SCIENCE AND RELIGION. 377 deities of the South Sea Islanders are, some good, some evil; but, on the whole, more is to be feared from the latter than to be hoped from the former. They fashioned the land, but are not truly creators, for earth and water existed before them. punish the evil, nor reward the good. They do not They watch over the affairs of men; but if, on the one hand, witchcraft has no power over them, neither, on the other, can prayer influence them-they require to share the crops or the booty of their worshippers. It appears, then, that every increase in sciencethat is, in positive and ascertained knowledge-brings with it an elevation of religion. Nor is this progress confined to the lower races. Even within the last century, science has purified the religion of Western Europe by rooting out the dark belief in witchcraft, which led to thousands of executions, and hung like a black pall over the Christianity of the middle ages. The immense service which Science has thus rendered to the cause of Religion and of Humanity, has not hitherto received the recognition which it deserves. Science is still regarded by many excellent, but narrowminded, persons as hostile to religious truth, while in fact she is only opposed to religious error. No doubt her influence has always been exercised in opposition to those who present contradictory assertions under the excuse of mystery, as well as to all but the highest conceptions of Divine power. The time, however, is approaching when it will be generally perceived that, so far from Science being opposed to Religion, true religion is, without Science, impossible; and if we consider the various aspects of Christianity as understood by dif 378 SCIENCE AND RELIGION. ferent nations, we can hardly fail to see that the dignity, and therefore the truth, of their religious beliefs, is in direct relation to their knowledge of Science and of the great physical laws by which our universe is governed. THE CHAPTER VIII. CHARACTER AND MORALS. เ HE accounts which we possess of the character of savage races are conflicting and unsatisfactory. In some cases travellers have expressed strong opinions, for which they had obviously no sufficient foundation. Thus the unfortunate La Perouse, who spent only one day on Easter Island, states his belief that the inhabitants are as corrupt as the circumstances in which they are placed will permit them to 'be.' On the other hand, the Friendly Islanders were so called by Captain Cook on account of the apparent kindness and hospitality with which they received him. Yet, as we now know, this appearance of friendship was entirely hypocritical. The natives endeavoured to lull him into security, with the intention of seizing his ship and massacring the crew; which design a fortunate accident alone prevented them from carrying into effect; yet Captain Cook never had the slightest suspicion of their treachery, or of the danger which he so narrowly escaped. In some cases the same writer gives accounts at variance with one another. Thus Mr. Ellis, the excellent missionary of the Pacific, states that the moral 2 Polynesian Researches, vol. ii. 1 La Perouse's Voyage, English edition, vol. ii. p. 327. p. 25. 380 DIFFICULTY OF ASCERTAINING character of the Tahitians was 'awfully dark, and ' notwithstanding the apparent mildness of their dispo'sition, and the cheerful vivacity of their conversation, no portion of the human race was ever, perhaps, sunk 'lower in brutal licentiousness and moral degradation.' Yet, speaking of this same people, and in the very same volume, he tells us that these were most anxious to obtain Bibles: on the day when they were to be distributed the natives came from considerable distances, and 'the place was actually thronged until the copies were expended. In their application at our own houses we found it impossible to restrain the people, so great was their anxiety.' Under these circumstances we cannot wonder that Captain Cook and other navigators found in them much to admire as well as to condemn. The Kalmucks, again, have been very differently described by different travellers. Pallas, speaking of their character, says, 'Il m'a paru infiniment meilleur que ne l'ont dépeint plusieurs de nos historiens voyageurs. Il est infiniment préférable à celui des autres peuples nomades. Les Kalmouks sont affables, hospi'taliers et francs; ils aiment à rendre service; ils sont toujours gais et enjoués, ce qui les distingue des Kirguis, qui sont beaucoup plus flegmatiques. Telles 'sont leurs bonnes qualités; voici les mauvaises. Ils 'sont sales, paresseux et fort rusés; ils abusent très'souvent de ce dernier défaut.' So also the aboriginal tribes of India, as pointed out by Mr. Hunter,2 have been painted in the blackest colours by some, and highly praised by others. 1 Voyages, vol. i. p. 499. Non-Aryan Languages of India and 2 Comparative Dictionary of the High Asia, pp. 5, 9. THE CHARACTER OF SAVAGE RACES. 381 Mariner gives an excellent account of the state of manners among the Tongans, and one which well illustrates the difficulty of arriving at correct ideas on such a subject, especially among a people of a different race from ourselves and in a different state of civilisation. He describes them as loyal1 and pious,2 obedient children, affectionate parents,1 kind husbands," modest and faithful wives, and true friends.7 On the other hand, they seem to have had little feeling of morality. They had no words for justice or 'injustice, for cruelty or humanity.'8 Theft, revenge, 6 rape, and murder under many circumstances are not 'held to be crimes.' They had no idea of future rewards and punishments. They saw no harm in seizing ships by treachery and murdering the crews. The men were cruel, treacherous, and revengeful. Marriages were terminable at the whim of the husband, and, excepting in married women, chastity was not regarded as a virtue, though it was thought improper for a woman frequently to change her lover. Yet we are told that, on the whole,10 this system, although so opposed to our feelings, had 'not the least appearance of any bad effect. 'The women were tender, kind mothers, the children 'well cared for.' Both sexes appeared to be contented and happy in their relations to each other, and 'as to 'domestic quarrels, they were seldom known.' We must not judge them too hardly for their proposed treachery to Captain Cook. Even in Northern Europe |