219 
so far as I know, even barbarians have not, as a rule, civilized themselves, but 
they have either had civilization brought to them, or they have gone to it. 
Our barbarian ancestors had civilization brought to them by the Romans, 
while Rome itself was invaded by barbarians. But there are various degrees 
of “barbarism” running upwards and into civilization, as well as various 
phases of the latter running downwards into barbarism. But the utterly 
“ savage ” condition is perfectly distinct from both. No one knows that 
better than Mr. Crawfurd. There were two passages in my paper among 
those bracketed-off as unread at Nottingham, which, however, I did read; 
namely, the quotation on page 192 (from line 12 to the end of the paragraph), 
the author of which (as I suspected) was discovered upon reading it to be 
Mr. Crawfurd himself. The other was the quotation from Professor Rawlin- 
son at the top of page 193 ; and taking it in connection with what I say in 
the latter part of my paper (p. 197), I think we have the real key to all Mr. 
Crawfurd’s difficulties about human progress and the spread of civilization. 
T am glad that Mr. Carter Blake asked the question he did, relating to 
savage traditions, as it gave me an opportunity of removing an evident mis- 
conception on this point, for which I am probably to blame. I by no means 
meant to say that the savages had definite traditions of their own descent 
from a superior ancestry. To say truth, I should not have regarded such 
traditions as of much value, coming from such a quarter. What I rely upon 
is better evidence, as being unintentional and quite incidental. I appeal to 
their traditional stories and songs, extravagant though they be, as proofs that 
their authors were superior to those who can only now repeat them, without 
even professing to understand them. In doing this, I had chiefly in mind 
what I had heard stated in the Anthropological Society, or read in the 
Journal of that Society, which is edited by Mr. Carter Blake himself, — and 
especially an interesting memoir by Mr. Pritchard, relating to the Viti 
Islanders ; while I may add that I have heard Dr. Seemann, a vice-president 
of the Anthropological Society, say, on more than one occasion, that among 
all savage tribes their oldest traditions are almost always mixed up with some 
references “ to trees and serpents and to woman,” as I have stated on p. 193* 
To give further authorities as to the character of savage traditions, — their 
frequent resemblance to one another, and their superiority to anything the 
savages who now repeat them could themselves originate,- — would require a 
reference to almost every work on ethnology. 
Mr. Pritchard’s interesting Paper {On Viti and its Inhabitants ) will be 
found in the Memoirs of the Anthropological Society (p. 195, et seq.) When 
it was read the following remarks were made upon it, which I reproduce, as 
bearing upon the present discussion 
“ Dr. Seemann said he considered the paper they had heard was one of the 
most important that had been communicated to the Society, and he was able, 
from personal acquaintance with the island, to corroborate many of Mr.’ 
Pritchard’s statements. A great many things connected with the inhabitants 
ot the Fiji islands had only appeared to him in their true light since he 
arrived in England. For instance, the Andaman islanders showed that in 
R 
