the northern regions of the world,which are perhaps the only memorials
of races long extinct—-the morais, pyramids, and houses
of thë dead, and the gigantic monuments of the Polynesians,*—-
the magnificent pyramids o f Egypt, and of Anahuac—the
prayers^ and litanies set up in behalf of the dead as well as
of the living, in the churches of Christendom, in the mosques
and pagodas o f the East, as heretofore in pagan temples—the
power of sacerdotal or consecrated orders, who have caused
themselves to be looked upon as the interpreters off destiny*
and as mediators between the gods and men—sacred wars,
desolating empires, through zeal for some metaphysical dogma
—toilsome pilgrimages performed every year, by thousands of
white and of black men, through various régions of the earth,
seeking atonement for, guilt at the tombs of prophets and
holy persons—all these and a number of similar phenomena
in the history of nations, barbarous and civilized, would lead
us to suppose that all mankind sympathize iti • ^dpeplyimpressed
feelings and sentiments, which are as mysterious in
their nature as in their origin. 'These are among the most
striking and remarkable ç>f the psychical phenomena, iff we
may so apply the expression, which are peculiar vto man,
and J f they are to be traced among raees^of men which
differ physically from each other, it will follow-that all man-
kind partake of a common moral naturer artd.are therefore, if
we take into the account the law of diversity in psychical pro-r
perries, allotted to particular species, proved, by anr extensive
observation of analogies in nature, to constitute- a . single
tribe.
The history of moral sentiments among different nations
and of their religion and traditional and peculiar, metaphysics*,
if it could be collected from data everywhere correct, would
bring us very near to a satisfactory conclusion on the-subject
of these inquiries. The. attempt to engage in this investigation
will lead me far out of the path of strictly physical research ;
y eO shall enter upon it to a certain extent, since the results
which in a limited survey I may hope to obtain will tend,
if I am not mistaken, to clear up one considerable obscurity,
and to solve a problem the nature of which is now sufficiently
obvious to my readers. I shall endeavour in the following
pages to collect the most striking and characteristic particulars
relating to •the'moral impressions, and the superstitions of
some of the most dissimilar races ; of men, and as this will
tend still further to illustrate their mental history, I shall add
such authentic statements as I can find, in reference to the attempts
which have beeù made to spread Christianity among
such tribes.. This course of proceeding may at first appear to
some of my readers out of place, but I am persuaded that
they will, on consideration, admit the propriety of adopting it.
S ection III.— O f the Psychical Characters o f the Bushman
or Hottentot race.
Writers on the history of mankinds Seem to be nearly agreed
in considering the Bushmen or Bosjesmep of South Africa
as the most degraded and miserable of all nations, and the
IçlfiSif 'sin the scaler of' humanity. M. Bory del -Sri Vincent
describes them in his usual manner, as differing most widely
from what he terms the Japetic species of men, and vas’ forming
the transition from the genus" hoffio, to the genera of
Oraffgl/.-and gibbons: he even finds analogies between them
and the macacos! -
- “ Of all species* of men, this race, approaching as it does in
its forpt mbst nearly to the- sécofid genus of bimanous animals'/
is still more closely allied to the oràngs, through the
inferiority of its intellectual faculties. Happily fôffthemselves,
he continues, these people are so brutish, lazy, and stupid, that
the idea of reducing them to slavery has; been abandoned. “ A
peine peuvent-ils former un raisonnement, et- leur language,
aussi sterile que leurs idées, se réduit a une sorte de gloussement
qui n ’a presque plus rien die semblable àriôtre voix.
D’une malpropreté révoltante qui les rend infects, toujours
frottés de suif ou arrosés de leur propre urine,- Sé faisant des
ornemens de boyaux d’animaux qu’ilt laissènt se dessécher en
bracelets ou en bandelettes sur leur peau huileux, se remplissant
iès cheveux de graisse et de terTe, vêtus de peaux de
bête sans préparation, se nourrissant de racines sauvages ou
de pances d’animaux et d’entrailles qu’ils ne lavent même
N