206 DOTTINGS ON THE KOADSIDE. [chap.xii.—b.s. 
stances without any religion whatever, and incapable 
of mastering any religious teaching,—a race unfitted 
for civilization, and so near the brute creation that it 
might be appropriately classed with it, if it were not 
for its power of language and the only ingenious thing 
in its possession—the boomerang. The reasons why 
New Holland could not make any great strides in ci¬ 
vilization, conceding even that the natives as a race 
were capable of it, are easily found in the nature of 
the country. It wants moisture and nutritious plants 
for man and beast. Extensive tracts of lands are re¬ 
quired to feed even a flock of sheep; wild animals are 
scarce; and whilst every other part of the globe has 
added edible plants to our table, we have not received 
a single addition from New Holland; indeed, Euro¬ 
peans who should have to rely for their food upon what 
Australian vegetation can supply, would share the me¬ 
lancholy fate of Burke and Wills when they tried to 
eke out their existence by eating the wretched nardoo- 
fruits of Australian swamps. There could be no flock¬ 
ing together of men as long as these conditions were 
not remedied, no permanent interest in property, and 
no improvement. All was hopeless stagnation. But 
if, under these unfavourable conditions, man has ex¬ 
isted in Australia, at least as far as we historically 
know, for several centuries, we may conclude that he 
could exist in Europe, even during the Eocene period, 
when the same, or a closely similar climate, vegetation, 
and perhaps fauna, prevailed there. We may also be 
sure that, with such surroundings, whatever his race 
may have been, he could not have arrived at a much 
