often great numbers of women and slaves | cognition of a power higher than manare buried alive in one pit. The butcher- greater, certainly, if not higher. Is there ies amongst other African tribes on such any tribe or nation without a religion? occasions are too horrible to dwell upon; It is so asserted by some; but is the often many thousand persons are destroy- authority indisputable? We can not ed during the awful rites that succeed a affirm positively; we have seen some funeral. According to Pickering, the reason to doubt this from internal eviM'Knafi tribe have a very summary me- dence, in the case of the "Original Peothod of saving trouble with their dead ple" of the Malay peninsula; the same friends they put them in the bush for doubts may extend further with reason. the wild beasts to eat. "The friends According to Pickering, the M'Knafi afterwards cry for ten or twenty days, tribe, already mentioned, "have neither and then kill three bullocks and make a prayers nor religion, but they eat and feast." Perhaps some of these customs sleep" yet he mentions that even they are related without sufficient investiga have a deity, called Angayai. We have tion. We can imagine an utter stranger never met with any history of a tribe with to our customs visiting England, and con- which the narrators could hold any interveying a very incorrect impression to his course, that had not some kind of creed, friends in Africa by hasty induction from some recognition of a spiritual power, a limited number of observations, as thus: gross though it might be some idea of a "When a rich man dies in England, his cultus. That these ideas vary is not to friends meet and feast, and rejoice great- be wondered at; that they are often the ly; his widow wears for a year an unbe- grossest burlesques upon worship is incoming garb, but does not appear other- evitable. The refined mythologies of wise affected. When a wife dies, the ancient Greece and Rome were little else husband buries her, and goes to his club; than coarse embodiments and caricatures he soon marries again." of human emotions, affections, passions, and vices; what are we to expect, then, from races whose highest hopes and aspirations are centred upon the supply of today's food, with an occasional or habitual longing for the skull of his neighbor? Man by wisdom has not found, can not find, God; but he has the divine idea within, obscured, hid, almost lost, it may be; but degraded as he may and can become, he can never shake himself loose from the conviction that there is a God that besets him around and before. Him, in his way, under some name or other, as a benevolent or a malevolent being, he recognizes and propitiates to obtain his favor, or to avert his wrath; this he does, waiting until the Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to him, and the fullness of the Gentiles be brought in. Wherever we meet with funeral ceremonies we see indications of a belief in a separate state of spirits; perhaps no tribes believe actually in annihilation, although some have no definite notions of a future life. The victims that are slain at the tomb are not without some alleged purpose. The horse, the servant, the wife, are all intended to serve their master in his changed estate. In many tribes particular places are kept sacred for some time, for the use of the spirit that still haunts the scenes of his former life. Thus Dr. Latham says of the Ho, an Indian tribe: "Dead bodieds are interred, and gravestones placed over them. This, however, is insufficient to keep down the spirits, which are believed to walk about during the day, and to keep within doors at night. A certain spot, upon which is placed an offering, is kept clean for them." In many parts of the East, euhemerism, or a worship of departed spirits, chiefly heroes, is an important part of the religion. This all but universal belief in a future life would of itself afford a strong argument for the unity of the species, such psychological phenomena being very significant. The same observation might apply to the universal, or all but universal, existence of some form of worship-some re The primary forms in which this deeprooted instinct of our nature develops itself, are the endless varieties of paganism and schamanism-these being but two names for the same thing - the former usually used with respect to Africa, the latter to Asia and some parts of Europe. Perhaps its most unmodified, or purest, consequently its grossest, form is found amongst the Gold Coast tribes. "We are in the region of snake-worship, medicine-men, obi-sorcerers, superstitious ordeals, devil-drivers, and Mumbo-jumbos. Yet it seems to be the opinion of those writers who have most attentively studied the subject, that fetichism or schamanism is not altogether a system of willful imposture, but one involving curious and recondite psychological principles. The following remarks of Baron von Wrangell, who, according to Prichard, has given the best portrait of schamanism extant, are worth attention: The inhabitants of a Fanti village meet at nightfall, with sticks and staves, to yell and howl. By doing this, they fancy that they have frightened the devils from the land, which when they have done, they feast." Snake-worship appears to have been one of the most generally diffused forms of cultus, from the earliest known times; in Cashmir it appears to have been very ancient, and also to have been diffused over the whole of India. In many instances it is found associated with legends, "Schamanism has no dogmas of any kind; it which bear more or less the traces of the it is not a system taught or handed down from one age to another; though widely-spread, it original temptation by the Serpent; some originates in every individual as the fruit of a of them certainly traces so strong as al- highly-excited