400 RAFFLES BAY. 



take an interest in the country, or endeavour fully 

 to develope its resources. 



We cannot avoid expressing our regret at the 

 abandonment of the settlement in Raffles Bay, after 

 it had gone on so far successfully under Captain 

 Barker's excellent manao^ement. In mentioninoj 

 his kindness to the natives, to vv^hose good will we 

 must always owe much, we have already given one 

 of the causes which assisted in fostering' the under- 

 taking. Nothing could be more unwise than the 

 hostility shewn to the natives by the first settlers, 

 as from them we must always calculate on learning 

 much that is useful and valuable, with regard to the 

 productions of the country ; a knowledge which 

 would otherwise consume much time to acquire. 

 This was not the only matter, however, in which he 

 shewed his superior good sense and judgment. 

 His enticing the people of Macassar to come and 

 locate there, was another instance of his foresight, 

 which would have led in time to very favourable 

 results. He was soon, however, compelled to 

 retract his invitation, writing from Coepang to the 

 Dutch Governor of Macassar, in order to stop the 

 immigration, which otherwise would have been 

 considerable. With all these several elements of 

 success, we should doubtless, but for the abandon- 

 ment, have now had a flourishing settlement in 

 Northern Australia. The causes which led to its 

 breaking up, are thus succinctly given by Dr. 

 Wilson. " The alleged causes were: 1st, the un- 



