430 



ETHNOLOOYe 



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display as niucli ingenuity in follomng their respective 



pursuits as nations of much more refined and artificial 

 habits of life. The arts and customs of natio"-^ in this 

 state form an interesting chapter in the history of man- 

 kind, and in the ctb^nography of particular branches of 

 the human famuy. 



Races inhabiting high steppes and open plains, such as 

 Great Tartary and the plateau of Southern Africa, are 

 crenerally nomadic herdsmen. Their habits of life are 

 very different from those of the hunting tribes, and many 



of them diifer from the latter in physical organization. 

 The pastoral nations, wandering through open plains and 



enjoying a life of leisure and contemplation, have culti- 

 vated astronomy and a simple kind of poetry. Their 

 history presents features of great interest to those who 

 have opportunities of observing them. 



Some of the rude and hunting nations have practised 

 agriculture to a limited extent, but this pursuit is pre- 

 cluded by the locomotive habits of the nomadic nations. 

 The indolence of savages generally throws this labour, 

 as is well known, on the females of the tribe. In this 

 state of things hunting continues to be the main occupa- 

 tion, and the habits of the trilie are not greatly changed 

 by the introduction of a scanty tillage. But when the 

 cultivation of the soil becomes the chief means of sub- 

 sistence, the people must cease to be hunters or wandering 

 herdsmen ; they become fixed on particular spots, and 

 separated into small communities. Hence agricultural 

 tribes differ from each other in language, and likewise in 

 pliysieal characters, more than the nomadic races;. It is 

 highly desirable to inquire in every country into the facts 



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