imagination, acted upon by exmost absolutely to preclude the idea of trrnal impressions which are every where simicoïncidence, and to suggest that even lar through the vast wilderness of northern Sibethis benighted Paganism is not the ear-ria. Schamans are not mere impostors, they are liest development of human religious sentiment, but a falling away from a previous higher state. The When schaman is not a cool deceiver, but a psycholo- persons born with excitable feelings and ardent lief in ghosts, wizards, and mysterious powers imagination, who grow up amidst a general beThe fundamental idea of Paganism conceives a strong desire to partake in these suin nature, wielded by sorcerers. The youth seems to be dread-dread of evil from pernatural gifts. No one teaches him. His natural objects, directed by unseen male- enthusiastic fancy is worked upon by solitude, ficent powers; which powers have to be by contemplating the gloomy aspect of surpropitiated by sacrifice, or counteracted rounding nature, by long vigils, fasts, and the by charm or formula. It is destitute of use of narcotic drugs, till he becomes persuaded any literature, traditionary creed, or doc- that he has seen the shadowy beings who dwell in the obscurity of forests and mountains, and trine; unattended by any moral teaching. whese voices are heard in the winds of the desThe fetich-men, obis, or sorcerers are the ert. He then becomes a schaman, and is instimedia of communication between men tuted with many ceremonies, which are held and the spirits; they alone see and hold during the silence of the night, and receives communion with them; they alone ap-from his order the magic drum. Still, his actions are those of the individual mind. pease them or compel them to their sway. Endless are the forms of development of these ideas, so much so as to render impossible any classification or analysis; yet, in whatever form they are met with, they are fundamentally the same in type, but differing in each tribe, village, nation, or community, in the gods worshiped, and in the forms with which they are worshiped. This applies equally to Africa and Asia. The degree of respect with which the gods are treated, varies much; to some the best of every thing must be rendered; to others the most worthless objects are sacrificed. Thus amongst the Nagas, the chief evil spirit is Rupaiba, blind of one eye; but his assistant, Kanquiba, is blind altogether, very bad-tempered and very malicious. "He must, however, be propitiated; and this can be done cheaply. A fowl is the sacrifice, bnt the sickliest and smallest of the roost will do. He can only feel what room it takes; so the crafty Nagas put the little bird in a big basket, and so deceive Kanquiba the sightless." Most Pagan tribes carry on their worship through recognized ministers of some sort; some few have no such office, but, as amongst the Khumia, each man worships and sacrifices as he thinks proper. Although some tribes recognize spirits that are rather good than bad, they sacrifice to the bad ones only; the Lepcha say: Why should they sacrifice to the good spirits, they are harmless enough? The same ideas are found in some mixed religions. The Kurds are Mohammedans, at least more Mohammedan than any thing else, yet they confess to conciliating the devil; they mention him with respect, if compelled to mention him at all; and object to hearing his name taken in vain. * Prichard, vol. iv. p. 610. There are six existing lettered religions | adherents. Judaism is confined, nearly or creeds, that is, founded upon and sup- without exception, to the Abrahamidæ, ported by a literature of written and re- comprising not less than four, probably cognized doctrines and dogmas. Three not more than six millions. Mohammedare monotheistic, and belong rather to anism has appropriated the Turkish stock, the West than the East Christianity, and part of Africa; perhaps 250,000,000. Judaism, and Mohammedanism. Three Parsiism is unimportant in any calculation, are polytheistic, and belong rather to the not being a living influence, although surEast than the West-Parsiism, Buddhism, viving as a fact. Brahminism belongs and Brahminism. Paganism is more or essentially to India, and has, perhaps, less found in connection with all. Even 120,000,000 of adherents. Buddhism, the Christianity of Europe is more tinc- first fully developed (although perhaps tured with it than we are always inclined not originated) in India, has left its soil to admit. In many northern tribes they altogether; it is now the religion of vast are intimately interwoven; in some the tracts in Central and Eastern Asia; inPaganism overlies the recently-introduced cluding China, Tibet, Japan, and many of Christianity; in others, this barely tem- the islands of the Indian Archipelago: it pers the other. For details, we refer the comprises considerably above 300,000,000 reader to Dr. Latham's notices of the of followers. Laps, the Udmurt, the Voguls, the Samoyeds, the Rumanyis, and many others. As yet, Christianity has only spread where the influence of the European races has been felt. One very important fact may be noticed, namely, what may be called the varying receptivity of true religion by different tribes of men. Paganism receives Christianity much more readily than any of the literate religions, whether Buddhism, Brahminism, or Mohammedanism;* how little effect it has, thus far, upon Judaism, as now existing, is well known. It must be remembered that we are speaking only of phenomena as at present observed. Thus far in the history of man there seems to be a persistent appropriation of certain creeds to certain geographical localities, or perhaps to certain great divisions of men. Christianity belongs as yet chiefly to the Indo-Germanic tribes, and numbers about 120,000,000 of That the knowledge of God shall cover