1 84 Tke Descent of Man. Part t 



A.S they continued rapidly to decrease, and as they themselves 

 thought that they should not perish so quickly elsewhere, they were 

 removed in 1847 to Oyster Cove in the southern part of Tasmania. 

 They then consisted (Dec. 20th, 1847) of fourteen men, twenty- 

 two women and ten children."* But the change of site did no good. 

 Disease and death still pursued them, and in 1864 one man (who 

 died in 1869), and three elderly women alone survived. The 

 infertility of the women is even a more remarkable fact than 

 the liability of all to ill-health and death. At the time when 

 only nine women were left at Oyster Cove, they told Mr. Bonwick 

 (p 3ti6), that only two had ever borne children : and these two 

 had together produced only three children ! 



With respect to the cause of this extraordinary state of things, 

 Dr. Story remarks that death followed the attempts to civilise 

 the natives. " If left to themselves to roam as they were wont 

 " and undisturbed, they would have reared more children, and 

 '' there would have been less mortality." Another careful 

 observer of the natives, Mr. Davis, remarks, " The births have 

 " been few and the deaths numerous. This may have been in a 

 " great measure owing to their change of living and food ; but 

 " more so to their banishment from the mainland of Van Diemen's 

 "Land, and consequent depression of spirits" (Bonwick, pp. 

 388, 390). 



Similar facts have been observed in two widely different 

 parts of Australia. The celebrated explorer, Mr. Gregory, told 

 Mr. Bonwick, that in Queen-sland "the want of reproduction 

 "was being already felt with the blacks, even in the most 

 " recently settled parts, and that decay would set in." Of 

 thirteen aborigines from Shark's Bay who visited Murchison 

 River, twelve died of consumption within three months.'* 



The decrease of the Maories of New Zealand has been carefully 

 investigated by Mr. Penton, in an admirable Eeport, from which 

 all the following statements, with one exception, are taken.^" 

 The decrease in number since 1830 is admitted by every one, 

 including the natives themselves, and is still steadily progress- 

 ing. Although it has hitherto been found impossible to take an 

 actual census of the natives, their numbers were carefully 

 estimated by residents in many districts. The result seems 

 trustworthy, and shows that during the fourteen years, previous 



" This is the statement of the 1870, p. 90 ; and the ' Last of the 



GcTernor of Tasmania, Sir W. Deni- Tasmanians,' 1870, p. 386. 



son, ' Varieties of Viee-Kcga: Life,' *' ' Observations on the Aboriginal 



1870, vol. 1. p. 67. Inhabitants of New Zealand,' pub- 



" For tnese cases, see Bonwiok's lished bv 'he Government, 1859. 

 * rtailv Life of the Tasmanians,* 



