The aborigines of Tasmania / by H. Ling Roth ; assisted by Marion E. Butler and Jas. Backhouse Walker ; with a chapter on the osteology by J.G. Garson.

  • Henry Ling Roth
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The aborigines of Tasmania / by H. Ling Roth ; assisted by Marion E. Butler and Jas. Backhouse Walker ; with a chapter on the osteology by J.G. Garson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    making any demonstration either of friendship or hostility.” In the Papers, Roy. Soc. Tas. for Aug., 1873, is the following statement of an old settler, whose testimony tends to show that later on some at least were neither timid nor shy. “ Robert Thirkell, of Woodstock, near Longford, arrived in Tasmania in the year 1820, and was constantly among the natives. He found them a peaceable and inoffensive race of people, and in no case had he to resort to force to prevent mischief. On the first occasion the natives visited his place of residence on the Macquarie River, about twenty men, and the same number of women and children came, after which various numbers came at intervals. When he was engaged building a house, the men came and curiously inspected the work, and would use gimlets and other tools. At other times, Thirkell states that he met them in the bush, and in no case had he any cause to fear. . . . He has met the chief, who would walk up and put his hand on the horse’s neck, talk as well as he could, and be quite friendly.” Their apparent want of curiosity seemed to arouse the astonishment of many of the early explorers and settlers. Anderson remarks (Cook’s Third Voy. Bk. I. ch. vi.): “ They received every present we made them without the least appearance of satisfaction,” while Marion’s historian reports (pp. 28-29) : “ We endeavoured to gain their goodwill by giving them little presents: they rejected with disdain all that we offered them, even iron, looking-glasses, handkerchiefs, and pieces of cloth. We showed them the fowls and ducks which had been brought from the vessel, in order to make them understand that we desired to purchase of them. They took these animals, which they showed they did not know, and threw them angrily away.” Bass narrates the following incident :—“ In their [his and his companions] way up, a human voice saluted them from the hills; on which they landed, carrying with them one of several swans, which they had just shot. Having nearly reached the summit, two females .... suddenly appeared at some little distance before them, snatched up each a small basket, and scampered off. A man then presented himself, and suffered them to approach him without any signs of fear or mistrust. He received the swan joyfully, seeming to esteem it a treasure. With some difficulty they made him comprehend their wish to see his place of residence. He pointed over the hills, and proceeded onwards; but his pace was slow and wandering, and he often stopped under pretence of having lost the track ; which led them to suspeCt that his only aim was to amuse and tire them out. Fearing, therefore, to lose the remaining part of the flood tide, . . . they parted from him in great friendship ... He was a man of middle age, with a counten- ance more expressive of benignity and intelligence than of that ferocity or stupidity which generally characterized the other natives . . . No part of their dress attracted his attention, except the red silk handker- chiefs round their necks. Their firearms were to him objects neither of curiosity nor of fear. . . . His frank and open deportment led them to form a favourable opinion of the disposition of the inhabitants (Collins, ch. xvi. pp. 187-188) ; and Captain Bligh has the following account of their strange behaviour when he offered them articles which must have been unknown to them before:—“The natives not coming
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