the face of the earth ultimately we have the highest authority for believing; as yet, however, he is worshiped by but a small section of mankind; and, although some slight inroads are made here and there into the country of the enemy, the most enthusiastic must confess that the difficulties in the way of the spread of Christianity over vast tracts of country, and amongst immense hordes of people, seem to be not quite, but nearly insuperable. For this, plausible and elaborate reasons have been given, and may still be alleged-plausible, but unsatisfying. Perhaps it will only be when these difficulties are in course of being fully surmounted, that we shall clearly recognize and understand them. From mystical systems like Buddhism and Brahminism, perhaps there is a repugnance to descend, as it would seem, to the simplicity of the religion of the cross. From creeds whose morality is theoretically good, but whose practices are abominally bad, the con * The following passage is suggestive and in-straint of the pure moral law, resulting structive: "Farewell, for a while, Buddhism, and welcome Paganism. We may say this and mean it; for Paganism is both more instructive than Buddhism, and more practicable. It is more in structive, because it exhibits the thoughts and feel ings of an earlier period in the history of humanity. That it is more practicable is known to every commercial man and every missionary. It presents fewor obstacles to those who look for work; fewer obstacles to those who would make proselytes to Christianity. This is because its hold on the mind is weaker, and its prejudices fewer. Asia tells us this, speaking through the mouth of Parsis, Brahmins, and Buddhists. Africa tells us as much. A Pagan country is a promising, a Mohammedan a hopeless, field for the missionary."-Latham's DescripLive Ethnology, vol. i. p. 92. from a changed and purified nature, would doubtless appear irksome. The characteristic apathy and immovability of the typical Eastern would also afford a strong obstacle to any change of creed. But to a deeper cause, underlying all these, perhaps we have a key in the phenomena of certain European nations. Ask where the Reformation has spread, and we are told amongst the proper German or Saxon tribes and their kindred Ask where it has been rejected, and we find it to be, almost without exception, amongst the Celtic tribes and their kin dred. The different psychological tenden- | to pieces by the fanatic and maddened cies and development of these two stocks, which lead us to trace this phenomenon to its probable proximate cause, may perhaps indicate to us the source whence we shall ultimately derive our knowledge of why the Mongolian tribes are Buddhist and Pagan-why the Hindoos are Brahminic and Pagan and why the Turks and Africans are Mohammedan and Pagan. crowd around him; the fragments are burned, and the ashes sprinkled over the fields or plastered on the barns. Such is man when left to the exercise of his own devices, untempered by civilization, unsanctified by the Gospel. Yet, after this hideous performance, a prayer is offered up to Tari, which terminates in these words, "We are ignorant of what it is good to ask for. You know what is good for us. Give it to us ;" a petition which might be extracted from a Christian prayer. Along with this practice of human sacrifice, we meet with the custom of female infanticide; if the mother's first child be a female, it is allowed to live; any subsequent ones are destroyed. Sometimes villages containing above one hundred houses may be seen without a single female child. The superstition connected with it is, that Bura had so much trouble with his wife, the aforementioned Tari, that he resolved only that number of females should be permitted amongst his worshipers as would carry on the population. The rite of sacrifice is almost as universal amongst men as the existence of a religion; of course excepting Christianity, where the sacrifice has been once and for all offered. This rite attains its maximum of importance and significance, when the sacrifice is human. In one form we have met with it already, in the single or wholesale butcheries accompanying funeral proceedings; but we meet with it also as an expiatory offering, in a most deliberate and revolting manner. The most striking instance of this is found amongst the Khonds, a tribe of the Rajmahal hills, on the southern bank of the Ganges. Condensed from Captain Macpherson's ac- Amongst some tribes where à priori count, it seems to be somewhat as fol- we should least expect it, we meet with lows: The goddess Tari is malevolent, legends on which their mythology is foundand must be propitiated with human ed, bearing the very closest resemblance sacrifice. On a great misfortune occur to the Mosaic_records. This is the case ring to a family, its head pledges himself amongst the Karens, where the names to find a victim, (called Tokki, or Kaddi,) being changed, we have a sufficiently acwithin a year. Such victims are pur- curate account of the creation, the tempchased from another tribe, who have kid- tation by the Serpent, the eating of the napped them from the Hindoos; though forbidden fruit by the woman, her tempsometimes they will sell their own off- tation of the man, his fall, and all the subspring. The victim is brought blindfold sequent consequences. Probably where to the village, and is allowed to live there this close coïncidence obtains, it is the resometimes for years, honored as a conse-sult of early and forgotten missionary lacrated being. He may bring up a family, bors. There is also a legend of the fall of who then become amenable to the same the angels. sacrifice. At length, however, the time arrives; and, after a day and night of horrible obscenity and drunkenness, on the part of the whole village, the unfortunate victim is immolated