484 SUFFERINGS OF SAVAGES. 



There are, indeed, many who doubt whether happiness 

 is increased by civilisation, and who talk of the free and 

 noble savage. But the true savage is neither free nor 

 noble ; he is a slave to his own wants, his own passions ; 

 imperfectly protected from the weather, he suffers from the 

 cold by night and the heat of the sun by day ; ignorant of 

 agriculture, living by the chase, and improvident in success, 

 hunger always stares him in the face, and often drives him 

 to the dreadful alternative of cannibalism or death. 



Wild animals are always in danger. Mr. Galton, who is 

 so well qualified to form an opinion, believes that the life of 

 all beasts in their wild state is an exceedingly anxious one ; 

 that "every antelope in South Africa has literally to run 

 for its life once in every one or two days upon an average, 

 and that he starts or gallops under the influence of a false 

 alarm many times in a day."* So it is with the savage ; he 

 is always suspicious, always in danger, always on the watch. 

 He can depend on no one, and no one can depend upon him. 

 He expects nothing from his neighbour, and does unto others 

 as he believes that they would do unto him. Thus his life 

 is one prolonged scene of selfishness and fear. Even in his 

 religion, if he has any, he creates for himself a new source of 

 terror, and peoples the world with invisible enemies. The 

 position of the female savage is even more wretched than 

 that of her master. She not only shares his sufferings, but 

 has to bear his ill-humour and ill-usage. She may truly be 

 said to be little better than his dog, a little dearer than his 

 horse. In Australia, Mr. Oldfield never saw a woman's 

 grave, and does not think that the natives took the trouble 

 to bury them. But, indeed, he believes that few of them 

 are so fortunate as to die a natural death, "they being 

 generally despatched ere they become old and emaciated, 



* Trans. Ethn. Soc., New Ser., vol. iii., p. 133. 



