THE IvTlTNOLOCl V OF SOUTH EASTRRX ASIA. 



1 I 



The Ultra Indian ethnic history Is, as yet, still more obscure 

 than that of India. It is. certain however that it mwt have 

 undergone great changes subsequent to the earliest era which we 

 can recognize in Asianesia. I shall best explain the general 

 impression which I have received from a partial review of its 

 ethnology, by considering all the S. E. Peninsulas and islands 

 as one region. 



At * 1- 3 beginning of the first Asianesian era, India, (with the 

 exception perhaps of the Gangetic basin, or the alpine portion of 

 it) with the lower basins and the western shores and islands of 

 Ultraindia, were peopled by tribes of the negro type who spoke 

 languages allL 4 to the African. Before the second era commenced, 

 the basin of the Ganges was occupied by Tibeto-Indian tribes, 

 all of which had a modified Turanian and Irano-Turanian physical 

 character, while the west and south of India were occupied by 

 Africo-Taraulian tribes. This revolution must have been caused 

 by an influx of tribes of a quasi Iranian physical type from the 

 N. W. and others of a Tib ian type from the N. and E. The 

 languages of this era were, in the Gangetic basin, of a very archaic 

 character compared with the Indo-European, and associate them- 

 selves generally with the simpler Turanian and African. It appears 

 impossible to explain the linguistic connection between the Vindyan 

 and Himalayan tribes and those of S. E. Indonesia and Polynesia 

 without admitting that, when the Gangetic basin was occupied by 

 the former, allied tribes spread along the eastern shores of the 

 Indo- Malayan sea, preceding the Mayama race in Arrakan. Some 

 of the Kyen, Karen or other pre-Mayanm tribes may prove to be 

 their remnants. It can hardly be supposed that the Turanian 

 Gangetic tribes, although those on the Ganges were probably 

 navigators, had made such progress in civilisation as to carry on 

 a direct trade with the eastern islands, and plant colonies in it. If 

 this had been the case Asianesian ethnology would present a 

 different aspect from what it does. It requires us to beleive that 

 the western maritime districts of Ultraindia, such as Arakan, Pegu, 

 Tavay* &c were occupied during a long period by maritime tribes 

 more closely allied to the ancient Gangetic race than its present 

 dominant tribes are. These Gangetic tribes appear to have received 

 linguistic additions from the native Ultraindian tribes, which they 

 carried with them into Asianesia. I cannot yet say whether these 

 native tribes have been entirely absorbed or extirpated or still 

 exist, but they appear to have heen more closely related finguts- 

 ti cully to the Mon, Kambojan, and Anam than to the Mayama 

 and Lau races, although necessarily allied to these also. The Mon 

 has a strong linguistic connection not only with the Kambojan 

 hut with the languages of some of the ruder mountaineers of the 



• Tavay or Tayai baa been carried as a local name to tlie two extremities of Poly- 

 nesia, for we find it applied to islands in the New Zealand and Hawaiian group*. 



