Two representative tribes of Queensland with an inquiry ...

1 F G:REBREilSlllliEotIEKSeW'I% ^ -::: : :; ..:..,;..;. ;.;: ;.::; :N:--M^rM:iW.'^^^i9 THELIBRARY,OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIALO SANGELESE harttefau Etorotejaaro Enautetaata."[/'H:x-UsJ-c^toTWOREPRESENT ATIVETRIBESOFQUEENSLAND[A//RightsReserve d^TWOREPRESENTATIVETRIBESOFQUEENSLANDWIT HANIN^n{rCONCE%NINGTHEORIGINOFTHEAUSTRAL IAN%ACEBYJOHNMATHEW, , "EAGLEHAWKANDCROW,""AUSTRALIANECHOES," , , , "ethnology,""MANPASTANDPRESENT,""THEWORL D'SPEOPLES," ,Esq., , ,MASTEROFORMONDCOLLEGE,VICE-CHANCELLOROF MELBOURNEUNIVERSITY,ANDAMEMBEROFTHEBOARD FORTHEPROTECTIONOFTHEABORIGINESINTHESTAT EOFVICTORIA, Shelter Food Death Implements Utensils Weapons <i)72^110 Vll13G48'^ ,MaryRiver, Queensland ---- 74 TURANDIU,sonofDiCKANDFaNNY- 75 ANativeoftheKabiTribe,Mary-borough,Queen sland-- 121 NativesofYabber,KabiTribe,MaryRiver,Quee nsland--- 124 Kagariu,orJohnnieCampbell,ofKabiTribe,Ma ryRiver, Queensland ,themostnotoriousnativ eBush-ranger-----,,137 Acomparativelystraight-hairedandaCURLY-H AIREDMaN,NaTIVESOFY abber,KabiTribe,MaryRiver, Queensland ---- 138izINTRODUCTIONI tiswithpeculiarpleasurethatIhavere-spond edtotheauthor' ,thesubjectisonewhichhasalwayshadaspecia lfascinationforme, ,whosebasalelementisthePapuasian, ,possiblylatePlioceneorearlyPleisto-cene times,intoTasmania,whilethatislandxixiiI ntroductionwasstillconnectedwiththemainl and,andthemainland,throughNewGuinea, ,andthusremainedtothelastfull-bloodPapua sians, ,northernland-connection,Australiawasinv adedbyapeopleofunknownstock,possiblyakin totheDravidiansofIndia,ortotheVeddahsofC eylon,ortotheToalasofCelebes, ,therewasaverymuchlaterandslighterMalaya ngraft.]]}

2 Whichwasconfinedtothenorthernornorth-wes terndistricts,andcanbeestablishedonlingu istic, ,firstinTheAustralianAborigines[ ,1889),andagainstillmorethoroughlyinEagl ehawkandCroiv, ( ),TheAcademy,TheSahtrdayReview,NotesandQ ueries,andelsewhere,thisworkwastreatedin astep-motherlyfashionbysomeoftheleadinga uthoritiesinAustralianethnology, , ,andhislinguisticdataabsolutelycaricatur ed,buthehimselfwasregardedasanovushomo, ,inordertoputmattersonarightfooting,here togiveafewpersonalnotes,whichMrMathewmig htnothimselfcaretosupply,butwhicharenone thelessneededtoestablishhiscompetencytod ealwiththesematters,onwhichheisinfactimm easurablybetterinformedthananyofhisoppon ents, ,lan-guages,traditions,religion,folk-lor eandsocialusageshavebeenalifestudy,andth eknow-ledgebearinguponthesequestions,whi chmostothershavegleanedfromthelibraryshe lves, 'sstationinQueensland, ,whichwasembodiedinMrCurr'sbigworkonTheA ustralianRace,anditwasbylivingintheirmid stthathedetectedintheoriginalstocktheevi denceofablendwithastraight-hairedpeople, , 'CoyatMelbourneUniversity,includingCompa ra-tiveAnatomy,Zoology,andPalaeontology. ]

