238 



Introduction. 



It is an acknowledged fact that the native tribes of Australia, 

 like every other indigenous inferior race under similar conditions, 

 are fast disappearing before an advancing civilization. The 

 encroachments made yearly upon their territories, where for 

 many centuries they lived in unfettered freedom, must soon make 

 their results felt throughout the whole continent, because the 

 law of the survival of the fittest will surely, and at no very 

 remote date, assert itself to the detriment of the aborigines. 

 This has already taken place around almost the whole of tlie Aus- 

 tralian coast, and along the leading rivers. It is, tlierefore, only 

 in the far arid interior that we can hope to find a primitive people. 

 Here some tribes may be found that have not yet come into con- 

 tact with whites, particularly in the central western district of 

 South Australia, and in the great ea.stern deserts of Western 

 Australia. 



From the jiature of the country, mainly on account of its 

 ■extreme aridness and the consequent lack of an equable produc- 

 tion of vegetation, the aborigines inhabiting these vast tracts are 

 likely to remain in undisputed possession of tlve land long after 

 their brethren now living nearer the coast have ceased to exist. It 

 is quite possible that tribes may yet survive in these remote 

 wilds when the many cities of this continent will be crowded by 

 millions of Australian-born whites, who may scarcely be aware 

 of the existence of Australian blacks. However undisturbed the 

 life of these blacks may be they are not likely to increase, be- 

 cause the unfavorable conditions of the country forbid a large 

 population. Perhaps a few hundred years hence some enthu- 

 siastic anthropologist may still have an opportuiuty of studying 

 in these remote deserts the scattered remnants of an almost 

 extinct race under their natural and unaltered conditions, which 

 then be observable nowhere else. It is, however, desirable 



may 



sliould not be neelected till they 



that the study of the natives 

 are thus reduced in numbers. 



The aborigines of Australia are a paradox amongst the races 

 into which anthropologists have divided the peoples of the earth. 

 Whilst on the one hand they possess habits and customs as well 

 as traits of character that are indicative of a very high culture, 

 on the other hand their general state of savageism places them 

 without dispute in the lowest grade of barbarity. These contra- 

 dictory aspects, that must force themselves upon every thinking 

 mind who comes in contact with the natives, make them ex- 

 tremely interesting subjects for psychological study. Although 

 in our present matter-of-fact times I have no doubt the question 

 will be asked. What practical result does such a speculative 

 research promise? I hope that there will always l)e found a 



l\ 



