Tim ETHNOLOGY OF THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 13 



or we generalize too much or too al*traclly, anil draw purely 

 psychological instead of ethnic conclusions. AH will therefore 

 oart avoia the risk of nuh generalisations by making the comparison 

 of races the main basis of the science. 



Ftir the ethnology of any given Tepion the first requirement is a 

 full and accurate description of each tribe in it and in the adjacent and 

 connected regions, as it exists at present and has existed in recent or 

 historical times. This embraces the geogmpIiTcal ItrniL^^uiJ the hmul- 

 bers of the tribe, me physical ireography or its location, and its rela- 

 tions of all kinds to intermixed, surrounding end more distant tribes. 

 The environments of the race thus ascertained, the Individual man 

 must be described in his physiological and mental characteristics 

 and in his language. The Family in all its peculiarities of formation 



and preservation, the relative position of ita members, its labours 

 and its am usemen ts, must nest be studied. The urirloineratiou of 

 lnmilies into Communities united socially Lut not \ 

 to be considered. Lastly, the Clan, Society, Tril)-- or Nation as a 



political unitv, either isolated, confederate or subordinate, musf be 

 investigated in all its institutions, customs and relations. To each 

 of these unities, individual, family, social and national, belongs 

 appropriate arts and usages, including those of religion, all however 

 springing from, or coloured by, the characteristics of the individual. 



Although I have placed the physical and mental character at 

 the head of the ethnic traits, as being that xvhieh constitutes the race, 

 preserves its identity throughout all changes of manners and 

 customs, and gives to these a distinctive aspeet, it must be bonio fn 

 mind that it lias nof a primary normal existence capable of being 

 ascertained, but results from all the conditions under which the 

 race has lived, and can only be tolerably well known through as 

 much of these as are not lost to us in the past. The physical cha- 

 racter of a race is only less complex than the mental, and indeed 

 they are mutually dependent ; the first, with every new individual 

 to the continuous reproduction of the race, giving the primary 

 form or tendencies to the latter ; and the latter, from generation to 

 generation, reacting on and modifying the former.* "We cannot 

 get a true and deep insight into national mental character as a 

 whole, save as the result of a complete knowledge of all other 

 national characteristics and of all that is preserved of the 

 national history. The principal element in the investigation of 



f By mental chancier I do not intent to <otpra» aoaethfag purely spiritual, 

 hut merely a variety Id tlic mental manifest* turn of tlm organic unity, -man. What 

 i» mind, ha* it an exfotanr* h*tepcttdt nr. of matter, are aaratfniw which, if they 

 cim b<- brongfcl wirhm the <h.mulri tj h\im.\» reason at till, lOBDg to DM phy-iolo 

 cut ami (hi- p»j chokacUt. The ethnologist ha* unly to consider the mind ol man 

 in it h urinal mmidanv uuiiuf.-.iuitj.ins, rind he jta ewmra and origin whuf. they may, 

 be ft, fa Ha action, aa n function *f th« oTgHniam of man, and dependent for iis 

 nrleiirt on ditftrenowi in that organism. Externa! aondition* permanently afiVi 

 the mental character through the organism, cither in • direct and subtle mcinuci 

 ttv ihnlr sensorial idton, or fadireettv fmn degeneration orunproveittertt of UV 

 whole organism by climate, food, hibite of life Ac, 



