difagreement of language is by no means a proof of the 
contrary *. 
However, we muft have a far more intimate acquaintance 
with the languages fpoken here and in the more Northern 
parts of New Holland, before we can be warranted to pro¬ 
nounce that they are totally different. Nay, we have good 
grounds for the oppofite opinion; for we found that the 
animal called kangooroo at Endeavour river, was known un¬ 
der the fame name here ; and I need not obferve, that it is 
fcarcely poflible to fuppofe that this was not tranfmitted 
from one another, but accidentally adopted by two nations, 
differing in language and extraction. Befides, as it feems 
very improbable that the Van Diemen’s Land inhabitants 
fhbuld have ever loft the ufe of canoes or failing veffels, if 
they had been originally conveyed thither by fea, we muft 
neceftarily admit that they, as well as the kangooroo itfelf, 
have been ftragglers by land from the more Northern parts 
of the country. And if there be any force in this obferva- 
tion, while it traces the origin of the people, it will, at the 
* The ingenious Author of Recherches fur les Americains , illuftrates the grounds of this 
afiertion in the following fatisfaclory manner: “ C’eft quelque chofe de furprenant, que 
“ la foule des idiomes, tous varies entr’eux, que parlent les naturels de l’Amerique Sep- 
“ tentrionale. Qu’on reduife ces idiomes a des racines, qu’on les fxmplifie, qu’on en 
“ fepareles dialecles et les jargons derives, il en refulte toujours cinq ou fix langues-meres, 
w refpeclivement incomprehenfibles. On a obferve la meme fingularite dans la Siberie et 
c< la Tartarie, ou le nombre des idiomes, et des diale&es, eft egalement multiplie; et rien 
“ n’eft plus commun, que d’y voir deux hordes voifines qui ne fe comprennent point. On 
“ retrouve cette meme multiplicite de jargons dans toutes les Provinces de l’Amerique 
K Meridionale.” [He might alfo have included Africa.] « II y a beaucoup d’apparence 
ct que la vie fauvage , en difperfant les hommes par petites troupes ifolees dans des bois epais , occa- 
11 fione necejfairement cette grande diverfite des langues , dont le nombre diminue a mefure que 
" la fociete, en raffemblant les barbares vagabonds, en forme un corps de nation. Alors 
“ 1’idiome le plus riche, ou le moins pauvre en mots, devient dominant, et abforbe les 
u autres.” Tom. i. p. 159, 160. 
02 
fame 
