They would not have to use their own rations at the 
 beginning of the journey, as they would make police stations 
 at night. 
 
 " Mr. Dash wood expected that they would accomplish 
 "the journey in fourteen days, which I told him I was con- 
 " fident they would not do. People who know the route 
 " consider that Mr. Eyre performed a feat in getting round 
 "in 1842 in seventeen days." 
 
 From the nth of September to the 2ist we were travel- 
 ling through settled country, within the colony of South 
 Australia, on the eastern side of the Gulf. We stayed 
 every night at stations, and were most Jhospitably enter- 
 tained. On the 2ist we took leave of inhabited country, 
 and from that day to the 28th, we had to depend upon the 
 scanty stock of provisions which we were able to carry on 
 our one pack horse. At that time no human habitation 
 existed down the whole western side of the Gulf ; and until 
 we reached Port Lincoln District, we did not see a single 
 human being, either white or black. The want of water 
 for our horses was the great difficulty. We could carry a 
 little for ourselves, but the horses could get a drink only 
 when we came to some scanty spring or puddle of rain 
 water in a hole in a rock or a clay-pan. Upon one occa- 
 sion, apparently about the same part of the journey as that 
 in which the four policemen suffered, we were forty hours 
 without water for the horses, and they had to travel fifty-five 
 miles during that time. 
 
 We were accompanied by a man who had been in the
 
 police, but had left the force. He generally lead the pack 
 horse. But our path-finder was Mr. Peter, who had, in a 
 very remarkable degree, the valuable faculty of never being 
 at a loss about his whereabouts in the bush. I am told that 
 there have now, for many years, been thriving sheep stations 
 all down the west side of Spencer's Gulf. 
 
 As my readers will have supposed the schooner, for whose 
 departure we had waited in Adelaide, arrived at Port 
 Lincoln before us. But we had had a most interesting 
 journey. I was, in colonial phrase, almost a " new chum " 
 in the Colony, having been out not quite three years, and 
 the novelty of the thing charmed me greatly. I had really 
 enjoyed the journey ; and I have always looked back upon it 
 with great satisfaction, as one of the marked events of my life. 
 By this time (the end of September), Mr. Wollaston, con- 
 sidering the many things which had to be attended to, had 
 made good progress with the cultivation. He had ploughed 
 and sown about eleven or twelve acres. But the crops, 
 this first season, were, I think, all cut for hay. I think no 
 corn was grown until the season of 1852. 
 
 Our sheep shearing began on the 8th of October, and 
 was finished on the 28th. Eleven bales of wool were sent 
 away on the i6th, but I find no record of the number of 
 bales which were sent away altogether. And I cannot 
 say positively whether any of the natives took part in the 
 actual shearing. But as I certainly intended that they 
 should be shearers, I think it highly improbable that I 
 should have let the opportunity pass by without setting 
 some of them on to learn. 
 
 During the month of November our operations suffered 
 some hindrance in consequence of a Mr. Hayes having 
 induced the Government to send me a requisition to assist 
 him in making some experiments in charcoal burning. 
 Mr. Hayes arrived November 6th, with his apparatus, 
 which was a large retort. I have no memo, of its size, but, 
 so far as I remember, it was about 6 or 7 feet in length, 
 and nearly, or quite, 3 feet in diameter. This had to be 
 mounted upon masonry in such a way that a large fire 
 might be kept burning underneath. 
 
 A mason was hired to do the stone work, but the labour 
 connected with the operation was considerable, and our 
 teams and men were in this way occupied for several days. 
 The retort had to be got up from the beach ; the stone for
 
 32 
 
 the building had to be carted to the place selected for the 
 experiments ; much wood had to be cut and carted, some 
 for consumption in the retort, and some for the fire under- 
 neath. The operation was to answer two purposes : the 
 extraction of a liquid from the wood within the retort, and 
 the reduction of the wood itself to charcoal. We began at 
 once to make preparations, and on the nth we had got the 
 retort and other parts of the apparatus to the scene of 
 operations. On the i8th the first charge was drawn and 
 it was not a success. The wood in the retort was not 
 properly burned, so another charge was drawn the next 
 day, and the note in my diary is that the wood was 
 properly burned, but that the burning had taken 18 or 19 
 hours ; a much longer time than Mr. Hayes had led us to 
 expect. He seemed to attach considerable importance to 
 the liquid extracted ; but I have no note about it, and I 
 do not remember what became of it. 
 
 I now told Mr. Hayes that, having by means of our 
 labour given him a fair opportunity of trying his experi- 
 ment, I must leave him to take his own course ; but that 
 we must put our own men to our own work. He felt much 
 aggrieved, and appealed to the Government. But I 
 pointed out to him that his demand that we should leave 
 our own urgent work in order to please him was most un- 
 reasonable. What representations he made to the Govern- 
 ment I don't know ; but he entirely failed to show that 
 his experiments, even if they had answered his expecta- 
 tions, would have been of any service to anyone. There 
 was no market for the charcoal. A blacksmith living 
 about five miles off took some of it, but he attached no im- 
 portance to it. It would answer his purpose better to burn 
 his own charcoal nearer home. Mr. Hayes could have 
 hired other men to continue his operations if he had chosen 
 to do so. But he did nothing more. 
 
 After this, Mr. Wollaston and some of the natives took 
 a trip to Adelaide. They left November 2oth, and returned 
 December 6th, bringing more recruits with them. 
 
 At the end of December I had occasion to go to Adelaide 
 myself, and upon this occasion our voyage caused, at one 
 time, very considerable anxiety. In fact, we were in great 
 danger. During a heavy squall, just when we were passing 
 the Althorpe Islands, the light in the binnacle was blown 
 out. The man at the helm (the captain) could not see the
 
 33 
 
 compass, and, of course, could not tell how the little craft 
 was heading, or what she was doing. The wind continued 
 to blow hard, and the captain seemed to us to be a long time 
 fumbling with his lamp before he could secure it properly, 
 and keep it alight. We were very thankful, however, that 
 he made it all right at last, and we pursued our course. 
 
 The last illness and death of Takan-arro, which I am 
 now about to describe, had a most important bearing upon 
 my proceedings. Not my own mind only, but many minds 
 were deeply stirred by this event. It had a great effect 
 upon the minds of the natives in the school, and gave a 
 great impetus to the desire to go to Poonindie. I had desired 
 to be cautious in my admissions to the Institution ; but I 
 now consented to receive several new candidates, and I took 
 them with me on my return. 
 
 Before I proceed with the story of Takan-arro, I must 
 say something about Mr. Moorhouse and Mr. Ross. I 
 have already mentioned Mr. Moorhouse as the Protector of 
 Aborigines, appointed by the Government. He was a fully 
 qualified medical practitioner, and had had, in that 
 capacity, much experience amongst the natives. The 
 interest which he took in Takan-arro's spiritual state, shows 
 him to have been a truly good man. This he certainly was, 
 and the assistance which he gave to me at all times was of 
 the greatest importance to me. His house was very near 
 to the Native School. Mr. Ross was the schoolmaster, also 
 a truly good man and there can be no doubt but that his 
 teaching was the means chiefly employed by God to bring 
 Takan-arro to that blessed state of mind in which I found 
 him. It gives me pleasure to testify to the immense advan- 
 tage which it was to me, in dealing with those who had been 
 at the school, that they had had, in their early years, such 
 a good and godly instructor as Mr. Ross. 
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LAST ILLNESS AND 
 DEATH OF TAKAN-ARRO, 
 
 A CHRISTIAN ABORIGINAL NATIVE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
 
 [The following extract is taken from the Diary of the Venerable 
 Matthew B. Hale, M.A., Archdeacon of Adelaide, and Missionary 
 Superintendent of the Native Training Institution at Port Lincoln. 
 For an account of the Institution, see Annals of the Diocese of 
 Adelaide, page 59.] 
 
 Tuesday, December ^oth, 1851. When visiting the Natives' 
 School at Adelaide, this day, Mr. Ross told me that one of 
 
 D
 
 34 
 
 the lads was very ill, that, in fact, he was not expected to 
 recover. He said he was one of their best boys; and, 
 when he mentioned his name, Takan-arro, I at once 
 remembered him as being one of the candidates for ad- 
 mission into our Institution, and also as one of the 
 most promising of the native boys attending the Sunday- 
 school of St. John's. Mr. Ross told me that during the 
 first part of his illness he had been at Mr. Moorhouse's 
 residence, and that he (Mr. M.) had been much gratified by 
 the indications which he had given of seriousness of mind 
 and hopes of a better world. When I saw Mr. Moor- 
 house, he also told me, that in the early stage of his illness, 
 when not so weak as at present, he had been very diligent 
 in reading the New Testament, for which part of the Bible 
 he expressed his preference, because it told him about 
 Jesus Christ. Mr. Moorhouse had more than once heard 
 him praying earnestly when by himself, and for this pur- 
 pose he would even raise himself up in his bed during the 
 night. He had also requested to have read to him a 
 particular chapter, the hearing of which gave him special 
 pleasure, viz., i John iii. beginning " Behold what manner 
 of love." The expectations and hopes which I had formed 
 respecting him were fully realised when I had the happi- 
 ness of hearing him speak for himself. His expressions with 
 regard to the forgiveness of his sins and his trust in Jesus 
 Christ, were most gratifying and satisfactory. He was 
 very importunate to be taken with me to Port Lincoln ; nor 
 could I, for some time, make him desist from his entreaties, 
 which he urged even with tears. I reminded him again 
 and again of his extreme weakness, and the impossibility of 
 his being removed : but he still kept on, " I want to go 
 with you ; you stay two or three days." Then he said, 
 " All my boys gone away to Port Lincoln Tartuan and 
 Mudlong and Kadling-arro and Kandwillan ; I want to see 
 my boys." Then I reminded him that he had better pray 
 to God to forgive him his sins and make him a good boy, 
 and take him to a better place ; and that I hoped those 
 boys would do the same and be good ; and then they would 
 all meet again and would never be parted any more, nor 
 have sickness nor pain. I promised moreover, that if it 
 should please God to make him well again he should go to 
 Port Lincoln. I asked him about his prayers if he prayed 
 much, and he said he used to pray more when he was at
 
 35 
 
 Mr. Moorhouse's, but now he was so weak. When I prayed 
 with him he joined very fervently in the prayers, and 
 repeated the petitions of the Lord's Prayer and other 
 petitions after me with great earnestness. After remaining 
 with him for some time, I went into Mr. Moorhouse's 
 office. Whilst I was there Mr. Ross came to me and said 
 that Takan-arro wanted to see me again to pray with him. 
 His particular object in sending for me was, that I might 
 repeat with him the general Confession ; as that being 
 familiar to his mind, he could follow me more readily. I 
 did so accordingly, and he repeated it after me in the 
 most solemn and fervent manner. I had now further 
 conversation with him, and became more and more 
 satisfied as to the reality and depth of his religious feel- 
 ings, and the question came forcibly home to me What 
 doth hinder him from being baptised ? I therefore went 
 again to Mr. Moorhouse, to ascertain from him what he 
 really thought of the probability of life being continued 
 to him for any length of time. Mr. M. said he had no 
 hope of his recovery; that he might live a few days, or 
 he might go off suddenly even that very night. I then 
 deemed it right to baptize him without delay. I re- 
 capitulated to him, in a few plain words, the nature and 
 intent of that Holy Sacrament ; and he expressed his 
 desire to receive it. Mr. Ross then came in, as did 
 also one of our own Institution boys, now visiting 
 Adelaide Pitpanure and, with great joy, I admitted 
 this child of the desert into the communion and fellow- 
 ship of the saints. When I once more took leave of 
 him and was going out, followed by Pitpanure, he called 
 after the latter, and said, " I want him stay pray with 
 me." Pitpanure readily consented to remain, and seemed 
 much impressed at the whole scene. In the course of 
 many years of close and constant attendance at the bed- 
 side of the sick and dying, seldom have I been more 
 affected, and, I may also say, more edified, than I was 
 this day by the bedside of this poor native. 
 
 Wednesday, December $ist. This morning I found him 
 less languid and apparently better. He spoke in the same 
 edifying manner as before. I asked him if he had been 
 able to pray ; and he said that he had awoke in " the dark 
 time," and had called Pitpanure and asked him to pray 
 with him. His answers, with respect to his desire for for-
 
 36 
 
 giveness, his trust in Jesus Christ, and his hopes of heaven, 
 were given in the same ready and satisfactory manner as be- 
 fore ; and he followed me most fervently when praying. He 
 seemed more at ease and peaceful than yesterday, and I 
 asked him if he was happy. He said Yes, he was happy. 
 Pitpanure is most constant and tender in waiting upon 
 him. I asked him how he had slept, and if he was com- 
 fortable ; and he described to me how Pitpanure had got 
 up and arranged his bed and made it softer for him. 
 
 I saw him three or four times in the course of the day. 
 His Sunday Schoolteacher also came to see him and talked 
 with him. 
 
 Thimday, January ist, 1852. Having been occupied out 
 of town this morning, it was about one o'clock when I 
 arrived at the Native School. Mr. Ross told me that 
 Takan-arro was not so well, and was then asleep ; that he 
 had asked repeatedly for me. I was unwilling to disturb 
 him from his sleep, and went away, saying I would return 
 to see him. When I returned it was about four o'clock. 
 Mr. Ross said he had not been at all pleased that I had 
 gone away without waking him. When I talked to him, 
 his expressions as to the state of his mind were, to the full, 
 as satisfactory and pleasing as upon the previous days. 
 He said he had not been able to pray so well because he 
 had been so weak. When I led him in prayer he joined as 
 earnestly and fervently as before. I again read the general 
 Confession for this purpose, for the reasons before given, 
 offering up also other short and plain petitions, such as he 
 could well appreciate. As I directed his mind to profitable 
 contemplations, he spoke with considerable freedom and 
 intelligence, and manifested the greatest earnestness and at- 
 tention. For instance, the lads at the school had been more 
 away from him to-day than on the previous days, and he 
 expressed a feeling of loneliness. I then reminded him of 
 the condition of the Saviour when in the hands of his 
 enemies, how " all His disciples forsook Him and fled ; " 
 and again, how the three had slept in the garden instead 
 of watching with Him whilst He prayed. He perfectly 
 entered into the application of these lessons, and repeated 
 some of the disciples' names and mentioned the part they 
 had taken in these transactions. Again, on speaking to 
 him about sorrow for sin, I asked him to recollect some- 
 thing particular which he had done wrong and for whicli
 
 37 
 
 he was now sorry. Then he said, after a little pause, " I 
 remember, a long time ago, when some other boys tempted 
 me and I went with them into a garden and took some 
 melons ; " and then he added two or three times, with great 
 earnestness, " but I won't do it again I won't doit again." 
 He was extremely unwilling for me to leave him ; and, 
 more than once, when I had risen from my seat, he would 
 have me sit down again, saying, " You are not going away 
 yet." He was very particular in getting my promise to 
 visit him again on the morrow. 
 
 Friday, January 2nd. When I went in to see him to-day, 
 I found the Bishop [of Adelaide] with him. He was sitting 
 up, and appeared better than yesterday much less weak 
 and languid. The Bishop, when I went in, was recalling 
 to his mind the chief passages of Scripture which speak of 
 the second coming of Christ ; and the glorified form which 
 will be worn upon that occasion by Himself and His 
 people ; and thence referring to the Transfiguration on the 
 Mount. His answers and manner were such as to show 
 that his mind was fully alive to all that was being said, and 
 he listened with the greatest interest and attention. The 
 Bishop afterwards expressed to me his surprise, as well as 
 his extreme pleasure and gratification, in having witnessed 
 the degree of intellingence which he displayed, and the 
 earnest manner in which he entered into the^subject. Mr. 
 Moorhouse, who was also present, told me, that before I 
 arrived, he had been saying that he believed if he should 
 die he should go to heaven, where Jesus Christ is, and that 
 he should be happy there. Upon this occasion, also, Mr. 
 Moorhouse remarked upon the vivacity of mind which he 
 habitually exhibited in reference to spiritual things : that 
 his attention is always alive to these matters that, when- 
 ever you go to him, you find that these are the subjects 
 uppermost in his thoughts and that he always takes 
 pleasure in hearing about them. This testimony from Mr. 
 Moorhouse as to this point is very important, because, being 
 near at hand, he is in and out with him more frequently 
 than I am. I found him quite full of these subjects when 
 I began to talk to him : he had the Testament on one side 
 of him on the bench, and the Book of Common Prayer on 
 the other side ; in each of these books he had marked a 
 passage which had especially arrested his attention whilst 
 reading by himself, and which he wished to point out to
 
 38 
 
 me. In the Testament he had marked i John v., and in 
 the Prayer Book, the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday in 
 Lent, viz., part of John vi. In conversation he showed 
 himself even more to advantage than on the previous days ; 
 partly, no doubt, in consequence of his feeling stronger and 
 better bodily. He talked and answered questions put to 
 him with great earnestness and intelligence. He told me 
 that Pitpanure and he had again got up in the night to 
 pray ; and that they had also prayed together this morning. 
 He said that he felt that whatever God should see fit to do 
 with him would be good ; whether to take him to a better 
 place, or to return him to health and continue his life in 
 this world. He felt that he was quite satisfied te leave the 
 matter entirely in God's hands. 
 
 Saturday, January yd. To-day he appeared much weaker 
 again, and his mind and intellectual powers seemed to par- 
 ticipate in this want of energy and tone. Mr. Moorhouse 
 considers him much weaker than yesterday. As regards 
 his spiritual state, praised be God, I can affirm that every 
 time I see him I am more and more satisfied as to his concern 
 about the one thing needful, and that he has a deep and heart- 
 felt desire to be a true and faithful follower of the Lord Jesus. 
 
 Sunday, January \fh. When I visited him to-day he ap- 
 peared rather more lively again than he had been yesterday. 
 Mr. Moorhouse, however, does not think at all more favour- 
 ably of him, as to the probability of his recovery. I asked 
 him if anything particularly occurred to him which he 
 wished me to read from the Scripture, and he said, " About 
 Christ upon the cross." When I was leaving him I met 
 the Bishop (who had been at the hospital and the Pulteney- 
 street schoolroom) just coming to see him. As I had been 
 with him some time, the Bishop said he would just see how 
 he was, and speak two or three words to him. When, 
 however, he was going out again, Takan-arro could not 
 be contented that he should depart without first praying 
 with him. " I want to pray with him," he said to me, in a 
 tone of voice which indicated that he was yearning to lift 
 his heart up in prayer to his blessed Saviour. The Bishop 
 had been talking to him about the promised happiness of 
 heaven, and the good men (Bible characters and others) who 
 have already gone there ; and he inquired if he should see 
 those good men, and if he should know them. The Bishop 
 also talked to him about his own people, upon which he
 
 39 
 
 seemed downcast, and was slow in entering into the sub- 
 ject. After a time he shook his head with an air of sadness, 
 and said they were all upon the Murray. When the Bishop 
 made further allusion to their state, and reminded him that 
 he should pray for them, he said, " I like to teach them." 
 The earnestness and fervency with which he joins in the 
 prayers and responses to the petitions is at all times very 
 striking, and this was especially the case to-day, both when 
 I prayed with him, and also when the Bishop did so at his 
 own particular request. The recollection of its being Sun- 
 day was quite upon his mind, and whilst I was sitting with 
 him he two or three times expressed his wish that he had 
 been able to go down to church. I asked him if, when the 
 clergyman is speaking in church, he is able to understand 
 him, and he said " Yes." 
 
