I INTRODUCTION 31 



burial customs used by these natives, and these 

 customs are interesting, as they differ totally from 

 those of the Australian natives. The latter never 

 cremate the dead bodies, the most general custom 

 being to build a kind of nest in a tree, and place 

 either the whole body or part of it in the nest. 

 The Tasmanians, on the other hand, always burnt 

 the corpses, and generally built over the ashes 

 a kind of tomb, formed of strips of Eucalyptus 

 bark and interwoven reeds. 



Practically nothing is known of their religious 

 beliefs, and the early observers cannot agree 

 whether they entertained any idea of a supreme 

 Being, though they evidently believed in evil 

 spirits, and probably in a future state. Nor is 

 anything known of their tribal organization, except 

 that at least four distinct tribes existed, all speak- 

 ing distinctly different dialects. Their language, 

 from the scanty knowledge we possess of it, seems 

 to have differed entirely from the Australian and 

 to show a remote connexion with the Andamanese. 



The extinction of this unfortunate race took place 

 thirty years ago without any trained observers 

 having left a record of their customs or beliefs, so 

 that we have to rely upon the casual observations 

 of travellers, or residents interested in their wel- 

 fare or conversion to Christianity; and the accounts 

 they give are very meagre and uncritical. One 

 man, George Robinson, had unique opportunities 

 of learning something about them, as he lived with 

 them in their natural nomadic condition for many 