3 Andafterreadingnearlyeverythingthathasbe enIntroductionxvwrittenofvalueonAustrali ananthropology,hemightwellcomplainthatso meofhiswould-becriticshadratedhim"justal ittletoocheaply."Theauthor,inthepresentw ork,aimsataseriousdiscussionofcontestedq uestions,-asinthechaptersuponKinshipandM arriage,SocialOrganisation,MagicandRelig ion, , ,withothercompetentobservers,herejectsaN egritoelementintheconstitutionoftheAustr alianrace, ,Andamaneseisasurprisinglyintricateformo fspeech, ,accordingtotheclassofnoun(humanobjects, partsofthebody,degreesofkinship,irration althings,andsoon) ,forinstance,becomesdia,dot,dong,dig,dab ^dar,daka,doto,ad,ad-en,deb,withman,head ,wrist,mouth,father,son,step-son^ ,sothat"inaddingtheiraffixestheyfollowth eprinciplesoftheordinaryagglutinativeton gues; ,asfarasIknow, ,somuchsoastointerferewitheachother'sgra mmaticalfunctions"(Temple).Suchanextraor dinarysystemmaybetraycertainanalogieswit htheAfricanBantufamily, :"Thestatementthatlanguageprovessocialco ntactonly,andisnoaidtotheethnologist, ,butforit,wouldneverhaveevenbeensuspecte d, ,shownbytheirspeechtobeatleastpartlydesc endedfromapre-Aryanoranon-Aryanrace,whic hhaselsewhereapparentlydisappeared, ,theMozambiquexviiiIntroductionBantusfor gottheirmother-tongue,andbegantospeakMal ay,somehowwaftedwiththetrade-windsacross theIndianOceantoMadagascar?

4 Language,usedwithjudgment,isthusseentobe agreataidtotheethnologistindeterminingra cialaffinities,andinsolvingmanyanthropo- logicaldifficulties."{^Ethnology, ) ,orsomeofthem, (Malayo-Polynesian) !Unlessusedcautiouslyandwithsomeknowledg eofphilo-logicalprinciples,languageisada ngerouspitfall, ,atfirstfollowinginthewakeofMrCurr,hesto ppedshortintime,avoidedthepitfall,andarr ivedatsaneconclusionsreo" ,withoutpursuingtheargu-mentfurther, *'TheinhabitantsofthecontinentofAustraHa havelongbeenapuzzletoethnologists." ,anditismyhopethatthisvolume,notonlyinth eInquiry, ,butalsoinotherparts,willcontributetoafu llersolutionofthe**puzzle." , 'visitin1884,^^ ,constitutedonetribebycommunityoflanguag e,andconsciousoftheirunity, 'sTheAustralianRace,"^Ihave,throughcorre spondenceandbymeansofpersonalintercourse withaborigines,collectedadditionalinform ation, ,therefore,advisabletoembodyinamonograph allIhadlearnedabouttheKabiandWakkatribes ,presentingthematerialinaseparatebook, ,andespeciallytoAustralianproblems,are,I think,' , :TotheQueenslandAborigines'ProtectionDep artment,forfurtheringmyinquiries; ,SuperintendentofBarambahAboriginalSettl ement,forcollect-ingandverifyinginformat ion; , Queensland ,forphotosandinformation; ,Victoria,forhelpinprosecutinginvestigat ion.}

5 And,finally, ,forperusalofthemanuscript, ,CoBURG,Victoria, ,EagiehawkandCrow, , ,forthemostpart, ,Melanesians, ,someA2526 TwoTribesofQueenslandusingPapuan,othersM elanesian, ,asfaraspossible, ,andhadstudiedthewholefieldofAustralianl anguages, ,whilefiftyyearsagoormore,whenBoppandMax Miillerwerefoundingthescienceofcomparati vephilology,thetendencywastoleantoomuchu ponlanguageinethnologicalresearch, , ,therespectiveinhabitantsofthetwocountri eshavingbeenabsolutelyseparatedformanyth ousandsofyears, , 'sethnologicalinvestigationsinNewGuinea, characterisesthecaseas"oneofthosein-stan cesinwhichspeechprovestobenotmerelyausef ul,butalsoanindispensablefactorindetermi ningtheconstituentelementsofmixedraces." 'IntheAustralianlanguagesthemodification sofwordscanbetraced,Imaintain, ,published'Eihn., , ,perhaps, , 'Thefollowingisabriefstatementofmytheory : ,black,orverydarkbrown,curly-hairedrace, ,unlikethesetworaces,theTasmanians,being absolutelyseparatedfromhigherraces, ,orwasmuchmoreeasilyaccessiblefromitthan inhistorictimes, Ethn.

