THE DESCENT OR OBIGIN OF MAN 159 



are not regarded as crimes in relation to the men of other 

 tribes. No tribe could hold together if murder, robbery, 

 treachery, etc., were common; consequently such crimes 

 within the limits of the same tribe "are branded with eyer- 

 lasting infamy;"" but excite no such sentiment beyond 

 these limits. A North American Indian is well pleased 

 with himself, and is honored by others, when he scalps a 

 man of another tribe; and a DyaS cuts off the head of an 

 unoffending person, and dries it as a trophy. The murder 

 of infants has prevailed on the largest scale throughout the 

 world," and has met with no reproach; but infanticide, 

 especially of females, has been thought to be good for the 

 tribe, or at least not injurious. Suicide during former times 

 was not generally considered as a crime, '" but rather, from the 

 courage displayed, as an honorable act; and it is still prac- 

 ticed by some semi-civilized and savage nations without re- 

 proach, for it does not obviously concern others of the tribe. 

 It has been recorded that an Indian Thug conscientiously 

 regretted that he had not robbed and strangled as many 

 travellers as did his father before him. In a rude state of 

 civilization the robbery of strangers is, indeed, generally 

 considered as honorable. 



Slavery, although in some ways beneficial during ancient 

 times,'* is a great crime; yet it was not so regarded until 

 quite recently, even by the most civilized nations. And 

 this was especially the case, because the slaves belonged in 



" See an able article in the "North British Review," 1867, p. 395. See 

 also Mr. W. Bagehot's articles on the Importance of Obedience and Coherence 

 to Primitive Man, in the "Fortnightly Review," IS61, p. 529, and 1868, 

 p. 457, etc. 



*^ The fullest account which I have met with is by Dr. Gerland, in his 

 "TTeber das Aussterben der Naturvolker, " 1868; but I shall have to recur to 

 the subject of infanticide in a future chapter. 



'^ See the very interesting discussion on Suicide in Lecky's "History of 

 European Morals," vol. i., 1869, p. 223. With respect to savages, Mr. Win- 

 wood Reade informs me that the negroes of "West Africa often commit suicide. 

 It is well known how common it was among the miserable aborigines of South 

 America, after the Spanish conquest. For New Zealand, see the voyage of the 

 "Novara," and for the Aleutian Islands, Muller, as quoted by Houzeau, "Les 

 Pacultes Mentales," etc., tom. ii. p. 136. 



" See Mr. Bagehot, "Physics and Politics," 1872, p. 72. 



