The Australian Aborigines

Abstract

I OBSERVED in NATURE, vol. xxiii. p. 584, a critique from the pen of Mr. D. McLennan upon “Kamilaroi and Kurnai,” the joint work of Mr. Fison and myself. On peru-ing it I wrote a reply to statements it contained, but owing to various causes I laid it for a time aside. Indeed I did not feel in any hurry to reply to criticisms which really did not touch my arguments. As, however, I observe that attacks are still being made elsewhere upon the conclusions at which Mr. Fison and I have arrived, and that substantially the same arguments are still being made use of which were used by Mr. McLennan, it has seemed to me that the time has arrived to meet these objections at any rate in a general manner. It is not possible in the space which I may hope that you will give me in your valuable pages, to enter upon details which would be absolutely necessary to render clear to my critics certain points which they have evidently misunderstood, perhaps from want of clearness on my part, possibly also from want of knowledge by themselves of the subject as it exists in the Australian field. I therefore now confine myself to some prominent points.