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[oval stamp, centred] COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE. QUEENSLAND 04020 15. APR. 95 [in red ink, right of stamp] G. Demetries
[diagonal stamp, top left] PREVIOUS [in red ink] 95. 2844 [stamp] SERIAL No...[in red ink] [2?]
[written diagonally across left to middle of page] 1 [in red ink] Who is this addressed to 2 [in red ink] in what was former letter written? WEPO
I do not know Former letter written No 2844/95 attached JFS 9.11.95
Ack
G. Demetries 11. 4. 95 / 1820
[top right] Townsville March 31st 1895
[in red ink] Re treatment of the Blacks.
Sir
I received your letter of the 19th & you state there are no funds at the disposal of the government. I brought money myself to this country & spent it besides what I made & also opening those places & protecting the aboriginals I was in Island Point from the day it was opened till [sic] 1889. About 12 or 13 years ago some Beachdemere [sic] men were in the Moabray [sic] river shooting the blacks so they came & reported it in Town but nobody seemed to take any interest in the matter. Mr Knight was appointed J.P. & head of the custom's house & he took not a lot of notice or the Police either. So the blacks told me & I went out to protect them from being shot I took them in to Town, the Beachdemere [sic] men were away when I went out to catch them the boys were for 14 or 15 years staying with me from the Johnstone River. They asked me to take a trip from Island Point to Johnstone River & the Beachdemere [sic] men done [sic] the same thing the other side of Cairns. The boys came from Bloomfield & said they were doing the same thing there after being 16 years here. I took a trip to Bloomfield & found it to be a fact. I was bringing the boys back & forward from one place to another free, from Cooktown to Bloomfield from Bloomfield to Island Point Mr Heslope [sic] & the Germans took them for work the Germans selling them for £5. a head & the Beachdemere [sic] shooting them. I had my boat fixing on the north shore Cooktown Mr Milman being removed from here to Brisbane Mr Chester got appointed magestrate [sic] Thompson the Beachdemere [sic] man wanted boys from the North shore but they would not go so Thompsons [sic] brother in law came took his rifle & was going to shoot them the boys took for the water. I took an axe & told him if he fired a shot at them I would chop his head off before a witness he stayed for two or three hours watching for them but they swam across to the mangroves. I hunted him away & at the time reported him but nobody took any notice. During the time I was at Island Point the blacks used to bring there [sic] children to me to be cured & to bring up. A Frenchman name [sic] De Currie came there took up a bit of land & used to shoot them the same as others but the blacks shifted him I kept a little girl that the mother brought to be cured of a broken leg it costing some 25 £s [sic] between Dr Malley & medicines
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After she got right I sent her to Brisbane with a friend of mine there was a man in Brisbane offered me £40 for her & I would not take it so I payed [sic] her passage & brought her back to Cooktown. I could not say what salary Mr Chester gets but he gets so much a year from Publicans for Beer he took the gin from me & gave her to a publican after me going to the trouble of curing her & bringing her up some Europeans broke my boat so so [sic] I could not go after them while they were shooting them on the Johnstone. I did not come to this country to shoot or sell them but to protect them as I have a little fealing [sic] The mother of the gin came from the Bloomfield to me. Besides I had to travel with the Kanakas for they had no money Those people that are appointed & payed [sic] by Government to look after them of course says [sic] nothing because he has plenty to eat so that he would not speak smokes his pipe & goes to sleep Join in pleasure the Beachdemere [sic] & Blackfellows labour & drink there [sic] health at the Capt. Cook & Queens [sic] Hotel all at the blacks [sic] expences [sic].
Yours Truley [sic]
[signed] Demetrious George Demetries