that there is in reality no material difference in human
races, and that "of one blood were made all the nations of
the earth." In spite of the manifold disintegrations of
primitive speech, the researches of Max Müller point to the
same decision by the independent path of comparative philology.
Though the Australian had an aptitude for language, by a singular infelicity it seems to have been thought easier to teach corrupted English than that of ordinary speech, and the colonists wantonly maimed their own language by addressing the natives in a barbarous jargon of mispronounced English words. The consequences were natural but misleading. Travellers' notes were often worthless. Their hosts could not converse with the natives except in a limited, inexpressive vocabulary, and the defect was imputed to the native, of whose language neither the traveller nor his host, the colonist, knew a word.
But as ignorance is often voluble in proportion to its excess, the passer-by accepted what he gathered in this perfunctory manner, and recorded it for the enlightenment of Europe. Sometimes when the native was weary of questions which he could not understand, he gave vent to an ejaculation of disgust, which was unduly recorded as an answer to the querist.[1]
But there have been faithful and capable observers. More than forty years ago Sir George Grey and Mr. E. J. Eyre threw a flood of light upon the manners of the Australians. Until they wrote, it might almost be said that the only valuable information had been given by Collins in 1798, except in missionary reports, to which the outer world gave no heed. He faithfully narrated what he saw. What he gathered by questioning cannot be so thoroughly depended upon.
- ↑ "One gentleman published a vocabulary (of the King George's Sound
dialect) which has been largely quoted from by other writers; in this the
numerals as high as ten are given, although the natives only counted to
four, and the translations of some words he has put down as numbers
are very humorous: such as What do you mean? Get out,' &c."—"Travels in North-West and Western Australia." Sir G. Grey. Vol. ii., p. 216.
The author has known similar cases, and has discussed them with the wearied witness afterwards with amusement.
