Kinship. 169 



law, as well as between a man and his mother-in-law, we 

 have a singular explanation of this peculiarity in the system. 

 Tt is simply a separation of the tabooed kin by a wider 

 interval, brought about by a theoretical insertion of an 

 additional generation between them. 



In the terms given by the Kev. G. Taplin, we see the 

 necessity of the very greatest care and patience in 

 examining an Australian system, as well as the all but utter 

 impossibility of success, unless the inquirer is well versed in 

 the native tongue ; for the native words suffer such extra- 

 ordinary changes in their inflexions and combinations, that it 

 is very difficult to guard against endless mistakes and con- 

 fusion in making our inquiries. Thus, I learn from Mr. Taplin, 

 that my father is Nanghai, your father, Ngaiowe ; his 

 father, Yikowalle ; my mother is Nainkowa, your mother is 

 Nainkowi, his mother is Narkowalle. What man ignorant 

 of the native tongue could suspect Yikowalle to be the same 

 word with Nanghai, allowing for the difference in the 

 possessive pronoun? or Narkowalle to have but a pro- 

 nominal difference from Nainkowa ? * 



I cannot resist the temptation to make a short digression 

 here. The advocates of the theory of man's gradual develop- 

 ment by his own inherent and unaided energy, have drawn 

 an argument from language, which seems to be not only 

 altogether unsupported, but flatly contradicted by fact. 

 Thus, Blichner in his furiously materialistic Kraft und StofF 

 asserts that the lane'uao^e of savages is little removed from 

 the inarticulate sounds made by the lower animals, whereas 

 the unvarying testimony of the facts collated by these 

 researches of ouis, is to the effect that the languages spoken 

 by savages are far more elaborate as to their grammatical 

 forms and inflexions than are those of civilised nations; 

 complex forms being dropped one by one in the line of 

 advance, as too cumbj-ous to be borne in a rapid march. A 

 very few facts will be amply sufficient in support of this 

 assertion : The Narrinyeri nouns have two cases more than 

 the Greek nouns have, and are inflected throughout all the 

 cases. The Kamilaroi verbs have at least three forms of the 



* I have not found these complications in other Australian dialects, 

 concerning which I have been able to gather information. Elsewhere the 

 Yjossessive pronoun is not incorporated with the term of kinship, but simjoly 

 follows it. These dialects offer to the philologist a wide and important field, 

 which must be explored now or never, for the native races are dying out with 

 a fearful rapidity. The facts relating to their decrease given me by some of 

 my correspondents are positively appalling. 



