Vll 



to know how to grapple with some of the 

 worst forms of mischief. Even the dis- 

 tribution of blankets has its evil side by 

 inducing the blacks to give up their na- 

 tive habits, which were better suited to 

 their condition. Again, when a district 

 becomes settled by white men some of the 

 wisest of the settlers have come to see 

 that it is their duty to provide work and 

 food for all the olacKs in that district, 

 since the game has begun to disappear, 

 and it is a fact, I believe, in some places 

 that work is found for all the blacks, 

 whether their aid is really needed 

 or not. There is a conflict of opinion 

 also whether the system of contract labour 

 is the best. In this case, the native is 

 bound to the settler for a certain period, 

 and may not leave him, whilst the em- 

 ployer is bound to treat his black ser- 

 vants kindly. But it is also found that 

 if a boy does run away, he is never any 

 good afterwards if he is forciblj^ brought 

 back, and if a simpler form of contract 

 were possible with this nomadic race 

 some think it might be better for both 

 parties. 



"It is well-known that there are several 

 establishments under more than one re- 

 ligious denomination where the natives 

 are cared for ; New Norcia, under the 

 Roman Catholics, is well known through- 

 out Australia. The Swan Eiver settle- 

 ments, under the Anglican Church, are 

 also doing good work ; and there 

 are others. Two questions of general 

 interest are worth mentioning. First, 

 the problem of the half-caste popu- 

 lation. In some districts this class is 

 increasing, and is at present uncared for 

 to any great extent. The other problem 

 is a very perplexing one, namely, what to 

 do with native girls, brought up from 

 childhood in such a mission as that on the 

 Swan Eiver. At present they are sent 

 into the world, at 16, with only often 

 very sad results, indeed. It looks as if 

 native young women of this age are quite 

 unfit to be turned loose on society, and 

 really need another establishment, where 

 they could be usefully employed till 25 at 

 least. Enough has been said, I think, 

 to show what a large field of work presses 

 for workers in West Australia. 



"One request I pass on to Mr. Morton 

 from the Curator at the Perth Museum, 

 namely, that the Perth Museum may be 

 permitted to get a cast of a Tasmanian 

 native's skull. 



ADELAIDE MUSEUM. 



"The change to the Museum in Ade- 

 laide, as regards the study of tne natives, 

 was great, indeed. Probably there is 

 no such collection of native weapons 

 and properties as in the Museum 

 there. A very large room is filled with 



cases m double and treble rows, illustrat- 

 ing every department of their life ; and 

 what IS still more striking is the classifi- 

 cation of objects. Each district in Aus- 

 tralia, and sub-district, has its own cabi- 

 net. Yet wonderful as this collection is. 

 Dr. Stirling was of opinion that it could 

 still be equalled, if not surpassed, bv those 

 who could afford to conduct expeditions 

 into the interior; but it would be at 

 great cost. Dr. Stirling told me that he 

 would be glad to furnish us with a col- 

 lection of certain number of aboriginal 

 weapons and properties, if Mr. Morton 

 would apply for them. 



In conclusion, I beg to state that I put 

 myself into communication with two 

 gentlemen who could aid us in the scien- 

 tific study of the natives, Mr. Campbell, 

 of the Geological Survey Department of 

 West Australia, one of the few gentlemen 

 who has taken a deep interest in native 

 habits and customs, xie has promised us 

 a paper ere long. Mr. Foelsche, Inspec- 

 tor of Police at Palmerston, Northern 

 Territory, has taken photographs during 

 a course of years of all types of natives 

 in the North. I ventured to write to him 

 to ask if he could supply the Museum 

 with a representative set. 



"I heard a curious story at Albany, 

 fuller details of which I hope, in due 

 time, to receive from Mr. Wright, the 

 magistrate at Albany. This gentleman 

 says that a party of six blacks were 

 brought into Albany about four years 

 ago from the Frazer Range, charged with 

 murder. They were very small — not 

 much over 4ft. high, and they all had six 

 fingers and six toes. No one could talk 

 their language, and after some days they 

 were dismissed, and I regret to say that 

 no one thought of photographing them. 

 I gather from a Government report that 

 the blacks in the Frazer Range do not 

 number more than 100 now, but it is 

 clear that there is a great deal yet to 

 learn about the natives in the Western 

 regions of the Australian continent.'^ 



CHEMISTRY AND MINERALOGY. 



Mr. W. A. McLeod, B.A., B.Sc, Lec- 

 turer on Chemistry and Mineralogy at the 

 Tasmanian University and the Hobart 

 Technical School, read some notes, giving 

 a description of some interesting rocks col- 

 lected at Cape Adare during the recent 

 Antarctic expedition. 



LIGHT RAILWAYS FOR TASMANIA. 



Mr. G. E. Moore, M. Inst. C.E., read a 

 paper entitled "A System of Light Rail- 

 ways for Tasmania."' He strongly recom- 

 mended the more extended use of light 

 railways in Tasmania to open up the 

 country, especially in view of the success 