 Wednesday, January jth. During the last three days he 
 has been getting very much weaker, and more lethargic, so 
 that he has lost, in a great degree, that vivacity of mind 
 which was so remarkable upon previous occasions. Never- 
 theless, blessed be God, what he does say is all of the same 
 peaceful and happy character as before. The manifesta- 
 tions of feeling are less strong, but still they are the same 
 manifestations, and the feelings are the same. Yesterday 
 and to-day I spoke to him with great plainness as to the 
 probable very near approach of his death. He expressed 
 no other feeling than that of resignation, and hope, and 
 peace of mind at this prospect. He betrayed no wish for 
 any other lot or dispensation of Providence than that which 
 appeared to be prepared for him. He expressed his belief 
 that his sins would be forgiven him, and that he should be 
 happy with Christ his Saviour. 
 
 Thursday, January 8th. I saw Takan-arro no more alive 
 after making the preceding entry. I went to the Natives' 
 School about 4 o'clock this day, when I learnt from Mr, 
 Ross that he had departed to a better world about an hour 
 before. He had not spoken since about nine o'clock in the 
 morning. Death had been disarmed of all its terrors ere it 
 visited him ; he had fallen asleep in Jesus with as much 
 quietness and peace as the weary child would fall asleep in 
 its mother's lap. The still, calm features, as I gazed upon 
 them, seemed to testify, even in death, to that peace of God 
 which, through divine goodness, had been mercifully shed 
 abroad in his heart in life.
 
 4 o 
 
 Friday, January gth. At a little past four o'clock this 
 day, the Bishop and myself, Mr. Moorhouse, Mr. Ross, 
 Pitpanure, and several of the native children now at the 
 school, stood round a grave in the public cemetery, and 
 committed to the earth, with the thrilling words of our 
 Service for the Burial of the Dead, the mortal remains 
 of the once wild and heathen Takan-arro. I read the 
 service, and the Bishop addressed a few plain and im- 
 pressive words to the native children. They have followed 
 the corpse of their companion to its last-resting place on 
 earth God grant that many of this outcast people may 
 follow his soul to its eternal resting-place above ! 
 
 1852. I left Adelaide again for Port Lincoln in the 
 Government schooner Yatala, taking with me fifteen fresh 
 volunteers from the school. The members of this party 
 turned out extremely well ; some of them became efficient 
 leaders in our little community. The case of one of 
 these was so peculiar that I must state some of the 
 facts. 
 
 On the occasion of my visit to Adelaide in August 
 and September, when our settlement had been for some 
 months in existence, and, no doubt, much talked about 
 amongst the natives generally, the transaction of my 
 business on behalf of the Institution made it necessary 
 for me to be much about the town of Adelaide, going in and 
 out of stores, &c. Whilst thus engaged, I was constantly 
 followed by a tall, powerful native lad, clad like the bush 
 natives, i.e., having simply his blanket thrown over 
 his shoulder and wrapped round him. In answer to my 
 inquiry as to what he wanted, the reply was, " Me want 
 to go with you." I told him, again and again, that I could 
 not take him that Poonindie was only for those who 
 had been in the school. Still he was not discouraged ; 
 wherever I went, and however long I might stay in any 
 store or shop, there was the youth waiting, gazing upon 
 me with an imploring look. He was not importunate or 
 troublesome ; but a look of earnest entreaty lighted up his 
 black face whenever I gave him an opportunity of speak- 
 ing " Want to go with you." After a time this changed 
 to " Me go to school." 
 
 This was a new view of the case. In the first place, I 
 could not tell whether this great fellow, nearly six feet high, 
 and, to all outward appearance, a mere wild black fellow,
 
 would be admitted to the school. In the next place, was it 
 likely that he, having known no restraint in his younger 
 days, being now probably of the age of about seventeen 
 or eighteen, would conform to the rules of the school ? 
 However, I endeavoured to explain to him what going 
 to school would mean : that he would have to sit 
 quietly and obediently amongst the children, and try to 
 learn lessons, &c. He most readily promised compliance 
 with any commands which might be given to him ; and his 
 anxiety about the matter was so great that I pleaded his 
 cause, and obtained his admission to the school. He kept 
 his promises and gave no trouble, and when I took away 
 the party, some four months afterwards, my friend, Neruid, 
 was a member of it. As his frame filled out he became 
 physically a remarkably fine man, well proportioned, and, 
 I may say, graceful in his movements. His feelings of 
 affection for and gratitude to me were unmistakable. My 
 least word was ever law to him, and from his height and 
 strength and skill in labour of all kinds he became a most 
 valuable member of our little society. He was baptized 
 August 6th, 1853, and was a most consistent Christian all 
 the time I was at Poonindie. He lived in that quiet 
 Christian village for twenty years, dying February gth, 
 1871. 
 
 His was the last death that had occurred when I re- 
 visited the Institution in November, 1872. Four of the 
 inmates of the Institution, seniors of it, in fact, having heard 
 that I was likely to pay them a visit, wrote to me in July, 
 1872. Their letter contains these words : " Dear Father, 
 we have not forgotten you, although we have been parted 
 for many years and all our dear friends are gone, we 
 hope, to heaven. The last one God took away from 
 amongst us was our dear friend Charlie Neruid, and he 
 died believing in Christ, and he has left us a good 
 example." This is word for word, but I have, in a few 
 instances, corrected the spelling. 
 
 The expression of a hope that their companion had 
 gone to heaven is not to be viewed in the same light as 
 similar expressions sometimes, unhappily, uttered in a 
 light and careless manner by thoughtless persons of our 
 own race. The tone of mind prevailing at Poonindie with 
 reference to religion was intensely serious, and it was such 
 that religious matters formed topics frequently talked
 
 4 2 
 
 about, so that, whatever a man's life might have been, it 
 would have been difficult for him to be altogether uncon- 
 scious as to whether he was living for heaven or not, and 
 the simple-minded people were much too matter-of-fact to 
 say lightly that their departed friends had gone to heaven, 
 unless they had known by experience that they had been 
 living for heaven. 
 
 The Bishop himself, writing to S.P.G., under date 
 February isth, 1857, says: "Since Archdeacon Hale 
 left the Mission for Western Australia, seven months 
 ago, thirteen natives have died, some of them the most 
 advanced in intellect and spirit. In every instance, 
 save one, Mr. Hammond is satisfied that they died in 
 hope, and many in clear faith." 
 I must not, however, dismiss the subject of Neruid 
 without mentioning a remarkable instance of the power of 
 conscience, even in the mind of an Australian native. 
 One means by which I expressed my displeasure in the 
 case of any serious misconduct was by ordering the 
 offender to confine himself to his hut, and not to mix with 
 his companions until I should give him permission. Upon 
 a certain occasion Neruid had sinned in thought and 
 intention, and had also tempted one of his companions to 
 sin. The sin, however, had not been actually com- 
 mitted, and there was no probability whatever that the 
 matter would have come to my knowledge. But a 
 reaction had set in in Neruid' s mind, and he was filled 
 with remorse. He confined himself to his hut of his 
 own accord, and sent to me to tell me he wished to see 
 me. When I went to him he told me, with every indi- 
 cation of the most sincere penitence, what was troubling 
 his mind. 
 
 The considerable addition to our numbers, which I 
 have already mentioned, necessarily increased our cares 
 and anxieties. The new comers were mostly boys and 
 lads, and arrangements had to be made for their superin- 
 tendence while at work, and also for carrying on their school 
 instruction. Mr. Minchin had been chiefly responsible 
 for the school work ; but he was now chiefly employed in 
 looking after those natives who were occupied in all kinds 
 of miscellaneous work and odd jobs. And I engaged a 
 fresh schoolmaster to carry on the reading and writing, &c. 
 Mr. Minchin's occupation was, at times, very trying,
 
 43 
 
 and his services were of great value to the Institution. I 
 find that in one of my reports to the Government I made 
 mention of him in the following terms : " It gives me the 
 most heartfelt pleasure to inform you that Mr. H. Paul 
 Minchin, who in the first instance entered so warmly 
 upon the work, has continued from that time to labour 
 in the cause with the most devoted zeal. Upon him has 
 fallen, in a great degree, the real drudgery of the under- 
 taking. While my part has been to exercise a general 
 supervision over the whole, his part has been to feel the 
 weight of the difficulties, and to stand at his post sup- 
 ported by his patience and his faith." 
 As we had some fair agricultural land, the raising of 
 grain crops for our own maintenance was naturally a 
 matter of primary importance. In the season of 1851 
 all the ploughing and sowing was done by Mr. Wollaston. 
 But the gold fever was by this time at its height in 
 Adelaide. Two of Mr. Wollaston's brothers had gone to 
 the diggings, and they persuaded him to join them. He 
 left early in March, 1852, and I had then no other 
 alternative but to turn to myself, and train the natives to 
 do all the agricultural work. Our efforts, I am happy to 
 say, were crowned with success. We broke up several 
 acres of fresh land, and had an excellent crop of wheat. 
 The work was done entirely by the natives, with no 
 other teaching except that which I could give them ; and 
 I had to be a learner myself. I had to get what infor- 
 mation I required from books, and I then had to reduce it 
 to practice in order to become a teacher. I shall, as I go 
 on, give some extracts from my diary ; and I shall give 
 some explanations for the information of those readers who 
 are not acquainted with the details of Australian farming. 
 I must here mention an event of no little importance to 
 my own personal comfort. I have already stated that, 
 when I brought my family from Adelaide, I took, for their 
 accommodation, a wooden house in the little township of 
 Port Lincoln. I myself went to and fro, spending most of 
 the week at Poonindie ; but being always at Port Lincoln 
 on the Sunday. The getting up the necessary buildings 
 (such as they were) for the Institution was a long and 
 difficult task, and it was not until April, 1852, that I was 
 able to get finished, and fit for our reception, a weather 
 board house in the midst of the native village. Into this
 
 44 
 
 house I moved my family April 21, 1852. It was, of 
 course, a great comfort to us all to be once more together, 
 and it was a great help to me in my work to have my fixed 
 dwelling at the station. I still continued to go into Port 
 Lincoln for the Sunday services. Happily, I had in Port 
 Lincoln, what I may almost call a second home in the 
 house of my dear kind friends Captain and Mrs. Bishop, 
 with whom I invariably stayed when I went into the town- 
 ship. 
 
 We had plenty of stone near at hand at Poonindie, but 
 it was all of one kind : very hard water- worn boulders of 
 all sizes collected from the bed of the river. Bricks were 
 therefore an absolute necessity, and I engaged a profes- 
 sional brickmaker in Adelaide. By the latter end of March 
 he had moulded enough for a kiln of 20,000. He had the 
 assistance of such of the natives as he required ; and one 
 or two became quite expert moulders. Much hauling of 
 wood was requisite for the burning. This was done by 
 the natives with bullock teams. In fact, hauling for one 
 purpose or another was almost always going on, and, in 
 addition to a team which I had already acquired by pur- 
 chasing a few head of quiet cattle, I bought, towards the 
 end of March, a team of eight bullocks with their dray and 
 all their gear. These were sold to me at a very low price 
 by a man bent upon going to the gold diggings, and we 
 were now in a good position to begin ploughing whenever 
 the rains should commence to render the ground sufficiently 
 soft until the rains commence, the ground, baked by the 
 Australian summer, is quite impenetrable. We began 
 ploughing on the loth of March the ground, however, 
 was not sufficiently moistened for good work, and the work 
 was therefore very trying to the new learners. I find this 
 entry in my diary under the date just named. " This 
 " attempt at ploughing, with the natives only as agents I 
 " look upon as a most important event in its probable bear- 
 " ing upon our future operations." In order to encourage 
 them and to induce them to go on with spirit, I took the 
 plough in hand myself. On March 2fth I recorded as 
 follows : " I yoked up a pair of bullocks to-day for the first 
 "time. Last week, for the first time, I succeeded in holding 
 "the plough, and making tolerable work." On May 21 I 
 recorded ." This morning we had two teams of bullocks 
 "again and made an excellent day's work. William held
 
 45 
 
 " one plough and I the other (the iron one) the whole day." 
 These performances of mine, however, were only now and 
 again, and were of no real assistance to the men except as 
 an example and encouragement. 
 
 In my concise official report to the Government, dated 
 Dec. 31, 1852, I made the following statement: "With 
 ' respect to the conduct of the natives generally, it gives 
 ( me pleasure to speak of it in the same favourable terms 
 ' as upon former occasions, and also as to the readiness 
 ' with which they are brought to the performance of all 
 ' kinds of ordinary labour. Our grain crop, grown entirely 
 ' by them, has been, I am thankful to say, an abundant 
 ' one, and, as the season is remarkably early, it has been 
 ' already gathered in and stacked. With respect to the 
 ' shearing of sheep (an operation still more difficult than 
 ' those of either ploughing or reaping), not only were our 
 ' own sheep shorn by the natives, but I was also able to 
 ' undertake to shear for two other persons in the district. 
 ' Our shearers went from home to shear for both these 
 ' persons, and accomplished their work in a manner 
 ' which would have done credit to a'ny party of shearers of 
 ' our own race." 
 
 But before I pass on to the next year, I must mention 
 some further particulars about our proceedings in 1852. 
 I stated above that when I took delivery of the sheep 
 I did not venture at first to put them under the care of 
 our own men. I retained, until the beginning of April, 
 the services of the white shepherds whom I found upon 
 the run. Certain of our own men were constantly with 
 those shepherds, and received instruction also from Mr. 
 Wollaston : so that by the time just named (April, 1852) 
 I was able to dispense with the white shepherds' services, 
 and our flocks were put entirely under the care of our own 
 men. 
 
 In saying this I must, however, except the lambing 
 season. This was in the month of June, when the rainy 
 season had fully set in. It is so critical a time for the 
 sheep, and a period of such immense importance, that I 
 considered it necessary to employ a competent white man 
 to give a general superintendence to the lambing. Several 
 of our own men were, however, necessarily employed, 
 giving him assistance and gaining experience for them- 
 selves. When the lambs had grown strong and the counting
 
 4 6 
 
 time had arrived, it was found that we had an increase of 
 800. 
 
 Persons who are not acquainted with Australian sheep 
 farming may wonder why the lambing is so timed as to 
 fall in the midst of the rainy season. The reason is this : 
 During the long and hot summer the country where the 
 flocks feed becomes almost completely bare, and it is, 
 therefore, peremptorily necessary to delay the lambing 
 until, under the influence of the first rains, the young 
 grass has sprung up sufficiently to afford the sheep the 
 requisite nourishment. If the summer drought in any 
 season continues much beyond the usual time, the sheep 
 become so poor and weak that, if the lambing then com- 
 mences, the mothers are not able to give the lambs the 
 necessary nourishment, and a considerable portion of them 
 die. No doubt wet and cold days and nights are very 
 bad for the lambs, but starvation is still worse. 
 
 I identified myself with all the pursuits and proceed- 
 ings of our inmates, and I did this not only as a policy 
 it was quite in accordance with my inclination. I liked 
 to be associated with the men in their work, as well as 
 in their recreation. I stood aloof from nothing. I took 
 to bullock driving as well as ploughing. We were nothing 
 without our bullocks. Their contribution towards our 
 success was most important. My readers will therefore, 
 I hope, permit me to devote a small space to these most 
 useful animals. As with all inferior creatures which give 
 their services to man, the behaviour of bullocks depends 
 entirely upon the treatment which they receive. 
 
 White bullock-drivers in the Colonies are, unhappily, 
 too often rough, drinking men, who have little idea 
 of what can be done with animals by kindness and gentle- 
 ness. The lash of their whips is for ever sounding on 
 the poor brutes' backs, and the men seem to think that 
 their language to them must necessarily be freely inter- 
 spersed with oaths. The animals are often dazed and 
 bewildered by their rough usage, and become awkward 
 and difficult to manage. The manner of our drivers was 
 all kindness and good temper, and the result was that our 
 bullocks were quiet, obedient, and handy in the extreme. 
 I confess that I took the greatest interest in them ; and 
 I was soon able to handle them. In my diary, under 
 date April 28th, 1852, 1 find this entry, " This morning, while
 
 47 
 
 " Jack was absent looking for some bullocks, and Charley 
 "in a different direction, I yoked up a team of six bullocks 
 "and put them into the dray, the first time I have ac- 
 " complished this feat myself. The dray was used for 
 " hauling stone for Tom Coffin." Tom Coffin was the 
 mason, and I presume there was a danger of his being 
 hindered in his work for want of stone, and that there- 
 fore I was anxious to get the dray ready, that the absent 
 drivers might start for their work at once when they 
 returned. 
 
 I do not know if I am right, but my impression is that 
 when bullocks are used in England, they are always 
 harnessed. I will, therefore, take the liberty of describing 
 what " yoking up" means. All the gear that is put upon 
 a bullock is simply the yoke and the bow. The yoke is 
 a piece of wood long enough to be laid upon the necks 
 of two bullocks standing side by side. The top is flat 
 and the bottom slightly arched over the neck of each 
 bullock to make it ride more easily. And it has, in it, 
 four holes to receive the bows. 
 
 We will suppose, then, that six bullocks are to be yoked 
 up. The driver puts them into a yard. As a rule, every 
 bullock has his own place in the team, and they are much 
 more easily brought up to be yoked, and they stand more 
 steadily if the proper mates are brought up together. 
 The pair which the driver means to yoke up first, he 
 puts into a corner, their faces being against the rails of 
 one side of the yard. He then, having the yoke and 
 bows belonging to this pair at hand, stands on the near 
 or left hand side of the animals, and, as gently and quietly 
 as he can, puts the yoke across the two necks. Then he 
 takes the bows, one after another, and pushes them up 
 from below into, and through, the holes in the yoke intended 
 for them. 
 
 The bows are then secured by small pieces of iron called 
 keys. He then proceeds exactly in the same manner with the 
 other two pairs. Having done this, he next places the three 
 pairs in their proper order one behind the other against one 
 side of the yard, having, as before, rails in front of them. 
 Then he puts on the chains. Each yoke has a ring in the 
 middle, to which the chain is hooked. The first pair are 
 joined by the chain to the second pair, and another chain 
 joins the second to the third. The team is complete.
 
