. The history of mankind . ences are to be referred less to variations in endow-ment than to great differences in the conditions of their development. Exchangehas also played its part, and unprejudiced observers have often been more struckin the presence of facts by agreement than by difference. It is astonishing,exclaims Chapman, when considering the customs of the Damaras, what asimilarity there is in the manners and practices of the human family throughoutthe world. Even here, the two different classes of Damaras practise rites incommon with the New Zealanders, such as that of chipping out
. The history of mankind . ences are to be referred less to variations in endow-ment than to great differences in the conditions of their development. Exchangehas also played its part, and unprejudiced observers have often been more struckin the presence of facts by agreement than by difference. It is astonishing,exclaims Chapman, when considering the customs of the Damaras, what asimilarity there is in the manners and practices of the human family throughoutthe world. Even here, the two different classes of Damaras practise rites incommon with the New Zealanders, such as that of chipping out the front teethand cutting off the little finger. It is less astonishing if, as the same travellerremarks, their agreement with the Bechuanas goes even further. Now since theessence of civilization lies first in the amassing of experiences, then in the fixitywith which these are retained, and lastly in the capacity to carry them further orto increase them, our first question must be, how is it possible to realise the first. Ambuella Drum. (After SerpaPinto.) Igorrote Drum from Luzon.(From the collection ofDr. Hans Meyer.) THE HISTORY OF MANKIND fundamental condition of civilization, namely, the amassing a stock of culture inthe form of handiness, knowledge, power, capital ? It has long been agreed thatthe first step thereto is the transition from complete dependence upon whatNature freely offers to a conscious exploitation, through mans own labour,especially in agriculture or cattle-breeding, of such of her fruits as are mostimportant to him. This transition opens at one stroke all the most remote pos-sibilities of Nature, but we must always remember, at the same time, that it is stilla long way from the first step to the height which has now been attained. The intellect of man and also the intellect of whole races shows a wide dis-crepancy in regard to differences of endowment as well as in regard to the differenteffects which external circumstances produce upon it. Especially
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectethnology, bookyear18
