222 EARLY HISTORY OF MANKIND. 



and who had an interest in attacking their wealthier neigh- 

 bours. This, at least, were as legitimate an inference from 

 the facts which are known. But it is also alleged that we 

 know of no such thing as civilization being ever self-originated. 

 It is always seen to be imparted from one people to another. 

 Hence, of course, we must infer that civilization at the first 

 could only have been of supernatural origin. There again it 

 may be answered It is not to be expected that we should 

 know of any of the ancient nations originating civilization 

 amongst themselves, for history commences when they are 

 already somewhat advanced in that course. As to the instances 

 in which it has been seen to be imparted, these may be true, 

 without necessarily implying that there was not a natural 

 origin of civilization in some of the earlier nations. It may 

 be questioned, however, if these instances are in themselves 

 true. The efforts made to trace the civilizations of Central 

 America to Egypt and other countries have all signally failed. 

 There is even a fallacy in supposing that, because Greece, for 

 example, obtained certain kinds of knowledge and forms of art 

 from Egvpt, its whole civilization was descended from that 

 and similar quarters. There are characteristic features in all 

 civilizations which support the idea that they are usually for 

 the most part original. There is not only this peculiarity, but 

 there is an isolatedness in some civilizations, which tallies 

 much better with the theory of their independent than their 

 imparted origin. When it is said that civilization is never seen 

 to arise without aid from external sources, an affirmation is 

 made on very imperfect grounds. It appears that civilization 

 does sometimes rise in a manner clearly independent amongst 

 a horde of people generally barbarous. A striking instance is 

 described in the laborious work of Mr. Catlin on the North- 

 American tribes. Far placed among those which inhabit the 

 vast region of the north-west, and quite beyond the reach of 

 any influence from the whites, he found a small tribe living in 

 a fortified village, where they cultivated the arts of manufac- 

 ture, realized comforts and luxuries, and had attained to a 

 remarkable refinement of manners, insomuch as to be gene- 

 rally called " the polite and friendly Mandans." They were 



