292 



NATURAL HISTORY OF 



south of High Asia ; legends that recur again in 

 Celtic Basque provinces, and even in Western . 

 rica. 



The small clans, ruled by a patriarchal or family 

 system, which the earliest documents of the Celtic 

 colonists in Britain acknowledge to have found on the 

 soil, and whose smoky cavern dwellings may be traced 

 perhaps near Brixham, on the shores of Torbay, must 

 be referred to that sub-type of the human race ; for 

 not being of the Celtic stock, they could not well be of 

 other than of Finnic origin. In the generally scat- 

 tered diffusion of residence, having abundant supplies 

 of food from the sea, the lakes, rivers, and forests, 

 small clans, with affinities in dialects, creeds, and con- 

 sanguinity, could not find many motives for hostility. 

 Those savage wars of extermination, rising out of am- 

 bition or for the possession of favourite localities, most 

 likely did not occur until greater pressure of new colo- 

 nies, vastly augmented populations, increasing cultiva- 

 tion and wealth, roused cupidity and the spirit of 

 dominion; for otherwise, the sudden march of whole 

 nations could not subsequently have taken place un- 

 molested by neighbours; such, for instance, as the 

 Gallic down the Danube, to Greece and Asia Minor ; 

 the Boian, north-eastward to Bohemia; or the Cym- 

 ber, from the coasts of the German Ocean to Italy. 



In the east of Europe we find a myrmidon people, 

 again no doubt burrowing ants, like the gold finding 

 miners of High Asia, with Thessalian Larissa, subject 

 to the Thraco-Pelasgian Achil^ a Moreover, we find 



