TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION H. 795 



landing by chance at an encampment of theirs, under the shade of a gigantic forest 

 tree. On one fire was the shell of a turtle, acting as its own pot, in which was 

 simmering the green fat delicious to more educated palates ; on another its flesh 

 was being broiled, together with some splendid fish ; on a third a wild pig was 

 being roasted, its drippings falling on wild yams, and a jar of honey stood close by, 

 all delicacies fit for an alderman's table. 



These are things which we might suppose anybody who has eyes to see, and 

 who is not wilfully blind, might have observed. But when we come to traditions, 

 laws, and particularly to religion, no one ought to be listened to as an authority 

 who cannot converse with the natives. For a long time the Mincopies have been 

 represented as without any religion, without even an idea of the Godhead. This 

 opinion received the support of Sir John Lubbock, and has been often repeated 

 without ever having been re-examined. As soon, however, as these Mincopies 

 began to be studied more carefully — more particularly as soon as some persons 

 resident among them had acquired a knowledge of their language, and thereby a 

 means of real communication — their religion came out as clear as daylight. Accord- 

 ing to Mr. E. H. Man, they have a name for God — Fuluga. And how can a race be 

 said to be without a knowledge of God if they have a name for God ? Piiluga has 

 a very mj'thological character. He has a stone house in the sky ; he has a wife, 

 whom he created himself, and from whom he has a large family, all, except the 

 eldest, being girls. The mother is supposed to be green (the earth?), the daughters 

 black ; they are the spirits, called Murouu'n ; his son is called Pijchor. He alone 

 is permitted to live with his father and to convey his orders to the Moroivin. But 

 Filluga was a moral character also. His appearance is like fire, though nowadays 

 he has become invisible. He was never born, and is immortal. The whole world 

 was created by him, except only the powers of evil. He is omniscient, knowing 

 even the thoughts of the heart. He is angered by the commission of certain 

 sins — some very trivial, at least to our mind — but he is pitiful to all who are in 

 distress. He is the judge from whom each soul receives its sentence after death. 



According to other authorities, some Andamanese look on the sun as the foun- 

 tain of all that is good, the moon as a minor power ; and they believe in a number 

 of inferior spirits, the spirits of the forest, the water, and the mountain, as agents 

 of the two higher powers. They believe in an evil spirit also, who seems to have 

 been originally the spirit of the storm. Him they try to pacify by songs, or to 

 frighten away with their arrows. 



I suppose I need say no more to show how indispensable a study of language 

 is to every student of Anthropology. If Anthropology is to maintain its high 

 position as a real science, its alliance with linguistic studies cannot be too close. 

 Its weakest points have always been those where it trusted to the statements of 

 authorities ignorant of language and of the science of language. Its greatest 

 triumphs have been achieved by men such as Dr. Halm, Bishops Callaway and 

 Colenso, Dr. W. Gill, and last, not least, Mr. Man, who have combined the minute 

 accuracy of the scholar with the comprehensive grasp of the anthropologist, and 

 were thus enabled to use the key of language to unlock the perplexities of savage 

 customs, savage laws and legends, and, particularly, of savage religions and 

 mythologies. If this alliance between Anthropology and Philology becomes real, 

 then, and then only, may we hope to see Bunseu's prophecy fulfilled, that Anthro- 

 pology will become the highest branch of that science for which this British 

 Association is instituted. 



Allow me in conclusion once more to quote some prophetic words from the 

 Address which Bunsen delivered before our Section in 1847 : — 



* If man is the apex of the creation, it seems right, on the one side, that a his- 

 torical inquiry into his origin and development should never be allowed to sever 

 itself from the general body of natural science, and in particular from Physiology. 

 But, on the other side, if man is the apex of the creation, if he is the end to 

 which all organic formations tend from the very beginning, if man is at once the 

 mystery and the key of natural science, if that is the only view of natural science 



