INTRODUCTION.

NZ Truth, Issue 75, 24 November 1906, Page 7

INTRODUCTION.

The writer of this tale offers no apology to tho reading public, for laying bare a few evils which exist to-day m this sunny land of ours. With regard to the aboriginals, they are m reality very much as here depicted, and no amount of statistics, "facts" and figures furnished by a Missionary Sock«y can/ make anything bettor of them. Fault haa been found with my statement that the Fraser Islanders are, or have been, cannibals, but after careful research and raqury, J have decided to let the statement remain, as overwhelming evidence can actually bo brought forward to prove its truth. Again, a number of ardent churchgoers have been greatly scandalised by my reflections on tho Missionaries and their systems, but, sad though it may be, the fact remains staring us straight m the face, that Aboriginal Missions right up to this date have proved absolute and deplorable failures. This has no doubt been m '■a great measure owing'"to the excessively hard row tho Missionaries have had to hoe, but it has also been caused, by the fact that m tho great majority of cases, the wrong men and women have been sent to do tho work. A- man who cannot "order his own household" certainly can not re- 1 gulate that of another. One who lives an ( unclean life himself, cannot help to wash the black mail "whiter than snow." A man who is a drunkard, wife-better, or worse, iB hardly^ a fit person to sow the seed of peace' and harmony successfully, even though he bellows out uncontrovertiblo facts with a voice like thunder, and with hurricane force, or sweetly whispers .'the good tidings as aoitly as the playing of a. dulcimer. It is all like pouring water en a duck's buck for—alas 1 that it should j, c ao—even the wretched Australian Aboriginals can see that when strife and argu- j ment is more frequently the rule than the exception among their teachers, "their house is built upon tlie sand." • Of course, many good men and true have been, and are still among them, striving with might and main to attain the unattainable, but their work is.undone, their foundations .undermined, and the little good they might do absolutely nullified by —neglect shown m the selection of Missionaries whom they send to preach the gospel and convert the black people to Christianity. This story shows the actual result of their teaching, therefore, as previously mentioned, I offer no apology for drawing and presenting m bold figures a picture which is, unfortunately, too true. It has been said and reiterated again and again m the press and otherwise, that there are no crimps m this country to-day. This is a mistake; crimping is as rampant to-day as it was forty years ago, and will continue as long as the present difference m seamen's wages exists between Europe and Australia.

Another wiseacra remarks that a firm like that of Messrs. Crowther and Bray could not now exist, therefore^ m "trotting them out," I am digging up relics of •'"bygone age. Friend Wiseacre, you do not see clearly, or if you do you see without understanding. This story is written so that you may have a beam "61 v ligh~l "thrown across your darkness, and thus encourage an inquiring spirit, which may, if fostered, eventually prevent your being "taken down" by plausible tales of miracles wrought, etc., or being deceived by the oft-repeated cry of "peace" when, there is no peace."; *.; .■ ■'■■'■■ ■ ''•'■ I do not claim for this narrative one grain of literary excellence. It is just a tale founded upon facts, and borne up by hard solid facts, right to the end.

"The pity of it lago. Ob, lago, the pity of it."

CHAPTES I,