JuN-K 1. 1900.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



\-21 



and acts as a middloiuau between the civilizations of the 

 Mediterranean and the savage tribes of Central Africa 

 on the one hand, and the civilizations of the Orient on 

 the other. 



This simple difference in the conditions of life im- 

 poses a grave transformation on the family community. 

 Each year very long journeys have to be made from the 

 interior of the desert to its bordei-s in order to exchange 

 merchandise. Other communities, also on the mai'ch, 

 aro met with, and dispute pasturages and wells, as 

 these are few in number and limited in extent. The 

 merchandise must always be protected, hence the trading 

 parties must be as numerous as possible, and have ex- 

 perienced chiefs — the most experienced possible, it is a 

 matter of life and death. 



This necessity constrains the development of the 

 family community. When a community is too numerous 

 in the prairies a portion separates under a new patriarch, 

 usually one of the brothers of the old one. Here a 

 community is never too large. They do not separate 

 into family groups, but remain together and become a 

 tribe. 



The tribe contains several hundreds, sometimes several 

 thousands of persons. In order that such multitudes 

 may exist on so poor a soil they are divided into small 

 groups or " douars," which are like the companies of a 

 regiment. But all these groups, who follow one another 

 on the march, form only a single community under the 

 direction of one chief, and arc always ready to rally at 

 the fii-st signal and at the least danger. 



In this way the family community has extended to 

 the pioportions of the tribe. It is the first complication; 

 but it induces another which is yet more characteristic. 



This grouping pemiits, even necessitates, the elevation 

 of certain specialists in the midst of the group, thus 

 appear *^hc special ministers of religion such as the well- 

 known m.u'about arab. The mai'about is at the same 

 time a specialist in intellectual culture, and to him is 

 given the teaching of the children. Thus two functions 

 are withdrawn from the father, tliose of religion and 

 teaching, it is a first and grave diminution of the 

 patriarchal attributes. 



But this is not all : the direction of affaii's is also 

 taken away from the heads of the families ; they are 

 constrained on the one hand by the council of the tribe 

 which is composed of the most notable patriarchs, and 

 on the other by the chief of the tribe. It is necessai'y 

 for the chief to be armed with gi-eat authority, for he 

 must defond and protect not only the public interests 

 but also those of private life; he not only organises 

 attack and defence, but he also regulates the watering 

 and commonage of the flocks, and indicates the pastur- 

 age : he is thus the patron of labour. 



The attributes of the patriarch are very sensibly 

 diminished, nevertheless the type still belongs to the 

 societies of the simple comniunitary foi'mation of the 

 family, for the tribe is only an enlarged patriarchal 

 family. 



These three types differ in their aptitude for dispersal, 

 and in the influence they have exerted on neighbouring 

 peoples. The pjistors of the steppes are apt to swarm, 

 but are not qualified to organise invasion or to remain 

 masters of the conquered country. The pastoi-s of the 

 tundras are not liable to expand, also there is no question 

 of their organising invasions or of conquering other 

 peoples. The pastors of the deserts are notoriously apt 

 to spread, to organise invasion and to remain masters 

 of the conquered countries. 



The aptitude ^ii' thu I'astors of the Prairies to spread 

 is naturally explained : they are nomads and conse- 

 quently accustomed to shift their quarters; in order to 

 invade they have only to march in a straight line to- 

 wards a definite point instciwl of wandering hero and 

 there on the steppes ; they have scarcely to change 

 their ordinary life. Further they possess the horee, 

 which is an incomparable means for transport. The 

 problem of the commissariat, so important and (iifiicult 

 in a militai'y exi)edilion, is spontaneously solved, their 

 food — i.e., their flocks — marches with them. 



So far good, but here commences the difficulty, the 

 population of this type arc not good at organization. 

 These societies ai'e formed of absolutely independent 

 families. No superior organization exists above the 

 simple patriarchal family. At certain times a number 

 of people from different families may associate in a more 

 general group, as, for example, to go on a pilgrimage 

 to some distant lamasery, but these caravans are purely 

 accidental and the power of the chiefs of the caravan 

 ceases as soon as the caravan reaches its goal. 



In these societies of small autonomous groups, without 

 constituted government, and subject to a centrifugal 

 force, all collective action is very difficult. To produce 

 it, to blaze out into an invasion, it needs a rare com- 

 bination of favourable circumstances, which renders one 

 man prominent, some chief of a caravan, for ex- 

 ample, able and celebrated, fit to lead these masses 

 which are without cohesion. 



It is precisely because this combination of circum- 

 stances is so exceptional that these populations over- 

 flow their natural boundaries only at very rare intervals. 

 But then the invasion is the more formidable, and such 

 are the innumerable throngs who precipitate themselves 

 in the wake of an Attila, of a Jenghiz-Khan, of a 

 Tamerlane. 



These very names suggest the idea of unorganised 

 multitudes, rushing like a torrent, but not advancing 

 like an aimy. The original inaptitude of the type for 

 any large grouping, for any complicated organisation, 

 and for surpassing the narrow limits of the patriarchal 

 community, is manifestly brought to light. 



For a very good reason these invadei-s ai'e precluded 

 from organising and administrating the conquered 

 peoples ; how could they bring to them the social 

 elements, the organization of public life which they 

 themselves lack? Thus is explained the state of anarchy 

 and the lapid disappearance of the empires of Attila, 

 of Jenghiz-Khan, and of Tamerlane; they traversed 

 history like a flash of lightning which rends a cloud and 

 immediately disappears into obscurity. 



2'/ie Fadors of the Tundrae are still less favoured. 

 They have not even the first requisite for invasion, the 

 means of transport. They only possess the reindeer, the 

 dog, the sledge, and skates. With these it is impossible 

 to go beyond the limits of the Boreal region. It is a 

 serious ,^lfficulty to enter into a campaign. In these 

 icy regions it is absolutely impossible to agglomerate a 

 large number of men and animals on account of the 

 scarcity of pasturage, and large areas are necessary for 

 even a small herd of reindeer. 



Never has history recorded, nor will it ever record, 

 a single invasion by Eskimo or Lapps. 



With the Pastors of the Destrts we meet with a type, 

 the most capable not only to swarm but to organise 

 invasion, and to remain master of the conquered country. 



As means of transport they have the camel and the 

 Arab horse. The nomad life renders these people even 



