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sister the general public is so ready to condemn. I have on several occasions had to point out to employers the advisability, when the time comes, of getting these girls properly and suitably married to men of their own race and colour, a condition in which - the lawful exercise of their physiological functions - there is far more chance and hope of their remaining happy and contented. As in the majority of cases this cannot unfortunately be arranged, it is, to my thinking, far more charitable and merciful to send them, while they are as yet young and uncontaminated, to the different Missions where, so soon as they arrive at an age suitable, they are married and settle down to lives of happiness to themselves and of usefulness to the State. On the other hand, brought up in a false position as "one of the family &c" the time arrives sooner or later when the true-blooded or half-caste girl realises that she is a Pariah amongst those very people with whom, probably ever since she can remember, she has associated more or less as an equal. Is it matter for wonder that any such should finally end badly? Here for instance is the case of "Minnie" a half-caste woman about 20 yrs of age, who has just been sent to the Fraser Island Mission. "She is an intelligent girl, having been brought up by white people: she can read and write and is an excellent servant when she can be kept away from the drink. She has now however become acquainted with some white people of bad character and is going from bad to worse."
The above cases will, I trust, vindicate my course of action in the disposal of aboriginal children - especially the females. I look forward with confidence to the legislature strengthening my hands in giving me additional powers to cope with the accompanying evils and abuses which, though brought under my notice, I am as yet unable to prevent and to control.
Mixed Marriages. No marriage of a female aboriginal with any other than an aboriginal should be celebrated without the authority of the Home Secretary. Legal marriages continue to take place with Europeans, coloured aliens &c. Although the English
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Law does not recognise the marriage ceremony of natives as legal, still I have no doubt that a great moral wrong may be inflicted by allowing gins to be thus married to Asiatics and others without previous careful enquiry being made as to whether they are not already married in the tribal sense of the term.
Whites at Blacks' Camps. The work of the Protectors and others connected with them continues to be greatly hampered by the freedom of intercourse which is at present permissible between blacks and whites. Any unscrupulous European, Asiatic &c, may enter and remain in any camp blacks' [sic] at will. To enforce the opposite condition proves also no easy matter, though at Cooktown where under the instructins [sic] of the Home Secretary, the natives - other than those under agreement - are being kept by the police out of the township, a marked improvement is to be noted.
Aboriginal Crime. As mentioned in my last Annual Report, where the presence of any particular aboriginal has proved a source of possible danger to the white population &c, his removal to, and detention in, another district has been, upon my recommendation, sanctioned by the Minister under Sect. 9 of the Act. The following deportations have been thus authorised during the past twelve month: -
"Andy". Endeavour River: for the murder of a gin.
"Missie". Starcke R.: believed to be the murderer of the civilised aboriginal "Fred Fooks" last October. A great deal of influence over his tribe, and quite capable of using it against white men as well as natives. Daring and treacherous disposition.
"Ponto" Endeavour R.: convicted of assault on a white girl.
"Tommy Roderick". Normanby R.: continued larcenies at miners' camps. Willfully setting fire to a neighbouring station.
"Long George". Mt. Amos &c.: larcenies at the miners' camps.
"Billy Nolan" Normanby R.: larceny. A notoriously bad character.
"Bendigo". Mitchell R.: caught spearing cattle.
"Larry". Endeavour R.: three convictions for larceny. (Being so young - only 13 - he was sent to the Yarrabah Reformatory).
No murder of Europeans has been reported during the past six months. Two prospectors were attacked on the Coleman River last October, and one of them speared, but without fatal results. There were certain facts connected with the circumstances which were never made public. According to the police-report, when
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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.