176 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



upon dualisms and astronomical fancies could teacn 

 and those in the east have a more reasoned cohesion 

 than the Egyptian, and still more, than the Greek and 

 Roman poetical physicalities, drawn from eastern sources 

 and misinterpreted. In high Asia we find the legends 

 of Europe extant in their sources. Many of the arts of 

 social life are similarly derived from thence; every 

 wave of invasion westward bringing new ideas; and, 

 in later ages, the crusaders, coming from the east with 

 loss and shame, still returned with the additional infor- 

 mation they had acquired. From Madagascar, back to 

 the Indus, we find a similar connection ; and, in the 

 South Seas, there are everywhere evidences of an 

 Asiatic priority. Finally, the western continent of 

 America is redolent of Malay, Mongolic, Ouralian, and 

 even purer Caucasian sources, in physical as well as 

 traditional objects. 



In order to proceed to their various destinations, each 

 typical stock naturally followed the great rivers in their 

 course, for these are the natural directing lines of na- 

 tions exploring the way to unknown regions ; and the 

 necessity of facilitating progression is the cause why 

 all tribes, however rude, are acquainted with some 

 mode of conveyance by water. Other roads were early 

 indicated, by local necessities, differing from the sub- 

 sequent caravan routes, which took directions from and 

 to points already known to be most favourable for 

 trafficking with distant nations, who had objects of 

 barter to exchange, and therefore, on both sides, had 

 an interest in the speediest and safest passage. From 



