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BLACKS AND MOSQUITOES

Arnhem Land Not For White Men

That the colonisation or Arhbem Land is a practical impossibility under present conditions in Northern Aus- <*> tralia, and that it can well be left to

the blacks who so fiercely defend it, as a closed native reserve, is the opi nion of Sergeant J. C. liovegrove, Chief of Police at Alice Springe, at present visiting Adelaide. Originally an officer of the Soutn Australian Mounted Police, Sergeant Lovegrove, in 18 years' subsequent ser vice In the Territory, has crossed Aro hem Land three times. In 1917 he was one of a police patrol party to Arn hem Bay; In 1918 he travelled on pack horses from the Roper River by way of the Goyder northward to Millin (fimbi. and in 1924 he led the sxuedi tion that circumnavigated the coast of Arnhem Land searching lor rJie two white women reported to have teen lost on the wrecked Douglas Mawson. "There is no need for that country at present," said Sergeant Lovegrove. "It is a network of swamps and ealt arms and rugged hills—fcad cattle coun try. A lot of it was taken up years ago in the Arafura Station, but aban doned quickly, owing to the blacks and mosquitoes. There is no doubt that the blacks there are murderous, and the mosquitoes are worse than the blacks. "As far as pastoral and mining acti vities are concerned, I believe that Cen tral Australia has infinitely greater possibilities, and it is not nearly so re mote. Alice Springe is rapidly becom ing a prosperous centre. It has been an excellent wool eeason for the sta tions east and west. Two companies and more than 100 miners are profitably cutting mica in the eastern ranges, smelters are to be established at the Home of Bullion mine at Barrow Creek, and Tennant's Creek now has a .??opu lation of a couple of hundred miners on the goldfiolds. Ten tons of ore re cently cent down to be crushed at Peterborough, from 25 mile-; north-west of the main chows at the Tennant, aye-

I raged 11 ounces to the ton." In bis 18 years' experience In the Territory, as mounted policeman, police sergeant and magistrate, Mr. Love- ETove has many interesting stories lo tell. One of his experiences was a trail across the Western Australian border :n 1922, to the outpost of Billi luna, when Sullivan and Condon were killed there "by the blacks. The mur derers, after carefully burying the bodies and erecting a Christian memo rial cross above them escaped with a .44 rifle and 150 cartridges to monacr the policeman who came to arrest them. The ringleader was subsequently shot in self-defence. After four and a half years qt Alice Springs, where they are both very popu lar. Mr. and Mrs. Lox-eeroye have come south on an extended holiday, -md are spendinc the first weeks of it in Ade laide.

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