. The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands. than any that is stated that entire Sanscrit phrasesare understood by the peasants on thebanks of the Niemen ; but then litera-ture has never risen to any race formerly exhibited tluee maindivisions—Lithuanians, Letts, and Bo-russians, from whom the Prussiansderive their name. They are remark-able for their long persist- .^ence in paganism, not having
. The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands. than any that is stated that entire Sanscrit phrasesare understood by the peasants on thebanks of the Niemen ; but then litera-ture has never risen to any race formerly exhibited tluee maindivisions—Lithuanians, Letts, and Bo-russians, from whom the Prussiansderive their name. They are remark-able for their long persist- .^ence in paganism, not having persistentembraced Christianity till ^^^ ^™*the fourteenth century. At this periodthe Lithuanians became consolidatedinto a strong State, which Kingdom ofconquered a good deal of Lit^ territory. At the beginningof the fifteenth century, Lithuania wasa powerful State, extending even toKief and the sea of Azof. AfterwardsPoland was united to Lithuania, and the latter shared the fate of theformer. Nearly all Lithuania now forms part of the Russian empire,although a portion is included in Prussia. There are now about tlireemillions of Lithuanians, including two hundred thousand Borussians WOMAN OF GREAT KUSSIA. Jl THE RUSSIANS. 159 Tlie Litliuanians are very fair-liaired and blue-eyed, with delicateskin. The women, though very hard worked, often have beautifulfeatures and figures. Drunkenness is very prevalent. The character ofEussian Lithuanians are mostly Roman Catholics, the Prussian ; but throughout they have retained very marked traces oftheir paganism. The old pagan divinities are frequently mentioned inthen- popular songs and in their common speech. There is a very con-siderable popular literature of folk-tales, fairy tales, and idyllic and lyricsongs. They are not at all of a warhke character. Perchance thetraits of gentleness which are very common in the German races arederived from the Lithuanian blood which flows in n
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectcivilization, bookyea
