310 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



"The Damaras attribute the origin of the sheep to a large stone." 

 They regard a big tree as the origin of Damaras. " Cattle of a certain 

 color are venerated by the Damaras." " To the Bechuanas rain ap- 

 pears as the giver of all good." The negro whips or throws away a 

 worthless fetich. " The Hottentots and Bushmen shoot poisoned ar- 

 rows at the lightning and throw old shoes at it." Exactly ! And 

 do these Damaras, Bechuanas, and Bushmen do this solely because 

 they think that the sun and moon, the lightning, the rain, the trees, 

 the cattle, and the snakes are the abodes of the disembodied spirits 

 of their dead relatives ? And do they never do this until they have 

 evolved a developed Ghost theory ? 



This is more than I can accept, for all the robustness of faith which 

 Mr. Spencer attributes to me. Whilst I find in a hundred books that 

 countless races of Africa and the organized religion of China attribute 

 human qualities to natui'al objects, and grow up to regard those objects 

 with veneration and awe, I shall continue to think that fetichism, or 

 the reverent ascription of feeling and power to natural objects, is a 

 spontaneous tendency of the human mind. And I shall refuse, even 

 on Mr. Spencer's high authority, and that of his three compilers, to 

 believe that it is solely a result of a developed Ghost theory. To ask 

 us to believe this as " proved " on the strength of a pile of clippings 

 made to order is, I think, quite as droll to ordinary minds as anything 

 Mr. Spencer can pick ujd out of the Positivist Calendar. — Nineteenth 

 Century. 



LAST WORDS ABOUT AGNOSTICISM. 



By HEEBEET SPENCEE. 



THOSE who expected from Mr. Harrison an interesting rejoinder 

 to my reply, will not be disappointed. Those who looked for 

 points skilfully made, which either are, or seem to be, telling, will be 

 fully satisfied. Those who sought pleasure from witnessing a display 

 of literary power, will close his article gratified with the hour they 

 have spent over it. Those only will be not altogether contented who 

 supposed that my outspoken criticism of Mr. Harrison's statements 

 and views, would excite him to an unusual display of that trenchant 

 style for which he is famous ; since he has, for the most part, continued 

 the discussion with calmness. After saying thus much it may seem 

 that some apology is needed for continuing a controversy of which 

 many, if not most, readers, have by this time become weary. But 

 gladly as I would leave the matter where it stands, alike to save my 

 own time and others' attention, there are sundry motives which forbid 

 me. Partly my excuse must be the profound importance and perennial 

 interests of the questions raised. Partly I am prompted by the con- 



