ranged according to their specific gravity and their resistance to the current. Thus, ducks' and oppossums' bones are always found mixed together. Sometimes the smaller ones lie above, sometimes under, the larger ones, varying in particular situations; but they always display a disposition to separate from one another. In the Wellington cave, the smaller sized bones are generally placed above the larger ones. Again; where the bones are least stratified, they are most commonly found in fragments, as if they had been forced into their present position by some violent or irregular impulse. The crania of the larger animals are always flattened, as if compressed during their recent state by some heavy weight. I have never yet discovered a complete pelvis of a large animal, nor the head of a duck, nor the maudible of a bird; the claws of these are, however, observed in abundance, more particularly in red rock. The respective situations of these bones may perhaps be better understood from the remarks I have now to make regarding the caves at Boree and Wellington.

The great cave at Boree is situated on the edge of a tolerably strong stream, which flows to the northward. Another rivulet pierces the limestone, passing through it under ground for about 200 yards, after which it re-appears, and joins the principal stream. The cave, into which the water has thus found an opening, is extensive and lofty, having numerous smaller ones ramifying from each side. On entering it, from the greater stream, we found an immense number of the lesser bones composed of those of rats, kangaroo rats, and small birds, &c. All these were exposed on the bare surface of the rock, and in the course of a small stalactic spring, having its origin in the roof of the cave, whose utmost height at that place might have been about 60 feet. I conceive that the general elevation, at this part of the limestone, above the surface of the stream, may average about 80 feet. These bones were evidently brought thither by the above spring, which had likewise washed a portion of them within the highest flood mark. This last was about 8 feet above the average height of the current. I therefore concluded, that they were still filtering through the roof, which is covered with that peculiar red earth, which contains the largest quantity of organic remains. The bones shewed a tendency to form strata; all the crania, for instance, being detained in one place, wherever a fragment of the rock, or other substance, had obstructed their progress. I was at first doubtful whether to consider them as antediluvian productions, so perfect and recent did they appear to be; and I therefore conjectured, that they must have been brought from the same unknown source, which had supplied materials for the more ancient deposit in the red earth; and should a similar catastrophe again occur, that they were preparing to form another stratum of a similar but more recent description. Upon further examination, however, I was afterwards led to consider these as likewise of antediluvian origin.

Proceeding higher up, towards the termination of some of the numerous apartments, and more particularly, where one of these led, by a small aperture, into another, we found a different set of bones. These were arranged in the same manner as the others, but were of a larger size; they chiefly consisted of ducks, small kangaroo, and oppossums' bones. They were deposited far above the highest flood mark, and were combined with a very light, soft, seemingly volcanic dust; but which had evidently been brought into its present situation by means of a stream of water. The larger bones and the different crania were generally separate, and none of a greater size than those of an oppossum could be here discovered. This was about half-way up the

whole elevation, and throughout the smaller caves which branched off from the larger one, and at similar heights, the same phenomena were remarked.

At the top of this cave, which was, at this place, perhaps 80 feet in height, and under the roots of an old corijaum tree, I discovered splinters of a bone of the large amphibious animal, the same as that first found at Wellington, and which must have been of the size of a bullock, but possessed of much greater strength; in addition to these, there were likewise bones of the larger species of kangaroo. In a similar situation, broken within a crevice of the rock, I found a part of the thigh-bone of the emu; and deep down a perpendicular well or cave, were deposited the bones of animals of the size of the largest kinds of kangaroos.

All the bones found in the Wellington cave are either mixed with the red earth, or are enclosed in red rock; some few, indeed, are also adhering to the older rock, by means of stalactic cement; but this will afterwards appear to form no proper exception. The cave is elevated about 70 or 80 feet above a river, named the Bell, which flows northward through the valley until it joins the Macquarie. The red rock, containing bones, is to be found upon the surface outside, and may be traced there for a considerable extent. The rock, however, is so hard, that little use, as to ascertaining the genera of the animals, can be made of the remains found in it, although they are there in great abundance; it is therefore only where they have been enclosed in the soft earth, that the specimens have as yet been collected. All the bones are much broken, as if they had been brought thither by a strong impetus; this is equally the case whether they are found in or out of the cave. Outside, the bones are deposited in one rocky stratum, which lies deeper towards the top than the bottom of the ascent; thereby indicating a disposition to the horizontal. The smaller bones are in greater abundance than those belonging to larger animals. At the period when a portion of this stratum had been first introduced into the cave, it is evident that the above-mentioned red rock was then in a state of soft earth. It would also appear, that the caves had been at one time quite full of this earth, although it has now subsided into a minute part of its original volume; this will, therefore, easily account for the bones being found adhering to the roof, as has already been mentioned.

