14 ANTHROPOLOOICAr, CONSIDKRATIOKS OF QUKENSLAND. 



(/>.) It was Chriistmas time on a station in Queeas- 

 land, a good number of friejids had assembled and at dinner 

 time various toasts were drunk. An aboriginal of the name 

 of " Joko " was outside occasionally peeping inside at 

 the guests. At last the master of the house caught sight 

 of him and called to him to come inside and have a nip. 

 '" Joko " walked in, took off his hat, and taking a glass 

 of spirits from the hand of his master, drew himself up to 

 his full height and in a loud voice said. '" Go to hell, missus ; 

 Go to hell everybody," and retired ajnidst confusion. 

 " Joko " had evidently intended to wish them all " Good 

 Health." 



(c.) A blackfellovv once appeared on an adjoining 

 station to where he was usually employed and asked to- 

 be allowed to work. The Manager asked him for what 

 reason he had left. Billy rephed," Mine bin runaway alonga 

 that fella, you see Mister that fella cranky. Every day that 

 fella take us alonga room read book first time. Then sit 

 doAvn alonga leg, and ask him notha fella (baal mine see 

 him) give it bread, every time that cranky fella say ' Give 

 it bread ' that fella fool, plenty bread sit down alonga 

 kitchen, mo bin run away."* 



During a recent discussion in The. Times re " Modern 

 Men of the 8tone Age/" a correspondent (Mr. Goodfellow) 

 sa^'^s : — " They seemed to be extremely stupid people. We 

 used to strike matches in front of them and do other things 

 which Ave thought might interest them, but the,y would not 

 look : they turned their heads away from them." To which 

 Dr. Roth in a subsequent edition rephed : — " With all due 

 deference and respect, I would suggest that the boot is 

 on the other foot. From my own experience of upwards 

 of ten years' intimacy with the North Queensland savage, 

 1 learnt to have a very high opinion of his intelligence. 

 The savage only appears stupid because the cursory 

 traveller does not understand liim. 1 have also been guilty 

 of striking matches to excite the curiosity of the untutored 

 Australian black until I learned what I now know, that it 

 is not natural for savage man to express surprise or curiosity 

 by outward physical signs. Furthermore, although it is 



* Oil tin- :\utlmritv oJ T. IllWsf. 