6 , , , , ,akinperhapstotheDravidiansofIndia,theVe ddahsofCeylonandtheToalasofCelebes,thoug hnotneces-sarilyderivedfromoneoftheselan ds, ,thoughdarkincomplexion, ,graduallyabsorbingorexterminatingthelow lier,earlierinhabitants,untiltheyoverran thewholeofAustralia, , , ,orphratries,ofAustraliansociety,whichwe regenerallydesignatedbynamesindicatingac ontrastofcolour, ,blackcockatoo,etc.,wouldrepresenttheTas manianelement;theeaglehawk,whitecockatoo ,etc., , ,inaccordancewithrecentconclusions,Indon esiansmustbedistinguishedfromMalays,apoi ntonwhichIamincom-petenttojudge, ,thereseemtometobehintsofMclanesianinflu enceamongthetribesonandPapuasians-Origin ofAustralianRace31neartheeastcoast,but,a stheevidenceisslight, "Papuasians," ,therelationoftheAustralianstothecontigu ousracesmaythusbeindicated: 'Papuansproper,Melanesians,Tasmanians, , "theConflictTheory."Sincethepublicationo iEaglehawkandCrow, (GwaigulleahandGwaimudthen)meanrespectiv elylight-bloodedanddark-blooded.^ ,ofPerth,WestAustraUa,hasalsomadethedisc overythattheclassestherecorrespondtodist inctionsinthecolouroftheskin(lightanddar k), ,shesays:"Thattheclassesrepresenttypes,a syousay,andarethecoalescenceofdifferentr aces, ,melamurnong(fairpeople),alsotheBallaruk shaveanamengwootamurnong(dark-skinnedpeo ple).

7 "Andquiteunexpectedly,whenIvisitedBaramb ah,inthecountryoftheKabitribe, Queensland ,inOctober1906,Idiscoveredtomygreatsurpr ise,thatnotonlywerethetwophratriesrecogn isedasrepresentingre-'Shesays:"Thefirstd ivisionamongthetribeisablooddistinction( 'phratries'): Gwaigulleah{light-blooded)^Gwai-mudthen{ dark-blooded).Thisdistinctionisnotconfin edtothehumanbeingsofthetribe,whomustbeof oneortheother,buttherearetheGwaigulleaha ndtheGwaimudthendivisionsinallthings." :, ,butthedistinctioncarriedwithittheideaof correspondingdifferenceinthecolourofthes kin,andagreatpart,ifnotthewhole, 'sattentionalsototheconflictmyths,whichI obtainedatthesametime(thefarthestnorthth attheyhaveasyetbeendiscovered), ,CondahandCoranderrk,fivenatives,oneofwh omwascloseoneightyandtheothersoversixtyy earsofage,toldme,wheninterrogatedseparat ely,thattheoldblacksprofessedtobeabletod istinguishmembersoftheKurokaityfromthose oftheKapaityphratry, , ,corroborativeofthisdistinction,asixthna tive,belongingto34 TwoTribesofQueenslandSwanHillontheMurray ,takingholdofhishair,said,"I'mkirlba{str aighthair),otherfellowsaremokwar{curlyha ir),''andwentontoexplainthatthest7'aight -hairpeoplecouldnotmarryamongthemselvesb uthadtointer-marrywiththecurly-hairpeopl e, ,asothershaddone, ,isbllyara.}}}}

