98 SAVAGE SURVIVALS 



much longer than the periods of Barbarism and 

 Civilization taken together. If we take 500,000 

 years as the length of time man has existed on the 

 earth, then something like 400,000 of these years 

 must be given to the period of Savagery. Men 

 moved very slowly at first. Savages almost stand 

 still. They have no idea of progress. Their great 

 anxiety is to do things as their ancestors did 

 them. Only in the highest peoples of the earth do 

 we find any real desire to progress, and only in a 

 few individuals among these highest races. 



12. The Occupations of Savages. 



Among the higher races of men, the chief occu- 

 pations are agriculture, stock-raising manufac- 

 turing, mining, and commerce. These occupations 

 are represented very feebly, if at all, among the 

 lowest races of men. Savages live on the wild 

 world — on the wild plants and the wild animals. 



The chief occupations of savages are hunting, 

 fishing, and fighting. The savage lives '^from 

 hand to mouth." He hasn't the understanding to 

 look ahead to the future, and his means of pro- 

 duction are too feeble to enable him to accumulate 

 an\i;hing ahead even if he knew enough to do so. 



Altho the savage is without domesticated 

 plants and animals, he is well supplied with en- 

 emies. The chronic condition of savage men is 

 one of war. The savage is compelled constantly 

 to defend himself not only against other men, but 

 against wild animals by whom he is surrounded. 