 48 
 
 The driver then opens the slip-rails of the yard and 
 leads his team out to the dray. He then puts them in 
 position in front of the dray, and backs the team until he has 
 the two last, or pole bullocks, in their places, one on either 
 side of the dray pole. The ring on the pole bullocks' 
 yoke is much larger than the other rings, large enough for 
 the end of the pole to go through it. The driver puts 
 the pole through this ring, and drops a thick iron pin into 
 a hole in front of the ring. Another pin is already 
 behind it, so that the pole is now fastened to the yoke. 
 He then removes the hook of the chain of the next 
 bullocks from the ring on the pole bullocks' yoke, and puts 
 it into an iron loop at the end of the pole, and the whole 
 operation is complete. 
 
 All these movements of the bullocks are done by the 
 word of command, and by certain motions of the whip, 
 such as letting the lash fall gently on the off-side of the 
 shoulder when you want to bring the bullock towards 
 you, and pushing him quietly with the butt end of the 
 whip when you want him to turn away from you. 
 
 Before I pass on to the year 1853 I must make another 
 quotation from my official report, dated December 31, 
 1852 : " In reporting upon the state of this Institution 
 " for the past four months, the subject which, on account 
 " of its importance, first demands our attention is the 
 great extent to which sickness and mortality have 
 prevailed amongst the inmates during this period. But 
 I have the happiness of being able to state that, in two 
 cases of death which have lately occurred, the last hours 
 of the sufferers were so cheered by the peace and hope 
 which they derived from their belief in the blessed 
 " truths of the Gospel, that our sorrow, we may say, 
 " has, for the time, been turned into joy, and our 
 " mourning into gladness. Still, these frequent deaths we 
 " must needs feel to be a heavy affliction." 
 
 There were six deaths in 1852. Constantly in my 
 addresses to the inmates, which, during times of affliction 
 or anxiety, were given almost daily, evening prayer 
 affording the needful opportunity, I put before our people 
 the necessity of baptism as the entrance into the Christian 
 brotherhood. But I no less earnestly and frequently 
 dwelt upon the necessity of their taking hold sincerely and 
 firmly of the hope set before them before coming forward
 
 49 
 
 for baptism. It was only by degrees that I could get them 
 to come to the point, And so, as already stated, four passed 
 away without making any such confession of their belief as 
 would have justified the administration of baptism. 
 
 The first to be taken from us in 1852 was Manya, one of 
 the original party on Boston Island, and the wife of 
 Narrung. She was gentle and amiable, but had no force 
 of character ; and, although she had a long illness and 
 much instruction, she failed to make up her mind to 
 declare herself distinctly in favour of Christianity. 
 Yorroke had been with us fifteen months ; Memritten nine 
 months. Charley was a very early inmate, having come 
 in December, 1850. He was then quite a boy a merry, 
 laughing fellow, very well disposed, but wanting in 
 ballast. But in his last illness his mind matured rapidly, 
 and he became in heart a true, penitent and firm believer 
 in his Lord. Before I left the station on a certain 
 Saturday, to go into Port Lincoln for the Sunday services, 
 I had arranged to baptize him on the Monday. Some 
 other engagement, however, detained me, and the poor 
 dear fellow passed away in my absence. I saw nothing in 
 his condition on Saturday to lead me to suppose that the 
 end was so near. I was grieved that the sacrament had 
 been wanting to him, but he had earnestly desired it, and 
 the omission was from no fault or backwardness on his 
 part, and we were able to rejoice in his translation to a 
 better world. 
 
 The next, Ullean Ullean, had been with us only eleven 
 months. He had not been in the Adelaide school, and was 
 wholly uninstructed. He was, however, a most willing 
 worker, and was the first to handle the plough. 
 
 Kaituan died early in December, 1852. He had been 
 with us nearly a year and eleven months. He had been 
 baptized and died rejoicing, believing in his Lord with all 
 his heart. 
 
 It was with real sorrow that I made the following state- 
 ment in the same official Report which I have already 
 quoted : " I regret to state that I have been compelled to 
 dismiss after so long a period of probation one of our 
 ' original members,' a man from the neighbourhood of 
 Lake Bonney, called Popjoy. His case, has been more 
 than once mentioned in my Reports. He was the only 
 one amongst the original members who had grown up to 
 
 E
 
 50 
 
 " manhood without receiving any kind of training or in- 
 
 " struction. The experiment of civilization, as regarded 
 
 " him, was therefore different from any of the others, and 
 
 " his case was one of peculiar interest. He has been 
 
 " always extremely difficult to manage, and, on account of 
 
 the ungovernable violence of his temper, he set a very 
 
 mischievous example to the other inmates. Indeed, his 
 
 paroxysms of rage were at times by no means without 
 
 danger to those with whom he was enraged. I was 
 
 therefore at length obliged, although most reluctantly, to 
 
 relieve the Institution of his presence." He was a fine, 
 
 powerful man, an excellent worker, and very willing. He 
 
 and Neruid were related, Popjoy being probably some ten 
 
 years the senior. He was not baptized. The name is a 
 
 very singular one. Many years after, when a passenger in 
 
 a P. and O. steamer, I heard that there was a man of that 
 
 name also a passenger, who had been a settler somewhere 
 
 in the interior of N.S.W. The white men often call 
 
 natives by the names of their employers. Mr. Moorhouse 
 
 informed me, about eleven months after Popjoy's dismissal, 
 
 that he had died in Adelaide of consumption. 
 
 After recounting, in my official Report quoted above, our 
 losses by death in the year 1852, I added, " Another 
 female is now so ill that it is quite evident that her end 
 is approaching. She is herself quite conscious that such 
 is the case, and is looking forward with peace and hope 
 to the better home which she believes is prepared for her 
 above." A note is added at a later date in these words : 
 She died full of faith and peace and hope, January 5, 
 1853." Her name was Merari. She came to us in 
 June, 1851, and had been baptized in December, 1852. 
 
 1853. I have already stated that the minds of several of 
 our inmates had been dwelling much on the question of 
 their baptism for a considerable time. Happily these 
 searchings of heart ripened and bore good fruit early in 
 1853. At the beginning of February we had the privilege 
 of receiving a visit from the Bishop, and when it was 
 known that he was coming amongst us, ten of the men 
 and one woman expressed their desire to be baptized by 
 the Bishop during his visit. The Bishop was good enough 
 to write an account of this visit to S.P.G. I venture to 
 incorporate the greater part of his letter with this my 
 narrative.
 
 Whatever I then wrote about our proceedings came from 
 me as from a worker in the midst of his occupations. 
 The Bishop came, on the occasion which he describes, as 
 an observer, deeply interested in the work ; having helped 
 it, and being ready to help it in every possible way. The 
 statement of an observer's impressions must always have 
 an interest specially its own, which no details from the 
 worker's pen can interfere with. I omit from his letter 
 some descriptions of the country, because I have already 
 given them ; I omit also some remarks on attempts in 
 general to civilize aboriginal races. The Bishop tells, in 
 his own words, what he saw and what he joined in at 
 Poonindie. 
 
 " Port Lincoln, Feb. 14, 1853. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, Having long been desirous of visiting 
 the native Mission at Poonindie, under Archdeacon M. B. 
 Hale, to ascertain its progress, and report to the Society 
 upon the degree of success with which his disinterested 
 efforts have been blessed, I gladly avail myself of a favour- 
 able opportunity ; and, embarking in a small coasting 
 trader of fifty tons, which plies between Adelaide and this 
 place, reached this settlement, the little township of Port 
 Lincoln, on Thursday, Feb. 3, having left home on the 
 preceding Monday. After officiating, together with the 
 Archdeacon, in the church (St. Thomas's) at Port Lincoln 
 on Sunday, Feb. 6th, when I confirmed five young women, 
 residents of the place, we left for Poonindie early on 
 Tuesday morning. The road winds along the picturesque 
 shores of Boston Bay, and after crossing the pretty little 
 valley of the river Tod, brought us to cottages and huts, 
 which forms the Mission settlement of Poonindie. Besides 
 the clap-boarded cottage in which the Archdeacon lives, 
 three others accommodate the schoolmaster, the overseer, 
 and the working foreman. Fourteen smaller huts contain 
 eleven married native couples, and the other, children of 
 both sexes. A kitchen and offices, washing-shed, &c., 
 complete the present hamlet of Poonindie ; at some dis- 
 tance above and below which, on the river, three other 
 stone detached cottages also belong to the Mission. The 
 " Native Reserve," set apart by the local government for 
 the use of the Institution, comprises a fine, grassy, park- 
 like plain, at the base of a range of hills of moderate
 
 52 
 
 height, which afford pasturage for between 3,000 and 4,000 
 sheep. 
 
 " Much has been said in proof of the impossibility of con- 
 verting the natives of two girls who, after having been 
 employed as servants at Government House, subsequently 
 returned to native life and habits. But what are the facts ? 
 They were not suitable wives for Europeans ; if married to 
 natives, they must needs belong to their affianced husbands, 
 or run the risk of being speared. Few or no colonists would 
 have taken them as domestic servants, unwilling to take 
 the necessary trouble with them, or exercise the requisite 
 patience ; and thus, after a few months or years of school- 
 ing and superficial civilization, together with a little 
 Christian knowledge, rather than a real change of heart, 
 they were thrown back upon native life, or became the 
 degraded victims of European vice. Their case only 
 demonstrated the necessity of an Institution, such as the 
 Archdeacon has succeeded in setting on foot, for the recep- 
 tion of the elder native children who had been partially 
 educated at Adelaide, at the most critical period of life, 
 when approaching manhood. He devoted himself to the 
 holy object of converting, if possible, the remnant that was 
 left, and saving them from the ravages of disease and 
 infamy. The principles on which he proposed to proceed 
 were pointed out by past experience and former failures. 
 They were isolation, industrial education, as well as the 
 usual schooling ; marriage, separate dwellings, hiring and 
 service for wages ; gradual and progressive moral improve- 
 ment based upon Christian instruction, Christian worship, 
 and Christian superintendence. Without disturbing the 
 school at Adelaide (which he proposed to leave as an 
 elementary training establishment), he desired to draft, 
 from time to time, the elder boys and girls to the Mission 
 Station at Port Lincoln. For this purpose, Boston Island, 
 which closes Boston Bay, Port Lincoln, to seaward, con- 
 taining about four square miles, was pitched upon for the 
 Mission. But the inability to find fresh water, after sink- 
 ing several wells, necessitated removal, after a sojourn of a 
 few weeks, to some better watered spot. Poonindie, on 
 the river Tod, was accordingly selected ; and, in order to 
 carry out the system of isolation and industrial employ- 
 ment, the surrounding district was proclaimed a Native 
 Reserve, exempting it, therefore, from sale to private in-
 
 53 
 
 dividuals. The various duties of farming sheep and 
 cattle herding for the young men offered the best means of 
 training these young people to the habits and duties of 
 civilized life. The Archdeacon had first to gain their con- 
 fidence, and win their affection. His simple, kind, firm, 
 Christian earnestness teaching, controlling, reproving, 
 governing, in short, with enlightened charity, these 
 children of the bush has at length been blessed with a 
 considerable degree of success. Many young adult natives, 
 who would have belonged to the most degraded portion of 
 the human family, are now clothed and in their right 
 minds, sitting at the feet of Jesus, and intelligently 
 worshipping, through Him, their heavenly Father. 
 
 ' ' The Mission now consists of fifty-four natives, comprising 
 eleven married couples ; the rest children of either sex, 
 thirteen being from the Port Lincoln district. The married 
 couples have each their little hut, built of the trunks of the 
 shea-oak set up in the ground, the interstices being neatly 
 plastered and whitewashed, roofed with broad paling. The 
 other children in small divisions occupy the remaining ones. 
 They have their meals in common in the general kitchen ; 
 the working party first, then the women and children. 
 Narrung, one of the elder young men, assisted by two 
 mates, is steward, butcher, and cook. At half-past six in 
 the morning, and in the evening, after sun-down, all assemble 
 at the Archdeacon's cottage, for the reading of Scripture 
 and prayer. The Schoolmaster leads the singing of a 
 simple hymn, and the low, soft voices of the natives make 
 pleasing melody. A plain exposition follows. After break- 
 fast they go to their several employments : the cowherds 
 milk, &c. ; some were engaged in putting up posts and 
 rails for a stock-yard ; the shepherds were with their flocks ; 
 two assisted the bricklayer, one preparing mortar, the other 
 laying bricks. At the proper season they plow, reap, shear, 
 make bricks, burn charcoal, cut wood ; do, in fact, under 
 the direction of the overseer, the usual work of a station. 
 Six hours are the limits of the working day ; they are 
 unequal to more. Shepherds and first-class labourers 
 receive 8s. per week and rations ; second-class, 53. ; third, 
 35. 6d. ; fourth, 2s. 6d. The younger children attend 
 school ; the married women wash, and learn sewing clothes, 
 making and mending. Such is an outline of the occupation, 
 education, and religious training adopted at Poonindie.
 
 54 
 
 >vhich, begun with very limited means, and with no 
 previous instance of success to encourage hope, has never- 
 theless, through a blessing upon the Archdeacon's patient, 
 untiring, quiet zeal, reached a very promising state of 
 maturity. Thus far the Institution is an exception to the 
 list of Australian Missionary failures. 
 
 " Let us look at the present results, under the heads of 
 Civilization, Moral Training, and Christian Attainment. 
 
 " Firstly. We find eleven married couples decently 
 clothed, clean in their persons, keeping their own huts and 
 clothes in order, and much attached to each other in the 
 place of the promiscuous unchastity, and the brutal degra- 
 dation of the native women in their wild state. A farm of 
 twenty acres has been fenced, plowed, reaped, and stacked, 
 by these children of the soil ; two flocks are wholly under 
 their charge. These they have shorn, besides two other 
 flocks belonging to settlers ; and five were just about to 
 shear the lambs of Mr. Peter, at eighteen shillings per 
 hundred. I saw an excellent kiln of bricks which, under 
 the direction of a brickmaker from Adelaide, they had 
 helped to make, mould, and burn. In fact, while the other 
 settlers at Port Lincoln were much hampered by the 
 migration of their servants and shepherds to the Victoria 
 Diggings, the Archdeacon was able to carry on the improve- 
 ment of the Mission premises, the labours at the farm, as 
 well as assist his neighbours with native shearers, who 
 shear remarkably well. 
 
 " Secondly. In regard to Moral Training, the wild native 
 knows little or nothing of the value of money or property ; 
 but at Poonindie the Mission lads earn weekly wages, and, 
 what is more, " shop " for themselves at the store in Port 
 Lincoln, or even send up orders to Adelaide for goods. 
 This indicates a real mental and moral development. The 
 following purchases were made by one ot the Mission 
 natives, Kewrie, for himself and friend, while I was 
 present : a pair of shoes, two pairs of trowsers, a blue 
 woollen shirt, a packet of currants and raisins for puddings, 
 a flask of salad oil for the hair ; a bonnet was looked at for 
 his wife, but left for her determination, and a shawl for the 
 throat rejected as being too dear. The same youth, had he 
 been left to native influences upon leaving school, would 
 probably, have become, after a short time, a dirty, ragged, 
 diseased, lazy sheep-stealer, or an occasional hewer of
 
 55 
 
 wood and drawer of water for some of the inhabitants of 
 Adelaide, or settlers in the Bush. He is now a nice-look- 
 ing, decent, intelligent, well-conducted young man. 
 
 " Thirdly. With respect to conversion. When the 
 Archdeacon came in from Poonindie to meet me, he was 
 followed by ten of the elder boys and young men, who 
 asked leave to go and meet the Bishop. Some I had 
 known in the Sunday School at Adelaide. I was 
 agreeably surprised to see them nicely dressed in the 
 usual clothing worn by settlers ; check shirts, light 
 summer coats, plaid trowsers, with shoes and felt hats 
 articles mostly purchased with their own earnings. They were 
 better dressed than the labouring class in general at home. 
 They had brought their blankets, blacking, brushes, &c., 
 making the broad verandah of a wood-shed their sleeping 
 place, and cooking their meals at a fire in the yard. 
 Not far off was a small native camp, and the contrast 
 between these two groups would have convinced any 
 candid observer of the truth for which the Archdeacon 
 has always contended, viz., that the aborigines are not 
 only entitled to our Christian regard, but are capable, 
 under God's blessing, of being brought out of darkness 
 into light, and from the power of Satan unto God. 
 
 " It was very pleasing to see these young men, on 
 Sunday morning before church, sitting together reading 
 in their Testaments or hymn-books, which they had 
 brought with them, and afterwards filling, at both services, 
 two benches in the pretty little church. Most of them 
 were Catechumens, whom the Archdeacon thought he 
 could recommend as fit to be baptized. Accordingly, on 
 Thursday, the loth, at Poonindie, I conversed severally 
 with ten men, and Tanda, the wife of Conwillan, in the 
 presence of the Archdeacon. The native manner is 
 naturally shy, reserved, and incommunicative, but gentle 
 and unimpassioned. After hearing them, and asking them 
 questions, I agreed with the Archdeacon that there was 
 good ground for admitting them by baptism into the 
 ark of Christ's Church, believing them to be subjects of 
 God's grace and favour. We held regular evening service 
 at sundown ; and after the second lesson I baptized 
 Thomas Nytchie, James Narrung, Samuel Conwillan, 
 Joseph Mudlong, David Tolbonko, John Wangaru, Daniel 
 Toodko, Matthew Kewrie, Timothy Tartan, Isaac Pitpowie,
 
 56 
 
 and Martha Tanda, wife of Conwillan. The other women 
 and girls are not yet so advanced as Martha and Annette, 
 a little Swan River native, who has long formed part of 
 the Archdeacon's family. Each native answered for 
 himself distinctly, according to the service for Adult 
 Baptism, and, from their devotional manner and previous 
 answers, I have reason to believe that they understood 
 and intended to keep the vow which they then volun- 
 tarily made. On the following morning I consecrated 
 the cemetery, where the remains of those who have died 
 repose. Of these, eight in number, three, in addition to 
 Takanarro (of whose last illness and happy death I sent 
 you a printed account), gave strong evidence of their 
 dying in faith and assured hope. 
 
 " I must here observe, with respect to this mortality, 
 that compared with Europeans, the ordinary native is 
 slight in frame and feeble in constitution, easily brought 
 low by sickness, and pining away often from unaccountable 
 causes, principally pulmonary complaints, aggravated by 
 their own thoughtlessness and roving mode of life. The 
 seeds of disease have also been widely spread through the 
 native tribes since their contact with Europeans : and 
 hence the dwindling away of the race from premature 
 death and fruitless marriage. 
 
 " One more incident I may mention in proof of their 
 progress in civilization : a cricket match played by the 
 Poonindie lads and young men, on a holiday given on the 
 occasion of my visit. I was pleased at watching, with the 
 Archdeacon, two Australian native 'elevens' thus enjoying 
 themselves, and remarked, not only their neatness in 
 ' fielding and batting,' but, what was far more worthy of 
 note, the perfect good humour which prevailed throughout 
 the games ; no ill-temper shown, or angry appeals to the 
 umpire, as is generally the case in a match of Whites. 
 
