i62 Report S.A.A. Advancement of Science. 



the \arious States, the Federal Government takmg no part in these 

 questions. In Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria, it is already 

 too late to do anything, the only Colonies where the aboiigines exist 

 in any numbers being Western Australia, the Northern Territory and 

 Queensland. In Western Australia and the Northern Territories 

 little notice is officially taken, but in Queensland, during the past 

 ten years, Dr. W. E. Roth, Protector of Aborigines, has written a 

 series of bulletins minutely describing native manners, customs and 

 implements, which have been published by the Queensland Govern- 

 ment. In New Zealand a great deal of work has been done, largelv 

 through the Colonial Museum at Wellington, the director of which, 

 Mr. A. Hamilton, has made a special study of native art. 

 The ethnological survey of the United States is in the hands 

 of the United States Bureau of Ethnology of Washington, which 

 has a staff of professional ethnographers. Hitherto this bureau has 

 confined itself to investigating the aborigines of the United States, 

 but recently it has been authorised to conduct the researches in 

 Hawaii as well. " The Philippine Government, which is semi- 

 independent, organised a Bureau of Ethnology of its own, and some 

 very good work has been done ; but this bureau is now merged, I 

 believe, in the Department of Education, and is probably not 

 being conducted with sufficient energy to give us results commensurate 

 with the great field of research furnished by the various peoples of 

 the Philippines."* Germany has an Imperial Bureau, and regards 

 the scientific investigation of her Colonial aborigines as one of the 

 responsibilities of colonisation, and the same applies to Holland. 



The functions of a Bureau of Ethnology such as I advocate for 

 South Africa would be mainly twofold. The first and most obvious 

 duty would be to conduct an ethnological survey of South Africa. 

 This would entail a staff of field ethnologists and a central bureau 

 presided over by an ethnologist of the highest standing, to co-ordinate 

 and direct the field work. The second great duty of such a depart- 

 ment would be to provide a training in South African ethnology, not 

 only for young men who aimed at qualifying as field ethnologists in 

 the service of the bureau, but also for cadets for those branches of 

 the Government service (Native Affairs Departments, court inter- 

 preters, native magistrates, inspectors of native schools, etc.) in which 

 a knowledge of the inner significance of native customs is the necessary 

 foundation for broad-minded and sympathetic administration. To 

 combine both these ends the bureau should be in close association 

 with one of the museums, and with one of the great colleges, through 

 which in the near future all Colonial born candidates for posts of 

 responsibility in South Africa will have to pass. The bureau would 

 then control the ethnological and anthropological branch of the 

 museum, and a department of the College or University, the depart- 

 ment of ethnology, through which young Colonials whose future 

 careers would bring them into close touch with native affairs would 



• For the above information I have to thank Dr. R. Swanton, Ethnologist 

 of the U.S. Bureau. 



