252 ABORIGINES. 



they most frequently presented themselves to ray 

 view. They are in every respect a weak, degraded, 

 miserable race, and are anything but a favourable 

 specimen of the benefits produced by intercourse 

 with polished nations on an uncivilized people. 

 However, the natives of Australia vary as strangely 

 as its soil ; the members of the tribes that dwell 

 about Shoal Haven and the small southern ports, 

 and come up in coasting vessels, are good-looking, 

 useful fellows, and may hereafter be made much 

 of. I noticed also, in my circumnavigation of 

 the continent, a remarkable diversity in the cha- 

 racter of the natives, some being most kindly 

 disposed, whilst others manifested the greatest 

 hostility and aversion. My whole experience teaches 

 me that these were not accidental differences, but 

 that there is a marked contrast in the disposi- 

 tions of the various tribes, for which I will not 

 attempt to account. I leave in the hands of ethno- 

 logists to determine whether we are to seek the 

 cause in minute variations of climate or in other 

 circumstances, physical or historical. This I can 

 say, that great pains were formerly taken to civilize 

 the natives of Sydney, gardens were given them, 

 and numerous attempts made to inculcate habits 

 of order, and communicate a knowledge of European 

 arts ; but no advantageous results ensued, and it 

 was at length deemed impossible not only to improve 

 them, but even to prevent their deterioration. 1 

 cannot determine whether this evinces a natural 



