442 



8CIe:nce. 



[Vol. VIII., No. 197 



are pei'formed with a good deal of ceremony. If 

 by any chance either operation is not performed, 

 the individual could not obtain a partner in mar- 

 riage, and would be avoided as uncanny. Besides 

 individual fetiches, there are those which belong 

 to the village. If by any means a European is 

 robbed, he goes to the chief and gets liim to beat 

 or abuse the village fetich, which can usually be 

 accomplished by diplomacy. The fetich is accord- 

 ingly ceremoniously beaten : and the culprit, fear- 

 ing retribution, soon finds means to return the 

 spoil, and thus avert the wrath of the fetich, 

 which might otherwise be visited on himself. 

 They have also an ill-defined belief in some power 

 of which the fetiches are merely the servants. 

 This is called ' zambic,' but is supposed to be above 

 any personal interest in human affairs. 



The trade in ivory is the principal business, and 

 is carried on chiefly by the Bateke as intermedi- 

 aries between the interior and river tribes. The 

 Batekes are not agriculturalists, but the division 

 of labor between the sexes is more even than 

 between those of the other peoples. Another race 

 is found along the banks, who cultivate the soil, 

 and furnish the Bateke with provisions in trade. 

 These are the Bonbundos. Their habits are much 

 like the other tribes. The Buenses are especially 

 navigators, and make long canoe voyages in search 

 of ivory. The Bangalas are cannibals, and wear 

 ornaments of human phalanges. Their victims 

 are always prisoners of war, for whom they go 

 on hunting expeditions. From Bengala to 

 Buense, the most interior point reached by the 

 traders, the most numerous tribe is the Basuco. 

 Most of the tribes mentioned wear more or less 

 clothing, at least a waistclout ; but among the 

 Basucos only the men wear any thing. They 

 have the practice of human sacrifices. A certain 

 number of slaves are designated to be put to 

 death at the obsequies of any chief. The idea 

 seems to be that their tideUty for life is thus in- 

 sured, since their own life depends on that of the 

 master. 



The traders do their best, and to some extent 

 have succeeded in ameliorating these customs. 

 Progress is pacific, and force never resorted to. 

 The friendship of the blacks is necessary for the 

 maintenance of their business. The negro is lazy 

 and childish ; but, treated with fairness, he does 

 the work required of him. and which would be 

 impossible for whites to perform in that climate. 

 Two hundred and eighty-four special agreements 

 have been made with different chiefs, some of 

 whom control only twenty or thirty men. The 

 process is tedious, but each one gained over is 

 one friend more for the trader, and they cannot 

 be dispensed with. 



EVOLUTION VERSUS INVOLUTION. 



The growing acceptance of the theory of evo- 

 lution has led in the last few years to the pubhca- 

 tion of a large number of books upon the subject, 

 of a more or less popular nature. These are not, 

 as a rule, scientific arguments, for science no 

 longer considers it worth while to discuss a ques- 

 tion now so universally accepted. From various 

 stand-points the subject is treated. Now we find 

 a review of its scientific aspects, now of its rela- 

 tion to theology, and now of its metaphysical con- 

 tent. The present book has three objects : it is "a 

 popular exposition of the doctrines of true evolu- 

 tion, a refutation of the theories of Herbert 

 Spencer, and a vindication of theism." In pursu- 

 ance of the first object, the author gives us an 

 historical review of the question fi'om the time of 

 the Greek philosophers, and then very cursorily 

 reviews the application of the general theory to 

 the development of worlds, of life, of the organic 

 kingdoms, of mind and soul, and of society in its 

 various phases. In this brief summary the evo- 

 lution theory is accepted in its fullest extent as 

 applying universally. The review is a very hurried 

 one, however, only touching upon a few of the 

 salient points, and recognizing no difficulties in 

 the way of the onward tendency of thought. It 

 would, indeed, hardly give one who was not 

 already acquainted with the subject a very com- 

 prehensive idea of the theory of evolution, or 

 the reasons for accepting it. In some parts it is 

 somewhat strained ; as, for instance, where a de- 

 tailed comparison is di-awn between the verte- 

 brates, the mollusks and annulosa, the coelente- 

 rata, the sponges and protozoa, on the one hand, 

 and the exogens, the endogens, the acrogens, and 

 the fungi and lichens, on the other. 



This part of the book, however, though taking 

 up the most space, is secondary to the other two 

 objects running through the whole ; viz., the 

 vindication of theism, and the refutation of 

 Spencer. As a vindication of theism, the book is 

 an illustration of the gi'owing conception that 

 evolution is not at all out of harmony with theism. 

 The question of evolution is one which deals en- 

 tirely with secondary causes, and even Spencer's 

 theory does not attempt to fathom the first cause ; 

 while theism deals primarily with first cause. It 

 is fortunate for true science and true theism that 

 this is becoming so fully recognized, — for science, 

 because it removes the feeling of hostility which 

 has been accustomed to be raised in the minds of 

 most people by the simple word ' evolution ; ' for 

 theism, because it no longer makes it necessary to 

 try to disprove this growing theory of science. 



Evolution versus involution. By A. Z. Brep. New 

 York, Pott, 1885. 8°. 



