AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES. 453 



C. Lumholz says : — " On Herbert River, Queensland, expe- 

 ditions are sometimes undertaken for the special purpose of securing 

 talgora, that is, human flesh. The ^•ery thought of talgora makes 

 a man's eyes sparkle."^ 



G. F. Angas states that the aborigines of the Tatiara district 

 of Western Victoria used to travel to Lake Alexandrina to catch 

 black children for the purpose of devouring them.^ 



It is well known that the Australian blacks have cannibalistic 

 practices ; but that they go specially and deliberately hunting for 

 human flesh as an article of diet among their neighbours is alto- 

 gether improbable. No such custom has been reported to me by 

 any of the old blackfellows among whom I have made inquiries in 

 the different States of the Commonwealth. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XLII. 

 Aboriginal Painting, Finke River 



I 



8.— THE FUTURE OF THE AUSTRALL\N ABORIGINES. 

 By VEN. ARCHDEACON LEFROY, Sydney. 



(Abstract.) 



The aborigines seem to be a fairly distinct race, mainly of Caucasian 

 origin. In many respects they are one of the most interesting races 

 on the earth. Popular opinion has dreadfully misrepresented them, 

 as though they were degraded in character and most feeble in intellect. 

 On the contrary, in character they compared most favourably with 

 the islanders of the South Pacific as the two were known to Captain 

 Cook. Relatively they were gentle and moral beings. Their tribal 

 and family laws and customs are of considerable ethical value. As 

 lor intellectual power, they certainly can acquire European ways 

 of thinking and living with marvellous rapidity. Their non-pro- 

 gression, or retrogression, in the past thousands of years is due to 

 unfavourable environment. Australia in its natural condition is an 

 inhospitable land. Its glorious climate encourages a day to day 

 existence, and supplies no stimulus to its native inhabitants. Had 

 a band of Eiu"opean settlers been thus isolated, even for a century, 

 they also would have terribly degenerated. In recent times the 

 coming of the white man has made matters worse for the aborigines. 

 In the first place it has demoralised them, in the second place it has 

 three parts exterminated them. Little positive good, by mis- 

 sionary and other effort, has been done to counteract this evil effect. 



1 " Among Cannibals," p. 27. 



2 " Savage Life in Australia and N. Zealand," vol. I., p. 123. 



