INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE. 405 



On the supposition that the human races originated in a common 

 centre, the early migrating columns which spread over Asia, must 

 have been full of that youthful vigor and energy which impelled 

 them to leave an overcrowded centre of life and seek new homes 

 in new lands. In pre-historic times this country must have pre- 

 sented scenes of stupendous human activity. Befoi-e these early 

 populations settled down into a physiological harmony with the 

 many well defined geographical areas which distinguish that con- 

 tinent, and into which these people were cast, they were the 

 authors of inventions which have placed all subsequent civilization 

 under obligations to them. The clock, and the sun-dial, cotton, 

 linen, silk, sugar, tea and coffee, with the cup, saucer, and tray in 

 which they are served, this ancient population first gave to the 

 world. In some of the useful arts they have not yet been over- 

 taken by modei'n civilization. Who can produce steel tliat will 

 match the old " Damascus blade V or where shall we find modern 

 hydraulic constructions in magnitude equal to the Chinese canals, 

 or defences on a scale as gigantic as the Chinese wall ? 



But the scenes of active industry of which their works give 

 evidence ceased long years ago. Each tribe soon learned to sub- 

 sist within itself, and manifesting no energy to overcome the 

 natural barriers (whether of mountain ridges or barren tracts of 

 territory) to intercommunication with neighboring tribes, new 

 dialects and differing languages made the work of isolation com- 

 plete, and that ancient people, after the lapse of many generations, 

 came into a state of physiological accordance with such external 

 conditions as each fragment of the original stock found around 

 itself. Each successive chieftain in time established his own form 

 of government, and this, with tribal forms and customs, all aided 

 the clinfete in securing a definite result, for each tribe the samp 

 pursuits of life and the same modes of thought. 



The Asiatic populations have therefore been for generations in 

 a state of hopeless stagnation. Hundreds of thousands of these 

 people never move from the spot, where they were born. Travel 

 is regarded unholy by them. Myriads, born on the bamboo boats 

 that float in countless numbers on the rivers of that almost mea- 

 sureless empire, never set foot on land. Everything remains as it 

 was years ago. No changes in clothing, none in their houses, no 

 bettering of food, no improvements in social life or customs. So 

 unchanged have all things remained, that could Abraham revisit 

 the scenes of his boyhood he might suppose he had only been 



