58 THE FUTURE VEGETATION OF AUSTRALIA, 
same aspect as that now presented by the Polynesian islands. The 
bulk of the plants, adapted as they are to the peculiar dry climate of 
the extratropieal parts, would perish as soon as the climate became 
insular, and the Asiatic flora, which even now presses hard upon the 
northern parts of New Holland, would get the upper hand, as has . 
been the case in the Pacific after the dissolution of its continent into 
those innumerable islands now called Polynesia. Plants with dry 
leathery leaves would be superseded by those having a more luxuriant 
but weedy look; for that I take to be the principal physiognomie dif- 
ference between the floras of extratropical Australia and tropical Asia. 
It must be evident that the inquiry Unger has set on foot [about the 
former continental connection of Europe and Australia] cannot stop 
here. The abundance of the most typical forms of Australian mam- 
mals—the marsupials (opossum and kangaroo)—in tertiary European 
deposits, will doubtless tempt some comprehensive mind to treat the 
subject from a zoological point of view. It is most important to ascer- 
tain whether the present fauna of Australia was always associated with 
the present flora. I do fiot know of any reason why it should not ; 
but a closer examination of all the facts may possibly point to a dif- 
ferent conclusion. It will probably turn out that in the Australian 
native population we behold the oldest as well as the lowest race of 
men—a race.in many instances without any religion whatever, and in- 
capable of mastering any religious teaching,—a race unfitted for civili- 
_ zation, and so near the brute creation that it might be appropriately 
classed with it, if it was not for its power of language and the only 
ingenious thing in its possession—the boomerang. The reasons why 
should have to rely for their food upon what Australian vegetation can 
supply, would share the melancholy fate of Burke and Wills when they 
tried to eke out their existence by eating the wretched nardoo-fruits of 
: Australian Swamps. There could be no flocking together of men as 
long as these conditions were not remedied, no permanent interest in 
te 
