Morueca. 3238 
nobody could gather and prepare cassava or catch fish. And even when 
they had cassava the sick would not touch it, * could not ” I ought to say, 
for it must be repelling to a sick stomach, yet they had nothing else to 
attract the appetite, with the result that they either die or hang on for 
months. There have been several deaths, chiefly among young married 
women, and all close together so that there is almost a panic among the 
the survivors, It is pitiful to see the number of emaciated faces, victims 
of fever and starvation. “ Wise” people will say: “The Indians are 
lazy and foolish, why don't they put aside for the rainy day? Why 
don’t they take advice ? Why don’t they do this, that and the other ?” 
It is always easy to criticise, equally easy to give advice, but often neither 
is worth much. Granting they are lazy and also foolish, let these 
“wise” eritics put themselves in the place of the Aboriginal and see if 
they can still fairly call him hard names, or think hardly of him. To 
begin with, his knowledge is sadly limited, and with that also his 
chances cf bettering himself. Born and reared in the bush ; with nature 
alone as his teacher, prodigal sometimes in its gifts, sometimes sparing ; 
living from hand to mouth, now having frugal plenty, now being in 
want ; his house open to man, beast and the elements, especially when he 
is away, be it for work or pleasure ; the Indian gets an education of a 
kind that must be largely a mystery to his “civilised” fellow-beings of 
town bringing up. And considering that many of these are, and doubt- 
less will consider themselves superior to their Red brethren in all matters, 
they cannot show thier superiority better than by a large and generous 
judgment on their less fortunate fellow-creatures. Again, with very 
limited horticultural tools and other means the labour of preparing a field 
becomes a giant’s task even if he can easily tind a suitable and fertile 
spot and one as near as possible to h's house. Then besides the prolific 
needs whose name is legion, he has to suffer the ravages of the accouchi 
ants, for these swarm in the Moruea and they are enormously destructive. 
One meets gigantic nests, high as an average man above ground, while 
there is no telling how far they extend beneath. He is helpless before 
them. The remedies, more or less successfully used by his civilized and 
better-provided fellow-creatures, are simply beyond his powers. Moreover, 
ag I have said, not rarely are they on half rations, a state of body not 
conducive to work, least of all to hard work. He goes out to work but 
frequently returns sick and poor. His pocketful of dollars has become 
much lightened if not by downright dishonesty, at least by the question- 
able method of flaunting attractive articles before his admiring eyes, know- 
ing the Indian is a big child who cannot easily say ‘nay ” to himself. Not 
rarely they return with nothing, never having received their due. These 
are some of the difficulties before which even his better equipped and long 
civilised brother would give in, and be content with little, nor would he 
consider it just or kind to be called lazy, ete. 
The Red Man is of a most timid and retiring disposition. He feels 
his weakness and indeed helplessness befors his “ civilised” fellow-man, 
so he will tamely submit to be wronged with exasperating meekness nor 
