ETIINOLOOr OF TIllv INDO-PACIFIC ISLANDS. 



167 



untlefiticd pej iods in tlie gradual progress of the Semitic, Caiica- 

 alan aud Irauiun iribce froni a barbarism moro than African. 

 The general character of the Indo-Aiistralian formation proves that 

 in the most arrhaic era to whith ihe positive ethnology ofS, W. 

 Asia cart as yet ascend^ the Scjthic linguistic element prodomi- 

 mtQil. in Eastern Irania and India. But whether a Scytliic or an 

 Africo-Semilic race and formation was the oldest of all, or which was 

 the older of the two, in this region, is not clear. The early exten- 

 sion of the Seraitico-Lihyan or Libyan formation over the great 

 outlying region of Africa, its undoubted Asiatic derivation as 

 evinced by its Caucaso-Scytliic alEnitira, its fundamental proto- 

 Scythic traits, the chai-acter of the purer African physical type, 

 and the presence of a Bimilar clement both linguisJic and physical 

 in the Draviro-Australian family, render it probable that Libyan 

 races and languages long preceded the Draviro-Australian La P. 

 W. Asia, and mixed with the inlrufling ond dominant proto- 

 Scythians wlio introduced that formation. The E;:yptian stage of 

 the Semitico-Libyan formation is cruder tlian the Australian stage 

 of Draviro-Australian. Il is nearer the Tibeto-Ultraindian and 

 Chinese developments, Australian has much of the advanced 

 proto-Scytbic development which predominates in the American, 

 the Zimbian, and the Euskarlan formations, and is only les^ pro- 

 minent or more modified in the Indo-Europeun, Scythic and Cau- 

 casian. Egyptian shows that the Semi ti co-Libyan mother forma- 

 tion had separated from the great irons-Chinese stock of Asia prior 

 to the attainment by the latter of a highly agglomerative and 

 harmonic phonology. It spread to the south west, took possession 

 of Africa and long remained faith fill to the archaic West Asiatic 

 type, white in Upper Asia that type changed, and gave rise to 

 various higher phonetic formations, including the eiuly Indo- 

 Atistralian. That formation stands in its origin at a great distance 

 behind the Indo-European and even the Ugrian, but the early 

 Semilico-Libyan goes back for its origin or point of divarication 

 to an era far beyond the Indo- Australian. The latter distinctly 

 associates itself by its phonology and structure with an archaic 

 condition of the Scythic development, Semitico-Libyan with a 

 condition of the Mid-Asian dcvebpment between Chinese and 

 Scylhic, In ibis early or Scythico- Libyan slsige il is probable 



