smoother than that of Victoria and Tasmania, but not so fluent 

 and musical as that of central and northern Australia, and the 

 data instead of suggesting that Tasmanian is more nearly akin to 

 New Caledonian than to the language of the mainland, favour 

 the very opposite conclusion. 



The writer ventures to affirm that future research will only tend 

 to corroborate the opinion which he has here enunciated and 

 endeavoured to establish, namely, that Tasmania was first peopled 

 from the Victorian shores. The point from which the emigrants 

 left the mainland was probably Wilson's Promontory, from which 

 a string of islands runs like stepping stones across the strait which 

 were perhaps at one time larger and more numerous than they 

 are now if they did not form an isthmus. It does not follow, 

 however, that the most distinct vestiges of the old Papuan 

 Australians should be found at this point. From philological 

 considerations it would rather appear that the Lowei' Murray and 

 perhaps the Lower Murrumbidgee served for long as a natural 

 defence to the Victorian Papuans and that the invaders poured 

 into Victoria across the Upper Murray, took possession of Central 

 Victoria, pressing those who were being dispossessed back on either 

 flank. At all events the most numerous and on the whole the 

 clearest verbal analogies with Tasmanian are to be found in north- 

 western Victoria from Lake Boga northwards, ajid about Buinbang, 

 Tatiarra, and Piangil on the Murray. This markedly Papuan 

 class of dialect extends on a line up tlie IVIurrumbidgf-e and em- 

 braces a large tract of country between this river and tlie Lachlan 

 above their junction. 



Having now demonstrated, beyond all question it is hoped, that 

 the Tasmanians were the lineal descend;uits of tlie |)riniitive 

 Australian race, that the substratum of the modern Australians 



L'pon the original Papuan stock of Austf.iiia thtTt 

 been grafted a very .strong s<ioii from anotlH-r and in s. 

 very ditterent stem, .-ukI tli^' union must 1i,i\m ncm ilii 

 remote dim past, the stock tVuin uiiicli tlM> -ivit't (•.■inic i 

 then altered by piogn-ssivf lUnf-lopmcnt almost ii'\': 

 cation. The people who fofined thi.s fresh addition to tl 



and had smaller features and straight hair! \\'hat im 

 thither we know not. We are familiar with the idea o 



