This class of men, amongst whom are many Overlanders, are never satisfied or settled; they are constantly engaged in contemplating changes in the prosperity of colonies and means of enriching themselves, they positively disregard personal comfort, and a restless spirit of activity and love of change animates them wholly.  In these respects there is a great similarity of character between them and the Americans, and it is inconceivable in how short a period of time such a change is brought about.

THE ABORIGINES.

CHAPTER 9.  NATIVE LANGUAGE.

RADICAL UNITY OF THE AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT.

In the preceding narrative of my Expeditions I have occasionally introduced some casual incidents relating to the manners and social condition of the natives of Australia, a race generally considered to occupy too low a position in the scale of humanity to be worthy of any peculiar regard.  In the following pages I shall bring together such observations as my intercourse with them enabled me to collect; arranging my remarks under the heads of Language, traditional or customary Laws, and social Habits and Manners; and to these I shall add some desultory anecdotes illustrative of their superstitions, and of some other peculiarities of thought and action; and shall conclude with a short review of the influence that the settlement of Europeans among them has, or is likely to have, on their condition.

CAUSES OF A CONTRARY OPINION.

It has hitherto been very generally believed that the languages spoken in different portions of the continent of Australia are radically distinct; and as such a circumstance, were it really the case, would tend to prove that its inhabitants originated from several separate races, it becomes rather an important matter to set this question at rest, and to endeavour to show from what cause so erroneous an opinion originated.

The arguments which prove that all the Australian dialects have a common root are: 

1.  A general similarity of sound and structure of words in the different portions of Australia, as far as yet ascertained

2.  The recurrence of the same word with the same signification, to be traced, in many instances, round the entire continent, but undergoing, of course, in so vast an extent of country, various modifications;

3.  The same names of natives occurring frequently at totally opposite portions of the continent.  Now, in all parts of it which are known to Europeans, it is ascertained that the natives name their children from any remarkable circumstance which may occur soon after their birth; such being the case, an accordance of the names of natives is a proof of a similarity of dialect.

CAUSES OF ERROR IN ENQUIRERS.