Miscellanea . 
385 
and the adoption of each other's inventions, indicate intervals of 
amiable contact. The stream of tendency in the migrations of 
these races is unknown. While the ancient structures in Easter 
Island suggest the idea of a Peruvian origin of the brown race, 
and a migration to the west, the sugar-cane, with its Malay name, 
in Otalieite, suggests a migration to the east. Possibly there 
were alternating sets of the tide of migration—sometimes in the 
one direction, sometimes in the other. We may thus imagine a 
communication in the lapse of ages between Yucatan and North- 
West Australia; more especially as the natives of the latter coast, 
where the sculptures alluded to are found, do come into contact 
with the brown—if, indeed, they are not themselves a mulatto 
race. This single fact cannot justify a hypothesis, but it warrants 
a search in the direction it indicates. The discovery of skulls of 
cattle of a race not known to have been imported into Western 
Australia, and said to have existed there previous to the settle¬ 
ment of the colony (I.), points to more practically important 
discoveries than either of the preceding notices. It may, as Mr. 
Drummond conjectures, indicate a tract of fertile country, stretch¬ 
ing from the place where the skulls were found to the upper waters 
of the Darling; at all events it seems to indicate a good pasture 
country to the immediate north-east. It is highly desirable that an 
expedition should be set on foot to follow up Mr. Drummond’s dis¬ 
covery. The spot at which he found the skulls appears to be the 
vacant space immediately north-east of Toodyay, on the map of 
Western Australia, by Arrowsmith, in the “ Papers : Aborigines, 
Australian Colonies : Sessional Paper 627: 1844.” 
I. Discovery in the North-East Countries or Western 
Australia. 
“ We learn with pleasure that Mr. Drummond has lately dis¬ 
covered two very fine tracts of land to the northward ; the one 
about 50 miles N.E. of the Toodyay, and the other beyond that 
again. The precise particulars have not reached us, but we un¬ 
derstand that both these tracts are of very considerable extent, 
and are equal in fertility to anything yet seen in the colony. 
There would appear, however, to be one important drawback, 
viz., the want of permanent water, of which we understand that 
Mr. Drummond has not been able to discover any certain trace, 
voi.. n. xo. x. 2 E 
