452 THE NATIVE TRIBES OF POLYNESIA. 



almost peculiar to Anglo-Saxon colonization, has deservedly attracted a 

 great deal of attention, thougli not as much as it deserves ; and it is no 

 easy matter to discover the causes of the phenomenon. But Miss 

 Nightingale, who in this matter had no experience whatever to justify 

 her opinion, declared before a meeting of the Social Science Congress, 

 a few years ago, that the chief cause of the disappearance of aboriginal 

 tribes is to be found in their unchastity. As a theory this is mani- 

 festly worthless ; but as a question of fact it is utterly untrue. I do 

 not mean to affirm that absolute moral purity prevails among the 

 Australians, but there is no such thing as that indiscriminate inter- 

 course between the sexes which some persons like to imagine. Even 

 polygamy is not an established institution ; and although marriage can 

 have no relation to religion where no religion exists, it is much more 

 highly esteemed by most of the Australian natives than it is in many 

 so-called Christian communities which I might name. It is no uncom- 

 mon occurrence to find old people who have lived together as man and 

 wife from their youth, with a constancy which would shame very many 

 couples who have solemnly pledged themselves at the altar of the 

 Church. Such charges as those made by Miss Nightingale, and which 

 have been repeated by other female reformers of society, are therefore 

 not only gratuitous but unjust. 



The Australians have few traditions, or if they have any it is 

 extremely difficult to get at them. But it is worthy of note that 

 among many of them there is a tradition of a time when the world was 

 under water, very much resembling that which was found by Humboldt 

 to exist among the South Americans, and not materially differing from 

 the Mosaic account of the deluge. I am compelled by want of time to 

 omit the notice which I should like to have given of the language of 

 the Australians, which has many beauties and is not difficult to 

 acquire ; but I may be allowed to point out the wide field which opens 

 out before the Anthropologist who would devote himself to the philo- 

 logy and thence to the traditional history of these people. I cannot 

 but think that such an enquiry would be rewarded with interesting and 

 valuable fruits. 



There is a custom prevalent among many tribes to which hard names 

 have sometimes been applied, although it is one very partially known. 

 An incident which once happened to myself will illustrate it. On a 

 bright summer day, it may be sixteen years ago, I was wandering far 

 in the interior of Australia. After the morning meal, usually taken at 



