RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1870]. Abstract of Bonwick, The last of the Tasmanians, 1870. CUL-DAR90.6. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 1.2023. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR 87-90 contain material for Darwin's book Descent of man 2d ed. (1874-1877). See CUL-DAR89.160
Darwin first wrote and then crossed out another title by Bonwick, Daily life and origin of the Tasmanians, 1870. Darwin cited this information in Descent 2d ed. See John van Wyhe, Darwin's body-snatchers? Endeavour 41, no. (2016) 1: 29-31.
[6]
Decrease of population
Proportion of men to Women
Smallness of Families
due
Daily LifeLast of the Tasmania
p. 252, 118 in Bass St
p 246 size of Flinders Isd
250 about 1833-45 adult & 16 children of both sex
253— in 1834 — 120 Blacks
― Riobrun lost soon in 1834
255 great mortality of adults & all ages
258. in 1834. — 116 men & women adult = in age 59 ♂ & 57 ♀
266 in 1835 only 100 left — great illness
p 272— in 1847 — removed to Oyster Cove
12 men [+] 22 women [+] 10 children or non adult [=] 44 Total (6 of the children found in oyster school
p 278 thought that they wd not die when brought back to Tasmania— but they did so
p. 378 Decrease of Sandwich Isd.
p 386 385 390} Sterility of (& Australian Tasmanians quote
p. 393— In 1864 — one ♂ + 3 ♀ old left
1869 died
[6v]
page 255 — 256 — 266 — 379 384 — 386. The last of the Tasmanians
Daily Life of the Tasmanians
63 - 79 – 84-85 — 90
infanticide practised, Births Australian 4 to 5 — only 2 children brought up
Bonwick
p 83 Population 7000-20,000
p 90 Shark Bay Australians dying of consumption when removed to other site.
Hawaii
100 ♂ to 80 ♀
Hawaii
1823 140,000 believe to have been now living
1838 108,000
1853 71,000
1863 — 62,000
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 3 May, 2023