[hugh3]

Got a reference for that? The history of precisely who killed whom in British/Aboriginal relations is pretty well studied, and I've never heard of any cannibalism on either side.

Whether the Aborigines ever engaged in cannibalism was a somewhat fraught political topic in Australia a few years ago. (The answer is "probably someone got eaten by somebody at some point in the 40,000 year history of the thousands of Aborginal tribes, but you're not supposed to talk about it.")

Anyway, the story isn't about captains "recreationally murdering" prisoners, which is the kind of thing that only a tiny number of psychopaths would do. It's just about them failing to take quite as much care of them in terms of food, water and medical treatment as they really should have.

[mahmud]

Heh. I said right there "Australia Almanac". It's a popular book in Aus, and have seen it in a few places. It chronicles Australia from the stone ages to late 80s (at least my old copy does.)

As for cannibalism, my profile info has been a passing reference to it, in jest; it doesn't concern me at all, at least not until the zombie apocalypse (if food rations run low, I might have to hunt a few zombies and raid the mall shops for flat-screens and warm Heineken!)

[hugh3]

I'm still not sure where you got the idea that the British ate the aborigines from.

I'm filing this under "extraordinary claims demanding extraordinary proof" for now.

[mahmud]

Will scan a page when I return to Aus in a few more days.