amidst dreadful tortures, lasting three or four days; his limbs being first broken, for he must die unbound, and yet be prevented from escaping. There is an elaborate ritual established for this sacrifice, containing a long invocation by the priest, a still longer address to the victim on his happiness in having been thus selected, an expostulation from the victim, still in prescribed formula, and a prolonged dialogue between him and his executioners. It terminates by the quivering body being torn In bringing to a close one section of our long list of differentia amongst men, it is necessary to inquire whether we have met with any phenomena incompatible with unity of species. We have taken only, or chiefly, the extreme departures in physical, social, and moral development, from any supposable type; and we have thus far seen nothing that would of necessity suggest diversity of origin. As to manners, customs, ceremonies, and religions we see them changing, decaying, and originating, almost daily, in communities where difference of race is never suspected; so that, could these by possibility be even more diverse than they are, a common origin would not be to be discredited on that account. The one point on which | menbach further remarks, that "the whole a stand might be made would be the phy- difference between the cranium of the sical differences in color, formation, etc. Negro and that of a European is by no That these present difficulties is indispu- means greater than that equally striking table; and yet it is susceptible of proof, difference which exists between the cranithat the extreme differences, say between um of the wild boar and that of the dothe Bushman and the typical European, mestic swine." are not greater than those which we see frequently induced, as permanent varieties, in domestic animals, by the sum of the influences comprehended under the term domestication. Now, domestication of animals is, so far as the animal physical nature is concerned, strictly analogous to civilization in man. We have elsewhere dwelt upon this subject, and shall here adduce but one illustration-not a dignified one from which to judge humanity, but very conclusive. From the year 1493, when the island of St. Domingo was discovered by Columbus, pigs were at various epochs introduced there. A great number of these from various causes have returned to the wild state, and anatomical changes of a noteworthy character have supervened. The form of the skull has changed in a manner which to a transcendental anatomist would suggest the difference between a European human skull and one of some of the Negro tribes; the proportions of the limbs have altered, and, what is perhaps still more decisive, they have lost the varieties of color which the domestic pig presents, and have become uniformly black. They have, in short, resumed nearly the formation of the wild boar, from which they were doubtless originally descended. "No naturalist," says Blumenbach, "has carried his skepticism so far as to doubt the descent of the domestic swine from the wild boar. It is certain that before the discovery of America by the Spaniards swine were unknown in that quarter of the world, and that they were first carried there from Europe. Yet, notwithstanding the comparative shortness of the interval, they have in that country degenerated into breeds, wonderfully different from each other, and from the original stock. These instances of diversity, and those of the hog kind in general, may therefore be taken as clear and safe examples of the variations which may be expected to arise in the descendants of one stock."* Blu On the varying intellectual and moral aptitudes of the different races of men, we have but incidentally touched. It is an undoubted fact that there are great differences observable-different capacities for receiving instruction, and for the recognition of the moral law. But these differences are all of degree, not of kind. As yet we have seen no races of men differ from Europeans (whether as men or as Christians) more than the Esquimaux, the Bushman, or the Negro; yet by cumulative evidence it has been fully proved that all these are amenable to the influence of the Gospel, and to intellectual development. If only one of each class had been found to be so, this of itself would assert a claim on behalf of the whole race to at least a possible brotherhood in psychical development; and there are many undeniable instances of this, for a collection of which we may refer the reader to Dr. Prichard's encyclopaedic work. As a general rule, the intellectual status of a race will be found to depend upon, or correspond with, the facilities of intercourse with other nations; combined with the sum of the influences exercised by climate, soil, food, and the energies therefrom resulting. It will also be remembered that disuse of the intellectual faculties through a series of generations lowers the mental aptitudes and capacities in each succeeding generation; and that a corresponding time must be required to counteract this retrograde influence. Whatever, then, might be found to be the resistance to, or incapacity for, the reception of truth of any kind, in any given race, this would only become a valid argument for diversity of origin, when attempts at restoration had been made over a lapse of time, bearing some proportion to that during which the race had been deteriorating. Even then it would barely amount to a possibility until it had been proved that these differences were greater than those which we daily witness, both in individuals and families, clearly of the same race. And we think it safe to affirm, in conclusion, with * See Prichard's Researches into the Physical His- Dr. Prichard, "that the phenomena of the tory of Mankind, vol. i. p. 353. human mind, and the moral and intellec |