Chap. V. CIVILISED NATIONS. 183 



extremely curious account which he gives of the weapons, 

 tools, and arts, used or practised by savages in various 

 parts of the world, it cannot be doubted that these have 

 nearly all been independent discoveries, excepting per 

 haps the art of making fire. 33 The Australian boomerang 

 is a good instance of one such independent discovery. 

 The Tahitians when first visited had advanced in many 

 respects beyond the inhabitants of most of the other 

 Polynesian islands. There are no just grounds for the 

 belief that the high culture of the native Peruvians 

 and Mexicans was derived from any foreign source ; 34 

 many native plants were there cultivated, and a few 

 native animals domesticated. We should bear in mind 

 that a wandering crew from some semi-civilised land, 

 if washed to the shores of America, would not, judging 

 from the small influence of most missionaries, have pro- 

 duced any marked effect on the natives, unless they had 

 already become somewhat advanced. Looking to a very 

 remote period in the history of the world, we find, to 

 use Sir J. Lubbock's well-known terms, a paleolithic 

 and neolithic period ; and no one will pretend that the 

 art of grinding rough flint tools was a borrowed one. 

 In all parts of Europe, as far east as Greece, in Palestine, 

 India, Japan, New Zealand, and Africa, including Egypt, 

 flint tools have been discovered in abundance; and of 

 their use the existing inhabitants retain no tradition. 

 There is also indirect evidence of their former use by the 

 Chinese and ancient Jews. Hence there can hardly be a 

 doubt that the inhabitants of these many countries, which 

 include nearly the wdiole civilised world, were once in a 

 barbarous condition. To believe that man was abori- 



33 Sir J. Lubbock, 'Prehistoric Times,' 2nd edit. 1869, chap. xv. and 

 xvi. et passim. 



34 Dr. F. Midler has made some good remarks to this effect in the 

 'Keise der Novara : Anthropolog. Theil,' Abtheil. iii. 1868, s. 127. 