Within the cave, the smaller bones are found on the surface, in a tolerably thick crust, which is almost entirely composed of them; this remark is equally applicable whether the sub-stratum is red earth or red rock. The largest bones are generally found in the deepest places; also separate or solitary; but they are most abundant wherever one apartment communicates by a low narrow opening into another. The red rock, within the cave, must have likewise been formed after the deposition of the bones; and the most entire of the latter are those which must have last descended. The bones have evidently been broken previous to their introduction into the cave; since I have never observed a single instance in which the remaining portion of the fractured bone has been found in the vicinity of the other, this remark is likewise ap. plicable to those which lie without the cave. The larger bones are here more intermixed with the smaller ones than in any other situation in which they have hitherto been discovered.

In zoology, we have only space to notice Mr. Henderson's remarks upon "the noblest and last of the mammalia inhabiting these countries,"-man : However degraded his general character may appear to us, he still seems to mark, as from a distinct point, the relative progress which other nations have effected in civilization and improvement. When two species of any other

animal are found in different situations, slightly varying from one another; and when brought again into the same situation, gradually assimilating, and without difficulty forming hybrids, we are apt to consider them as having originated from a common stock; but that their characters have been subsequently modified by food, climate, or any other peculiar circumstance. It has already been mentioned, that the country-born offspring of Europeans evince a tendency to a fairer colour of skin, eyes, and hair, than that possessed by their respective parents. Now we can observe no such corresponding tendency amongst the aborigines; but rather the reverse. These are all of a dark copper colour, which is rather found to be increased by the cold produced by a higher latitude. The inhabitants of Van Diemen's Land are slightly darker-coloured than those of Port Jackson; and considerably more so than those in the interior of New South Wales, where greater extremes of temperature are prevalent. It is likewise reported, that there are certain tribes, considerably to the northward of these, who possess a much fairer complexion than even the inhabitants of the Indian islands.

The aborigines of Van Diemen's Land are, however, distinguished from those of New South Wales by their possessing the woolly hair of the African ; but, at the same time, the form and expression of the countenance so resemble those of the former country, and their manners and customs so nearly approximate together, that one cannot but feel convinced that both these countries must have been indebted to similar sources for their coloured populations. Reasoning from the above, and admitting a slight resemblance of the natives of Van Diemen's Land to some of the Cafre tribes on the Mozambique coasts, it seems to me more probable, that this peculiarity in the hair rather originates from difference in food, climate, &c. than from the intermixture of the African with the aborigines of New South Wales. This is likewise somewhat supported by there being no tribe, or individuals composing part of a tribe, in Van Diemen's Land, who have been hitherto found with the smooth black hair of the Asiatic.

We possess likewise some evidence, even amongst the human race, which would rather tend to indicate, that when similar species, whose distinctions solely depended upon climate, &c., were again brought into favourable situations, they would each evince a disposition to approximate to one another. The Portuguese is a hybrid betwixt the European and the Moor; but in consequence of climate, and repeated intermixture with the former, they retain scarce any resemblance to their African progenitors, while continuing to reside in their native country. They have, however, been imported into the southern parts of Hindostan, where, after intermixture in the first place with its natives, they have remained in certain places a distinct tribe, intermarrying only amongst themselves, for nearly two centuries past. The consequence has been, that they have not only become darker-coloured than the natives of that country, but their countenances have also assumed as strong a similitude to the African as to the original inhabitants of Hindostan; even their hair, in some cases, would appear to be similarly affected. With regard to the facility of forming hybrids, I should be inclined to state, from my own observation, that the offspring of the pure-blooded European intermixing with the pure-blooded natives of Hindostan did not average above one-half of what would be produced by a similar number of the inhabitants of either of their respective countries; and although I am not aware that the same remark can be extended to Africa, I have reason to believe that it will be found perfectly applicable both to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land.

Notwithstanding their present degraded situation, however, there is no evidence of any inferiority in the primitive organization of the mental faculties of the infant. True, it is found that when a native child, after having passed a very few years with its parents, is attempted to be subjected to the restrictions of civilized society, he will probably embrace the first favourable opportunity of returning to his former companions. Still this fact only proves the powerful effects of first impressions, and the deep-rooted consequences resulting from the earliest education; indeed it might be productive of advantage to the future generation, were the information derived from this solitary instance more deeply appreciated. As might be anticipated, from a perusal of the first part of this work, the present subject has hitherto been but little investigated; it has, however, I believe, been satisfactorily proved, that the half-cast child between the native and European, when subjected to similar and early education, evinces no degree of inferiority to the offsprings of the pure-blooded European, in the gradual developement of his several mental faculties.

