424 
TREATMENT OF THE NATIVES 
“ If we inquire into the causes which tend to detain them in 
their present depressed condition, we shall find that the chief 
one is — * prejudice’ The Australians have been most unfairly 
represented as a very inferior race, in fact as one occupying a 
scale in the creation which nearly places them on a level with 
the brutes, and some years must elapse, ere a prejudice so 
firmly rooted as this can be altogether eradicated, but certainly 
a more unfounded one never had possession of the public mind. 
“ Amongst the evils which the natives suffer in their present 
position, one is an uncertain and irregular demand for their la- 
bour, that is to say, they may one day have plenty of means for 
exerting their industry afforded them by the settlers, and the 
next their services are not required ; so that they are necessa- 
rily compelled to have recourse to their former irregular and 
wandering habits. 
“ Another is the very insufficient reward for the services they 
render. As an example of this kind, I will state the instance 
of a man who worked during the whole season, as hard and as 
well as any white man, at getting in the harvest for some set- 
lers, and who only received bread, and sixpence a day, whilst the 
ordinary labourers would earn at least fifteen shillings. In many 
instances, they only receive a scanty allowance of food, so much 
so, that some settlers have told me that the natives left them 
because they had not enough to eat. 
“ The evil consequence of this is, that a native finding he can 
gain as much by the combined methods of hunting and begging, 
as he can by working, naturally prefers the former and much 
more attractive mode of procuring subsistence, to the latter one. 
“ Many of the natives have not only a good idea of the value 
of money, but even hoard it up for some particular purpose ; 
several of them have shewn me their little treasure of a few 
shillings, and have told me it was their intention to save more 
until they had enough to buy a horse, a gun, or some wished-for 
article, but their improvidence has always got the better of their 
thriftiness, and this sum has eventually been spent in treating 
their friends to bread and rice. 
