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beliefs of every variety and merit under the general title of 
heathenism; but, happily, a more appreciative spirit now 
prevails, and we are coming to see that there is much in other 
systems of belief which deserves our admiration,* and not a 
little that has served the Divine purpose in educating the 
world up to the understanding of a purer revelation. The 
study of religions has a scientific as well as a practical aim, 
and scholars have employed in it the inductive method of in- 
vestigation with such a degree of success, that we may feel 
assured that the foundations are being laid for a science of 
religion. Indeed, some writers talk as if such a science were 
already constructed; but we are constrained. to believe that 
this use of language is premature. So vast is the field of 
inquiry, so important is it that every part of its surface be 
explored and carefully mapped out, and so recently have scien- 
tific methods been employed in its survey, that investigators 
in this domain may well at present be content with modest 
claims for their study. It cannot be denied, then, that we 
shall not have a complete science of religions—much less of 
religion—until we shall have measured and deposited in its 
proper place in the building every variety of religious belief, 
no matter how crude it may seem, or how near the bottom of 
the social scale its professors may stand. If we feel any diffi- 
dence, therefore, in presenting to the members of the Victoria 
Institute a sketch of the religious beliefs and practices of the 
aboriginal tribes of India, it is not on the score of the subject 
possessing no intrinsic interest, but rather because of the present 
lack of materials in some parts of the field and our consequent 
inability to present the theme with the fulness of illustration 
desirable. And here we desire to express our great indebted- 
ness to Colonel Dalton’s invaluable work, the Hihnology of 
Bengal, without which many facts stated in the following pages 
would have been beyond our reach. Before proceeding with 
our inquiries, it will be useful if we state the location of the 
tribes to whom we shall repeatedly refer ; for, though British 
power has existed in India for nearly two centuries, it has only 
been within a very recent period that we have been able to 
get trustworthy information concerning the aboriginal popu- 
lation ; and even now that information is largely confined to 
the few persons whom official duties or missionary efforts have 
brought into close relations with it. It has been usual to 
divide these primitive races into three groups—viz., Thibeto- 
* “ Which deserves our admiration.” Dr. Avery, in a letter which is 
appended, explains the intention with which he uses these words.—Eb. 
