t 



143 



and therefore should be more desirous of prolonging it. Yet 

 these when tliey grow old, desire an end to be put to their 

 existence.* The slightest affliction is sufficient to induce the 

 Kamptschatdales to destroy themselves.-f- ^Vhen a savage 

 loses a limb either in war or by disease, he is undone ; for 

 how can a cripple resist an enemy, or fish, or hunt, or pro- 

 cure any kind of subsistence, with which no one will supply 

 him ? for among them no one has, or can have, any store in 

 resource ; every one is reduced to his own casual and va- 

 riable acquisitions^. In civilized life scarcely one in a million 

 puts an end to his existence. 



15th. Our author confidently asserts, that savages in no 

 part of the world can be persuaded to embrace a civilized 

 life. 



Here again he substitutes modern savages to his imaginary 

 primeval, yet he must allow, even granting his own hypothe- 

 sis, that his primeval savages have adopted a civilized life, 

 since civilized sopieties actually exist, and by far the greater 

 part of mankind are in a social state. It is however true 

 that adult savages cannot be persuaded to adopt the man- 

 ners of, and remain among a civilized people ; but one of them 

 explained to Mr. Volney why he wished to return to his own 

 tribe. He alleged his ignorance of the language and his in- 

 ability 



^ Voloey, ■114-, and 422. t L'Evesque, 71. + Volncy, 422. 