 " I have little more to add, than that the Mission is 
 again strengthened by the accession of Mr. George Wollas- 
 ton, son of Archdeacon Wollaston, who will act as over- 
 seer of the sheep and farm labour. A good schoolmistress 
 is shortly expected from England, and thus the education 
 of the younger boys and girls will be well carried on. A 
 new school-room is projected, and subscriptions are col- 
 lecting for the purpose. It appears to me that the 
 Mission is so consolidated as to admit of gradual enlarge-
 
 57 
 
 ment. There is now a small body of trained Christian 
 natives, the nucleus of the native Church. The Arch- 
 deacon, and all friends of Missions, have reason to thank 
 God and take courage. His blessing will never fail to 
 attend enlightened zeal, chastened and sustained as that is, 
 in Mr. Hale, by Christian love and firmness of purpose. 
 
 " I sail in a few days for Adelaide when the wind serves. 
 " Yours truly, 
 
 " REV. E. HAWKINS. " AUGUSTUS ADELAIDE." 
 
 " P.S. We set sail on Saturday, the igth, and reached 
 Adelaide on Monday morning, after a quick passage." 
 
 I have more than once stated that the question of 
 baptism had been for some time gradually and steadily 
 working in the thoughts of some of the men, and, as I 
 hoped and believed, ripening their minds for a decided 
 declaration of their faith. That all-important event, the 
 first public baptism, had now taken place. The leader in 
 the movement had undoubtedly been Narrung, and he had 
 been cordially supported by his younger brother, who had 
 been more steady in his attendance at the Adelaide school, 
 and was a very good scholar. Narrung, as he confessed, 
 had neglected the school. He learned to read at Poo- 
 nindie, and, by going over the same ground very many 
 times, he could at length make his way through two or 
 three chapters of St. John's Gospel. The seventeenth 
 chapter was the one he especially delighted to spell 
 over. 
 
 I find in my diary an entry headed as follows: " Sup- 
 ' plemental entry to diary, July lyth, 1852. There has 
 ' been about Narrung ever since he has been with us, a 
 ' sweetness and amiableness of disposition, a docility of 
 ' mind, and a propriety of life and conversation which have 
 ' made him a universal favourite. And of late, I am most 
 ' thankful to say, I have seen reason to believe that his 
 ' naturally good disposition has, under God's grace, 
 ' ripened into a really serious and religious state of 
 ' mind. He was one of the original party which was sent 
 ' to Port Lincoln by Mr. Moorhouse, just at this time 
 ' about two years ago. He and his partner Manya, were 
 ' assigned to Captain Bishop, in whose service they made 
 ' themselves very useful during the interval which elapsed
 
 58 
 
 " between their arrival in the settlement and their going 
 " with me to Boston Island. He always treated Manya 
 " with kindness, but I think they had lived together for 
 " nearly twelve months before they manifested anything 
 " like a real attachment towards each other. They became 
 " at length very much attached, and on the iyth of October, 
 "1851, I duly and regularly solemnized their marriage, 
 " together with that of another original couple, Konwillan 
 " and Tanda. 
 
 " Shortly after this, Manya, with three other of our 
 " native girls, went on a visit to Adelaide. She was ill the 
 " greater part of the time she was there. And, after her 
 " return she was for some time alarmingly ill at our house at 
 " Port Lincoln. After a time, however, she got very much 
 " better, and joined Narrung and her other companions at 
 " Poonindie. Narrung's affection for her displayed itself 
 " in a very striking manner during this illness ; so much so, 
 " that at the annual meeting of the South Australian Church 
 " Society at Adelaide, I made mention of some incidents 
 "illustrating his affection for her, and his anxiety about 
 " her health. 
 
 " When her death occurred " 
 quent to the one recorded above 
 " affected, and took it much to 
 
 after an illness subse- 
 
 " he was most deeply 
 
 leart. And I have this 
 
 " further ground for believing that it was to him a real afflic- 
 " tion, viz., that it appears to have produced in him the best 
 " fruit of affliction, and his religious feelings have evidently 
 " assumed a deeper and more decided character since that 
 " event. 
 
 " I made great efforts to bring about this result of deepen - 
 
 " ing the religious feeling, both as regards Narrung and 
 
 " also the rest of the natives, and I strove for it both by 
 
 " general exhortations to them all and also by means of 
 
 " private conversations. Narrung responded to my efforts 
 
 1 in a way that gave me the deepest gratification and moved 
 
 ' me to my inmost soul with thankfulness to my merciful, 
 
 ' gracious God for His goodness in this and in all other ways so 
 
 ' abundantly evidenced. Of late Narrung has moved down 
 
 ' here again from Colombo (a hut and sheep station on 
 
 ' Mount Gawler), and forms one of a party of four or five of 
 
 ' the elder and more trustworthy and intelligent single men, 
 
 ' who have their quarters at one of the stone cottages. 
 
 " And now I arrive at last at the conversation which I
 
 59 
 
 " had with him this evening, whilst he was sitting with me 
 ' in my hut, I said, ' Narrung, I hope you boys down at 
 ' that place (the stone cottages were a little way off the 
 ' village) talk about good things, and do not spend all your 
 ' time in foolish talk.' He said, ' Oh yes, we talk about 
 ' good things. That day when I came down from Colombo 
 ' (meaning the day he came down for his wife's funeral), 
 ' then I said to them boys, " Now we must think about good 
 ' things. We must talk about what we do, not to do 
 ' wicked things."' I said 'And you always pray down there'? 
 ' ' Oh, yes, we pray ; only one night we forgot, then we said 
 ' the next night, ' We forgot to pray last night, we must 
 ' not forget to pray.' I asked who it was who said that, 
 ' then he said, ' I said that to them.' Then I asked, ' And 
 ' when you said that, were they all ready to pray and liked 
 ' to say prayers ? ' ' Oh yes, then we knelt down, and 
 ' Toodko (his younger brother before referred to) said 
 ' prayers and we repeated after him.' In the course of the 
 ' conversation he said, ' We must pray to God to forgive 
 ' us all them wicked things and mischief what we have done. 
 ' I often say this to boys, We must pray to God to forgive 
 ' us.' And then he said, with every indication of manner 
 ' and voice of deep and sincere feeling, ' I pray God to 
 ' forgive me ; I hope God forgive me. I hope I never do 
 'them things again which I have done wrong.' Again in the 
 ' course of the conversation, I said something about the ad- 
 ' vantage of being able to attend the morning and evening 
 'prayers. He said, ' When I was in the Bush shepherding 
 ' there, I say to myself I shall ask Mr. Hale to let me go 
 ' down to Poonindie and stop there, then I can always go 
 ' to prayers with the other boys and hear about good 
 ' things.' 
 
 " He then again told me, as he has several times told me 
 
 ' before, how constantly his thoughts were upon good things 
 
 ' when he is out in the Bush shepherding. ' All day I 
 
 ' think about good things. We must try not to do wicked 
 
 ' things. We must pray to God, and try to please 
 
 ' Him.' About his baptism we, of course, always talk 
 
 ' upon the occasion of such conversations as the present 
 
 " one. I do not wish to urge him on to it alone, as he has 
 
 " a little feeling of shrinking from being the first to take 
 
 " this step by himself. And I have great hope that it will be 
 
 " the gracious pleasure of my merciful God to suffer me to
 
 6o 
 
 " see, before any long time, others coming forward also, and 
 " bearing Narrung company in his holy desires and wishes." 
 
 The hope thus devoutly expressed on July 17, 1852, 
 was, through the great goodness and mercy of God, 
 abundantly realized within a period of six months from that 
 time when Narrung, not alone, but accompanied by no less 
 than ten of his companions, received the blessed sacrament 
 of baptism at the hands of the Bishop of the Diocese. 
 
 These details of my conversations with Narrung may 
 serve to illustrate the manner in which the question of 
 baptism had been steadily coming to the front in the 
 minds of some of our inmates. I thought I could not 
 illustrate the movement better than by connecting this 
 quiet progress in Narrung's mind immediately with the 
 account of the Bishop's visit and the celebration of 
 baptism. I must now, however, go back to the first day 
 of the year 1853. On that day a most important change 
 took place in my position in relation to the South Australian 
 Government. The documents here introduced will, to a 
 certain extent, explain the nature of that change ; but I 
 shall feel it necessary to give, presently, further explanation, 
 that the reader may be enabled to understand some of our 
 surrounding circumstances. 
 
 With respect to the documents, they were, of course, 
 published for general information at the time to which they 
 belonged. But, in compliance with my particular request, 
 they were again published in connection with my last 
 returns when I was leaving Port Lincoln in 1856. They 
 are as follows : 
 
 " PORT LINCOLN, zoth Sept., 1852. 
 
 " MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY, 
 
 " In approaching your Excellency with this petition for 
 an increase in the amount of the funds placed at my dis- 
 posal for promoting the welfare of the aboriginal natives of 
 this Province, I beg respectfully to solicit your Excellency's 
 attention to the following circumstances : 
 
 " That the Native Training Institution, which I formed 
 by means of funds granted to me for that purpose, and 
 which has now been in active operation for a period of two 
 years, has been blessed with a remarkable amount of 
 success, and is steadily accomplishing the purposes for 
 which it was established. 
 
 " That this success has itself led to a very large increase
 
 6i 
 
 in the number of inmates (the number being at the present 
 time 45), and that the expenses attendant upon its support 
 have also been very greatly increased. 
 
 " That the rise in the price of provisions has affected us 
 to a very serious extent, and advantage has been taken of 
 the unsettled state of affairs by the owner of the coasting 
 vessel which visits this port to make most exorbitant 
 charges for freight. 
 
 " As touching generally the subject of the expenditure of 
 money upon the natives, all experience has tended to show 
 that considerable sums of money must be expended upon 
 them in one way or other, and no one can for a moment 
 question that measures for their permanent improvement 
 and the amelioration of their condition are infinitely better 
 than coercion and punishment. 
 
 " I enclose herewith a formal proposition to undertake 
 the support and carrying on of the existing Institution, and 
 also of the school for the children of the aboriginal natives 
 of this district under a certain contract, and I enclose also 
 a certificate from the Government Resident of the district 
 having reference to the said contract. 
 
 " My reasons for wishing to enter upon the undertaking 
 as a contractor are these : 
 
 " i. To obtain liberty of action with respect to the funds 
 which is absolutely necessary to enable me to make the 
 most of my means. In carrying on farming and other 
 operations upon rather an extensive scale, in order to afford 
 occupation to the natives, and make the Institution, as far 
 as possible, self-supporting, I should be often obliged to 
 make sales and purchases which it would be difficult to 
 bring in satisfactorily into statements of accounts submitted 
 in detail to the Government. 
 
 " 2. Even supposing that my accounts were likely to be 
 of the plainest and most simple character, the amazing 
 inconvenience to which we are subjected in this place by 
 reason of the irregularity of the communication with Ade- 
 laide, would make it almost impracticable for me to render 
 in my accounts at the proper times, and in a correct and 
 satisfactory manner. 
 
 " To guard, as far as may be, against any misconception 
 with respect to my object in entering into the matter as a 
 contractor, and as an apology for myself, being a person in 
 Holy Orders, entering into a contract at all, I have thought
 
 62 
 
 fit to attach to my propositions for the contract a solemn 
 declaration as to the motives by which I am actuated in 
 this transaction, and declaring that I am in no way in- 
 fluenced by the desire to make a gain or profit by the 
 undertaking. 
 
 " I remain, 
 " Your Excellency's obliged and faithful servant, 
 
 " MATHEW B. HALE. 
 " His Excellency Sir H. E. F. YOUNG." 
 
 " I, Mathew Blagden Hale, being a person in Holy 
 Orders, and being desirous of entering into a contract 
 under the Government of this Province of South 
 Australia for the performance of certain duties for the 
 benefit of the aboriginal natives, consider it to be due to 
 my sacred calling to make the following solemn declaration 
 touching the motives by which I am actuated in desiring 
 to undertake the said duties and to enter into a contract for 
 their performance. 
 
 " I, Matthew Blagden Hale, do solemnly declare before 
 Almighty God, that I am moved to this work by feelings of 
 pity and compassion towards that unhappy race, whose 
 welfare those works are intended to promote ; and because 
 I believe from my heart that I cannot in any other way so 
 effectually promote the glory of God, or make Him an 
 acceptable offering as by devoting myself to the unwearied 
 performance of these works of mercy. 
 
 " And I do further solemnly declare that I have no wish 
 or desire to make any gain or profit by the said contract, 
 or in any way to derive from it any pecuniary benefit or 
 advantage ; but that I wish to undertake these duties as a 
 contract, simply as matter of convenience, and because I 
 shall be thereby enabled to employ the funds at my dis- 
 posal to the greatest advantage for promoting the proposed 
 objects. 
 
 " I, Mathew Blagden Hale, undertake to support and 
 carry on the Natives' Training Institution now under my 
 care, the future and duties of which (it having been 
 established for a period of two years) are by past and 
 present practices sufficiently marked out and defined ; and 
 I undertake to receive into the said Institution, in addition 
 to the present inmates, any person, of whatever age or sex, 
 and whether half-castes or wholly of the aboriginal race, as
 
 63 
 
 shall be sent to me by the Protector of Aborigines. And I 
 undertake also to relieve the Government of all expenses 
 connected with the school for the children of aboriginal 
 natives of this district, at present under the care of Mr. 
 Schurmann, and to use all diligence to draw to the said 
 school, and to retain in it, as many native children as pos- 
 sible, and to feed, clothe, and educate them, and to 
 endeavour to train them to the performance of works of 
 industry, and in the habits of civilised life ; and to impart 
 to them, so far as they shall be able to receive it, a know- 
 ledge of the way of salvation, through our blessed Lord and 
 Saviour Jesus Christ. 
 
 " These duties I undertake to perform for the sum of 
 1,000 (one thousand pounds) per annum, the said sum to 
 be paid to me, or my order, by the Colonial Treasurer, in 
 monthly instalments, so long as I shall continue to furnish 
 to His Excellency, the Lieut. -Governor, and the Executive 
 Council, good and sufficient evidence (the nature of such 
 evidence to be determined by themselves) that the above- 
 named duties are being actually and faithfully performed. 
 And I desire that this contract should begin to take effect 
 on and after the ist day of January, 1853. 
 
 " (Signed) MATHEW BLAGDEN HALE." 
 
 " GOVERNMENT RESIDENCY, PORT LINCOLN, 
 
 "Sept. zoth, 1852. 
 
 " Being well aware of the objects which were con- 
 templated in the formation of the Natives' Training 
 Institution in this place under Archdeacon Hale, and 
 having had frequent opportunities of seeing and observing 
 the progress of the said Institution since the period of its 
 first formation, now two years ago ; I hereby give it as my 
 opinion, that the experiment so made has been successful 
 in its results, and that the purposes for which it was 
 established are in course of being gradually and steadily 
 obtained. 
 
 " I have also read and considered the terms of the 
 contract which Archdeacon Hale wishes to enter into for 
 the future support and carrying on the school for the 
 children of aboriginal parents of this district, at present 
 under the care of Mr. Schurmann. And I hereby give it 
 as my opinion, that the sum of 1,000 per annum is not 
 more than sufficient to enable Archdeacon Hale to fulfil
 
 64 
 
 that contract, and to carry out, in an efficient and satis- 
 factory manner, the combined purposes of the said Institu- 
 tion and the said school. 
 
 " (Signed) CHAS. DRIVER, J.P., 
 
 " Government Resident." 
 
 COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE, ADELAIDE, 
 
 Oct. i$th, 1852. 
 
 " SIR, I have the honour to inform you, that the 
 Lieutenant-Governor approves of your offer to carry out 
 certain objects with regard to the natives at Port Lincoln, 
 for the annual sum of ^1,000, to be paid, on your order, by 
 the Colonial Treasurer, in monthly instalments, so long as 
 His Excellency shall be satisfied that the duties, in respect 
 of which this payment is to be made, are faithfully fulfilled. 
 
 " The conditions embraced in this arrangement are : 
 
 " ist. That commencing on the ist January, 1853, you 
 shall support and carry on the Native Training Institution 
 now under your care, the nature and duties of which are, 
 by past and present practice, sufficiently marked out and 
 denned ; and that you will receive into the said Institution, 
 in addition to the present inmates, any person of whatever 
 age or sex, and whether half-castes or wholly of the aboriginal 
 race, who may be sent to you by the Protector of Aborigines. 
 
 " 2nd. That you relieve the Government of all expenses 
 connected with the school for the children of aboriginal 
 parents in the Port Lincoln district, at present under the 
 care of Mr. Schurmann, and that you use all diligence to 
 draw to the said school, and to retain in it, as many of these 
 native children as possible ; and that you feed, clothe, and 
 educate them, endeavouring to train them to the perfor- 
 mance of works of industry, and in the habits of civilized 
 life, and to impart to them, so far as they shall be able to 
 receive it, a knowledge of the truths of the Christian 
 religion. 
 
 " I have, &c., 
 "(Signed,) B. T. FINNIS, 
 
 " Colonial Secretary. 
 11 To the Very Rev. Archdeacon Hale." 
 
 I must now explain that the natives of the neighbour- 
 hood of Port Lincoln, with whom I was from that time to 
 be brought into close contact, by receiving their children from
 
 65 
 
 Mr. Schiirmann's school, differed, in some very important 
 particulars, from the tribes from which our first inmates 
 had sprung. Their language was quite different, and they 
 differed in many of their customs or habits. Our first 
 inmates came from the neighbourhood of the Murray 
 River, which is from 1,000 to 1,500 miles more to the east 
 than Port Lincoln. In fact it was impossible to avoid the 
 conclusion that the two people in question had come upon 
 the Continent at opposite points : one on the East Coast and 
 the other on the West. 
 
 The most important difference, bearing upon their civili- 
 zation, relates to, what I suppose I must call, their 
 marriage customs. Amongst the Murray natives, a middle- 
 aged man claims a right to certain female children. They 
 are said to have fallen in some mysterious way to him as 
 his lawful property, and when he thinks fit he takes them 
 to be his wives and servants ; and one sees a big, burly man, 
 whose features are almost hidden by the profusion of hair 
 on his head and face, stalking along at his ease, and two, 
 or perhaps three, miserable looking little females toiling 
 after him, carrying all the family possessions. 
 
 Young men are not allowed to have wives the girls of 
 their own age having been appropriated, even in childhood, 
 by men old enough to be their fathers. Such a custom as 
 this must necessarily have a most demoralizing effect upon 
 any people amongst whom it prevails, and must also 
 be a terrible hindrance in the way of efforts made 
 for their civilization. The Port Lincoln natives have 
 no such custom as this. There were pleasing instances 
 of man and wife having lived together from youth 
 to old age, with offspring of various ages around 
 them. The Adelaide school suffered grievously from 
 the interference of the elders with the children. 
 There was no such interference on the part of the Port 
 Lincoln natives when I took in hand to deal with their 
 children. When the children were troublesome and ran 
 away for a few days to visit some old haunts or old friends 
 in the Bush, it was their own doing. Some had absented 
 themselves from Mr. Schurmann's school at the time that I 
 took charge of his children. But I believe all the absentees 
 afterwards joined their schoolmates at Poonindie. 
 
