trived to crawl back to his accustomed place, and perform his duties.

Compelled one day to leave the shop through pain and extreme lassitude, he took a day's rest and on returning on the third day, he found a stranger in his place, and as his employer had given him no hint of his intentions he was rather astonished and on speaking to his employer was told by that worthy, that he looked upon him as a dead man, and had filled his place and he could now look out for another situation. This poor gentleman went shortly afterwards home, to die or at least to prolong a painful existence, and then the Colonial Judas who had a small remnant of an elastic conscience left, considered the case, and with the semblance of generosity sent a doctor at his expence, taking care to let everybody know of his greatness of mind, but the wife of the invalid some time after told the doctor that she would not allow Judas to pay anything, when the doctor informed her that this gentleman had given instructions to him that he would pay for one visit, but if the disease was lingering, he was not to be made further responsible. This man could have the audacity after daily drinking to excess, to invite members of a Christian church to his house, and there with a red face and bated breath, utter his meanness and abject feelings by telling a clerical gentleman that he (Judas) prayed often five times a day inwardly to ward off his besetting sin. If Judas had been musically inclined, he might have sung with great unction after his exploits, the favorite dramatic scena beginning with

Rattle his bones over the stones;

He's only a pauper, whom nobody owns

Leaving out the last verse, as inappropriate. "Bear gently his bones over the stones;

Though a pauper, he's one whom his Maker yet owns."

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE ABORIGINES.

I do not intend to enter into a long dissertation on the manners and customs of the native inhabitants of South Australia, as I have had comparatively few opportunities of observing them, and in addition I think that the terse description of the natives of the Pacific Island, by a ship captain who was deputed to describe them, will generally apply to the Aborigines of this province, in the graphic language of that gentleman, as manners none; customs, beastly." The Aborigines of South Australia have generally been classed in the lowest scale of humanity, certainly the miserable specimens who crawl about the villages of the colony in the winter time, do not leave a very high idea of their appreciation of the proximity to civilization. Even in winter they have a decided repugnance to clothing, although they are compelled when entering the South Australian Metropolis to preserve some of the decencies of life, and patronize nether garments, but in the outskirts they are very prone to discard these impediments. They seem to have a childish partiality for "shocking bad hats," and I once saw a dignified gentleman walking along, supported by a stick, and wearing a dilapidated white hat in a jaunty manner; the latter being the only article of covering or clothing he seemed to appreciate.

Many of them show at times great acuteness and powers of imitation which do not leave the impression to the unprejudiced that they are utterly degraded and barbarous.

The previous attempts to convert them to Christianity by paid emissaries have utterly failed. Is it to be wondered at? These so-called savages have penetration enough to puzzle the missionaries, and throw in their teeth the manners and customs of their friends. They see rich men pretending to be christians and anxious for their welfare, who have actually robbed them of their hunting-grounds, and given them an equivalent in a few of their old garments-good advice and the hope that they will be converted to christianity. They are told it is a sin to drink, and in reply point to a number of drunkards and blasphemers and ask why they do not attempt to convert them.

It is a proof that they possess a keen observation, or they could not dispute with their teachers, and even express a belief that their religion is not true, or at least not better than their's, for if it is, why do not the colonists in general adopt it themselves? They possess also a dry sense of humor, sometimes displayed at the wrong time and place, as the following anecdote will show. One Sunday a very prosaic preacher arrived at a Cattle Station, and divine service was held, and as two natives were about the place they were induced to attend, on being told it was good for their souls. Mr. Bungaree behaved himself with apparent decorum for half-an-hour and listened to the preacher's eloquent appeal that Christians in general should devote a quarter of their income to the support of divine objects (himself included) when suddenly our sable friend gave a frightful groan and ejaculated loudly -dis long yarn no good-me go out and catch parrotty, and departed tranquilly with his friend, leaving the eloquent minister and congregation in a rather peculiar state of embarassment.

These men are generally peaceable, but when properly initiated into the vices of the colonists, they become furious, especially after imbibing that classic liquid called Rum. Shortly before I left the colony, some of them brutally murdered a poor woman and two children, whilst under the influence of intoxication.

The colonists are prevented by enactment from giving these men intoxicating liquors, but I am sorry to say there are to be found men debased enough to ply these poor wretches with liquor for the object of seeing their performances, which are perhaps amusing to these white savages, but as I have observed lead to disastrous results perhaps not contemplated by the donors. They are easily intoxicated on liquids which would not be very potent to Europeans. They steep an empty sugar bag in water, and the liquid produced by this pleasing experiment, is to them a kind of Nectar, sufficient to affect their understandings, and improve their talent for dancing. The number of the Aborigines of South Australia is supposed to be very limited and gradually decreasing under the influence brought to bear against them. Their treatment will certainly afford another chapter in the History of Colonization and Christianity. There is no doubt that many landowners of the province have a serious responsibility in respect to these poor wayfarers, and through their greed they have dispossessed them of their heritage without equivalent, and the rich Pharisee satisfies his pliants conscience by perhaps a very paltry donation, and a few stereotype expressions relating to Christianity. However seared the conscience of the money-grubber usurer or landowner may be, there are moments when the inner voice will recall painful misgivings, and in one

case a small usurer subdued by large profits and generous port exclaimed at a late hour it is a fearful responsibility! it is a fearful responsibility! which would perhaps result in the morning by entire forgetfulness, or in case of thought by a liberal revision of his wardrobe, and a dispossession of his wormeaten garments.

It is a curious fact that many of the native words are extremely harmonious, and the native names of places far surpass in sound those introduced by the colonists; contrast the following (English) Beefacres, Walkerville, Smithfield, Dry Creek, and Oakbank with the native names of Onkaparinga, Aldinga, Willunga, Talunga and Burra Burra.