14 



THE ETHNOLO0T OF EASTERN ASIA. 



all purely mental sources of change, produces the most striking 

 and universal mutations. In certain stages of of society one 

 man can alter the pronunciation of a language to a greater extent 

 than can be effected m centuries in a highly civilised race. Every 

 foundeivof a family produces a dialect and a few generations 

 produce new languages. Amidst the constant migrations which 

 take place, rude tribes brought in contact, after having 

 been separated from a common ancestor for some thousands of 

 years* may present few marked physical contrasts, but it is 

 impossible that their languages can have remained the same. Many 

 fundamental traits may be alike, numerous common words may be 

 traceable, particularly by the aid of a profound ^mparalive pho- 

 nology, but the variations as a whole must gi ve a high character 

 of individuality to each language, group and family. 



Differences in physical geography, civilisation and habits of life 

 have necessarily produced many varieties in the general ethnic 

 character of E* Asia. But the races as a whole are well dis- 

 tinguished from the Indo-European, Semitic and African families 

 and united amongst themselves, by remarkable traits intemparament, 

 intellect, fundamental superstitions, domestic and clan institutions, 

 and many specific habits and usages, which may be traced over the 

 whole region, and have been largely preserved in the Chinese deve- 

 lopment.* "We shall be able to establish the same radical connection 

 by linguistic evidence, and when all the elements of the enquiry 

 are combined, the reader, we believe, will be satisfied that, amidst 

 great and numerous changes taking place during a vast lapse of 

 time, the races of Eastern- Asia have maintained a decided 

 relationship in physical and mental character, languages, and customs, 

 and that offsets of the same great type of mankind may be identified 

 with even more certainty in Asianrsia than in Europe and America. 



Indonesia and Australia form, geographically und geologically, 

 so well marked a continuation of S. E, Asia, that the whole 

 might be considered as one region, — the China Sea running in 

 like a great gulph and partially dividing the insutar from the 

 continental portion. This close geographical connection requires 

 us to examine the ethnology of S. E. Asia more narrowly than 

 will be necessary in the two northern regions. We shall ilnd that 

 the change from the monosyllabic to the dissyllabic form of 

 language lakes place within this region, and even* that the peculiar 

 ideologic traits of the Turanian languages which have spread over 

 the greater part of the globe, are discoverable here in languages 

 that are still mainly monosyllabic. The best linguistic division 

 seems to be — 1st, the Chinese, Lau, Anam, and allied languages 

 —2nd, the Burmese group— 3rd, the Tibetan — 4th, the Indo-Tibe- 



• These form (he subject* of fcparate papers which shall rndenvour to publish 

 alffrvairly with those treating ofnarficnlar raeea or diatricf*. In the lest wp have 

 ronfinrfi ourselves to thr physinfngjr-iO rrsmiblance?. as UVy ar* the ra<\>l funda- 

 ments!, 