 The district of Port Lincoln (using that phrase in a very 
 wide sense) had, about the time of our going there, acquired 
 
 F
 
 66 
 
 a sad notoriety on account of the number of murders 
 committed by natives upon white men. These murders 
 were all of the same kind, the unfortunate victims being 
 solitary individuals, in charge either of sheep on the run or 
 of a shepherd's hut. The object in all cases was the 
 acquisition of food either sheep to be driven away 
 from the flocks and afterwards killed and eaten, or flour 
 and sugar and tobacco to be found in the hut and carried 
 off. 
 
 But none of the outrages occurred near the township of 
 Port Lincoln, and, therefore, not near Poonindie. The 
 natives about us were a perfectly quiet and harmless set 
 of people. There was excellent fishing at various places 
 along the coast. They had different methods of fishing ; 
 the usual method was to spear the fish in the water, and 
 it was astonishing to what skill and accuracy of aim some 
 of them attained. 
 
 Although I frequently employed them to do odd jobs, 
 they, of course, stood upon a totally different footing from 
 the inmates of the Institution. All those who were 
 enrolled as inmates had to conform strictly to the habits 
 of civilized life. They had all to be in their own proper 
 sleeping places at night ; they had to attend prayers in 
 the house, take their breakfast, dinner, &c., at the proper 
 time, and attend prayers again at night over the outside, 
 or Wurley natives Wurley was the name of the little 
 temporary habitations which they set up for themselves, 
 made of the branches of trees, reeds, rushes, &c. I did 
 not attempt to exercise any control ; and when I employed 
 them it was always by the job, not by the day. 
 
 The jobs at which they were employed might be 
 clearing a given piece of ground of stumps of trees, 
 roots, &c., or cutting down the trees on a certain space, 
 or making rough fences by cutting down and putting 
 together trees or branches. This was quite a sufficient 
 fence for sheep ; but the small branches soon became dry 
 and brittle, and the fences required frequent watching and 
 frequent repairing. The payment to the Wurley natives 
 would be certain specified rations per day, i.e., so much 
 flour, sugar, tea and tobacco, and a small money pay- 
 ment. If a good many hands, say ten or twelve, were 
 put on upon a job, then one of the older men amongst the 
 inmates would be set over them to see that the work was
 
 6 7 
 
 properly done. But a small party of the more trust- 
 worthy or skilful men would do the appointed work quite 
 satisfactorily without any superintendence. 
 
 They had, of course, frequent opportunities of seeing 
 the superior comfort in which our people lived. But I 
 never could discover that anyone had, at any time, the 
 slightest ambition to be enrolled as an inmate. Neither 
 could we induce anyone ever to listen seriously to our in- 
 struction. The trial was repeatedly made, not only by 
 myself and the other white people of the Institution, but 
 by some of our natives. Toodko especially manifested the 
 greatest desire to impart to them some knowledge of 
 Christianity. But all in vain. The man to whom he was 
 talking would look at him with a good-humoured expression 
 on his face, probably smiling internally at this kind 
 solicitude, but one would look in vain for any sign of even 
 the smallest spark of interest in what was being said, or 
 any indication that the man was trying to, or wished to, 
 understand it. Then again these people had the case of 
 their own children before them, i.e., those who had been 
 brought up in Mr. Schiirmann's school ; they saw their 
 children growing up, and being taught in the Christian 
 faith, their conduct influenced and ruled thereby. But 
 nothing made any impression upon them. 
 
 It would appear, then, that our Poonindie experience 
 proved two things : 
 
 (i). That, in the case of an Australian aborigine, if he is 
 put under instruction when he is quite young ; if his in- 
 tellect is kept growing and his mind expanding, that 
 growth and expansion may be continued in after years ; 
 that if the truths of Christianity are fittingly put before 
 him his natural simplicity of mind and his docility will 
 dispose him readily to receive those truths, and that he 
 may, by the grace of God, become not only a Christian, 
 but a Christian of a high stamp and a truly spiritually- 
 minded person ; such, I say unhesitatingly, were Narrung, 
 Toodko, and Mudlong amongst our inmates. 
 
 (2). What we learn, secondly, at any rate what I feel 
 that I learned from my long intercourse with some of the 
 amiable well-disposed Port Lincoln natives, is that if the 
 intellect is not stimulated in early years, not cultivated, 
 nothing set before the mind to help it on in expansion and 
 growth, it becomes hopelessly dwarfed or stunted. There
 
 68 
 
 is a time for growth and expansion. But if .that time is 
 lost it can never be recovered. 
 
 I have already dwelt at some length upon the case of 
 Neruid. I suppose him to have been about seventeen or 
 eighteen when he came into our hands. His mind was 
 operated upon by a very powerful motive. He had an 
 intense desire to become a Poonindie native. But even at 
 the age I have named the time for growth of mind or in- 
 tellect was apparently rapidly passing away with him. 
 Although he was very anxious to learn, he could not make 
 much progress. He could not at all keep pace with the 
 children. But by God's grace the efforts which his strong 
 will enabled him to make were sufficient to open his mind 
 to receive the truths of Christianity. He received those 
 truths in the love of them. He lived the life of a Christian 
 for twenty years ; and when he died his friends gladly 
 testified concerning him that he had left them " a good 
 example." But his case was a solitary one. No case like 
 it was ever brought to my knowledge. That which I 
 have now stated is the lesson which I learned from my 
 intercourse with the aborigines of the Port Lincoln dis- 
 trict. But I learned a very similar lesson from my inter- 
 course with the peasantry of our Western Counties of 
 England fifty years ago. 
 
 I suppose, as a result of the very great efforts which 
 have been made in promoting public education during 
 the last twenty-five or thirty years, there are comparatively 
 few persons now who have not attended schools in their 
 early years. But at the time I speak of the number of 
 persons amongst the peasants who could not read was very 
 large, and one almost never heard of a person who had 
 learned to read after he or she had grown to man's or 
 woman's estate. I am far from saying that this ignorance 
 or indisposition to mental effort formed any difficulty in 
 the way of these people receiving the truths of Chris- 
 tianity. I know that that was not the case, because, as 
 a rule, they had been hearing about these truths, in one 
 way or another, almost from their infancy. What I mean 
 to say is this: that it would appear that, in the case of 
 persons whose intellects have not been aroused or 
 quickened by ordinary school instruction in early life, a 
 certain measure of torpidity creeps over their minds, 
 which seems to deaden any desire for instruction, and
 
 6g 
 
 stands in the way of their even learning to read in 
 after life, though they must know quite well that, for very 
 many reasons, it would be greatly to their advantage to 
 do so. But to return to the question of the natives. 
 Although they have been rapidly dying out in the settled 
 districts, there are still thousands of square miles on the 
 Australian Continent where Europeans have not settled, 
 and where the natives still remain in force : and there is 
 in the minds of very many persons an earnest desire to do 
 something towards civilising/ and Christianising some 
 members at least of this unhappy race. If it please God 
 to permit me to accomplish what I have in view, I will 
 add to my narrative a separate paper describing my 
 views of the way in which I think the work should be 
 gone about. I will now only say this, that the object to 
 be primarily aimed at in all cases should be the getting 
 hold of and instructing the children. The children of this 
 race quickly spring up to maturity. 
 
 Let me give an instance. Mr. Schiirmann commenced 
 his school a few months before I commenced at Poonindie. 
 In two-years-and-a-half from the time he commenced he 
 had three girls well taught, and so far grown up that they 
 had become restless and unsettled at the school : and he 
 feared that they might be enticed back into the Bush to 
 live again with the Wurley natives. Knowing that we had at 
 Poonindie many more young men than young women, he 
 begged of me to see if I could not arrange for these three 
 girls to join the Institution as wives of three of our young 
 men. The arrangement was brought about. 
 
 The girls came to us. They proved to be suitable 
 inmates, and in the course of time, gave satisfactory 
 evidence of an earnest desire to lead Christian lives, and 
 were baptized. Surely, then, Mr. Schiirmann's school was 
 not long in bearing fruit. Any one devoting himself to 
 missionary work may well be prepared to wait three or 
 four years, and at the end of that period his pupils may 
 have become well grounded in the facts and truths of 
 Christianity. 
 
 Let me again call attention to the fact that the two 
 experiments teaching the children and trying to teach the 
 adults were in our case being tried simultaneously, the 
 natives of Port Lincoln being the subjects of our experi- 
 ments ; and what were the results ? As regards the
 
 70 
 
 children, in the course of about four or five years after 
 Mr. Schiirmann opened his school, we had in the Poonindie 
 Institution several of his pupils as members of a Christian 
 community, some as baptized Christians, others as 
 Catechumens preparing for baptism. As regards the 
 adults, during the same space of time we had failed 
 to make a single convert. It is true that some of 
 the men would, in the most patient and good-humoured 
 manner listen to us, so far as the hearing of the ear went ; 
 but we had failed to perceive the slightest indication that a 
 single individual took the least interest in what we were 
 saying, or felt any desire whatever to understand the 
 matter. 
 
 Having so often repeated Mr. Schiirmann's name I think 
 I ought to say something more about him. He, and some 
 other Lutheran pastors, were sent out by some German 
 missionary society to labour, in any way they could, 
 amongst the Australian aborigines, and, in the year 1849, 
 Mr. Schiirmann, under the authority of the Government, 
 started the school for native children on a spot about half- 
 way between Port Lincoln and the then Poonindie sheep 
 station. He had a small salary as schoolmaster, and he 
 had also a small salary as interpreter of the native lan- 
 guage. But when the gold fever set in, and people were 
 running away from South Australia by thousands to go to 
 the diggings, there ensued a sort of panic an idea that 
 the Colony might be almost on the brink of ruin. Then 
 there came a day, afterwards known as " Black Thursday," 
 when a great number of Government officials were told 
 that their services would no longer be required. Amongst 
 the sufferers was Mr. Schiirmann, who lost his interpreter- 
 ship. He soon afterwards made up his mind to give up 
 the school ; and it became attached to Poonindie. 
 
 It will be remembered that, in the first instance, I had 
 nothing to do with any other natives except those who had 
 come, or were to come, from the Adelaide school. In 
 giving my explanation of the way in which I was brought 
 into close contact with the Port Lincoln natives, I have 
 been led into this digression. I now return to other 
 matters. 
 
 The Bishop, in his letter to S. G. P. above quoted, men- 
 tions the return of Mr. Wollaston to Poonindie. It will be 
 remembered that he left in March, 1852, in order to join his
 
 brother at the diggings. We were very glad of his return; 
 especially as Mr. Minchin had, in the meantime, received 
 an appointment from the Government as Protector of 
 Aborigines somewhere near the head of Spencer's Gulf, 
 and had gone to enter upon his duties. 
 
 I regret that, for the purpose of carrying on my narrative, 
 I cannot make extracts from a diary for 1853. For I find 
 that I have none for that year. It appears that I alto- 
 gether neglected it. But, as I have already pretty fully 
 described the various duties of the Institution, and how 
 those duties were carried on, the loss is, perhaps, not a 
 very serious one : more especially as I have copies of some 
 of my official Reports to the Government. 
 
 Apparently, I had some fear that the members of the 
 
 Government might be discouraged by the frequent deaths 
 
 amongst us and might be tempted to think that, even 
 
 supposing that the Institution was making Christians of 
 
 the inmates, this would not be of much use if they were to 
 
 die immediately after. At any rate I appear to have 
 
 indirectly combated any idea of that kind. In one Report 
 
 " I said the spiritual advancement of the inmates has 
 
 ' always been the great object of my solicitude. Indeed it 
 
 ' is the object which I have in view in entering upon and 
 
 ' continuing to carry on the undertaking which I have in 
 
 ' hand. . . . The test which has been applied to the 
 
 ' religious principles of our little community has been of 
 
 ' the most severe and searching description in the great 
 
 ' prevalence of sickness and death. And the faith in 
 
 ' Christ of these poor children of the desert has been 
 
 ' proved to be of no false or hollow character. In the 
 
 ' minds of the dying it has shone more brightly and clearly 
 
 ' as death approached. In the minds of the living it has 
 
 ' remained firm and steadfast whilst the hand of death has 
 
 ' been busy amongst their companions." 
 
 In another Report I mentioned the death of another dear 
 lad, Tartan. He was only a boy when he came to us at 
 the time of our settling at Poonindie, October, 1850. He 
 had been constant in his attendance at the Adelaide School, 
 and was really a very good scholar, and such a cheerful, 
 amiable fellow that every one was fond of him. He was 
 one of the eleven baptized by the Bishop, February 10, 
 1853, and he was carried off by a rapid consumption on the 
 syth of the following month, the day being Easter Sunday.
 
 7 2 
 
 I reported the matter to the Government in the following 
 words : " He was taken from us on Easter Sunday, March 
 "27. But, whilst we deeply deplore his loss from amongst 
 " us, the circumstances connected with his departure were 
 " such as to afford us the most abundant comfort and con- 
 " solation. His latter end, as that of three of his com- 
 " panions who had gone before him, was cheered by 
 " his firm faith in his Blessed Redeemer, and by the joyful 
 " hope of a blessed and glorious resurrection to eternal 
 " life." 
 
 In yet another Report, during this same year, 1853, 1 wrote 
 thus: "I do not pretend to deny that I feel at times 
 " greatly depressed by these afflicting dispensations. And 
 " yet, when I consider them in all their bearings, I find no 
 " difficulty in discerning how, in the hands of an omni- 
 " potent and all-merciful God, these afflictions become the 
 " instruments by which the highest and most important 
 " purposes are worked out. There can be doubt but that 
 " the very general serious and anxious attention which is 
 " now paid by the natives to all matters of a religious 
 " nature must be regarded as, in a great measure, the effect 
 " of these frequent visitations." 
 
 It had been my constant endeavour to get this great 
 truth firmly implanted in their minds, viz., that the great 
 purpose for which we are placed in this world is, not merely 
 that we may live long lives, but that we may so live as to 
 be constantly preparing for a better life, and that if, by God's 
 grace, we do so prepare, we should look forward to that 
 better life cheerfully and joyfully, and gladly receive the 
 summons to go to it when it should please God to call us. 
 And most thankful I am to be able to say that this was 
 the prevailing feeling in the minds of many of our inmates 
 while still in health. It might be supposed that, under the 
 circumstances above described, our little community would 
 have been oppressed by a general feeling of gloom or 
 despondency. Nothing of the sort took place. We 
 sorrowed, truly and sincerely, for the loss of the companion- 
 ship of our dear friends, as they were taken from us. But 
 we sorrowed not as them that are without hope. We 
 willingly resigned our friends to their loving Father who 
 had taken them, knowing that our loss was their ever- 
 lasting gain. 
 
 I must now say something about the work of the Institu-
 
 73 
 
 tion. In my report for June, 1853, I wrote as follows: 
 " As the different seasons come round for the performance 
 " of the various operations of farming the land and getting 
 " the land into cultivation, they serve to mark the progress 
 " which the natives are making in skill and general use- 
 " fulness. We have just now completed the ploughing 
 " and sowing for the present season. And the manner in 
 " which this has been accomplished affords the clearest 
 " evidence of advancement from year to year. In 1851 the 
 " ploughing was performed entirely by Europeans." [It 
 was in fact done by Mr. Wollaston.] " In 1852 it was 
 "performed by the natives. But I was myself constantly 
 " on the spot, and superintending and directing, and mark- 
 " ing off the lands." 
 
 " This year, superintendence and assistance from Mr. 
 " Wollaston at the commencement of the season, and to a 
 " limited extent, have been found sufficient. Upon divers 
 " occasions the ploughmen have gone on with their work, 
 " marking off the lands, and going through the whole 
 " process of the ploughing without even the presence of 
 " an European in the field for days together. In the case 
 " of one small paddock of about four acres, they were 
 " left to complete the sowing and harrowing by themselves 
 " without any assistance. The extent of land which has 
 " been thus got under crop is about twenty acres. The 
 " whole of it is sown with wheat." 
 
 In my report for September, I stated that another 
 public baptism had taken place, the date thereof was 
 August 6. After referring to the baptisms celebrated 
 by the Bishop on February 10, I go on to say : " I 
 " have now the further happiness of stating that, since 
 " that time, I have had the privilege of baptizing sixteen 
 " more. Nearly the whole of these candidates last named 
 " belonged to that party of lads and boys whom I brought 
 " with me from the natives' school in Adelaide, after the 
 " happy death of the youth Takenarro, which occurred at 
 " that school in January, 1852. 
 
 " On account of the number brought to Poonindie upon 
 " that occasion, and on account of their being just at the 
 " age when youths are considered to be most impatient of 
 " control, I had great misgivings with respect to the evils 
 " which I thought might probably result from my receiving 
 " them at that time into the Institution. I am most
 
 74 
 
 " thankful to say that my fears with respect to their 
 ' conduct have not been by any means realized. And 
 ' when I now find myself surrounded by these same indi- 
 ' viduals, most of them having, by this time, sprung up 
 ' to manhood, and when I feel that I can look upon the 
 ' majority of them as serious and consistent Christians, 
 ' my mind is filled with gratitude to the Almighty 
 ' Disposer of events that I was induced to attend to the 
 
 entreaties of these simple-hearted creatures, and to 
 
 bring them with me upon that occasion to join their 
 
 former companions at this place." 
 
 I then proceeded to mention how the work of God had 
 been helped on by the pious efforts of some of the natives 
 themselves : I said, " Another thing which makes this 
 "general attention to the things of God still more deeply 
 " interesting is the way in which the good work has been 
 " promoted and helped forward by some of the more 
 " influential of the young men themselves. The pious 
 " efforts of two of these in particular " [they were Narrung 
 and his brother Toodko] " have been productive of much 
 "good and have been attended with most beneficial 
 " results." 
 
 I have already stated that the Poonindie shearers, after 
 shearing our own sheep, took jobs of shearing at other 
 stations. This became quite an established yearly custom, 
 an arrangement which was both useful to the district and 
 profitable to our men. As the shearing time of 1853 
 approached, it occurred to me that I might contrive some 
 mechanical arrangement for pressing the wool into the wool 
 bales. The wool bale is hung inside a wooden box, the bale 
 and box both being open at the top, and, as the fleeces are 
 put in, they require, of course, to be pressed down. If this 
 is done without mechanical power a man stands upon the 
 wool, treading it down in the centre, and tucking it down 
 with a spade at the sides of the bale. 
 
 But this is necessarily a slow process, and, when the 
 elasticity of wool is taken into account, it will be at once 
 perceived that a very much smaller quantity of wool could 
 be put into a bale in this way than could be put by means 
 of mechanical pressure. Ships' freights are charged by 
 measurement, and it is therefore so much money in the 
 wool grower's pocket if he can reduce the number of his 
 bales without reducing the quantity of wool transmitted.
 
