PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. LXXXIII 



art nor anytliing else associated with tliem had the slightest 

 influence on the tribes amongst whom, most unfortunately for 

 themselves, they were stranded, and hy whom most probably they 

 were literally absorbed. For many years past the Malays have 

 been visiting the northern coast, and yet, except for the fact that 

 the native has probably learnt from them the use of the dug-out 

 canoe, they have had no cultural influence on the aboriginals. I 

 have only once amongst the wild tribes seen a half-caste between 

 a Malay and an aboriginal. Speaking generally, it may 'be said 

 that there is no admixture of the two people, either in blood or 

 customs, and, further «till, Mr. Sidney Ray tells us that there is 

 no trace of Malay influence in the 'native language. It must, of 

 course, be rememlbered that the Malays do not come down with 

 the intention of settling in a country that could not provide them 

 or any other immigrant from the north with what they can easily 

 secure in their own home, but this strict and mutual aloofness of 

 the immigrant and aboriginal is, at least, very suggestive in con- 

 nexion with the theory that small parties of seafaring people have 

 landed at various places in Australia and influenced the culture 

 of the native tribes. 



We may finally consider the question of the origin of certain 

 features of the latter from another j^oint of view. Dr. Rivers, as 

 already said, and the same is true of other recent authorities, 

 regards the origin of complex cultures, such as those of Melanesian 

 and Polynesian islanders, as due to the interaction of different 

 peoples each with its own beliefs and customs, Tt is, however, 

 worth considering whether some other explanation is not more 

 feasible in regard to the undoubtedly complex Australian culture. 



As pointed out already, the latter includes an extraordinarily 

 homogeneous, but at the same time complicated, social organiza- 

 tion, a slightly less, but still remarkably homogeneous, totemic 

 system, together with numerous customs and very many forms of 

 arts that are characteristic of various savage races and of pre- 

 historic peoples at different levels of culture in other parts of the 

 world. 



I have, in the first place, endeavoured to show that, owing to 

 adverse climatic conditions, it is most improbable that any per- 

 manent lodgnient of immigrants on the northern coast line has 

 taken place since the immediate ancestors of the present abori- 

 ginals entered Australia. There can, further, be no doubt but 

 that when the latter spread over the Continent the conditions of 

 inter-communication were much more favorable than at present. 

 Before and during the breaking-up of the original immigrants 

 into first larger groups, possibly indicated iby the present 

 " nations," and, later still, into tribes, there must have been some 

 form of organization. It is probable *hsit at first the totemic 



