2 24 VESTIGES OF THE 



Mandans affords an illustration of this principle, for 

 Mr. Catlin expressly, though without the least regard to 

 theory, attributes their improvement to the fact of their 

 being a small tribe, obliged, by fear of their more 

 numerous enemies, to settle hi a j^f^^^nicLnent village, so 

 fortified as to ensure their preservation. " By this 

 means," says he, " they have advanced farther in the 

 arts of manufacture, and have supplied their lodges more 

 abundantly with the comforts and even luxuiies of life 

 than any Indian nation I know of. The consequence of 

 this," he adds, " is, that the tribe have taken many steps 

 ahead of other ti-ibes in manners and refinfiements.'^ 

 These conditions can only be regarded as natural laws 

 affecting civilisation, and it might not be difficult, taking 

 them into account, to predict of any newly settled 

 country its social destiny. An island like Yan Dieman's 

 land might fairly be expected to go on more rapidly to 

 good manners and sound institutions than a wide region 

 like Australia. The United States might be expected to 

 make no great way in civilisation till they be fully 

 peopled to the Pacific ; and it might not be unreasonable 

 to expect that, when that even has occurred, the greatest 

 civilisations of tliat vast territory will be found in the 

 peninsula of California and the narrow stripe of country 

 beyond the Rocky Mountains. This, however, is a 

 digression. To return : it is also necessary for a civili- 

 sation that at least a portion of the community should 

 ])e placed above mean and engrossing toils. Man's mind 

 is subdued, like the dyer's hand, to that it works in. In 

 rude and difficult circumstances, we unavoidably become 

 rude, because then only the inferior and harsher faculties 

 of our nature are called into exei'cise. When, on the 



child race of niankiiitl — is solved when we look to geograpbical position 

 producing fixity of residence and density of population. 



