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[Page 20]

[in pencil in the left side margin - ]

The Red [?reverend?] Mr Carmichael of Sydney took a native boy into his school who exhibits as much sign of intellect and capability of receiving instruction as any other boy in the school - Gov Macquarie appropriated an instit[?] for the education of native youths and they all turned out good readers and good writers.

at Reid's Mistake two natives named Johnny McGill and Jimmy Jackass cleared 10 acres of heavy wooded land as well and as quickly as could be done by white people xxx for the resident missionary -

The little native Ballandella adopted by Sir T Mitchell is an experiment for developing of mental energies of the Australian Aborigines. After only a few months tuition[he] was able to read as well as any white child of [indecipherable]

[end of margin notes]

in Sydney harbour. By the exertions of Mr Ferguson these men were taught in 5 months to read tolerably well; also to explain in English the meaning of the Lord's Prayer and the 10 commandments - During that time they had been initiated in the craft of stone cutting and building so as to completely erect  a small house. They grew fat and muscular and appeared really stronger men, when well fed, than the white convicts - The natives can also be very good shepherds when any of them are induced by proper encouragement and protection to take charge of a flock. One of Sir T Mitchell's native guides had tended a flock of sheep for a whole year and had [?]given great [?] satisfaction - at a very  early age the native Australian is instructed by its parent to break the sod and alltho' it is with a view to collecting roots and larvae of insects the work necessary to obtain a mouthful  even  of  such  which  in different food being  thus  even really more than would be sufficient for the cultivation of the earth   accords to the more provident [indecipherable] of civilized man. I  hold this part of their social system most favorable for the well working of a sound system of civilization.

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