8 Andforcrow, , ,andtheevidenceabovecitedrendersitalsopr obablethatthemorespecialapplication,perh apseventheradicalsignifi-cance,is, ,Murawari, ,thesequalitiesofblooddonotrefertothephr atriesbuttosections,presumably-independe ntofthem.' ' "shades"recallthegradationswhicharefound intheKabiandWakkatribes, ,Bunceandothers.^'Ethn.^Notes, ^Kifi, , 'sLang,oftheAbor.,etc.,1859, , , 'Itisrenderedthelessnecessaryformetogoov erthisgroundnow,sinceithasbeentraversedb ythethreemostrecentwritersonthesubject,v iz.,thelateDrHowitt,' , '*Referringtotheviewsofthesewritersinrev erseorder,thatofMrThomasseemstobealmosti denticalwithDrHowitt's,and,ifso,doesnotd iffergreatlyfrommyown.^Isayseemstobe,bec ausehislanguage,inplaces, ,heseemstofavourFlowerandLydekker'sview, thattheAustralianisofMelanesiancumCaucas ianMelanochroiorigin,then,followingLingR oth," , ' , ,thenhespeaksoftheNegritopopulationofWes tAustraha,andfinallysays:"Thereisnoneedt odiscardtheNegrito-Caucasichypothesis."' Allthisisratherloose,vague,andconfusing, unlessMelanesians,orTasmanians,orboth,ar etobecalledNegritos,which,Isubmit, ,hethinksprobable,amodernPapuaninfiltra- tioninthenorthofAustralia, ,inthe,byhim,allegedfact,that,inVictoria ,manhasleft"notraceswhichcan,byanypossi- bility,gobackasfarastoantedatetheCaucasi animmigration.

9 "Iholdthatnosuchstumbling-blockexistssin cemydemonstrationoftheaffinitiesoftheTas manianlanguagewiththeVictoriandialects.^ ^Mymaindefect,hesays,isconfusingnotionso frace,culture,andlanguage,whichoughttobe dissociated.' , ^ ^ ,Intro,38 TwoTribesofQueensland"L'observationdirec te,"hesays,"lenseigne."' , ,intreatingoftherelationbetweentheTasman iansandtheAustralians, ,inMelbourne, ,fighting,etc.,theirlanguageincrowing,et c., ,asregardsbranchesofthehumanrace,culture iseasilytransmitted,languagelesseasily,w hilephysicalcharactersincommonnecessaril yimplygenealogicalrela-tionship, ,especiallyiftheyarefarapartandhavebeenl ongdisconnected, ,andbiologistswouldassistanthropologyimm ensely,iftheywoulddecidetherelativeimpor tanceofparticularfeatures.' ,Intro., 'IcertainlyhavenotdistinguishedbetweenMa laysandIndonesians, ,formypurpose,tomakethedistinction,if,wi thDeniker,wemayregardIndonesiansasofthep urestMalaytype.^ ^DrHowittmerelyobjectstomycallingMalayth reewordswhichIcite,onthegroundthatCodrin gtongivesthemasnotexclusivelyMalay, ,hesays:"Thecraniologicalchar-actersofth isracerelateitontheonehandtothepithecant hrope,ontheothertotheSpyNeanderthal.

10 ""ThevariedAustraliandiffer-encesresembl esomeotherlivingtypes,'Ethi., ^RacesofMan^ ^ ,Veddas,Ainus,groupsofNorthAfricaandprob ablyofEurope,buttherealrelationshipofthe sevarietieswithoneorotherofthegroupsrema instobedetermined."'Thisisalmostlikesayi ng,theAustraliansresembleallraces,pastan dpresent, ,mentionedbyVanGennep,that,inAustralia,a llthehumanvarietieswereformed,whichinsuc cessionhavespreadovertheglobe,"cannotbes eriouslyentertained, ,whorecentlyvisitedAustralia, :"IagreewithTurner^inhisviewsof' , ^Ibid., 'smostrecentlyexpressedopinion,aspublish edintheScotsmanof7thJuly1908, :" ;andwhenAustraliaandTasmaniawerejoinedto eachotherbyland,couldnotthatracehavefoun dtheirwaytoTasmaniaandremainedthere,wher easthesameracehadapparentlydis-appearedf romAustralia.""HethoughtthetermNegrittoo ughttobelimitedtothosedwarfpeoplewithstr onglybrachycephalicskulls." ,manyofwhichareadditionaltothosementione dbyhim,haveanythingtodowiththecrossingof differentraces.' ,thattheAustralianaboriginalpopulationha snotbeenderivedfromanyotheratpresentexis tingregion,butisrathertoberegardedas"coe valwiththecontinentitself.