Chap. V. 
CIVILISED NATIONS. 
183 
extremely curious account which, he gives of the weapons, 
tools, and arts, used or practised by savages in various 
parts of the world, it cannot be doubted that these have 
nearly all been independent discoveries, excepting per 
haps the art of making fire . 33 The Australian boomerang 
is a good instance of one such independent discovery. 
The Tahitians when first visited had advanced in many 
respects beyond the inhabitants of most of the other 
Polynesian islands. There are no just grounds for the 
belief that the high culture of the native Peruvians 
and Mexicans w r as derived from any foreign source ; 34 
many native plants were there cultivated, and a few 
native animals domesticated. We should bear in mind 
that a wandering crew from some semi-civilised land, 
if washed to the shores of America, would not, judging 
from the small influence of most missionaries, have pro- 
duced any marked effect on the natives, unless they had 
already become somewhat advanced. Looking to a very 
remote period in the history of the world, we find, to 
use Sir J. Lubbock’s well-known terms, a paleolithic 
and neolithic period ; and no one will pretend that the 
art of grinding rough flint tools was a borrowed one. 
In all parts of Europe, as far east as Greece, in Palestine, 
India, Japan, New Zealand, and Africa, including Egypt, 
flint tools have been discovered in abundance; and of 
their use the existing inhabitants retain no tradition. 
There is also indirect evidence of their former use by the 
Chinese and ancient Jews. Hence there can hardly be a 
doubt that the inhabitants of these many countries, which 
include nearly the whole civilised world, were once in a 
barbarous condition. To believe that man was abori- 
33 Sir J. Lubbock, 4 Prehistoric Times/ 2nd edit. 1869, chap. xv. and 
xvi. et -passim. 
34 Dr. F. Muller has made some good remarks to this effect in the 
‘Keise der Novara : Anthropolog. Theil,’ Abtheil. iii. 1868, s. 127. 
