Anthropology In Australia. 21 



The study of the Australian hinguages also rcquiios 

 immediate attention, not merely by the compilation of 

 vocabularies or the partial study of some language by 

 constructing a grammar. What is required, is the systematic 

 study of one or more languages, by some thoroughly 

 competent philologist, who not only possesses the necessary 

 scientific qualifications, but who also has a thorough 

 colloquial acquaintance with the language. Such a com- 

 bination it will be most difficult to meet with, but no 

 difficulties should be deterrent where such important results 

 in a linguistic sense are to be obtained, The comparative 

 study of the Australian languages, or rather dialects, for 

 they are all certainly of one stock, should certainly throw 

 some light upon the development of languages, although 

 even, with so piimitive a people as tlie Australian aborigines, 

 we must be immeasurably distant from any indications of 

 the origin of language itself 



There is still also a great field for enquiry into the folk 

 lore of the tribes. I have found that the tales and fables 

 told by the old people, in some cases clearlj^ throw a light 

 upon the past history of the tribe, or upon some part or 

 other of its organisation which has died out. 



The Deluge legends of the tribes of the south-east coast, 

 point to the occurrence during their occupancy, of some of 

 the oscillations of level, the results of which are patent to 

 the geological observer. 



It may even be, that the study of the folk lore may 

 illumine the most obscure but most interesting subject — the 

 origin of totems. 



Numerous other subjects await further enquiry. For 

 instance, the alleged or assumed powers of the native 

 wizards or doctors, the knowledge of, and the ])ractice by 

 them of hypnotism, the secret ceremonies of initiation, the 

 use of the gesture language, the knowledge of medical 

 herbs and other remedies and practice of simple surgery, are 

 all subjects which will bear further and exhaustive enquiry. 

 A study of the songs of these aborigines would also prove a 

 valuable contribution to the science of music, for comparison 

 with the musical efforts of other early peoples. A study of 

 the various implements and weapons used by Australian 

 tribes would, I am confident, lead to interesting results 

 bearing upon the development of appliances useful to man. 

 For the Australian aboi'igines differ much among themselves 

 in the perfection to which they have brought their imple- 



