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[Page 16]
14
employed by white settlers, had acquired a liking for
the white man's food and, also, for his vices.
From being, in their native state a strictly moral race
they had lapsed considerably and as for the European's
alcoholic liquors, they were his curse, his bane, and
his undoing and the gradual depletion of his race in numbers
may be traced to this cause rather then to any other.
Excessive use of strong tobacco may also have adversely
affected his health, to some extent, for even the women
and children smoked. Smallpox must at one time
have attacked them for there were several pockmarked men
on the Richmond in my time, and at Grafton, in 1870, there
were two or three old gins suffering badly from goitre.
In regard to employment the blacks were useful as
stockmen and in any bush work such as clearing
and burning of timber, ringbarking and so on.
But I am afraid the white employer "sweated" them
shamefully the arguement being "no good giving the blacks
much money, they only spend it at the pub". Quite oblivious
of the fact that many white employees did exactly the same
thing. Blacks were expected to do as much for £1, with
their rations and, perhaps some cast off garments, as would
cost £10 or £12 by white labour. It is true their labour
was not quite so satisfactory as that of the high paid labourer