94 THE DESCENT OF MAN. Pakt I. 



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 honourable act ; and it is still 

 largely practised by some semi-civilised nations without 

 reproach, for the loss to a nation of a single individual 

 is not felt : whatever the explanation may be, suicide 

 is rare amongst barbarians ; the negroes on the west 

 coast of Africa offering, however, as I hear from Mr. 

 W. Keade, in this respect an exception. 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 civilisa- 

 tion the robbery of strangers is, indeed, generally con- 

 sidered as honourable. 



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 utterly indifferent to the sufferings of strangers, or 

 even delight in witnessing them. It is well known that 

 the women and children of the North- American Indians 

 aided in torturing their enemies. Some savages take a 

 horrid pleasure in cruelty to animals, 26 and humanity 

 with them is an unknown virtue. Nevertheless, feelings 

 of sympathy and kindness are common, especially 



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. 



26 See, for instance, Mr. Hamilton's account of the Kaffirs, ' Anthro- 

 pological Review/ 1870, p. xv. 



