"Along the beach was walking Taalwurt; one of the dead struck him under the ear. Taalwurt then very slightly struck this one of the dead; under the ear Taalwurt very lightly struck him. Another of the dead then struck Taalwurt very forcibly on the legs with a stick: Taalwurt went walking along quickly; another of the dead, in the ribs with an exceedingly big stone, extremely hard hit him."
A murmur of applause ran through the assembled natives. The ngob-burn boye, koom-bur bomb-gur, or exceedingly big-stone, extremely hard hit, was evidently regarded by them as a masterpiece of eloquence; and the contrast between this and the neyp bomb-gur, very gently struck, of Mr. Taalwurt, undoubtedly evinced its superiority in their estimation; but as Taalwurt was a stout able fellow, and one by no means given to deal gentle blows when in a passion, I did not place implicit faith in this poetical narration. I had however no doubt that Taalwurt had been first struck and was thus the injured party; but now I knew he had returned the blow I was also sure that he had given at least as good a one as he had taken.
The case therefore did not tell in Taalwurt's favour as much as I expected it would; and on the offender being produced, I found that he was a native from the island of Timor, and not much more civilized than his opponent. The mate of the vessel who came up with him stated that the man bore an excellent character, and that he was willing to make any compensation Taalwurt might require. Before the case came on I had explained this to the King George's Sound native, who compounded the matter for half-a-crown, and then walked off with his friends, fully resolved to get assaulted again upon the first good opportunity.
CHAPTER 18. INFLUENCE OF EUROPEANS ON THE NATIVES.
CAUSES WHY IT HAS NOT HITHERTO BEEN BENEFICIAL. INFLUENCE OF EUROPEANS ON THE NATIVES.
After reviewing the condition of the Aborigines of Australia as it appears to have existed from time immemorial it will not be irrelevant to examine what change or melioration of their social state is likely to arise from the settlement of a civilised European race among them.
The colony of Swan River differing materially in the elements of its population from those established in the eastern parts of this continent and in Van Diemen's Land, a corresponding change in the intercourse existing between the natives and the white population might naturally be looked for.
In modern times, with the exception of the new settlement of South Australia, no colony has been established upon principles apparently so favourable for the development of the better qualities of the Aborigines, and with so fair a chance of their ultimate civilization.
The apparent advantages are that no convicts have been brought to Western Australia to corrupt the manners of either sex, or to lead them astray by their vicious example; and that a great want of labour has been always felt, so that any assistance that could have been procured from the natives would have been a material benefit to the settlers. With these advantages we might have hoped to see some important results.