Theory as to the Migration of the Australian Negro. ^tS 



the significance of these rock sculptures, they usually rej)ly, 

 in their broken English, ''Black fellow make 'em long 

 time ago," and on being pressed more particularly as to 

 theii' age, they throw up their hands and faces, shut their 

 eyes, and say, '' Murrey, murrey, murrey, long time ago !" 



Tlie great variety of theories commonly received as to the 

 supposed origin of this singular race of men have done little 

 to dispel the obscurity which prevails as to the real stirps of 

 which the Australian race is a branch. Writers who are 

 fond of squaring facts with pre-conceived theories maintain 

 that the first inhabitants of Australia came from Eastern 

 Asia or the Indian Archipelago, and passing Torres Straits 

 gradually overspread the entire Australian continent. Nay, 

 some even go so far as to maintain that there exists to this 

 time in the interior of some of the islands of the Malay 

 Archipelago a race of men identical with the aborigines of 

 Australia. And it certainly is a remarkable fact, that most 

 of the Australian war-songs, dances, &c., have been diffused 

 from north to south, although it does seem venturesome to 

 deduce from this single cii'cumstance a migration from 

 Eastern Asia. Others again hold (such, namely, as Prichard, 

 Wappaus, Burdach, &c.), that the aborigines are of the same 

 race as that inhabiting New Guinea and New Caledonia, and 

 thus make them of the same stock as the Australasian negro. 

 Lastly, a modern naturalist, Mr. James Brown, who lived six- 

 teeij. years amongst the blacks, considers it not improbable that 

 some Malay crews (for since time immemorial it is known that 



