r38 THIS DESCENT OF MAN 



before our anceators had become sufficiently human to treat 

 and value their women merely as useful slaves. The impas- 

 sioned orator, bard, or musician, when with his varied tones 

 and cadences he excites the strongest emotions in his hear- 

 ers, little suspects that he uses the same means by which his 

 half- human ancestors long ago aroused each other's ardent 

 passions during their courtship and rivalry. 



The Influence of Beauty in Determining the Marriages of 

 ManTcind. — In civilized life man is largely, but by no means 

 exclusively, influenced in the choice of his wife by external 

 appearance; but we are chiefly concerned with primeval 

 times, and our only means of forming a judgment on this 

 subject is to study the habits of existing semi-civilized and 

 savage nations. If it can be shown that the men of different 

 races prefer women having various characteristics, or con- 

 versely with the women, we have then to inquire whether 

 such choice, continued during many generations, would 

 produce any sensible effect on the race, either on one 

 sex or both, according to the form of inheritance which 

 has prevailed. 



It will be well first to show in some detail that savages 

 pay the greatest attention to their personal appearance.*' 

 That they have a passion for ornament is notorious; and 

 an English philosopher goes so far as to maintain that 

 clothes were first made for ornament and not for warmth. 

 As Prof. "Waitz remarks, "however poor and miserable man 

 is, he finds a pleasure in adorning himself." The extrava- 

 gance of the naked Indians of South America in decorating 



*^ A full and excellent account of the manner in which savages in all parts of 

 the world ornament themselves, is given by the Italian traveller, Prof. Mante- 

 gazza, "Rio de la Plata, Viaggi e Studi," 1867, pp. 525-545; all the following 

 statements, when other references are not given, are taken from this work. See, 

 also, "Waitz, "Introduct. to Anthropolog. , " Eng. transl., vol. i., 1863, p. 275, 

 et passim. Lawrence also gives very full details in his "Lectures on Physi- 

 ology," 1822. Since this chapter was written Sir J. Lubbock has published 

 his "Origin of Civilization," 1870, in which there is an interesting chapter on 

 the present subject, and from which (pp. 42, 48) I have taken some facts about 

 savages dyeing their teeth and hair, and piercing their teeth. 



