SECT. III.] RELIGIOUS NOTIONS. 369 



stone considered, with, other minerals, by the Indians of South 

 America. 1 Even the artificial products, such as watches, tele- 

 scopes, etc., are looked at as possessed by demons. An intel- 

 ligent Betchuana, on seeing the sea and a ship for the first 

 time, observed that the ship must be an uncreated object, a 

 thing that had come by itself, and had not been made by the 

 hand of man. 2 The instances of Cortez and Cook show that even 

 living human beings have been considered as gods, a delusion 

 which certainly disappears on nearer acquaintance, for man is 

 too commensurable to man : ' ' ^Equales sunt qui sequalia contra 

 se invicem possunt ; at qui maxima possunt, nimirum occidere, 

 aequalia possunt" (Hobbes) . When the ruling family is looked 

 upon as of divine origin, it is not surprising that the ruler should, 

 after his death, or even during his life, be placed among the 

 gods, and be worshipped accordingly, as, for instance, Tamatoa, 

 king of Raiatea. 3 Religions of this kind are characterised by 

 their discrepancies. Every one worships either what he fears 

 the most, or from which he expects the greatest aid in need. 

 There are few general, but many local and individual, ob- 

 jects of veneration, and even the general objects of worship 

 possess at different times a greater or less importance for 

 their worshippers. Faith as yet lays no claim to universal 

 assent ; there is an absolute toleration, and it is considered 

 quite natural that other people should have other gods. The 

 endeavour to force upon others his own views, whether con- 

 cerning religious or other subjects, is altogether foreign to the 

 primitive man, who so highly values personal independence. 



In Africa the Christians and Mohammedans only, try to make 

 proselytes, and in America Peru was the only state which did 

 so. On the other hand, foreign gods are easily added to the 

 native ones. Thus the Fantees purchase gods which have ac- 

 quired a certain celebrity. 4 The gods are put on their trial, to 

 see whether they are more powerful than others, and, if they 

 prove themselves so, obtain preference and a higher rank above 



1 Humboldt und Bonpland, " Eeise," iv, p. 334. 



2 Thompson, " Travels and adventures in South Africa," 2nd edit., 1827. 



3 Tyermann and Bennet, " Journal," i, p. 524, 1831. 



4 W. T. Midler, " D. Afrika Landschaft Fetu." p. 55, Hamb., 1676. 



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