446 . THE NATIVE TRIBES OF POJ-Y-NESIA. 



whicii tribe the natives whom I knew in D'Entrecarteaux's Channel 

 were connected. 



In color the Tasmanians were not as dark as the Australians gene- 

 rally are, bui; in the Malay race it does not do to place too much stress • 

 •upon the color of the skin or the character of the hair. I have met 

 with many Australians who were of a lighter complexion than were the 

 last of the Tasmanians. These people were indolent and dirty in their 

 habits, and never made much advance towards the boundary of civiliz- 

 ation ; but I am not disposed to place these facts entirely to their own 

 credit. They were badly treated, and neglected even to the last, and 

 never had any opportunity of displaying any capabilities which in my 

 opinion they certainly possessed. A question has been raised whether 

 the Tasmanians knew the use of fire before it was introduced to them 

 by Europeans. Some have answered this question in the negative J 

 others have told us that the tribes in the south knew it, but not those 

 in the north; and Mr. Milligan says that they knew the use of fire, but 

 could not produce it. The belief of the natives themselves was almost 

 similar to that of the Maories and other Polynesians, who profess to 

 have been familiar with the use of fire since the early days of the 

 world's history, when Mani took some from Mahuitta, an old woman 

 who lived far down in the inner regions of the earth. From the direct 

 evidence of the natives themselves, which of course may be taken as of 

 more or less value, I am satisfied that the use of fire was known to the 

 Tasmanians before the island was visited by Europeans. 



We cannot regard the extinction of the Tasmanians as of so much 

 scientific importance as if those people had met with different treatment 

 from the colonists ; but when we cross Bass's Strait we are met with 

 the remarkable fact that within 20 years many tribes in that part of 

 the island, which now constitutes Victoria, have entirely disappeared ; 

 even though they have at no time experienced ill usage from the set- 

 tlers. In the east some tribes are still to be found, but throughout the 

 greater part of Victoria the natives have mostly gone. It is necessary 

 that I should here explain the sense in which the word ''tribe" must 

 be received. It has a different meaning from that which it would have 

 when used in reference to the American Indians. I have heard it 

 sometimes asked whether the tribes of Australia are not smaller and 

 more numerous — other things being the same — than are the tribes of 

 this country. In one aspect they are, but in reality they are not. The 

 whole of Australia is deficient in water and animals, consequently the 



