404 
GENERAL SIMILARITY 
whilst the dialects spoken in the intermediate ones differ con- 
siderably from either of them. The same circumstances take 
place with regard to their rights and customs.” 
And again, after comparing some of the dialects 
of South Australia and New South Wales with those 
of Western Australia, Captain Grey says (vol. ii. 
P- 216), 
“ Having thus traced the entire coast line of the continent of 
Australia, it appears that a language the same in root is spoken 
throughout this vast extent of country, and from the general 
agreement in this, as well as in personal appearance, rites and 
ceremonies, we may fairly infer a community of origin for the 
Aborigines.” 
Had we a collected and an authentic account of the 
dialects, weapons, habits, customs, and traditions of 
all the tribes of Australia with whom Europeans 
have already been in close or friendly contact, and 
which, with very few exceptions, would embrace the 
circuit of the whole continent, we should have a 
mass of valuable and interesting information, that 
would enable us, not only to form a probable opinion 
as to the community of origin of the various tribes, 
and the point from which they first overspread the 
continent, but also to guide us in conjecturing the 
routes which the various offsets have taken from the 
parent tribe, the places of contact where they have 
met from opposite extremities of the continent, and 
the gradual change which has taken place in the 
habits, customs, and dialects of each. 
In the absence of many links necessary to form a 
connection, we can at present only surmise conclu- 
