Primitive Races 23 



Excursions ashore to the little savage islands or to 

 the mainland were a source of constant interest, and it 

 cannot be doubted that the acquaintance Huxlej' thus 

 gained with many of the ver)^ low savages of Australia 

 and New Guinea prepared his mind for the revolution- 

 ary doctrine of descent which he embraced a few years 

 later. At the present time, there are probably very 

 few parts of earth where there are yet to be found 

 savages unaltered by civilisation. Some of the low 

 races with which Huxley came in contact are now ex- 

 tinct. All the survivors have come in contact with 

 white races, and their habits and customs have been 

 altered. Before long the total extinction of these lower 

 races is to be expected, and there will then be left an 

 enormous gap between the lower animals and the domi- 

 nant, aggressive, yellow and w'hite races which are 

 spreading over the earth and making the lower races 

 perish before them, as the smaller but more cunning 

 European rat has exterminated the native brown rat of 

 Australia. In their various excursions upon the Aus- 

 tralian mainland they had no trouble of any kind with 

 the natives. These were at first suspicious of the doings 

 of the white men, and their total ignorance of the use of 

 firearms tempted them to rashness; but a few friendly 

 gifts, and the exercise of tact in negotiating exchanges 

 with them, made all the encounters pass off pleasantly. 

 On the other hand, in the Louisiade Archipelago, where 

 the savages were of a higher type, difficulties constantly 

 occurred. On one occasion, in a bay on the south side 

 of Joannet Island the party was attacked. 



' ' In the grey of the morning the look-outs reported the ap- 

 proach of three canoes with about ten men in each. On two 

 or three persons shewing themselves in the bow of the pinnace, 

 in front of the rain awning, the natives ceased paddling, as if 



