Isolation, and the consequent absence of pressure from human intruders, is another fact in the situation.

Whatever the causes, the net result was that, despite a very fair environment, away from the desert regions of the interior, man on the whole stagnated.

In regard to material comforts and conveniences, the rudeness of their life seems to us appalling.

On the other hand, now that we are coming to know something of the inner life and mental history of the Australians, a somewhat different complexion is put upon the state of their culture.

With very plain living went something that approached to high thinking; and we must recognize in this case, as in others, what might be termed a differential evolution of culture, according to which some elements may advance, whilst others stand still, or even decay.
To another and a very different people, namely, the Polynesians, the same notion of a differential evolution may be profitably applied.
They were in the stone-age when first discovered, and had no bows and arrows.