574 ABSENCE OF RELIGION 



and it appears that none of the tribes in that vast continent 

 count beyond four. According to Mr. Scott Nind, indeed, 

 the numerals used by the natives of King George's Sound 

 reach up to five ; but the last is merely the word " many." 

 The Brazilian Indians also count only up to three ; for any 

 higher number they use the word "many."* The Cape Yorkers 

 (Australia) can hardly be said to go beyond two ; their nume- 

 rals are as follows : 



One Netat. 



Two Naes. 



Three Naes-netat. 



Four Naes-naes. 



Five Naes-naes-nctat. 



Six Naes-naes-naes. 



Again, in the state of their religious conceptions, still 

 more in the absence of religious conceptions, we get another 

 proof of extreme mental inferiority. The question has been 

 frequently discussed whether there is any race of men so 

 degraded as to be entirely without a religion without some 

 idea of a deity. The conclusion to be arrived at depends, as 

 it seems to me, very much on the meaning which we ascribe 

 to the term " religion." If a mere fear of the unknown, if a 

 more or less vague belief in witchcraft, is to be regarded as a 

 religion, it would, I think, be difficult to refute this assertion. 

 But if a higher estimate of religion is adopted, then, so far 

 from this being true, the very reverse is the case. Many, we 

 might almost say all, of the most savage races are, according 

 to the nearly universal testimony of travellers, in this condi- 

 tion. 



According to Spix and Martius,-f- Bates and Wallace, some 

 of the Brazilian Indians were entirely without religion. 



* Spix and Martins, vol. i. p. 387. 

 t Reise in Brasilien, vol. i. p. 379. 



