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88 from those now existing, unless the present race he a degenerate offspring of the others. There is no record of a people raising themselves from barbarism ; but isolation and removal from civilizing agencies, will soon reduce a community to a low condition of mind. Dr. Beke informs us, that, “ The culture or degradation of our aboriginal race will be in proportion to the geographical distance of its residence from the common centre of its dispersion.” If so, our dark friends must have come a long way from home. Philological affinities have been noticed between the Australian dialects and those of both Chinese and Malays. There is little doubt that our Aborigines crossed the sea of Torres Strait, as the neighbouring islanders have similar appearance, and customs, with our aborigines. CONFLICTS OF WHITES AND BLACKS. With their jealousy at the least intrusion upon their hunting grounds by a neighbouring tribe, we cannot believe the Port Phillip Blacks regarded our coming with complacency, and the occupation of their country by our flocks with satisfaction. The truth is, their conduct towards us in our weakness was most generous and praiseworthy. And although isolated instances of ruthless attack occurred at an early period, with no obviously apparent causes for such, yet we should be cautious of condemning a people with whose language and motives we were then so ignorant, particularly with the knowledge of highly exciting reasons of complaint on other occasions. Mr. Eyre, late Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand, and an able authority upon any question respecting the Aborigines of New Holland, has well observed, “ Our being in their country at all is, so far as their ideas of right and wrong are concerned, alto gether an act of intrusion and aggression.” The conflicts between the Whites and Blacks of Port Phillip, have not been so bloody and constant as in the neighbouring colony of Tasmania. Our natives were a gentler race than the curly- headed Islanders. Still a sad tale is to be told of aggressions and murders in the olden times. If the settlers can tell of stolen sheep
