▁ ▁With ▁Queensland ' s ▁rapid ▁growth ▁however , ▁demand ▁began ▁to ▁out strip ▁supply , ▁so ▁enter pr ising ▁ship ▁own ers ▁developed ▁new ▁methods ▁for ▁s our cing ▁workers ▁from ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁▁ ▁From ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁over ▁ 6 2 , 0 0 0 ▁South ▁Sea ▁Island ers ▁were ▁' black bird ed ' ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁cheap ▁or ▁free ▁labour ▁on ▁Queensland ' s ▁vast ▁agricult ural ▁hold ings . ▁Black bird ing ▁meant ▁the ▁rec ruit ment ▁of ▁people ▁through ▁manip ulation ▁or ▁simply ▁kid n apping . ▁ ▁Ess entially ▁it ▁was ▁ens lav ement . ▁In ▁some ▁instances , ▁entire ▁villages ▁were ▁taken ▁onto ▁ships ▁to ▁work ▁the ▁sugar ▁fields . ▁ ▁Cond itions ▁ab o ard ▁ship ▁were ▁not or iously ▁poor ▁with ▁little ▁san itation ▁or ▁food , ▁and ▁frequent ▁brut ality . ▁ ▁Many ▁island ers ▁died ▁during ▁their ▁voy ages ▁to ▁Australia . ▁ ▁The ▁Queensland ▁Government ▁made ▁some ▁attempts ▁to ▁limit ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁practice , ▁not ably ▁the ▁Pol yn esian ▁Labour ers ▁Act ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁but ▁the ▁prov isions ▁were ▁frequently ▁ev aded ▁by ▁un sc rup ul ous ▁ship ▁own ers ▁who ▁were ▁paid ▁per ▁head ▁of ▁cargo . ▁The ▁British ▁Navy ▁also ▁pat rolled ▁for ▁black bird ing ▁ships , ▁but ▁with ▁little ▁effect . ▁ ▁In ▁Queensland , ▁the ▁government ▁faced ▁an ▁un com fort ably ▁quand ary ; ▁S la