ACROSS NEW HOLLAND. 
409 
fertile regions of Eastern, South-eastern, and part of 
Southern Australia. As tribe separated from tribe, 
each would retain, in a greater or less degree, some 
of the language, habits, or customs of the original 
division ; but such points of resemblance would 
naturally again undergo many changes or modifica- 
tions, in proportion to the time, distance, or isolated 
character of the separation. If we look at the pro- 
gress of any two parties of natives, branching off' 
upon different rivers, and trace them, either up- 
wards or downwards, we shall find, that the further 
they went, the more isolated they would become, 
and the less likely to come again in contact with 
each other, or with the original division from which 
they separated. We may, therefore, naturally 
expect a much greater variety of dialects or 
customs in a country that is much intersected by 
rivers, or ranges, or by any features that tend to 
produce the isolating effect that I have described, 
than in one whose character has no such tendency ; 
and this in reality we find to be the case. In 
Western and South-western Australia, as far as the 
commencement of the Great Bight, the features and 
character of the country appear to be but little 
diversified, and here, accordingly, we find the lan- 
guage of the natives radically the same, and their 
weapons, customs, and ceremonies very similar 
throughout its whole extent ; but if, on the other 
hand, we turn to Eastern, South-eastern, and part 
of Southern Australia, we find the dialects, customs. 
