94 
THE DESCENT OF MAX. 
Part I. 
•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 , 24 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 , 25 but rather from the 
courage displayed as an honourable act ; and it is still 
largely practised by some semi-civilised nations without 
reproach, for the loss to a nation of a single individual 
is not felt : whatever the explanation may be, suicide 
is rare amongst barbarians; the negroes on the west 
coast of Africa offering, however, as I hear from Mr. 
W. Eeade, in this respect an exception. It has been 
recorded that an Indian Thug conscientiously regretted 
that he had not strangled and robbed as many travellers 
as did his father before him. In a rude state of civilisa- 
tion the robbery of strangers is, indeed, generally con- 
sidered as honourable. 
The great sin of Slavery has been almost universal, and 
slaves have often been treated in au infamous manner. 
As barbarians do not regard the opinion of their women, 
wives are commonly treated like slaves. Most savages 
are utterly indifferent to the sufferings of strangers, or 
even delight in witnessing them. It is well known that 
the women and children of the North- American Indians 
aided in torturing their enemies. Some savages take a 
horrid pleasure in cruelty to animals , 28 aud humanity 
with them is an unknown virtue. Nevertheless, feelings 
of sympathy and kindness are common, especially 
24 The fullest account which I have met with is by Dr. Gerland, in 
his ‘ TTfeber das Aussterbeu dor Xaturvolker,’ 18(18 ; but I shall have to 
recur to the subject of infanticide in a future chapter. 
25 See the very interesting discussion on Suicide in Lecky’s ‘ History 
of European Morals,’ vol. i. 18G9, p. 223. 
26 See, for instance, Mr. Hamilton’s account of the Kaffirs, ‘ Anthro- 
pological Review,’ 1870, p. xv. 
