CHAP. VI] MAN. 141 



of missionary effort, and yet Western Australia* demonstrates 

 the utter groundlessness of this persuasion. It does so by 

 means of the flourishing community of reclaimed savages 

 who live under the care and supervision of the fathers of the 

 Benedictine Abbey situate in that region. There can be no 

 question but that Australians can, by such agency, be civi 

 lised, or that they can, as a community, be perpetuated in a 

 reclaimed condition, though the influx of hostile influences 

 may ultimately prevent the accomplishment of the benevo 

 lent object so pursued. 



We may conclude, then, that no existing race is generally 

 devoid of conceptions regarding the preternatural, or entirely 

 unconcerned about future existence, whether their own or 

 that of their friends or enemies. 



It remains to inquire whether any savage races may be 

 fairly considered as in a transitional state from a Arc the 

 non-religious condition, like that of beasts; or [^tmsweas 

 whether the religious conceptions of any race are SJT 

 so different in kind from our own as to render it im- hi s herones? 

 possible for them to be the degraded remnants of former 

 religious beliefs of a higher character. As to the first of 

 these questions, it may be observed that the difference be 

 tween a nature capable of religious conceptions and one 

 not so capable is a difference of kind, and therefore &quot; tran 

 sitions &quot; are just as possible or as impossible here as in 

 the previously considered matters of morality and speech. 

 It appears to me manifest that no combinations of merely 

 sensible perceptions could give rise to the conception of 

 beings of a preternatural nature and with preternatural 

 powers. It is a question not of a vague fear, but of con 

 ceptions of beings with superhuman attributes. As to the 

 second question that concerning the nature of religious 

 conceptions in the most distinct races it may be safely 

 affirmed, on Mr. Tylor s authority, that the differences are 



* See Memoires Historiqucs sur 1 Australie. par Merr. Rudcsino Salvado, 

 1854. 