 75 
 
 Very efficient wool presses are imported into the Colonies, 
 and they are used at all large and important stations. But 
 with our small number of sheep, one of these machines was 
 out of the question. 
 
 I had seen in the yard of Captain Bishop's store at Port 
 Lincoln, a little, common machine known as a timber-gin, 
 which is extensively used in timber yards, shipbuilding 
 yards, &c., and for stowing cargo in ships. It looks like a 
 block of wood, perhaps about two feet six long, and about 
 nine or ten inches broad. It has in it an arrangement of 
 cogwheels by means of which a strong piece of iron called 
 the sword is pushed out with great power from one end. It 
 occurred to me that by fixing this up immediately over the 
 wool bale, the sword might be pushed downward, and we 
 might thereby obtain the necessary pressure. I therefore 
 proceeded to work out the idea ; and I made a cardboard 
 model of the structure I wished to be erected. It was 
 simply a very massive gallows, strong enough and heavy 
 enough to resist the upward pressure when the machine 
 was putting forth its strength downward. I substituted 
 staves, which could be worked by two men, for the ordinary 
 windlass handle. A stage also was to be erected at the 
 proper height on which the men were to stand to work the 
 staves, the structure was set up under Mr. Wollaston's 
 superintendence, according to the cardboard model. It 
 answered admirably, and continued to be used for several 
 seasons. In fact by means of it, we could put into a bale 
 as many fleeces as the bale would contain without the 
 danger of bursting. I forget what the limit is, but I think 
 it is about 380 Ibs. If somewhere about that weight is 
 exceeded, the probability is that in consequence of the 
 rough handling which the bale will meet with, it will burst 
 before it reaches its destination. 
 
 I should have been glad if I could have given the names 
 of the men who composed the party of shearers, but I 
 cannot do so. In the year 1872, when I again visited 
 Poonindie, I fell in, in the steamer, with a large flock 
 owner, I believe the largest in the Port Lincoln district. 
 He habitually employed the Poonindie shearers, and bore 
 testimony to their usefulness and good conduct. He 
 referred particularly to one of them, Tom Adams, and he 
 said that there was not a man in the district that he liked 
 better to see in his wool shed than Tom Adams. He is a
 
 7 6 
 
 half-caste and has a history, and I must here digress a little 
 to tell it. I had heard of his father some time before I 
 went to Poonindie. He was a shepherd in the employ of 
 one of my great friends, at whose house I have very often 
 stayed the night when on my journeys to and fro between 
 Adelaide and the Clare district, where I was at one time 
 stationed. This shepherd, Adams, had taken to wife a 
 native woman, who had been brought up at some settler's 
 station and was partially educated. Adams could not read, 
 and the black wife taught the white husband to read. Two 
 or three times I quoted this case when pleading the cause 
 of the natives at public meetings in South Australia. It 
 was in the year 1848 that I was frequently up and down 
 that road, staying at night at the station referred to Mr. 
 Slater's. 
 
 In the month of May, in the year 1855, the man Adams 
 made his appearance at Poonindie, bringing two little half- 
 caste boys. He had come from Mr. Slater's station to 
 Port Adelaide, and had then taken ship and come on by sea 
 to Port Lincoln, for the purpose of asking me to take charge 
 of his little boys. They were both sufficiently young to be 
 baptized according to the form for Infant Baptism. They 
 have grown up to be exemplary men and leading men in 
 the Institution. And I hear that Tom, the eldest and the 
 famous shearer, is now a grandfather. Of course I saw 
 him on the occasion referred to, my visit of 1872, and a 
 fine specimen of a man he is. He and his brother have 
 thus been inmates of the Institution for very nearly thirty- 
 four years. 
 
 The great farming event of each year, after the shearing, 
 was the harvest, and I am sorry to say that, as I neglected 
 my diary the latter part of 1853 and for several months 
 afterwards, I am not able to give any account of the harvest 
 of that year. My impression is that it was a fairly good 
 one, and that it was got in, threshed, and cleaned, &c., by 
 the natives, under Mr. Wollaston's superintendence. 
 
 I have made mention above of the achievement of the 
 Poonindie men as shearers in after years, and I think I 
 shall be excused if I make the following extract from the 
 Government Gazette, of February 12, 1880, to show that 
 they became accomplished ploughmen, as well as shearers, 
 as time went on. Mr. Joseph Shaw, at that time super- 
 intending the institution, reported to the Government as
 
 77 
 
 follows : " We have two or three very good ploughers, 
 ' and, at a ploughing match in the district, some months 
 ' ago, the natives succeeded in obtaining all the best 
 ' prizes, much to the surprise of every one, particularly of 
 ' the competitors, who were farmers of long standing in 
 'the district." 
 
 I find that, in consequence of my neglect of my diary, I 
 
 made a short summary of events connected with our 
 
 spiritual concerns in 1853 and the beginning of 1854. The 
 
 following is an extract of the summary : " Most important 
 
 " have been the events which marked this period. What 
 
 " mercies have been showered down upon me ! How has 
 
 " God's goodness called upon me to devote myself more 
 
 " than ever to His service, with devoted zeal and singleness 
 
 " of purpose, and tenderness of spirit, in my endeavours to 
 
 " win souls to Christ. A mixture of sorrows and of joys in 
 
 " large measures has characterised the year : especially 
 
 " from our having been afflicted with so much sickness 
 
 " amongst the natives, and so many deaths. Most of them, 
 
 " however, watched the approach of the time for their re- 
 
 " spective departures out of this world, full of faith and hope. 
 
 " And, God be praised, they gave us every reason to 
 
 " believe that they were firmly established in the faith of 
 
 " Christ. In fact the state in which their minds were was 
 
 " such as nothing but the work of the Holy Spirit could 
 
 " have produced. Immediately connected with this sub- 
 
 "ject, and giving occasion for expressions of unbounded 
 
 " gratitude to the Giver of all good, is the progress which 
 
 " the work of God has been making during this period. 
 
 " The crowning point is that the natives now advise and 
 
 " exhort one another, and help one another." 
 
 Our dear friend Narrung died December 5. His was 
 the last death in 1853. For the reason already alleged, I 
 am not able to give any particulars of his last hours. I am 
 sure, however, that he died as I have represented him 
 above, a devout and earnest Christian. This much I dis- 
 tinctly remember, that when he had ceased to be able to 
 go to work, he used to sit in the open air with a cheerful 
 and happy look upon his face, reading his Testament ; i.e., 
 the three or four chapters of St. John which he had learned 
 to read by going over them again and again. The seven- 
 teenth chapter was the one he especially loved. His usual 
 expression was that he was just waiting until it should 
 please God to call him.
 
 78 
 
 I have now brought my narrative down to the end of 
 1853. I have entered much into details. My hope has 
 been that I might so set the whole matter before the 
 minds of my readers, that anyone who might think it 
 worth while to make the effort, might almost fancy himself 
 to be living and moving amongst us. He may surely 
 pretty clearly understand how we were all occupied, and 
 what was our general routine of employment from day to 
 day. By the time we arrived at the end of the year 
 1853, that routine was firmly established by custom, and 
 it appears to me that it is quite unnecessary for me to 
 repeat the same things over and over again. I propose, 
 therefore, to state only briefly the occurrences of the 
 remaining time of my stay at Poonindie, concluding with a 
 full 'account of the state of affairs at the time of my 
 departure. 
 
 I have, in the course of my narrative, said much about 
 the good conduct of our inmates and their progress in 
 Christian knowledge and in the practice of Christian 
 duties. But I have said nothing about the falls into sin 
 of some amongst them. My silence on this last-named 
 subject has by no means been occasioned by any desire to 
 conceal the fact that there were falls into sin. But I have 
 felt that to enter into details about these matters would be 
 anything but edifying to the reader, and could not answer 
 any good purpose. It must suffice therefore for me to say 
 that we had cases of grievous falls. And what is, if 
 possible, still more sad is, that we had grievous falls amongst" 
 my white assistants. In fact if by any possibility I could 
 measure my trouble and distress of mind from the one 
 source and from the other, it might be found that I had 
 suffered almost more from the misconduct of some of the 
 white people than from that of the natives. There was 
 this difference. When the natives fell, they fell from a 
 position which was new to them. They had had such a 
 short time to accustom themselves to live up to the high 
 standard of morals required by Christianity. They had 
 had but a short time to learn and experience the utter help- 
 lessness of man without the grace of God, and his liability 
 to fall if he should neglect, even for the shortest time, 
 diligently to seek that grace. The native fell. But his 
 conscience was not outraged by sins done deliberately and 
 of set purpose, in opposition to full light and knowledge.
 
 79 
 
 The conscience therefore was not silenced : the offender 
 was troubled in mind by its reproaches and the conse- 
 quent remorse. The offender then became a penitent and 
 rose again from his fall. In the case of the white offenders 
 they put their hands to our work as persons having a zeal 
 for religion. They sinned against the light and knowledge 
 of many years. The conscience had been deliberately 
 resisted ; it had been reduced to silence : and there followed 
 no sign of repentance. 
 
 1854. The year 1854 was a year of marked character 
 throughout the Colony of South Australia on account of the 
 failure of the wheat crop. The long drought prevailing, I 
 believe, over the whole Colony, produced the most disastrous 
 results. At Poonindie, where there were so many mouths 
 to be fed, this calamity affected us most seriously. Itwas not 
 only from the failure of our own crop that we suffered ; but 
 the general failure ran up the price of flour to almost 
 double what it had been when the Institution was first 
 established. In 1850 and 1851 the price of flour ranged 
 at about \\ or 12. per ton. After the failure of the 
 wheat crop of 1854 the price went up to 20 per ton. 
 
 And this was not all. The owner of the little schooner 
 which carried on the shipping trade between Port Adelaide 
 and Port Lincoln raised enormously his charges for freight. 
 These high prices lasted through nearly all the year 1855, 
 and I was thereby greatly thrown back in my financial 
 position. When I first started I had, of course, every- 
 thing to do, and very insufficient funds to do it with, 
 and I then got considerably into arrears. But, after I 
 entered upon my contract, and had the"i,ooo per annum, 
 I was gradually picking up ; and had nearly righted myself 
 when the calamity of 1854 threw me back again. I here 
 gratefully mention the name of Mr. Alexander Lang 
 Elder for he it was who sustained me in my difficulties, 
 and enabled me to carry on my undertaking. I did all my 
 business with him ; and he, knowing how I was circum- 
 stanced, continued to send me flour and other provisions 
 according to my need, when I had got far behind in my 
 payments. 
 
 He, and Mrs. Elder and their little boy, taking a pleasure 
 trip in one of his well-earned holidays, paid a visit to Port 
 Lincoln ; and I had the pleasure of driving them out to 
 Poonindie to see our little settlement.
 
 8o 
 
 So far from being discouraged by the failure of the crop 
 for 1854, we t more land than ever under cultivation in 
 1855, and it then pleased God to bless us with an 
 abundant crop. We were able to send 600 bushels of 
 wheat to Captain Hart's mill at Port Adelaide to be 
 ground for the Institution, and 100 bushels were kept at 
 home for seed or any other purpose for which it might be 
 required. 
 
 I must now return to that subject which occupies so large 
 
 a space in this narrative. In one of my official Reports to 
 
 the Government, I wrote as follows : " I am most anxious 
 
 ' to leave no means untried to preserve our inmates in 
 
 ' health, and, if possible, to stay the tide of mortality which 
 
 ' seems to have set in upon us. With a view to the more 
 
 ' effectual use of such means as may be within our reach, 
 
 ' I am anxious to procure, for at any rate some months, the 
 
 ' services of a medical man to be resident at the Institu- 
 
 ' tion, who would then have it in his power to watch very 
 
 ' narrowly the health of the inmates ; and he might be able to 
 
 ' discover whether, amongst the peculiarities of their habits 
 
 ' and of their manner of life in this place, there is anything 
 
 ' which can be specially fixed upon as being detrimental to 
 
 ' health. To any person who may read this, and who will 
 
 ' endeavour to procure for me the benefit of such medical 
 
 ' aid, I shall feel really and sincerely indebted." I then 
 
 mentioned the name of Mr. Moorhouse, and the names of 
 
 two other leading medical men to whom communications 
 
 might be addressed. I again returned to this subject in a 
 
 later Report, and said : " I have still the same anxieties as 
 
 " I before expressed to have the benefit of the temporary 
 
 " residence of some medical man at the Institution ; but 
 
 " I have received no communication from any quarter upon 
 
 "the subject." 
 
 But that which I spoke of as a tide of mortality setting 
 in upon us did not recede. We had many deaths in 1854 
 and 1855 ; but we had still the same consolations to support 
 us as those already described. In the majority of cases 
 those who left us departed full of Christian faith, hoping 
 for a blessed resurrection. Having no diary of the period 
 to refer to, I am not able to specify particulars, except in a 
 few cases ; for, as may be supposed, there was much simi- 
 larity in the cases. I have a distinct recollection, however, 
 of one of my visits to the bedside of a dear lad named
 
 8i 
 
 Moonchie. He was a cheerful, good tempered fellow, much 
 liked by his companions ; but he was volatile, and had often 
 needed reproofs. On the occasion I refer to, I had read to 
 him the parable of the Prodigal Son, and was trying to 
 bring home to him its application. I remarked upon the 
 action of the father, as represented in the parable, and his 
 fatherly love and readiness to forgive ; and then I asked, 
 " What does that mean ?" He answered quitereadily, " That 
 means God." Then I remarked upon the action of the 
 returning son, and was proceeding to ask the same ques- 
 tion with reference to him. I have very often made use of 
 the parable in the same way, when teaching young or 
 simple-minded persons ; and the answer about the son has 
 been, so far I remember, invariably a general one, such 
 as " That means the sinner praying for forgiveness of his 
 " sins," and in such cases something more has to be said 
 to make the application personal. But, in poor Moonchie's 
 case, there was no need to get to the point in a round- 
 about way. He scarcely gave me time to ask the question 
 about the son, but replied quickly, and with much 
 animation, " That's me." Moonchie was one of the 
 fifteen whom I brought with me from Adelaide in January, 
 1852. He was baptized in August, 1853, and died in 
 December, 1854. 
 
 I mention another case, that of Taaba, because she 
 belonged to the Port Lincoln district, and was the 
 first of that district who, as we hope, died in the faith. 
 It will be remembered that, at Mr. Schurmann's urgent 
 request, I received, before the school was transferred ta 
 Poonindie, three of his girls, who, as he said, had out- 
 grown the school. Taaba was one of them ; and for that 
 reason I made special mention of her case in my Report 
 to the Government of January, 1856. She was admitted 
 to Poonindie, November, 1852 ; was baptized at the same 
 time as Moonchie, August, 1853 ; and died December, 
 1855. This is what I said of her : " She had uniformly 
 ' conducted herself with strict propriety. She was very 
 ' intelligent, and could read well, but she did not manifest 
 ' that degree of earnestness in the pursuit of the Kingdom 
 ' of Heaven, or that deep concern about the salvation of 
 ' her soul which I should have been thankful to have 
 ' witnessed. Her own relations, mother, &c., still living 
 ' for the most part in the Bush, and conforming to Bush 
 
 G
 
 82 
 
 " habits of life, were constantly with her during her last 
 " illness ; and their presence and companionship operated, 
 " I have no doubt, in a manner very unfavourable to her 
 " spiritual condition." 
 
 Dear, good Neechi, who died in August, 1855, had been 
 truly a pillar of the Institution from the day of its 
 foundation. He was one of those who had been sent by 
 Mr. Moorhouse to be employed upon a station before I 
 had anything to do with the matter. He and his wife 
 Kilpa joined our party when we went to Boston Island. 
 He was a man of different temperament from his great 
 friend Narrung, less animated, and quiet in manner. But 
 he sympathized, heart and soul, with his friend in every 
 thing that was good. His services, in work of all kinds, 
 were valuable, because he could always be thoroughly 
 depended upon. And he was at home in occupations of 
 every kind. I have no record of his last days, but I feel 
 perfectly sure that he died, as he had lived, an earnest, 
 consistent and devout Christian. 
 
 It appears that I did not, as a rule, preserve copies of 
 my Reports to the Government, although I have been 
 able to give extracts from some of them. The following 
 extracts is from the Report of December 31, 1855 : 
 
 " I have now to record the death of another whose loss 
 we deeply feel. 
 
 " For a length of time, the exemplary conduct and 
 unblemished character of Joseph Mudlong exercised a most 
 important influence amongst the members of our little 
 community. When I first made his acquaintance, at the 
 beginning of 1851, he was a messenger at Government 
 House known by the name of Jemmy. In June of that 
 same year he joined the Institution. In February, 1853, on 
 the . occasion of the Bishop's visit to Poonindie, he, 
 together with Neechi, Narrung and others, eleven in all, 
 received the Sacrament of Baptism at his Lordship's 
 hands. From first to last his conduct was most correct 
 and blameless ; but not only by this decorum and correct- 
 ness of life was the reality of his Christian principles 
 evidenced. It was manifest that his heart was with God. 
 He was a lover of good things and one who yearned after 
 the souls of others. He was ever forward to instruct the 
 young and to guide and teach *hose who possessed less 
 knowledge than himself. The nan who, taking a less
 
 83 
 
 favoured brother for his pupil, unobserved by any eye but 
 that of God, unbidden by any voice but that of Christian 
 charity speaking within him, will affectionately strive for 
 that brother's soul and patiently instruct him in the 
 blessed way of salvation that man must needs be a 
 blessing to any community, and his departure from that 
 community must needs be felt to be a heavy privation. 
 Such was Joseph Mudlong at Poonindie. The day is yet 
 future when the fruits of his spiritual labours will be fully 
 known. His last days upon earth were strictly in keeping 
 with those which had gone before. As the time 
 approached for his departure to that Heavenly Kingdom, 
 which he so earnestly desired, his disposition, habitually 
 cheerful, became more so than usual ; and, notwithstand- 
 ing his sufferings and extreme debility, there was a tone 
 of happiness, I may indeed say of joyousness, pervading 
 his whole mind, which was most edifying to all about him. 
 We shall greatly feel his loss. In the school, as well as 
 elsewhere, he rendered important aid ; and frequently on 
 Sundays, as well as upon other days, he conducted 
 Divine Service in my absence. 
 
 " I bear in mind in this case, as I have done upon similar 
 occasions before, that I am writing an Official Report, and, 
 therefore, I abstain from saying more than I feel to be 
 necessary to show that the Institution is satisfactorily 
 accomplishing the great object for which it was formed, 
 viz., that of leading on the inmates step by step to a know- 
 ledge of their Crucified Redeemer, and preparing them to 
 enter into everlasting life. We now reckon something like 
 seventeen or eighteen souls, once members of our little 
 community, whom we firmly believe to have entered into 
 their heavenly rest. 
 
