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• ◇McIvor/MacIvor▲aboriginal context□corridor placeline 24

  there will be but little chance of my reaching the / Cape Bedford Mission Station and visiting the McIvor / and Starcke District within at least another week

[seal]
Commissioner of Police
03129 Queensland
11.Mar.98
Cooktown
4th March 1898
The Commissioner of Police
Brisbane
Sir,
I have spent the major portion of the week in writing
up the accompanying report on the Ethnology of
the Bloomfield River District Aboriginals derived
mainly from the notes collected from Robt Hislop of
Wyalla. Of course, these notes are only tentative,
and could be very considerably amplified had I
the leisure to go and stay on the Bloomfield even
for a month, employing my time there in addition
by prescribing for and dispensing for the diseased
blacks, and collecting ethnological curios and linguistic
data. Two photographs accompany the report.
Owing to the rains, which have been
continuous almost, the last few days, I am afraid
there will be but little chance of my reaching the
Cape Bedford Mission Station and visiting the McIvor
and Starcke District within at least another week
or so—however I will get along as soon as I can.
I think also that it would be wise to visit this
Mission (of which I hear excellent accounts on
all sides of the good work being done, of the native
women being under control etc) to enquire which
portion and how much of the reserve would be necessary and
suitable for that purpose, and then making you
a proposal as to the exact areas to be proclaimed
under the Act for the sole use of the Aboriginals.
At any rate should the weather force me to stay
in Cooktown this coming week, I will write up
again my Report on the Aboriginals of the
Rockhampton etc District, concerning which I have
received a good deal of additional information
by correspondence since received from some of
the older residents—notably from Wyndham of
Boyne Island, Gladstone, who was the first white