PROBLEMS OF ABORIGINAL ART IN AUSTRALIA. 221 



Australians differentiating them from other races of men, or 

 in itself opposed to a belief in the descent of all from a single 

 stock, or pair. There is much to point to the conclusion that, 

 though long resident in the Island Continent, its Abori- 

 gines came over from Asia — probably from India via Java 

 and Timor and New Guinea — being a part of the eastern 

 branch of the great Cushite race, of which a western section 

 passed into Africa from its cradle north of the Persian Gulf. 

 It also seems probable that the race has degenerated from 

 more cultured days to its present inferior condition. All 

 these conclusions are in harmony with the indications of 

 Scripture. We will briefly examine them— omitting the 

 first (the identity of the Australian in ultimate origin with 

 other peoples), on which enough has been already said. 



The affinity of the Australian to the Dravidian peoples in 

 Central India and the Deccan — originally Cushite — is inferred 

 from a certain correspondence in features, language, and 

 weapons. The boomerang, for instance, is known to the 

 Dravidian tribes of India, as it was to the ancient Egyptians 

 (and perhaps, also, as the "Cateia" of the Latin poets, to 

 the Teutons). In language a connection is unmistakeable. 

 The pronouns I, thou, he, we, you are the same in Australian 

 as in the Dravidian tongues of the Madras Presidency. (One 

 is familiar with the scorn with which Max Miiller treats 

 seemmg coincidences in words of the same meaning in 

 languages of different families : but it is singular almost to 

 laughableness that the Australian cooee for " here " should be 

 so like the Itahan qui and the Persian Jcoo ; gin for "woman " 

 so like the Greek jvvi] : ndo for " ship " or " boat " so like yaO? 

 — the Australian has no s ; kalia for a " beautiful " woman so 

 like KaXrj: "writing" or "mark," halama; giber gimyah, a 

 " rock shelter " or " covering," almost pure Arabic for the 

 same ; and may I add the corroboree of wild religious dancers, 

 so like " Corybantes " ? Such curious examples might be 

 multiplied.) 



But the separation from the parent stem must have taken 

 place early, or the Australians must have strangely lost 

 what their kindred of the same stock possess. The s, /, x, 

 and z, for instance, are unknown to them : so are numerals 

 above 3, — or at any rate 4 : so are the bow and arrow, pot- 

 tery, tillage, the custom of buying and selhng, or even 

 barter, and navigation of the seas. Moreover, the resem- 

 blances they present to their kindred in other parts seem to 

 be not specific resemblances to any particular tribes — only 



