Dr. Pritchard, in his work upon the natural history of man, assigna the Australian to a Pelagian nefijro race. The absence of woolly liair made it necessary to modify the negro type so as to include the Australian, whose hair is for the most part wavy or lank, sometimes curly, with an occasional instance of close cui^Is not more nearly allied to the woolly negro than are the hfiads of some Caucasians., He confiiders the race allied to the Arafuras, or Alforas, ofl the interior of New Guinea. It may well he that some] families of that tribe were landed at or escaped to the I neighbouring shore of Cape York. It may be efjually truel that the Alforas themselves were but a hive thrown off from Hindostao in pre-historic times. The coarser and shorter haired Tasmaniau race he affirms more positively to be the Pelagian negro; but ethnologists writing in European studies, and travellers on the spot, could not account for the fact that in the Tasmanian race, remote from every land but Australia, there was so marked a difference between the human iik on the island and that of the continent. It may be noticed that philosophers who deduce from a few sculls their ethnological theories often ^^ suffer from faulty induction, and races invented to suit theories thus constructed exist only in idea. In shape, in physiognomy, I and in disposition, there were as wide differences amongst lAustrahans as amongst uncultivated Europeans, though ^they escaped observation except from those who had proiited by local knowledge. The progiuithous t3'pe im- puted to the Australian may often be seen in the hinds of Tipperary or the delvers in Staffordshire;" and in intelli- gence, good-humour, and loyalty the despised black race often put to shame the boors among the vaunting Caucasian intruders.^^
- =* Prof. Owen wiote " iil ways insteati of " often/*
- ' Prof. Owea wrote *' good*' as to this slat lament,
'^ A niitivo (the man woinided hy the platypnfi) who was leadiei* than I most of his coimtryuitn, though many were eloiiuent on occasion, boastJ^d to the aiilhor that ho had overcome in aigunient a doctor of physic who eoiiteiuied thtit the work! revuhctl on its own axis. Native : If it did we could not atand; we should tunible down. X>octor : No; wc don't faU from a mtjving coach.
