INTRODUCTION. 17 



history as a source of recreation. As I have 

 said above, we are able, with a fair amount of 

 certainty, to reproduce the savage European of 

 ancient days by comparing him with modern 

 primitive races with whom the traveller and the 

 anthropologist have made us well acquainted. 



Probably if any difference existed other than 

 that of colour between the earliest Britons or 

 Frenchmen of whom we have any traces, and 

 the American or Australian aborigines, it was 

 in the direction of a s^reater dosfSfedness of char- 

 acter, and perhaps of a superiority in reasoning 

 from the evidence of the senses. 



The sun has risen over the great eastern 

 plain that now constitutes the German Ocean. 

 From his dwelling-place, consisting of a river- 

 side cave, the entrance of which is closed by 

 roughly interlaced branches, strides our primi- 

 tive forefather. He is a brawny, hirsute savage, 

 hard-featured and ruddy like a modern tramp, 

 with his face and naked limbs stippled over 

 with tattoo-marks. His dress, such as it is, is 

 made of skins of the deer and wild cat, and 

 is drawn together by a belt holding a flint axe. 

 In his hand is his bow, and hanging behind 

 his left shoulder a rough quiver of flint-tipped 



B 



