598 RACE AND CIVILIZATION. 



sliould be evolved by any education worth, tbe name. ISTo brain, how- 

 ever humble, will be the worse for such education which is hourly in 

 use; while in the practical life of a simple community the accomplish- 

 ments of reading and writing are not needed for perhaps a week or a 

 month at a time. The keenest interest is taken by some races, and 

 probably by all, in geography, modes of government, and social sys- 

 tems ; and in most countries elements of hygiene and improvements in 

 the dwellings and arts of life may be taught with the best results. 

 There is, therefore, a very wide field for the education of even the 

 lowest races, without throwing any great strain on the mental powers. 

 And it must always be remembered that memory is far more perfect 

 where a less burden of learning is thrown on the mind, and ideas and 

 facts can be remembered and brought into use more readily by minds 

 unstrained by artificial instruction. 



The greatest educational influence, however, is example. This is 

 obvious when we see how rapidly the curses of our civilization spread 

 among those unhappily subjected to it. The contact of Europeans with 

 lower races is almost always a detriment, and it is the severest reflec- 

 tion on ourselves that such should be the case. It is a subject which 

 has given much room for thought in my own dealings with the Egyp- 

 tian peasant to consider how this deleterious effect is produced and 

 how it is to be avoided. Firstly, it is due to carelessness in leaving 

 temptations open to natives, which may be no temptations to ourselves. 

 To be careless about sixpences is as demoralizing to them as a man who 

 tossed sovereigns about the street would be to us. Examples of care- 

 lessness in this point are among the worst of influences. Another 

 injury is the inducement to natives to imitate the ways and custom of 

 Europeans without reason. Every imitation, as mere imitation, is a 

 direct injury to character; it teaches a man to trust to some one else 

 instead of thinking for himself; it induces a belief in externals consti- 

 tuting our superiority, while foresight and self-restraint are the real 

 roots of it; and it destroys all chance of any real and solid growth of 

 character which can flourish independently. A native should always 

 be discouraged from any imitation, unless he attempts it as an intelli- 

 gent improvement on his own habits. Another sadly common evil is 

 the abuse of power, which lowers the sense of self-respect, of honor, and 

 of honesty which can be found in most races. If a man or a govern- 

 ment defrauds, it is but natural to the sufferer to try to recompense 

 himself by any means available; and thus an interminable system of 

 reprisals is set up. Such is the chronic state of the East at present 

 among the more civilized races. The Egyptians are notorious for their 

 avarice, and are usually credited with being inveterate money grabbers; 

 yet no sooner do they find that this system of reprisals is abandoned 

 and strict justice maintained, than they at once respond to it; and I 

 may say that when confidence has once been gained it is almost as com- 

 mon to find a man dispute an account against his own interest as for 

 himself, and scarcely ever is any attempt made at false statements or 



