96 THE SAVAGE 



Our people are so badly informed that they 

 suppose the savage to be dirty, ferocious, 

 immoral and uncouth as the Sydney larrakin, 

 the cockney rough, the New York tough and 

 other poor degenerates of our race. It is true 

 that the Fuegans were dirty, but we should not 

 speak ill of the dead. Some South Sea island 

 tribes are cheerfully ferocious, and make much 

 of the white man at table although he does 

 taste salty. The Pathan, if one calls him a 

 savage, takes a delight in immorality. But 

 uncouth ? The commonality of the English- 

 speaking nations have a deliberate preference 

 for ugly costume and decorations, foul speech 

 is usual among men, vulgarity is a privilege of 

 both sexes, and awkwardness of bearing is 

 almost universal. Who are we to call the 

 savage uncouth ? Compared with a white 

 man, the savage is a gentleman anyway^ and 

 usually sets us an example in purity of speech, 

 often in cleanliness, chastity, and good faith. 

 He differs from the healthier types of white 

 men in having slightly less energy and vitality, 

 in lack of sustained purpose and in being never 

 quite grown up. Except in Africa, our mi- 

 crobes and not our valour conquered him, and 

 his failure to rival us in material progress was 

 due to lack of material rather than want of 



