90 THE DESCENT OF MAN. [Part I, 



Buch sentiment beyond these limits. A North -American 

 Indian is well pleased with himself, and is honored by- 

 others, when he scalps a man of another tribe ; and a Dyak 

 cuts off the head of an unoffending person and dries it as 

 a trophy. The murder of infants has prevailed on the 

 largest scale throughout the world, 24 and has met with no 

 reproach ; but infanticide, especially of females, has been 

 thought to be good for the tribe, or at least not injurious. 

 Suicide during former times was not generally considered 

 as a crime, 25 but rather, from the courage displayed, as an 

 honorable act ; and it is still largely practised by some 

 semi-civilized nations without reproach, for the loss to a 

 nation of a single individual is not felt ; whatever the ex- 

 planation may be, suicide, as I hear from Sir J. Lubbock, 

 is rarely practised by the lowest barbarians. It has been 

 recorded that an Indian Thug conscientiously regretted 

 that he had not strangled and robbed as many travellers 

 as did his father before him. In a rude state of civilization 

 the robbery of strangers is, indeed, generally considered as 

 honorable. 



The great sin of Slavery has been almost universal, and 

 slaves have often been treated in an infamous manner. As- 

 barbarians do not regard the opinion of their women, wives 

 are commonly treated like slaves. Most savages are ut- 

 terly indifferent to the sufferings of strangers, or even de- 

 light in witnessing; them. It is well known that the women 

 and children of the North- American Indians aided in tor- 

 turing their enemies. Some savages take a horrid pleasure 



rence to Primitive Man, in the 'Fortnightly Review,' 1867, p. 529, and 

 18G8, p. 457, etc. 



24 The fullest account which I have met with is by Dr. Gerland, in his 

 ' Ueber das Aussterben der Naturvolker,' 1868 ; but I shall have to recur 

 to the subject of infanticide in a future chapter. 



25 See the very interesting discussion on Suicide in Lecky's ' History 

 of European Morals,' vol. i. 1869, p. 223. 



