234 A HISTOEY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



The natives were amenable to the soothing influences of a full 

 stomach and a life of dolce far niente. If they could have been 

 reached at all, this was the pioneering channel. But the inborn 

 craving for animal freedom and irresponsibility revolted against the 

 prescribed task, however mild, and the mental effort necessary to 

 absorb doctrine broke them down utterly. 



The most persevering effort was that made by the Wesleyans 

 at Buntingdale, near Lake Colac, in a country then remote from 

 settlement and but vaguely known. The mission was generously 

 supported by Government, and for several years it seemed to promise 

 good results in weaning the aboriginal youths from the habits of 

 their forefathers, and making them useful members of the com- 

 munity. But, despite example of heroic self-denial, the innate 

 tendencies could not be conquered, and after enjoying the flesh-pots 

 of Egypt for a while, the young converts threw off the mental and 

 bodily trammels of civilisation and made for the woods. 



It was a cruel commentary on the assertions with which the 

 Church Missionary Society in London had bombarded Lord Glenelg 

 when he was sending out the Protectors. With unwavering faith 

 in their own views, they had told him : " It must appear clearly to 

 all who seriously consider it, that there is nothing but missionary 

 effort to save these wretchedly corrupted natives from becoming 

 extinct; but missionary effort, if duly supported and properly di- 

 rected, is capable of doing this, and more ; it will, under the Divine 

 blessing, raise them to a level with civilised nations, and elevate them 

 to the standard of true believers in Jesus Christ ". 



But missionary effort, zealous, faithful, sparing itself in nothing, 

 did notwithstanding fail utterly to do these things, though it was 

 " duly supported and properly directed ". And it had the advantage 

 or otherwise, according to the point of view, of being presented under 

 the auspices of five or six Protestant sects. 



As the pressure of settlement began to close upon the natives, 

 and their natural resources to fail them, they had, perforce, to consent 

 sulkily to be gathered into reserves under the supervision of the 

 Aboriginal Board, and here, with a clumsy and unwilling attempt 

 to bend their lives into harmony with their surroundings, they are 

 dwindling away to extinction. It is doubtful if, out of the whole 



