182 THE DESCENT OF MAN. Part I. 



the fingers, first of one hand and then of the other, 

 and lastly of the toes. We have traces of this in our 

 own decimal system, and in the Roman numerals, "which 

 after reaching to the number V., change into VI., &c, 

 when the other hand no doubt was used. So again, 

 " when we speak of three-score and ten, we are count- 

 " ing by the vigesimal system, each score thus ideally 

 " made, standing for 20 — for ' one man ' as a Mexican 

 " or Carib would put it." 31 According to a large and 

 increasing school of philologists, every language bears 

 the marks of its slow and gradual evolution. So it 

 is with the art of writing, as letters are rudiments of 

 pictorial representations. It is hardly possible to read 

 Mr. M'Lennan's work 32 and not admit that almost all 

 civilised nations still retain some traces of such rude 

 habits as the forcible capture of wives. What ancient 

 nation, as the same author asks, can be named that was 

 originally monogamous ? The primitive idea of justice, 

 as shewn by the law of battle and other customs of 

 which traces still remain, was likewise most rude. Many 

 existing superstitions are the remnants of former false 

 religious beliefs. The highest form of religion — the 

 grand idea of God hating sin and loving righteousness 

 — was unknown during primeval times. 



Turning to the other kind of evidence : Sir J. Lub- 

 bock has shewn that some savages have recently im- 

 proved a little in some of their simpler arts. From the 



31 'Koyal Institution of Great Britain,' March 15, 1867. Also, 

 ' Researches into the Early History of Mankind,' 1865. 



32 'Primitive Marriage,' 1865. See, likewise, an excellent article, 

 evidently by the same author, in the ' North British Review,' July, 

 1869. Aho, Mr. L. H. Morgan, " A Conjectural Solution of the Origin 

 of the Class. System of Relationship," in 'Proc. American Acad, of 

 Sciences,' vol. vii. Feb. 1868. Prof. Schaaffhausen (' Anthropolog. 

 Review,' Oct. 1869, p. 373) remarks on "the vestiges of human sacri- 

 " fices found both in Homer and the Old Testament." 



