NO EVIDENCE OF DEGRADATION. 337 



the early races which inhabited our continent. In order, 

 however, to limit the subject as much as possible, I propose, 

 with one exception, to describe only the "non-metallic 

 savages " (if such an expression may be permitted) and even 

 of these, only some of the most instructive, or of those 

 which have been carefully observed by travellers. 



It is a common opinion that savages are, as a general rule, 

 only the miserable remnants of nations once more civilised ; 

 but, although there are some well-established cases of 

 national decay, there is no scientific evidence which would 

 justify us in asserting that this is generally the case. No 

 doubt there are many instances in which nations, once pro- 

 gressive, have not only ceased to advance in civilisation, but 

 have even fallen back. Still if we compare the accounts of 

 early travellers with the state of things now existing, we 

 shall find no evidence of any general degradation. The 

 Australians, Bushmen, and Fuegians lived when first ob- 

 served almost exactly as they do now. In some savage 

 tribes we even find traces of improvement ; the Bachapins, 

 when visited by Burchell, had just introduced the art of 

 working in iron ; the largest erection in Tahiti was con- 

 structed by the generation living at the time of Captain 

 Cook's visit, and the practice of cannibalism had been re- 

 cently abandoned;* again, outriggers are said to have been 

 recently adopted by the Andaman Islanders ; and if certain 

 races, as for instance some of the American tribes, have fallen 

 back, this has perhaps been due, less to any inherent tendency 

 than to the injurious effect of European influence. Moreover, 

 if the Cape of Good Hope, Australia, New Zealand, etc., had 

 ever been inhabited by a race of men more advanced than 

 those whom we are in the habit of regarding as the abori- 

 gines, some evidence of this would surely have remained; and 



* Forster, Observations made during a Voyage Round the World, p. 327. 

 See also Ellis, Polynesian Researches, vol. ii., p. 29. 



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