 " Of the peculiar features and characteristics of their 
 piety I could say much if I considered this a proper place 
 for such enlargement. One feature, however, I must 
 remark upon, viz., the clear and unclouded happiness of 
 their minds as death approaches. For nearly twenty years 
 the duties of my sacred calling have brought me much into 
 the presence of the sick and dying. In my ministrations 
 amongst persons in this condition I feel that my Divine 
 Master has enabled me to reap my richest fruits. Yet the 
 calm, uninterrupted happiness at the approach of death, 
 such as that which I have just described, I have met with
 
 84 
 
 in comparatively but few instances amongst those of my own 
 race. A lurking worldliness of mind, a hankering after and 
 a care for ' many things ' how often do these enemies of 
 the Christian's peace disturb his mind and cast a cloud over 
 his happiness as his great change draws near. At the 
 death-bed of Joseph Mudlong, and others of his race who 
 have gone before him, I have felt, indeed, constrained to 
 exclaim, ' Let me die the death of the righteous, and let 
 my last end be like his.' " 
 
 I have now brought to a conclusion my part of the 
 story of Poonindie. For the second part we are to be in- 
 debted to the pen of Mr. Edwin Blackmore, Clerk of the 
 Legislative Council of South Australia. Mr. Blackmore 
 possesses every qualification requisite for the performance 
 of this task. He is not only intimately acquainted with 
 Poonindie and all connected with the place, he is also 
 officially connected with the Institution, having been for the 
 past eight years the acting Trustee thereof, and he is 
 thoroughly accustomed to literary work. The second part 
 will be of great interest and importance, because it will 
 show that the Institution has a vitality of its own. Like 
 all human institutions, it has had its ups and downs. 
 Many hands and many minds have been connected with 
 its management, but it has still kept steadily on its way for 
 a period of nearly forty years, doing its work for God's 
 glory and for the salvation of squls. 
 
 Many readers of my narrative may like to know what 
 strangers have thought and said about Poonindie. I there- 
 fore add four Appendices. Appendix A is a letter written 
 by a gentleman named Lowe, who stayed with us a short 
 time a few weeks before my departure. Mr. Lowe's ex- 
 pressions and his whole earnest demeanour made it manifest 
 that his visit made a very deep impression upon him. 
 
 About Mr. Goodwin, the writer of the letter, Appendix B, 
 I never had any information except that which I derived 
 from newspapers. My impression is that he travelled from 
 Melbourne for the express purpose of visiting Poonindie, 
 and that he was requested to do this, either on behalf of 
 some religious society or as a representative of the press. 
 All that I could learn about the writer of the paper in 
 Appendix C was that he was a stranger who visited the 
 Port Lincoln district. The Melbourne Missionary, in which 
 the paper appeared, is a little religious periodical, edited by
 
 85 
 
 the Rev. Hussey de Burgh Macartney, of Melbourne. The 
 paper, Appendix D, with the heading, sufficiently explains 
 itself. 
 
 APPENDIX A. 
 
 A VISIT TO POONINDIE. 
 
 The following is an extract from a letter written to 
 Archdeacon Hale by a gentleman, long resident in the 
 Colony of New South Wales, who, early in the year 1856, 
 visited the Natives' Training Institution at Poonindie, 
 Port Lincoln : 
 
 " I could not, after the termination of a long journey 
 across this vast country from E. to W., along a line of 
 rivers on whose banks abundant examples of the aboriginal 
 population are to be seen and studied in their habits and 
 condition, witness what I saw at Poonindie, and in con- 
 nection with your Training Institution, without a deep 
 impression of the wonderful work it has accomplished. I 
 say wonderful, because at every stage of my journey I 
 made, as opportunity occurred, and such was almost 
 daily, minute inquiries as to the gradually wasting away 
 of tribes of men once occupiers of the soil, and the 
 progress of the remnant that was left in European 
 habits, general civilization, moral and religious improve- 
 ment, as also as to their food, their dress, their supersti- 
 tions the results of contact with the white man their 
 intelligence, their capabilities ; and the result was that 
 each day added to the hopelessness I felt of any such 
 change as would rescue them from the degraded condition 
 that everywhere, in one shape or another, was presented. 
 I became conscious of the amount of depravity that was 
 conquered only when I contrasted the wretchedness to 
 which I have averted with the comforts you have be- 
 stowed on the aboriginal natives under your personal care, 
 as evidenced by the condition of those around you. 
 
 " I think you had sixty inmates when I visited your 
 institution ; and when I saw the adult members of your 
 flock pursuing the avocations of the farm, conscious of the 
 self-respect which man owes to himself as a rational being, 
 well clothed (by means of their own earnings), quiet, 
 orderly, deferential yet not servile, supplying the place of 
 my own countrymen (without their vices) in shearing 
 the plough, with the sickle, as shepherds, standing out in
 
 86 
 
 strong relief from the wild tribes around them, I then felt 
 that the objection was for ever silenced that the aboriginal 
 is not to be reclaimed. He stood before me as an example 
 of a good and useful member of society ; but that was not 
 all. I saw not only his social improvement, but the 
 cultivation of religion bearing its fruits in some thirty, in 
 some an hundredfold. My feelings are not readily to be 
 described when, as your guest, I heard the matins bell 
 summoning the village to early worship ; and, obeying its 
 call, I found your chapel benches filled by civilized and 
 baptized natives, who were repeating in my own tongue 
 the responses of my own Church, and listening re- 
 verentially to the portion of the Scripture she dispenses 
 to them daily, and observing a demeanour which would 
 put many of those white men to shame, who, when they 
 enter a church, are there ashamed to kneel. Not only by 
 outward posture, but with heartfelt earnestness, did these 
 men reverence the sanctuary. I heard the tone of their 
 repetition of the Confession. I heard the voice of their 
 psalmody and thanksgivings in the accents of our own 
 Church music, accompanied by their flutes, and I ac- 
 knowledged that they were there my teachers. Here, then, 
 was the further proof that these difficult and blind tribes 
 can be brought to the light of faith, and can evidence it by 
 their lives. Let no man henceforth say they have neither 
 part nor lot with us in the salvation vouchsafed to all ! 
 And, as these things were thus passing before me, one 
 there was in your hospital, whose hours were numbered, 
 even then praying for the conversion of his tribe." 
 
 APPENDIX B. 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND MISSION TO THE 
 ABORIGINES. 
 
 The following narrative of Mr. Goodwin's was read at 
 the annual meeting of the members and friends of this Mission 
 on the igth Jan., 1860 : 
 
 " I arrived at Port Lincoln (by the steamer Marion) on 
 Sunday afternoon, November 27. The Bishop of Adelaide 
 having kindly furnished me with an introduction to a Mr. 
 Bishop, I at once directed my steps towards his residence, 
 and there met with the Rev. O. Hammond, the superin- 
 tendent of the Native Training Institution at Poonindie,
 
 87 
 
 who welcomed me in a very cordial manner. After a short 
 delay, we started on horseback for Poonindie, which lies 
 ten miles to the north of the town of Port Lincoln. The 
 road lay along the shores of the noble harbour of Boston 
 Bay, and for the first few miles over hills thickly timbered 
 with sheoak to the water's edge, the country becoming 
 more level and open as we neared Poonindie, which is 
 situated a short distance from the banks of a small river 
 named the Tod, upon a plain lightly timbered with sheoak, 
 which is the prevailing timber of the country. 
 
 "The village of Poonindie consists of the superinten- 
 dent's residence, and sundry out-buildings, a large stone 
 building, used as a dining-hall by the natives, eight brick 
 cottages (mostly two-roomed), and a schoolroom, which is 
 36 feet long by 16 feet wide inside, with a bay-window of 
 four lights 4 feet deep; the side-walls are 17 feet high, 
 the gable-ends 28 feet high : on one of them is a bell- 
 turret ; it is built of stone with brick quoins, and forms a 
 prominent and pleasing object in the view of the village, as 
 seen from a distance. 
 
 " We arrived at Poonindie at 6 o'oclock p.m. ; at 
 7 the bell was rung for evening service, when all the adult 
 native population and other residents assembled in the 
 schoolroom, forming a congregation of about 35 to 40 
 persons. 
 
 "The Rev. O. Hammond read service, the whole con- 
 gregation joining in the responses, in a devout and 
 intelligent manner, confessing that they had ' done 
 those things which they ought not to have done, and 
 left undone those things which they ought to have 
 done : ' reading in an audible yet subdued voice the 
 alternate verses ol the Psalms, the ' Magnificat ' and ' Deus 
 Misereatur ; ' professing their belief in God the Father, 
 the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; and uniting in singing the 
 praises of our Lord and Saviour the singing being led by 
 two men (aborigines) playing on flutes from written music 
 before them, in a manner highly creditable to themselves, 
 and most pleasing to hear. The hymn sung was ' Lo ! He 
 comes in clouds descending.' Mr. Hammond, in a simple 
 and impressive manner, addressed them on the subject of 
 Our Lord's second coming, and the service concluded by 
 singing the hymn, ' Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing.' 
 
 " I never saw a more quiet, orderly and attentive con-
 
 gregation. I had heard and read some little of what was 
 done at Poonindie, but I was scarcely prepared for what I 
 witnessed there. Here were these who by many persons 
 are deemed but one remove above ' the beasts that perish,' 
 reckoned almost beneath the notice of the Almighty, 
 incapable of civilization, unsusceptible of religious impres- 
 sions, and hopelessly sunk in ignorance, barbarism, and 
 sensuality here were these, a remnant, it is true, but yet 
 a people ' clothed and in their right mind,' worshipping 
 Him whom their fathers knew not, but who, by His all 
 powerful grace, they have been brought to know and love. 
 
 " What I saw filled me with much joy my heart over- 
 flowed tears filled my eyes I ' thanked God and took 
 courage.' 
 
 " On Monday morning, at seven o'clock, the bell was rung 
 for prayers, at which most of the people attended, when a 
 chapter from the Old Testament and a selection of prayers 
 from the Liturgy were read. After breakfast the men and 
 boys went about the business of the farm. Most of them 
 were employed in cutting hay, which was carted home 
 during the week, the whole being done by them without any 
 superintendence. At eleven o'clock the women and children 
 assembled in the schoolroom for instruction. I heard them 
 read from their lesson books, and also from the New 
 Testament, and many of them gave suitable replies to 
 questions that were addressed to them, and nearly all of 
 them are acquainted with the Church Catechism. 
 
 " In the afternoon they again met to be taught sewing, 
 in addition to reading and writing. The evening school, 
 conducted by Mr. Hammond, was well attended by men 
 and boys ; many of them can read and write very well, and 
 are able to give intelligent replies to questions proposed to 
 them on what they have read. The cleanly state of their 
 copy-books, and the uniform progress of their improvement 
 in writing, would do credit to any school. All, of course, 
 are not equally talented, some making more rapid progress 
 and taking greater delight in their work than others. 
 
 " At about half-past eight the bell was rung, when the adult 
 population assembled in the schoolroom for evening prayer. 
 A hymn was sung, a chapter from the New Testament and 
 a selection of prayers from the Liturgy read ; and thus was 
 the day brought to a conclusion in a profitable, peaceful, 
 and Christian-like manner. The same course of procedure
 
 8 9 
 
 is gone through daily, except during shearing time, when 
 the school is necessarily interrupted. 
 
 " On Tuesday I inspected the premises, and went over 
 a part of the run. The natives' cottages are built of brick, 
 and thatched. Most of them contain two separate rooms, 
 about 9 by feet 7, with fireplace in each, and form a resi- 
 dence for two families. All the cottages were in a cleanly 
 and tidy condition, and in nearly all I saw a small shelf, 
 on which were a few well-used books, and most prominent 
 of all was the New Testament, which I was told they 
 prefer to any other, generally taking that in preference to 
 any other book when they go to any of the out-stations to 
 shepherd. The run comprises 35 square miles, and the 
 stock consists of a little more than 6,000 (six thousand) sheep, 
 about 300 (three hundred) cattle, and from 40 to 50 horses. 
 
 " The expenses of building have hitherto required an 
 annual grant from Government, which last year was 
 reduced from ^"1,000 to ^"500. With the above-mentioned 
 stock, it is thought and hoped by many that the time is 
 near when the Institution will be altogether self-supporting, 
 and independent of the Government grant. A portion of 
 the land is cultivated, but only 15 acres are under wheat 
 this year, and owing to the very dry season, it will be but 
 a very poor crop. On Wednesday there was a flock of 
 sheep to be drafted. I went to the sheepyards, and when 
 the drafting was done the sheep were counted out of the 
 yard by one of the blacks. Placing myself in a convenient 
 position, I also counted the sheep, but without his being 
 aware that I was doing so. When the whole were counted 
 I found that he had counted them quite correctly ; the 
 flock numbered over 1,500 (fifteen hundred). 
 
 " Who will say after this that the aborigines are incapable 
 of mental improvement ? 
 
 " With regard to their spiritual improvement there is 
 cause for much thankfulness. Many have given good 
 evidence, both in their life and by their death, that the 
 savin g truths ot our most holy religion have found a place 
 in their hearts their sorrow for sin, their faith in Christ's 
 atonement, their forgiveness of injuries, their love to their 
 fellow-men, and earnest desire that they should be taught 
 the truth as it is in Jesus, have proved in those that have 
 departed to their rest, and yet prove in those that remain, 
 the sincerity of their faith in Christ.
 
 go 
 
 I would not, however, be understood to say that they 
 have attained to all that we desire to see them that they 
 are ' model Christians.' I think people in general expect 
 too much from all missionary efforts, and because they do 
 not see the heathen converts, and especially the aborigines 
 of this country, attain to the perfect model of Christian life 
 and practice which they think they should, they are, if 
 friendly to missions, discouraged ; or, on the other hand, 
 if unfriendly, they at once say it is useless to attempt 
 either conversion or improvement. 
 
 "Let us, however, 'judge righteous judgment ;' let us 
 contrast the present state of the inmates of the Institution 
 at Poonindie with that of the natives in the Bush, with 
 that in which their forefathers lived yea, contrast their 
 state, their lives, and conduct with those of many of our 
 own people who have had advantages far exceeding any 
 that the poor aborigines have had and I say the contrast 
 will be much in favour of the inhabitants of Poonindie. 
 If ' all who profess and call themselves Christians ' were 
 practical Christians, as well as professing Christians we 
 should hear less about the impossibility of converting the 
 aborigines ; less about the inutility of any efforts for their 
 civilization, and more about the good that has been 
 effected by the few and feeble efforts that have been made 
 for their improvement and well being, and those efforts, 
 instead of being discouraged and deprecated, would be 
 lauded and redoubled. 
 
 " As an instance that the instruction given at Poonindie 
 is not in vain, I heard of a woman who a few years ago 
 was dismissed from the Institution for ill conduct. A few 
 months since she was employed at a station some miles 
 distant, and while there was taken ill and died. Her last 
 words were, ' Tell the boys I have not forgotten what I 
 learned at Poonindie tell the boys I have not forgotten 
 what I learned at Poonindie.' The seed sown had taken 
 root, rugged though the soil was ; and may we not hope 
 that though the day of her life was dark and cloudy, that 
 at ' eventide there was light ? ' 
 
 " I remained at Poonindie a week, and during that 
 time had ample opportunities of observing the character 
 and conduct of its forty-five inhabitants a more peace- 
 able, orderly, and contented community there cannot be ; 
 and taking into consideration their want of stamina, and
 
 9 1 
 
 their inability to endure long-continued labour (and also 
 the natural indolence of the race, which cannot be eradi- 
 cated in one generation or two), they are on the whole 
 industrious. 
 
 " I shall ever look back with pleasure to my week's 
 sojourn amongst them, and with grateful recollection of the 
 kind and openhearted hospitality shown me by Mr. 
 Hammond and his family. 
 
 " I left Poonindie at five o'clock on the morning of 
 Sunday, December 4, and arrived at Port Lincoln in 
 time for the steamer to Adelaide." Argus. 
 
 APPENDIX C. 
 
 The following account of the Poonindie Native Settle- 
 ment, South Australia, is from The Melbourne Missionary : 
 
 " What a curious village ! No public-house and no gaol or 
 police-barracks ! Here in this arcadia the little community, 
 men, women, and children, morning and evening, meet in 
 church for prayer and praise. None of its members ever go 
 to law ; no drunkenness or crime is here found, and should 
 any little dispute arise it is settled among themselves in a 
 Christian manner, in accordance with St. Paul's instruc- 
 tions to the Corinthians. There is an educational estab- 
 lishment, where some of the pupils can show creditable 
 specimens of penmanship, &c. Singing classes for practising 
 sacred music are held in the church. Everybody looked 
 fat, happy and clean. One of the laws is that every one 
 must have a hot bath every Saturday evening, and a cold 
 one as often as he or she likes. The curfew-bell tolls a 
 little later than under the Norman rule, and when it rings 
 lights are put out and all retire to rest. Every morning the 
 men proceed to their rural avocations some reaping, some 
 shepherding, some building. Meantime the wives are 
 washing and cooking, and the children learning and playing, 
 and on the Sabbath they listen in their beloved church to 
 their pastor, and chant their glorias and anthems and sing 
 hymns in a beautiful manner. Now, who are those people 
 living in such an orderly and exemplary manner ? The 
 despised aborigines of South Australia. 
 
 Those farmers who with their families, take a pleasure 
 in every morning meeting in church to ask God's blessing 
 on the day, and in the evening return thanks in the same
 
 92 
 
 manner, whose lives and conduct may compare favourably 
 with the squirearchy of the last century, are the race that 
 has furnished examples of degraded humanity to every 
 author treating of the variety of the various divisions of the 
 human race. It is impossible to visit Poonindie Institution 
 without being deeply interested. The problem whether 
 aborigines can be civilized or not is here solved ; and mind, 
 no partial civilization, no mixing up of Christian and pagan 
 usages here ; no carrying about of dead bodies, as is allowed 
 elsewhere ; no fear of offending by decidedly preventing any 
 pagan and filthy usages ; but a firm, kind control, under 
 which order and harmony prevail. These people are not 
 the lazy recipients of State aid or private benevolence. 
 Everyone of ability has to work, and so fond are they of the 
 mode of life that the greatest punishment that can be in- 
 flicted upon them is to threaten to send them away. Of 
 course this order and almost perfection did not come at 
 once. The present superintendent, Mr. W. R. Holden, is 
 much beloved by the natives. 
 
 APPENDIX D. 
 
 An extract from an account of a visit to Poonindie in 
 year 1872, written by the Bishop (Dr. Short) of Adelaide. 
 
