BY FRITZ NOETLING, M.A., PH.D. 135 



tion of the sentiments jDvevailing in 1835. Everybody 

 presumed that henceforth black and white, Europeans and 

 Tasmanian aborigines, would live as brothers and sisters 

 in one united "nation." To-day we can only smile at the 

 simpliciLv that thought it possible that one nation could 

 arise from the union of Aryans and one of the lowest races 

 of non-Aryan origin that has ever been known. We may 

 be thankful, in the intei-est of those that inhabit present 

 Tasmania, that these views, however lofty they may ap- 

 pear to the philanthropic idealist, were never realised. It 

 is regrettable that the intensely interesting Tasmanian 

 race took such a sad and untimely end, but in the interest 

 of the purity of the white race it is perhaps better so. 



A comparison of PI. XIII. (the original engraving) 

 and PI. XXII. (the sketch in oil) shows marked differences, 

 though on the whole they represent the same arrangement 

 of persons. Both pictures prove that they are compositions, 

 made in the artist's studio, from sketches he made after life, 

 either in Kobinson's house, or in his own in Hobart (2). The 

 engraving contains 11 figures, viz., three women and seven 

 men (not including Robinson), and three dogs, while the oil 

 sketch contains 15 figures, viz., five women and nine 

 men (not including Robinson), three dogs, and a kangaroo. 

 The additional figiires appear in the background only. The 

 main gi-oup of nine figures (including Robinson), viz., three 

 women and five men, is, however, exactly the same in 

 both. Robinson half turned to the right, grasps the 

 Tasmanian s right with his right hand, while the left hand 

 is slightly raised in a teaching attitude. The features of 

 the aborigines are unquestionably considerably idealised. 

 The man, whose hand Robinson is grasping, shows an almost 

 noble profile, and the three females are by no means bad- 

 looking. It is therefore pretty certain that the features 

 are not realistic. The same probably applies to the colour 

 of skin, which in the oil sketch appears to be rather a 

 nleasing dark grev. I do not think that I need to explain 

 the meaning of the picture, which speaks for itself, except 

 that in the "sketch" the man on the extreme right appears 

 in a more natural position, his left hand holding the shell 

 necklace, while in the engraving he holds a portion of a 

 spear. It is noteworthy, however, that apparentlv the 

 females are convinced, and ready to accept the new doc- 

 trine. The men. with one exception only, are either in- 

 different or directly hostile, attempting to restrain the 

 females. It would be interesting to know whether this 



(2) This renders it very probable that the "National" picture devi- 

 ates as much from the "Sketch" as the latter does from the 1835 en- 

 graving. 



