" THE NATURAL HISTORY OF MAN." 77 



pertains to man in his uncivilised state. My father 

 had long seen that his Natural History was incom- 

 plete, and must remain so until the human species had 

 received due attention with the rest of animated 

 creation. He had for many years taken a special 

 interest in ethnology, and had succeeded in making 

 himself more or less intimately acquainted with most 

 of those who could speak with authority upon the 

 subject. He had even brought together the nucleus of 

 that which some few years afterwards was one of the 

 finest collections of savage weapons, dress, ornaments, 

 and implements in the world. And so he was perfectly 

 qualified to take the matter up. He made arrange- 

 ments with his publisher, therefore, of very much the 

 same nature as those which had governed the production 

 of the larger Natural History. The best artists only 

 were to be engaged ; thirty-four parts, or numbers, were 

 to succeed one another regularly at intervals of a 

 month ; and the whole, when completed, was to be 

 issued in similar form to that of the great Natural 

 History, to which, in fact, it was intended to serve as 

 a sequel. 



This work involved perhaps even more labour than 

 its predecessor, although it consisted of two volumes 

 only. The number of books of travel, &c., which had 

 to be consulted was simply enormous. Whole days had 

 frequently to be passed in the Eeading-room of the 

 British Museum. Books to the value of more than 

 forty pounds had to be purchased outright. Travellers, 

 and those with a special knowledge of any savage race, 



