VI 



THE ARYAN QUESTION AND PRE- 

 HISTORIC MAN 



[1890] 



THE rapid increase of natural knowledge, which 

 is the chief characteristic of our age, is effected in 

 various ways. The main army of science moves 

 to the conquest of new worlds slowly and surely, 

 nor ever cedes an inch of the territory gained. 

 But the advance is covered and facilitated by the 

 ceaseless activity of clouds of light troops provided 

 with a weapon always efficient, if not always an 

 arm of precision the scientific imagination. It 

 is the business of these enfants perdus of science 

 to make raids into the realm of ignorance where- 

 ever they see, or think they see, a chance ; and 

 cheerfully to accept defeat, or it may be annihila- 

 tion, as the reward of error. Unfortunately, the 

 public, which watches the progress of the cam- 

 paign, too often mistakes a dashing incursion of 

 the Uhlans for a forward movement of the main 



