the centre of the Old World. But if the human race be derived from a number of autochthons, who came into existence independently of one another in different parts of the world, the explanation is not so easy. Let the Australians, for instance, be selected as an independent autochthonic race, inasmuch as the various Australian tribes, living apart from the rest of mankind in an island of their own, resemble each other physically, while differing considerably in that respect from other men. But unity in race is commonly, though not universally, accompanied by fundamental unity in language. Was then the original Australian language entirely sui generis, as might be expected on the autochthonic theory? Now "the main evidence of the fundamental unity of the Australian languages," says Dr. Latham, "lies in the wide diffusion of identical names for objects like foot, eye, tooth, fire, and the like.” To begin with the first of these words :-the common Australian word for 'foot' is tin, which is the same as the Siamese word for 'foot', and differs little from the Malay tong, tanga, tangan, 'hand'. This can hardly be chance, but there may, perhaps, have been borrowing by means of intercourse. The intermediate and erratic Malays, it might be said, communicated the word to the Siamese, and to the Australians in general. But we cannot stop here with the Siamese and the Australians. Did the Malays, or any other sea-faring people, communicate to the Kamtshatkans also the word tono for 'hand', and tono, tana, tanu for 'five' (in composition), as well as to the Tungusians the terms tonga and tunga for 'five'? Or were the Malays, by carrying the word tanana, 'hand', into Madagascar, the ultimate means of spreading through half Africa, as far as the Atlantic, such words as tang, 'ten', and tang, tan, tanu, sanu, zan, and tsoana or atsoana, five', as the Malays doubtless were of carrying, directly or indirectly, into the Polynesian isles the word lima for hand' and 'five'? Were, in short, all

the names and numerals cited above (p. 21) derived from the Malays, who do not use t-n or t-ng as a numeral? Such a supposition may be barely possible but is it probable ? and yet it is the best solution that could be offered, if primeval affinity be denied.

Still less can any supposed Malay or other agency suffice to explain the following coincidences, which extend some already noticed, and occur in languages which may be divided into a Northern group and a Southern group; the two groups coming into contact at the Paropamisus or Hindoo Koosh. One remarkable resemblance which may be observed between the Koriak of North-eastern Siberia in the first group and the Australian in the second group is, the manner in which they seem to employ for different members of the body a certain suffix that in its most perfect state takes the form of g-lg-n or g-ng-n, and contains perhaps two variations, g-l, g-n, of some word which may have originally meant 'limb, member, finger, etc.'. Thus the Koriak presents us with such words as these:-mylgalgen, and mynna-gylgen, 'hand'; homa-galgen and sheki -angin, 'mouth'; wann-algyn, 'tooth'; and yinn-algin, 'horn' and the Australian with:-bir-galk, mun-angin, and mann-angy, 'hand'; ng-ankai, mouth'; n-algo, ng-enko, t-ungan, and lee-angy, 'tooth' or 'teeth'; cheengi, nose'; merr-ingy, 'eye' or 'eyes'; and tshinn-angy, 'foot'. Nasal terminations are, however, common in Australia, and are not entirely confined to this class of words.1

NORTHERN GROUP. Tungusian khalgan, ‘foot'. halgan, 'foot'.

SOUTHERN GROUP. Australian kolke, 'nails'.

Indian gel(ku), ‘ten'.

1 See Earl's Papuans, p. 222. These words are used at Triton Bay in New Guinea :-mon-ongo, 'head'; sikai-ongo, 'nose'; matat-ongo, 'eyes' (Malay mata, 'eye'); ori-engo, 'mouth'; tring-ango, 'ears' (Malay talingan,ear'); ruwot-ongo, teeth'; kar-ingo, 'leg'.

myne-gyt-kin, 'ten'. Australian mana, 'hand'.

Australian biril, 'hand'.
Tasmanian perre, 'foot'.'
Australian birre, 'foot,

nails'.

perre, 'nail, nails',

peer, 'one'. kolke, 'nails'. parkooloo,

'two', 1+1.

culeba,

'three', 1+2.3

guliba, 'three',

1 + 2. mungal bah, 'fingers'.* tangkul, 'two',

1 + 1.

Papuan tangauw,'one'.

Pelew tang, 'one'.

tong, 'one'.

African tang, 'one'.

Tungusian tonga, ' five' (p. 22).

tang, 'five'.

tang, 'ten'. donga, 'hand'.

Malay tong, 'hand'.

1 Compare, in North America, the Kioway paras, 'legs', the Soledad paruash, 'five', the Riccaree parick, fingers', and the Mandan perug, 'ten'.

2 Cf. Lithuanian pir-mas, English fir-st, Lazic ar, etc. (p. 61).

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3 In Araucanan, cula is 'three'; and in Fuegian, cutliculcul is 'foot'. 4 Here each of the three syllables may have meant originally finger'. Omit bah, and there remains mungal to compare with the Australian mingel, 'fingers', and the Afghan mangul, 'hand'. Change bah for the Australian gyn, ‘one', i. e., ‘finger', and there results mungal gyn to compare with the Koriak mingilgin, 'hand'.