242 EARLY HISTORY OF MANKIND. 



civilization amongst themselves, for history commences when 

 they are already somewhat advanced in that course. As to 

 the instances in which it has been seen to be imparted, these 

 may be true, without necessarily implying that there was not a 

 natural origin of civilization in some of the earlier nations. 

 It may be questioned, however, if these instances are in them- 

 selves true. The efforts made to trace the civilization of Cen- 

 tral America to Egypt and other countries, have all signally 

 failed. There is even a fallacy in supposing that, because 

 Greece, for example, obtained certain kinds of knowledge and 

 forms of art from Egypt, its whole civilization was descended 

 from that and similar quarters. There are characteristic fea- 

 tures in all civilizations, which support the idea that they are 

 usually for the most part original. There is not only this 

 peculiarity, but there is an isolatedness in some civilizations, 

 which tallies much better with the theory of their independent 

 than their imparted origin. When it is said that civilization is 

 never seen to arise without aid from external sources, an 

 affirmation is made on very imperfect grounds. It appears 

 that civilization does sometimes rise in a manner clearly inde- 

 pendent, amongst a horde of people generally barbarous. A 

 striking instance is described in the laborious work of Mr. 

 Catlin on the North- American tribes. Far placed among those 

 which inhabit the vast region of the north-west, and quite be- 

 yond the reach of any influence from the whites, he found a 

 small tribe living in a fortified village, where they cultivated 

 the arts of manufacture, realized comforts and luxuries, and 

 had attained to a remarkable refinement of manners, insomuch 

 as to be generally called " the polite and friendly Mandans." 

 They were also more than usually elegant in their persons, and 

 of every variety of complexion between that of their com- 

 patriots and a pure white. Up to the time of Mr. Catlin's 

 visit, these people had been able to defend themselves and 

 their possessions against the roving bands which surrounded 

 them on all sides ; but, soon after, they were attacked by small- 

 pox, which cut them all off except a small party, whom their 

 enemies rushed in upon and destroyed to a man. What is 

 this but a repetition, on a small scale, of phenomena with which 

 ancient history familiarizes us a nation rising in arts and 

 elegancies amidst barbarous neighbours, but at length over- 

 powered by the rude majority, leaving only a Tadmor or a 

 Luxor as a monument of itself to beautify the waste ? What 

 can we suppose the nation which built Palenque and Copan 



