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IN-LETTER 4884/1901 Aboriginal Protector Nthn. Div

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setting out on their trip they were warned by the police not
to interfere with the aboriginals. "They made answer and said
'we shall have plenty of young stuff this time' meaning young
gins. Both --- and --- [the prospectors in question] are very bad
characters amongst the blacks, as they have been continually
interfering with their gins, and no doubt that was the reason
the blacks attacked them. Hundreds of miners passed over the
same track from Normanton and Croydon, and the blacks never interfered
with them."

Scientific Investigations &c. The following reports have been
forwarded to the Minister: -

"The Boundaries of the North-West-Central Queensland Border
Tribes". (With map)

"A hitherto unrecorded method of making fire"

"The manufacture of the Phallocrypt"

"Group-Relationship on the Annan River"

"Group-Relationships among the Northern Territory and
Queensland Border Tribes"

"On the manners and customs of the Natives of the Lower
Tully River". (Two Series)

I have again to express my thanks to the Colonial Botanist,
Mr. F.M. Bailey, for his valued assistance and kindly help in identifying
the various economic plants which I have forwarded
him. During the past three years he has thus named some 384 specimens
for me.

So as to make every use of the cutter with which the Minister
has provided me, I propose visiting, as opportunities occur, the
various islands upon which the Agricultural Department has commenced
cocoa-nut plantations: Low Woody Island (north of Cooktown) and the
Lizards have already thus been reported on.

Office Work. During the past twelve month, 1587 communications
passed through this office: 720 inward, and 867 outward.

I have &c.
[signature] Walter E Roth
Northern Protector of Aboriginals.