822 REPORT— 1895. 



Man mainly develops by internal differences in his brain structure, as other animals 

 develop by external differences in bones and muscles. 



What, then, it may be asked, can be done to elevate other races ? How can we- 

 benefit them ? Most certainly not by Europeanising them. By real education,, 

 leading out the mind to a natural and solid growth, much can be done ; but not 

 hy enforcing a mass of accomplishments and artificialities of life. The general 

 impression in England is that reading, writing, and arithmetic are the elements of 

 education. They might be so to us, ' in the foremost files of time,' but they 

 assuredly are not so to other races. The complex ideas of connectiDg forms and 

 sounds is far too great a step for many brains ; and when we succeed, to our 

 delight, in turning out finished readers. Nature comes in with the stern reply, ' Of 

 their children not one has been reared.' Our bigoted belief in reading and 

 writing is not in the least justified when we look at the mass of mankind. The 

 exquisite art and noble architecture of Mykeure, the undying song of Homer, 

 the extensive trade of the Bronze Age, all belonged to people who never read or 

 wrote. At this day some of my best friends — in Egypt — are happily ignorant of 

 such accomplishments, and assuredly I never encourage them to any such useless- 

 waste of their brains. The great essentials of a valuable character — moderation, 

 ju.etice, sympathy, politeness and consideration, quick observation, shrewdness, 

 ability to plan and pre-arrange, a keen sense of the uses and properties of things — 

 all these are the qualities on which I value my Egyptian friends, and such qualities 

 are what should be evolved by any education worth the name. No brain, however 

 humble, will be the worse for such education which is hourly in use ; while in the- 

 practical life of a simple community the accomplishments of reading and writing 

 are not needed for perhaps a week or a month at a time. The keenest interest is- 

 taken by some races, and probably by all, in geograpliy, modes of government, and 

 social systems ; and in most countries elements of hj-giene and improvements in 

 the dwellings and arts of life may be taught with the best results. There is there- 

 fore a very wide field for the education of even the lowest races, without throwing 

 any great strain on the mental powers. And it must always be remembered that 

 memory is far more perfect where a less burden of learning is thrown on the mind,, 

 and ideas and facts can be remembered and brought into use more readily by 

 minds unstrained by artificial instruction. 



The greatest educational influence, however, is example. This is obvious when 

 ■we see how rapidly the curses of our civilisation spread among those unhappily 

 subjected to it. The contact of Europeans with lower races is almost always a 

 detriment, and it is the severest reflection on ourselves that such should be the 

 case. It is a subject which has given much room for thought in my own dealings- 

 with the Egyptian peasant to consider how this deleterious effect is produced, and 

 tow it is to be avoided. Firstly, it is due to carelessness in leaving temptations 

 open to natives, which may be no temptations to ourselves. To be careless about 

 sixpences is as demoralising to them as a man who tossed sovereigns about the 

 street would be to us. Examples of carelessness in this point are among the worst 

 of influences. Another injury is the inducement to natives to imitate the ways 

 and customs of Europeans without reason. Every imitation, as mere imitation, is 

 a direct injury to cliaracter; it teaches a man to trust to some one else instead of 

 thinking for himself; it induces a belief in externals constituting our superiority, 

 while foresight and self-restraint are the real roots of it ; and it destroys all chance 

 of any real and solid growth of character which can flourish independently. A 

 native should always be discouraged from any imitation, unless he attempts it as 

 an intelligent improvement on his own habits. Another sadly common evil is the 

 abuse of power, which lowers that sense of self-respect, of honour, and of honesty 

 which can be found in most races. If a man or a government defrauds, it is but 

 natural to the sufferer to try to recompense himself by any means available ; and 

 thus an interminable system of reprisals is set up. Such is the chronic state of the 

 East at present among the more civilised races. The Egyptians are notorious for 

 their avarice, and are usually credited with being inveterate money-grabbers ; yet 

 no sooner do they find that this system of reprisals is abandoned and strict justice 

 maintained, tlian they at once respond to it ; and I may say that when confidence 



