OF VAX DIEMEX'S LAXD. 155 



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and knitting, and conld make clothes. The people had 

 neat cottages and gardens, and conformed in every 

 respect to European habits. He had formed an 

 aboriginal police, and a court composed of himself and 

 three chiefs, who acted as constables. He had estab- 

 lished a circulating medium, and also a market to which 

 the natives brought their produce. The men had in 

 three years cleared a considerable area of ground, and 

 had made a road nine miles long into the interior of the 

 island. He concludes with the remark, " The only 

 drawback on the establishment is the great mortality 

 among them ; but those who survive are happy, con- 

 tented, and useful members of society." 



A significant comment on his " flattering success ! " 

 While Robinson and others were doing their best to make 

 them into a civilised people, the poor blacks had given 

 up the struggle, and were solving the difficult problem 

 by dying. The very efforts made for their welfare only 

 served to hasten their inevitable doom. The white 

 man's civilisation proved scarcely less fatal to them than 

 the white man's musket. Yet it would be wrong to 

 estimate lightly the disinterested labours of the men who 

 perseveringly worked for the fading race. Amongst 

 these men the name of Mr. Robert Clark, the catechist, 

 stands first. From the time of his appointment to 

 Flinders Island in 1834 to his death in 1850 this esti- 

 mable man gave himself with an absolute devotion to the 

 care of the unhappy remnant of the captive tribes. The 

 poor blacks on their part showed that they were not 

 "insensible to kindness, or devoid of generous feelings." 

 While Mr. Clark lived they regarded him with a touch- 

 ing love and veneration. When he died, after sixteen 

 years spent in their service, they mourned him as their 

 one true and constant friend, and to the last the miser- 

 able remnant of Tasmania's native tribes affectionately 

 cherished the memory of their beloved " Father Clark." 



In 1838 the aborigines on Flinders, probably at the 

 suggestion of Robinson, who had been appointed Pro- 

 tector of the Aborigines in Port Phillip, petitioned 

 Governor Franklin to be removed to that colony. The 

 Home Authorities interposed and forbade the removal. 

 On Robinson's departure from Flinders, Captain Smith, 

 and afterwards Mr. Fisher, took charge of the settle- 

 ment. In 1842 Dr. Jeannerett received the appointment 



