Having travelled much in Australia, America, and the West Indies,
and having also resided on the Coast of Africa, where I penetrated
a considerable distance into the interior, traversing the countries
between the Gambia and the Senegal, and ascending the former river 600
miles, I was consequently frequently brought into contact with numerous
aboriginal tribes of very different characters and descent, and under
varying physical and external circumstances.
I have, however, never seen natives whose general habits and physical
conformation impressed me so completely with the idea of a perishable
and doomed race as the aborigines of the southern portion of this
continent.
I may add that as I almost always find it necessary to release native
prisoners before the expiration of their sentences, because death
is apt to ensue from any prolonged confinement, I cannot but think
that even the partial confinement in schools injuriously affects the
native constitution, so nearly do they approximate to the lower animal
creation.
RICHARD GRAVES MACDONNELL,
Governor.
Adelaide,
Nov. 23, 1860.
The aboriginies of this colony (South Australia) have not a very wide
range of disease from which they suffer.
I have never seen a case of small-pox, scarlet fever, measles, or
hooping cough, and I was officially connected with them for 18 years.
Fever occurs, but not frequently, as they have no confined badly
ventilated dwellings.
Diarrhœa and dysentery make their appearance in the hot weather, and
from five to ten per cent. of the cases prove fatal; these attacks
occur most frequently during dentition, as with the Europeans.
The brain and nervous system are seldom attacked primarily. In their
native state they indulge in no stimulants, and are not guilty of
overtaxing their mental powers.
Consumption is common amongst them; and in every death that I have
seen in the school children, there have been tubercular deposits in
the lungs. The same occurs in the adults who have been six months and
upwards confined in gaol; in fact, they cannot survive confinement in a
prison beyond two years. Confine them two years and they will waste and
die in a few months after liberation.
The most fatal disease that has come under my notice is the venereal,
contracted by contact with the Europeans. Males and females suffer
alike from it, and die generally of secondary effects.
As a race the aborigines are dying off and disappearing before a more
highly civilized people, and must eventually disappear altogether. The
venereal disease on the one hand, and the fact that the women are apt
to become prostitutes, and in consequence cease to bear children, on
the other, are reducing them at a very rapid rate.
M. MOORHOUSE,
Late Protector of Aborigines.
It is universally admitted that they are fast decreasing in number,
and the cause of this decrease is attributed by most witnesses to
their partial assumption of semi-civilized habits; where formerly
they clothed themselves with the skins of animals taken in the chase,
contact with Europeans has so changed their habits that they now, in a
great measure, depend upon the scanty dole of blankets issued by the
Government, which supplies, it appears from evidence, have been most
irregular. Great suffering has been occasioned, especially among the
aged and infirm natives, by the insufficient and ill-timed supplies,
both of blankets and provisions. Disease appears to be induced by this
partial and irregular clothing; pulmonary complaints prevailed to a
fearful extent during last winter, aggravated by, if not entirely
attributable to, this cause.