WITH THE ABORIGINES. 
167 
exciting cause, or under the influence of feelings 
that would have weighed in the same degree with 
Europeans in similar circumstances. The mere 
fact of such incentives not being clearly apparent 
to us, or of our being unable to account for the 
sanguinary feelings of natives in particular cases, 
by no means argues that incentives do not exist, or 
that their feelings may not have been justly excited. 
If we find the Aborigines of Australia ordinarily 
acting under the influence of no worse motives or 
passions than usually actuate man in a civilised 
state, we ought in fairness to suppose that sufficient 
provocative for retaliation has been given in those 
few instances of revenge, which, our imperfect know- 
ledge of the circumstances attending them does not 
enable us satisfactorily to account for. In consider- 
ing this question honestly, we must take into account 
many points that we too often lose sight of alto- 
gether when discussing the conduct of the natives, 
and more especially when we are doing so under 
the excitement and irritation arising from recent 
hostilities. We should remember : — 
First , That our being in their country at all is, so 
far as their ideas of right and wrong are concerned, 
altogether an act of intrusion and aggression. 
Secondly , That for a very long time they cannot 
comprehend our motives for coming amongst them, 
or our object in remaining, and may very naturally 
imagine that it can only be for the purpose of dis- 
possessing them. 
