THE OEIGIN OF TRADITION 427 



to consider what bearing geographical and economic factors have 

 upon contact. The former problem may be passed over with 

 a few words ; the latter .will require a rather longer discussion. 

 The former has been the subject of much attention and the main 

 facts, w^hich are all that concern us, are familiar ; the latter has 

 not received so much attention though it is of great importance. 



Not only the spread of elements of culture but also the move- 

 ment of peoples are governed by geographical factors. An isolated 

 area is isolated from the slow permeation of elements of tradition, 

 as well as from migratory races. To the degree, therefore, to which 

 any area is isolated, it is removed both from those influences 

 which favour the passing on of elements of tradition as well as 

 those which form an incentive to skill. Isolation is never complete. 

 The more isolated an area is, the less often have migratory races 

 reached it, with the result that when they have done so, there has 

 usually been a conflict between a culture so dissimilar in skill 

 that the migratory race has often wiped out the original race. 

 Apart from the visits of migratory races the beneficial results of 

 contact are reduced to a minimum within an isolated area. The 

 differences in traditions are small, and both the elements of culture 

 which can be acquired and the stimulus which can be derived from 

 contact are of little importance. What these geographical features 

 are is fairly well known. 



The first factor is isolation by sea. America was apparently 

 peopled some time in the first period. Subsequently to the date 

 of its original peopling it may be regarded as having been for all 

 practical purposes isolated from the other continents and thus 

 its inhabitants had been long cut off from contact with the 

 rest of the human race when it was ' discovered ' by Columbus. 

 America was probably visited, perhaps more than once, by parties 

 reaching the Pacific Coast and was certainly visited by the 

 Norsemen, but this small amount of contact has exerted no 

 influence upon the evolution of skill. America is the most remark- 

 able instance of isolation by sea. Isolation by sea has exerted 

 a profound influence upon Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania ; 

 and important also has been the semi-isolation of Africa, which 

 continent, until great progress had been made in navigation, was 

 only in contact "VNith Asia by a narrow neck. Among primitive 

 races deserts and mountains hinder contact in almost equal degree, 

 and, though in one sense not geographical features, forests and 



