114 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [July, 



animals and plants which now flourish in the Australian continent 

 appear to complete a picture of the ancient condition of the earth's 

 surface, which has been superseded in one hemisphere by other 

 strata and a higher type of mammalian organization. Mr. Amery 

 states as an evidence of the low condition of the aboriginal Austra- 

 lian that " his highest instruments are stone or bone tipped," and 

 from this fact, in connection with others, appears to come to the 

 conclusion, that the Australian man is an animal inferior to the Cau- 

 casian. Further, our author " would as readily believe in the Lamar- 

 kian or Darwinian theory of progressive development as in the descent 

 of the G-ermanic and Australian races from one pair of parents." So fai 

 as this conclusion is derived from any arguments based upon the fact 

 of the Australian savage using stone and bone tipped weapons, .it is 

 clearly untenable. Flint implements are found in abundance all over 

 the surface of the globe, resembling in many respects those now used 

 in Australia. This fact evidently does not prove that our ancestors who 

 used these primitive instruments belonged to a lower species of men 

 than we ourselves do. Mr. Amery surely can never have intended such 

 a conclusion to be drawn from his interesting paper. 



Dr. Colles said — " I do not think that any argument in favour of the 

 former existence in Europe or elsewhere of a race similar to the 

 modern Australians can be derived from the similarity between the 

 flint weapons dug up in Europe and those used by the Australians at 

 this day. In Argos and Etruria, in the earliest Irish churches, and 

 in the ancient American buildings, we find precisely the same archi- 

 tectural style used, because in all these cases buildings were erected 

 by men who found large stones ready to their hand, and had no occa- 

 sion to make use of the arch — yet none but the wildest enthusiasts 

 assert that the Peruvians and the Pelasgi are one race. Similarly, 

 mankind in any country would be at first obliged to make their cutting 

 instruments of stone, and, working with that material, would in every 

 pbu-o turn out weapons much resembling each other. So men of the 

 most different race have all, at one time or other of their history, 

 been obliged to produce fire by rubbing sticks together, or to use 

 the bow in hunting or warfare, for want of better expedients. The 

 fad i hiit bows are now used by the red men of America, and were used 

 in England four hundred years ago, is no proof that England was in- 

 habited by red men in the 15th century." 



