430 NO EVIDENCE OF DEGRADATION. 



South American are to the antiquary what the opossum and 

 the sloth are to the geologist. 



A certain space, therefore, devoted to the consideration of 

 the modern savages will not be out of place in this work ; 

 and though it would require volumes to do justice to the 

 subject, still it may be possible to bring together a certain 

 number of facts which will throw light on the ancient remains 

 found in Europe, and on the condition of the early races which 

 inhabited our continent. In order, however, to limit the sub- 

 ject as much as possible, I propose, with one exception, to 

 describe only the "non-metallic savages" (if such an expres- 

 sion may be permitted), and even of these, only some of the 

 most instructive, or of those which have been most carefully 

 observed by travellers. 



It is a common opinion that savages are, as a general rule, 

 only the miserable remnants of nations once more civilized ; 

 but although there are some well-established cases of national 

 decay, there is no scientific evidence which would justify us 

 in asserting that this applies to savages in general. No doubt 

 there are instances in which nations once progressive have 

 not only ceased to advance in civilization, but have even fallen 

 back. Still, if we compare the accounts of early travellers 

 with the state of things now existing, we shall find no evi- 

 dence of any general degradation. The Australians, Bushmen, 

 and Fuegians lived when first observed almost exactly as they 

 do now. In some savage tribes we even find traces of im- 

 provement; the Bachapins, when visited by Burchell, had 

 just introduced the art of working in iron ; the largest erection 

 in Tahiti was constructed by the generation living at the time 

 of Captain Cook's visit, and the practice of cannibalism had 

 been recently abandoned ;* the largest Mexican temple was 

 built only six years before the discovery of America ; in the 



* Forster, Observations made p. 327. See also Ellis, Polynesian 

 during a Voyage round the World, Researches, vol. ii. p. 29. 