 " For five happy years, under the Archdeacon's per- 
 sonal direction, this growth, material and spiritual, con- 
 tinued. In spite of about twenty deaths not less than 
 seventeen of which were attended with circumstances 
 justifying a very happy hope of the state of the departed 
 the numbers in the Institution reached sixty-two. They 
 are now eighty-three, and the difficulties which beset it at 
 an earlier period seemed in great measure to have been 
 removed. The natives were moral in their conduct, and 
 able to resist temptation when sent with drayloads into 
 Port Lincoln. It is remembered how " Conwillan " on one 
 occasion having loaded his own dray with goods from a 
 coasting vessel according to orders, was found by the 
 Archdeacon rendering the like service to a settler, whose 
 teamster was lying intoxicated on the beach ; and in no 
 one single instance did it happen that a Poonindie native, 
 sent upon errands into the township, was ever found ' the 
 worse for liquor,' however frequently sent there upon 
 business. . At that time drunkenness was the constant and 
 prevailing sin of the white labourers.
 
 93 
 
 " The Sunday services meanwhile, and daily worship 
 carried on at the Poonindie Chapel, were marked with so 
 much reverence and devotional fervour, that the 'strangers' 
 from Adelaide or elsewhere became most favourably im- 
 pressed with the sincerity of that worship, and the piety of 
 spirit from which it emanated. The singing was led by 
 three of the elder young men playing on flutes, while the 
 low gentle voices of the others made their ' psalms and 
 hymns and spiritual songs ' a delight to themselves and all 
 who heard them. 
 
 Time at length brought its vicissitudes. In June, 1856, 
 Archdeacon Hale was called, in the Providence of God, to 
 fill the See of Perth, in Western Australia, which was at 
 that time made a separate diocese from Adelaide. The 
 removal of the founder the spiritual and temporal head of 
 the Institution, the friend and guide, the teacher and 
 counsellor, the example and ruler of the natives, could not 
 but be a sorrowful event. It might have been disastrous. 
 The loss of a loving Christian father must needs be dis- 
 tressing to his children. Poonindie was not exempted from 
 the sadness and ill effects of such a deprivation. 
 
 "The difficulty, nay, impossibility of finding one to suc- 
 ceed the Bishop of Perth, as deeply interested as himself 
 in the Mission, as well as qualified to conduct its com- 
 plicated details, was quickly discovered. Even if the like 
 Christian temper and benevolence might be hoped for, it 
 was not easy to find a missionary his equal in knowledge 
 of men and things ; of business habits, and having a general 
 acquaintance with the details of sheep and cattle manage- 
 ment as well as farming. - The expenses of the establish- 
 ment were to be defrayed in part out of the proceeds of 
 the sheep and farm. Then followed a season of severe 
 sickness, under which, during two years, month after 
 month, the elder natives were struck down. Between 
 July, 1856, and March, 1858, in spite of all Mr. Hammond's 
 skill, watchfulness, and care, twenty-one deaths ensued. 
 The cloud of sorrow lay dark and heavy upon the Insti- 
 tution. The spirit of the inmates sank ; a rumour of the 
 mortality had reached their friends in the Bush, and none 
 were inclined to enter what seemed to them the ' valley of 
 the shadow of death.' 
 
 "Other discouragements succeeded. The House of 
 Assembly refused to vote supplies for its support, although
 
 94 
 
 a new Trustee had been chosen, and an Overseer, directly 
 responsible to the Government, had, at the instance of the 
 Chief Secretary, been appointed. Rumours became rife 
 of revocation of the native reserve ; of the putting up for 
 sale the land marked out in sections : of mismanagement ; 
 and that, associated with utter unbelief in the public 
 mind generally of any possible benefit from the Institution 
 to the natives ; complaints from the natives themselves 
 of harsh and unfair treatment from the Overseer. To 
 obviate such complaints and secure some fruit of their 
 labour beyond food, raiment, and clothing, the Trustees 
 arranged that a weekly money payment should be placed 
 to their account, which they might spend as they 
 themselves chose. The system thus inaugurated was 
 found to work well, as it had, at an earlier period, under 
 the Archdeacon. It has since been continued and 
 extended. 
 
 "It was pleasing toobservehow well, generally speaking, 
 the money was spent : in procuring good clothes for them- 
 selves and wives, or domestic comforts, or paying passage 
 money by steamer to Adelaide, and spending there, with all 
 propriety of conduct, a short holiday. Health and quiet- 
 ness seemed once more to come back to the Institution, 
 which prospered in a worldly sense under the skilful 
 management of the Overseer ; but the higher tone and 
 happier spirit of the primitive period were lacking. The 
 Superintendent acting in the name of the Church, and the 
 Overseer exercising authority over the natives on behalf 
 of the Government, the usual consequences of divided 
 responsibility followed ; and while the Station prospered, 
 the Mission was overshadowed. During this period, how- 
 ever, the school was kept up by Mr. Hammond and his 
 daughter, and then taken charge of by two theological 
 students in succession during two-years-and-a-half the 
 Revs. W. Clayfield and F. S. Poole who did good service, 
 maintaining discipline and good conduct among the 
 younger inmates. 
 
 " A change at length took place on the appointment as 
 Trustee of Mr. G. W. Hawkes a name well-known in 
 Sydney and Adelaide for zealous co-operation in every 
 work of benevolence. The Governor having ratified his 
 nomination by the Lord Bishop of Adelaide, the Institution 
 was carried on after his appointment in the joint names of
 
 95 
 
 the present Trustees the Lord Bishop of Adelaide, Samuel 
 Davenport, and G. W. Hawkes, Esqs. 
 
 " Once more it became possible, by a change in the 
 management, to restore the missionary character of the 
 Institution, and realize the grand idea of the founder, viz. : 
 a Christian village of South Australian natives, reclaimed 
 from barbarism, trained to the duties of social Christian 
 life, and walking in the fear of God, through knowledge 
 and faith in the love of Christ their Saviour ; and the 
 power of His Spirit. 
 
 " It is unnecessary to trace the steps by which, in June, 
 1868, the existing arrangements were brought into full 
 working order under the present staff of officers : 
 
 " The Rev. O. Hammond, Chaplain (charged also with 
 inspection of the sanitary condition of the natives). 
 
 " Mr. Robert William Holden, Superintendent and In- 
 structor. (Mrs. Holden subsequently took charge of 
 the women and girls.) 
 
 - " Mr. Watts Newland, Managing Overseer of the 
 Station. 
 
 " The object of employing only native labour in the opera- 
 tions of the farm and run being kept in view, as few white 
 people were engaged as possible, viz., a carpenter, a plough- 
 man, and a station cook, who baked for the natives. 
 
 " The ordinary routine of daily employment then adopted 
 is as follows : 
 
 " At six a.m. the station-bell rings. The natives having 
 charge of teams go to the stables to feed and water their 
 horses. The bullocks and horses required for the day are 
 brought in by the stockmen. At seven the Chapel-bell is 
 rung for morning prayer, when all the inmates of the 
 Institution are expected to attend. There is seldom 
 occasion to find fault with the attendance. During the 
 months of September and October of the present year, 
 1872, 60 adults are recorded as present both morning and 
 evening, besides children, out of a total of 86 natives. At 
 half-past seven, breakfast ; the single men and boys break- 
 fasting together in their kitchen ; the single women and 
 girls also by themselves ; the married couples in their 
 cottages. In winter, the time is one half-hour later. 
 
 " At eight a.m. the station work-bell is rung and the work- 
 men go to their different employments varying with the 
 season such as ploughing, when six teams are generally
 
 96 
 
 at work, five under natives ; harrowing, sowing, tending 
 the mowing or reaping machine, fencing, grubbing the 
 two latter exclusively by natives the former partially, being 
 under the direction of the ploughman. The run being 
 fenced, four natives are employed as boundary riders to 
 keep the fences in order. In the lambing season natives 
 only are employed mustering, cutting, branding, drafting 
 both sheep and cattle. At the shearing season they wash, 
 shear, press, and cart the wool bales to the shipping place. 
 
 " At twelve the dinner-bell rings for the whole establish- 
 ment ; at one, work is resumed on the bell being rung ; at 
 six in the summer and five in winter the labours of the day 
 cease ; at half-past seven p.m. evening prayer is read by 
 the Superintendent, with a lesson from Scripture, and two 
 hymns are sung ; at nine the single boys and girls are 
 mustered at the Mission House, and then retire to their 
 respective dormitories the married couples soon after. 
 Such is the general routine of the day for the working 
 population. 
 
 " If it is asked in what way the natives are remunerated 
 for their labour, the following system is in full and satis- 
 factory operation : For day work from IDS. per week to 
 I2S. are paid, according to ability ; at machine work or 
 ploughing, 1 per week ; shearing, 155. per 100, the same 
 as whites. The two best native shearers earned each i\ 
 in a month during the present season. 
 
 " Besides the above wages the following is the ration 
 allowance : Sugar, 2 Ibs. a week for each adult ; tea, \ Ib. ; 
 flour, 10 Ibs. ; rice, i Ib. ; tobacco, four sticks to each man ; 
 soap, i Ib. ; meat, 10 Ibs. ; bacon, i Ibs. ; honey, treacle, 
 oatmeal as required. If sick, sago, maizena, and other 
 medical comforts are supplied gratis. Half the above scale 
 is adopted for children. 
 
 " With regard to schooling, all the children who need 
 to be instructed, not being allowed to go to work, are 
 assembled in the schoolroom from 9 to n a.m., and 2 to 3 
 in the afternoon. A sewing class assembles at the same 
 time, when Mrs. Holden instructs the women and girls. 
 
 " In the evening there is school for adults and boys from 
 6.30 to 7.30, at which hour the chapel bell rings for prayers. 
 The whole number under instruction averages thirty. 
 Their reading is intelligent ; writing very fair ; the arith- 
 metic does not go beyond the four first rules. There are
 
 97 
 
 also maps, Scripture plates, and others for teaching natural 
 history. 
 
 " One evening in the week a sewing class assembles at 
 the Mission House, the work "being paid for according to 
 skill, and the proceeds devoted to some charitable or 
 missionary object. Mrs. Holden then reads to the women 
 as they work. The average number attending is fifteen. 
 Out of the funds thus collected, i was sent in July, 1872, 
 to the Mayor of Glenelg in aid of the fund then being 
 collected for two widows of boatmen, who were about that 
 time drowned. It should also be mentioned that 10 is 
 annually subscribed by the native men and women to 
 maintain one Melanesian scholar at the Isle of Mota in the 
 school established under Rev. George Sarawia by the 
 lamented Bishop Patteson. Towards the debt on St. 
 John's, Auburn, a sum of 1 155. was also contributed. 
 
 " Linen for the Communion table the finest which could 
 be procured in the Colony has been recently purchased by 
 them, and their gratitude towards their Founder has lately 
 manifested itself in the purchase of a tea service for pre- 
 sentation to him on his late visit to Poonindie, at the cost 
 of 10. 
 
 " Amusements. The experience of twenty-five years has 
 shown that the native temperament is soon depressed by 
 continuous labour, to which they have never been habituated. 
 Their spirits flag ; they become ill and restless ; they long 
 for change of scene, and thus are tempted to stray back 
 into the Bush. Cricketing, therefore, was introduced with 
 great success, and the Poonindie eleven has been with one 
 exception successful in the matches with their white rivals 
 at Port Lincoln. With the same object the schoolroom is 
 thrown open every evening, when bagatelle, drafts, and 
 other games (cards only excepted) are allowed. Music is 
 a favourite pursuit. More than nine have learned to play 
 the concertina ; the flute and violin are also heard among 
 them. Occasionally a few couples amuse themselves with 
 dancing, and that with grace and decorum. A hornpipe 
 danced by two of the men was remarkable for the precision 
 of time. At nine o'clock the room is closed. 
 
 " At the time of writing this account, nothing can be 
 more satisfactory than the health of every single native in 
 the Institution men, women, boys, girls, children, and 
 infants. Of the last there are at this time fifteen, and the 
 
 H
 
 9 8 
 
 comparative barrenness which for years hung over this, 
 as over other native mission institutions, has been removed. 
 This effect may probably be immediately traced to the 
 higher moral, spiritual, and mental development of the 
 inmates, and an improved physical condition resulting 
 from such training. It is most pleasing to witness the 
 affectionate relations of the married couples, and their 
 great fondness for their children. The bright, happy 
 playfulness of the latter, and the propriety of their 
 behaviour, is a source of extreme pleasure to those 
 who watch their free and unconstrained good-humour. 
 There is very seldom indeed any dispute or quarrelling 
 among them. 
 
 " We shall close this brief narrative with some account 
 of the visit of the Bishop of Perth (after an absence of 
 sixteen years) to the Institution which he had founded, 
 and of a Sunday spent at Poonindie. Under the able 
 management of Mr. Hawkes, it had been entirely relieved 
 from debt, and all necessary improvements effected. The run 
 had been fenced in, paddocks made, 200 acres cleared and 
 ploughed, cottages built, schoolroom and dormitories erected, 
 and the chapel repaired and beautified. An air of neatness 
 and comfort pervaded the whole place. The whitewashed 
 cottages some with garden plots were all tidy and clean 
 within and without. The joyous looks of the natives on 
 welcoming their first friend (though few only remained of 
 those who had been under his personal care) sufficiently 
 showed their grateful sense of what he had done for them. 
 There was a full attendance at evening prayer, and a visit 
 to some of the cottages and older married natives after 
 service soon satisfied him of the advance made in their 
 domestic and social habits, and consequent comfort and 
 happiness. On Thursday, November 21, the schoolroom 
 having been tastefully decorated with flowers and ever- 
 greens by the natives and half-castes themselves, at 
 7 o'clock their presentation of a tea service to the Bishop 
 of Perth took place. An address was read on their behalf 
 by Mr. Holden, to which the Bishop replied in his usual 
 simple and feeling manner. The Bishop of Adelaide then 
 read a letter concerning the Melanesian Mission, written 
 by Mr. Codrington, on board the mission schooner, the 
 Southern Cross, on the anniversary of Bishop Patteson's 
 death, September 20, 1871. It stated that the visits of
 
 99 
 
 the mission ship were still gladly received by the natives, 
 and that one move island had been added to the list of those 
 which gladly received the Word of God. This intelligence 
 caused much pleasure, showing that the Poonindie contribution 
 of 10 annually to the mission fund was well and usefully 
 bestowed. The pastoral staff given to the Bishop of 
 Adelaide by the clergy and laity on completing the twenty- 
 fifth year of his Episcopate, was then shown to them, 
 many of the natives having contributed a trifle towards its 
 purchase. On Saturday, the wool-carting having been 
 completed, and the hay mown and cocked, a half-holiday 
 was employed in cricketing, at which the young men are 
 adepts, rarely failing to catch or pick up and throw with 
 accuracy the ball. 
 
 " On Sunday the 24th, the Bishop of Perth took the 
 morning services at 7 a.m. and n. The first lesson for the 
 day proved to be Ecclesiastes xi., which opens with 
 words singularly appropriate to the occasion ' Cast thy 
 bread upon the waters : and thou shalt find it after 
 many days.' On this topic the Bishop dwelt in his dis- 
 course, and there was scarcely a dry eye in the assem- 
 bly. The natives and half-castes were deeply impressed 
 with the signal fulfilment of this promise to their founder 
 and benefactor, while he himself could not but thank- 
 fully recognise the hand of God in all that has been ac- 
 complished. Many of the white neighbours also were 
 present, and when the Bishop administered Holy Com- 
 munion, twenty-one of the aboriginal inmates presented 
 themselves to receive from his hands the emblems of 
 their Redeemer's sacrifice. It was a season of refreshment 
 much to be remembered at Poonindie, and encouraging 
 alike to themselves and their spiritual guides and overseers. 
 In the evening the Bishop of Adelaide (who had held a Con- 
 firmation in the morning at St. Thomas's, Port Lincoln) 
 officiated. There was again a full attendance at service, 
 and the hearty manner in which all responded and sang 
 the hymns would have surprised as well as gratified all 
 who believe the Gospel to be the power of God unto 
 salvation. 
 
 " It remains only to add that the station was all astir at 
 six a.m. on Monday morning. After full attendance in the 
 Chapel, and breakfast, the whole establishment, men, 
 women, and children, proceeded some on foot, some by
 
 IOO 
 
 dray to the shores of Louth Bay, about four miles from 
 Poonindie, to see the wool bales (100) shipped on board the 
 steamer Liibm. In 1871 the Poonindie wool fetched 
 is. 8d. per Ib. The shipping day is always a kind of red 
 letter festival in the simple calendar of the Station, but this 
 occasion was more than usually interesting, because the 
 Poonindie eleven were to embark for Adelaide to play a 
 cricket match with the scholars of the Collegiate School of 
 St. Peter. To those who have any doubts as to the identity 
 of the manhood in the white and black-skinned races, it 
 may be satisfactory to learn that the same hopes and fears, 
 the same zeal for the honour of the Institution, the same 
 pride in the cricketing uniform and colours, the same self- 
 complacent vanity in looking ' the thing,' the same, it may 
 be, affectionate pride on the part of the dark-skinned ' loving 
 wife ' in the appearance at Adelaide of her ' well got-up ' 
 husband, animated on this occasion the quondam denizens of 
 the wilderness ; as the like feelings annually manifest 
 themselves on the part of mothers and sisters of old 
 Etonians and Harrovians at the cricket matches at Lord's 
 proving incontestably that the Anglican aristocracy of 
 England and the ' noble savage ' who ran wild in the 
 Australian woods are linked together in one brotherhood of 
 blood moved by the same passions, desires, and affections ; 
 differing only because in His wisdom God has ordained 
 that His revealed truth, made known first to a Syrian, 
 ready to perish, from ' Ur of the Chaldees,' should travel 
 westward from the hills and valleys of Canaan ; until at the 
 appointed time the stream of Divine knowledge should 
 turn eastward, and cover the whole earth ' as the waters 
 cover the sea.' It may suffice to lower the pride of the 
 white-skinned race to know, that the half-caste children 
 between the high Caucasian Englishman and the (supposed) 
 degraded Australian type of humanity are a fine, powerful, 
 healthy, good-looking race both men and women ; not 
 darker than the natives of Southern Europe, and capable 
 in all respects of taking their place even in the first genera- 
 tion beside the Briton or Teuton ; driving the plough, or 
 wielding the axe with equal precision, or shearing with 
 greater care and skill from 75 to 100 sheep a day than 
 their white competitors. It is well known in the Port 
 Lincoln district that the Poonindie shearers do their 
 work most satisfactorily, and that Tom Adams is con-
 
 IOI 
 
 sidered the best shearer in the whole district. Let 
 prejudice then give way before the inexorable logic of 
 facts, and let the ' caviller,' if he can, point out a 
 hamlet of equal numbers, composed of natives from different 
 districts of Great Britain and Ireland, so dwelling together 
 in peace and harmony, and equally free from moral offences, 
 or so attentive to their religious duties, as are the natives 
 and half-castes now living in the Institution at Poonindie ; 
 enjoying consequently much happiness, and walking in the 
 fear of God. To Him be all the glory, through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. 
 
 " AUGUSTUS ADELAIDE." 
 
 THE END.
 
 LONDON : 
 
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