30 JOHN FRASER; B.A., LL.D. 



the circles mentioned in this paper. There is evidence also to 

 believe that the Ancient Mound builders Avorshipped the sun. 



BY ME. HASTINGS C. DENT, C.E., F L.S. 



There are many points in this important paper upon which I 

 should like to write, but my stay in Australia was so short that 

 though I ascertained a good deal, I must not do more than say 

 that all I heard there is confirmed by the author. To study the 

 links between distant nations or people as proved by any similar 

 religious traditions as practices which they respectively hold, is 

 a most valuable sphere of work. May I mention one point upon 

 which the author seems to contradict himself, viz., the two passages 

 on the 'second page of the paper where he denies " that religiousness 

 is a thing of man's own invention,'' &c., and the allusion to tha 

 " red heifer " of the Israelites, offered " probably with some reference 

 to the Egyptian ideas about this colour." There appears to be in 

 this a tendency to state that the Hebrew records which we hold to 

 lie the inspired Word of God, adopted heathen customs. Is it not a 

 much more reasonable as well as a more lofty view, to 

 hold that the oral inspiration given to the primeval nations was the 

 true origin of the degraded mythologies which we meet with in the 

 most ancient religions ? And that this oral inspiration was the 

 preparation for the elaborate system of type and ritual revealed 

 eventually to Moses, and by him reduced to writing. I would 

 have liked the author, as he was dealing with the "religious- 

 ness of nations," to say something as to the capability of the 

 Australian aborigines to understand and accept the Christian 

 religion, and their receptivity as to civilisation, &c. I venture to 

 suggest that had the author, with his Avide experience, given us 

 some information on this subject, the practical value of the paper 

 would have been very considerably enhanced. I heard and have 

 read much as to the great success of mission work among tin- 

 natives, both by Roman Catholic and Anglican Missionaries, but 

 had no opportunity of seeing it. But as regards capacity for 

 civilisation, I met some black boys from Western Australia and the 

 Northern Territory, ages from ten to thirteen years ; they were 

 travelling on board my steamer from Port Darwin to Brisbane and 

 other parts of Queensland, so I had an opportunity of gauging their 

 powers, &c. They were returning as servants to some miners 

 who were going home after an unsuccessful hunt for gold, 