Mr. Henderson had an opportunity of giving information respecting their religious notions, and he has ascertained that "the lingen (phallic symbol), in its original interpretation, still composes part of the worship of the natives of this country." He adds that the words employed by a native to explain his meaning on this point would have éxpressed nearly a similar signification in the language commonly spoken in Hindostan. The dialects of the New South Wales tribes resemble, in the termination of words, the Malay, and to the northward, they contain terms generally current in India. The native tunes, Mr. Henderson states, "perfectly correspond with those at present common in Hindostan; evincing, in this respect, a much nearer resemblance to the inhabitants of that country, than could be now recognized amongst either their personal language or their customs."

These theories we consider to constitute the least valuable part of Mr. Henderson's work. Analogies, in respect to manners and superstitions, between the practices of rude people, or between those of a rude and a cultivated nation, are mostly of a fanciful nature, the discoverer being often imposed upon by his own imagination. During Mr. Henderson's visit to Van Diemen's Land, one of the newspapers of the colony,* reported his discovery of the remains of a temple, which he considered to be " of Hindu origin," and which discovery was to "throw a new and unexpected light" upon the origin of the Tasmarians! We find nothing of this discovery in the work before us. Mr. Henderson has given the ground-plan of a "temple," as he terms it, that is, a long avenue of trees, with rude carving upon them, which he visited in New South Wales, but which he does not venture to identify with a temple of Hindu origin. Dreams of this nature too frequently deceive men of learning, whose fancy is suffered to escape from the fetters of the judgment; and hence it is that, in England, we have mounds of rubbish converted into ancient breastworks, and old road marks canonized as Roman mile stones.

* The Hobart Town Courier of September 4th 1830).

MORAL SYSTEM OF THE CHINESE.

THE CHUNG-YUNG.

As it is probable that our intercourse with the Chinese nation will be enlarged by the removal of the restrictions upon British trade with China, those who resort thither ought to possess a more accurate and intimate acquaintance, than can be acquired from ordinary books of reference, with the moral system of Confucius, which, to a very considerable extent, still governs the civilization and manners of the people of China. With the view of furnishing this desideratum, we have translated, from the late M. Rémusat's version,* accompanied by the original, with which it has been compared, the Chung-yung, one of the Sze-shoo, or four books, containing the moral system of the Chinese.

The Sze-shoo are the works of the four principal disciples of Confucius, compiled from lessons received from their master, whose words they occasionally cite.

The first book, entitled Ta-heo, or 'great study,' turns on the necessity of self-government, prior to endeavouring to enlighten the people and to govern empires. The first chapter is by Confucius himself; the rest are glosses upon this portion.

The second is the Chung-yung, 'Invariable Middle,' by a grandson of Confucius. It treats, as will be seen, of various branches of ethics, and particularly of the Chung, middle,' or 'medium,' a term of abstract meaning, by which Chinese moral writers understand virtuous conduct emphatically, and that part of wisdom which consists in preserving oneself from all excess. "That which is not devious," a commentator observes, "is called chung; that which does not change is called yung; the middle is the right way of the universe; invariableness is the taou,-fixed reason, or natural law."

The third book is the Lun-yu, 'Discourse,' which consists of moral discourses, apophthegms and philosophical discussions between Confucius and his disciples.

The fourth bears the name of the author, Mang-tsze, or Mencius, the next philosopher of eminence after Confucius. It consists of discussions upon moral topics between Mang-tsze and certain illustrious personages of his time.

In the Chung-yung, however, which was written four centuries before Christ, the morals of the Chinese sage are systematized: it is profound, though often obscure; its sentiments are frequently striking, and it ranks the author with Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus.

THE CHUNG-YUNG.

Chapter I.-The order established by heaven is called nature (sing); that which conforms to nature is called law (taou); the establishment of the law is called instruction (keaou). The law cannot vary the thickness of a hair'; if it could vary, it would be no longer law. Hence the wise man watches with respect over what he sees not, and thinks with fear on what he hears not. There are things which are not seen, because they are hidden; others elude us by their subtlety. Hence the wise man watches over what is most secret in himself. Before joy, anger, sorrow, and gaiety are born in the soul, it is in the state called the middle or medium;† when these emotions are raised and have all attained a just measure, this is what is termed the equilibrium. The

*Notices des MSS. du Roi, tom. x.

† Μέσον δὲ οὐ τοῦ πράγματος, ἀλλὰ τὸ πρὸς ἡμᾶς. Arist. Ο Μέσος βίος βέλτιστος. Ib. Virtus est medium vitiorum et utrinque reductum. Hor.