3 the liveliest interest to the caresses of their wives and children." 1 Carver asserts that he never saw among any other people greater proofs of parental or filial tenderness. than among the North American Naudowessies. Among the Point Barrow Eskimo "the affection of parents for their children is extreme "; and the same seems to be the case among the Eskimo in general. Concerning the Aleuts Veniaminof wrote long ago :-" The children are often well fed and satisfied, while the parents almost perish with hunger. The daintiest morsel, the best dress, is always kept for them."5 Mr. Hooper, again, found parental love nowhere more strongly exemplified than among the Chukchi; "the natives absolutely doat upon their children." Innumerable facts might indeed be quoted to prove that parental affection is not a late product of civilisation, but a normal feature of the savage mind as it is known to us.7 1 Ward, Five Years with the Congo Cannibals, p. 141. Cf. ibid. p. 139. 2 Carver, op. cit. p. 240 sq. Cf. ibid. p. 378 sq. 3 Murdoch, Ethnological Results of the Point Barrow Expedition,' in Ann. Rep. Bur. Ethn. ix. 417. Hall, Arctic Researches, p. 568. Parry, Second Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage, p. 529. Boas, Central Eskimo,' in Ann. Rep. Bur. Ethn. vi. 566. Turner, Ethnology of the Ungava District,' ibid. xi. 191. Seemann, Voyage of "Herald," ii. 65. Cranz, History of Greenland, i. 174. 5 Veniaminof, quoted by Dall, Alaska, P. 397. Cf. ibid. p. 393; Petroff, Report on Alaska,' in Tenth Census of the United States, p. 158. "Hooper, Ten Months among the Tents of the Tuski, p. 201. 7 Dobrizhoffer, Account of the Abipones, ii. 214 sq. Wied-Neuwied, Reise nach Brasilien, ii. 40 (Botocudos). Wallace, Travels on the Amazon, p. 518 sq. (Amazon Indians; but on the Brazilian Indians generally, cf. von Martius, in Jour. Roy. Geo. Soc. ii. 198, and Idem, Beiträge zur Ethnographie Amerika's, i. 125). Im Thurn, Among the Indians of Guiana, pp. 213, 219. MacCauley, 'Seminole Indians of Florida,' in Ann. Rep. Bur. Ethn. v. 491. Dunbar, Pawnee Indians,' in Magazin of American History, viii. 745. Catlin, North American Indians, ii. 242. Ten Kate, Reizen en onderzoekingen in Noord-Amerika, p. 364 sq. Sproat, Scenes and Studies of Savage Life, p. 160 (Ahts). Franklin, Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea, p. 68 (Crees). Elliott, 'Report on the Seal Islands,' in Tenth Census of the United States, p. 238. Krasheninnikoff, History of Kamschatka, p. 232 (Koriaks). Georgi, Russia, i. 25 (Laplanders); iii. 13 (Tunguses), 158 (Kamchadales). Castrén, Nordiska resor och forskningar, ii. 121 (Ostyaks). Prejevalsky, Mongolia, i. 71. Scott Robertson, Káfirs of the Hindu-Kush, p. 189. Blunt, Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates, ii. 214. Dalton, Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal, p. 68 (Garos). Marshall, A Phrenologist amongst the Todas, p. 200; Shortt, Hill Tribes of the Neilgherries,' in Trans. Ethn. Soc. N. S. vii. 254 (Todas). Kloss, In the Andamans and Nicobars, p. 228 (Nicobarese). Man, Sonthalia and the Sonthals, p. 78. Wallace, Malay Archipelago, p. 450 (Malays). Schwaner, When dealing with the origin of the altruistic sentiment we shall find reason to believe that paternal affection not only prevails among existing men, savage and civilised, but that it belonged to the human race from the very beginning, and that the same was the case with the germ of marital affection, inducing the male to remain with the female till after the birth of the offspring, and to defend and support her during the periods of pregnancy and motherhood. It is true that among several savage peoples conjugal love is said to be unknown; but what is meant by this is, I think, typically expressed in Major Ellis's statement referring to some Gold Coast natives, that among them "love, as understood by the people of Europe, has no existence.” 1 The love of a savage is certainly very different from the love of a civilised man; nevertheless we may discover in it traces of the same ingredients. Even rude savages, such as the Bushmans, Fuegians, Andaman Islanders, and Australian aborigines, seem often to be lovingly attached to their wives.2 op. cit. i. 162 (Malays of the Barito Bewohner der Mortlock Inseln,' in (Maoris). Dove, 'Aborigines of Tasmania,' in Tasmanian Journal of Natural Science, i. 252. Reade, Savage Africa, p. 245 (Equatorial Africans). Casati, Ten Years in Equatoria, i. 186 (Central African Negroes). Caillié, Travels through Central Africa, i. 352 (Mandingoes). Holub, Seven Years in South Africa, ii. 296 (Marutse). Livingstone, Missionary Travels, p. 126 (Bechuanas). Johnston, Uganda Protectorate, ii. 539 (Pigmies). Sparrman, Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, i. 219 (Hottentots). Shaw, Betsileo Country and People,' in Antananarivo Annual and Madagas car Magazine, iii. 82. See also supra, p. 405; Steinmetz, 'Verhältnis zwischen Eltern und Kindern bei den Naturvölkern,' in Zeitschrift für Socialwissenschaft, i. 610 sqq.; Idem, Ethnologische Studien zur ersten Entwicklung der Strafe, ii. ch. vi. §2. Ellis, Tshi-speaking Peoples of the Gold Coast, p. 285. I have dealt with this subject in my History of Human Marriage, p. 356 sqq. 2 Ibid. p. 358 sq. The prevalence of paternal and marital affection accounts for the origin of the family (consisting of parents and children), and for the functions of the man as father and husband. The growing intensity of these sentiments has naturally increased the stability of the family tie; and other factors, of a selfish nature, have contributed towards the same result. From various points of view it is desirable for a man to have children. They are to him objects of pride; when grown-up, they add to his safety and power; they support him when he gets old; they make offerings to his spirit when he is dead. And no less useful is the possession of a wife. When the generative power is no longer restricted to a certain season of the year, she becomes a lasting cause of sensual delight; she is a mother of children; she manages the household; she acts as a carrier, she works in the field. Every social institution has a tendency to become a matter of moral concern because of the persistence of habit. But the simplest paternal and marital duties have a deeper foundation than the mere force of the habitual. If a man leaves his wife and children without protection and support, the other members of the community will sympathise with them, and feel resentment towards the neglectful husband and father. He will be looked upon as the cause of their sufferings, because he omitted to do what other men in his position would have done. His conduct will be repulsive to everyone who himself possesses those sentiments of which he proves destitute. He will be held guilty of a breach of contract, since by marrying he took upon himself the burden of maintaining his wife and their common offspring. To thoughtful minds his responsibility towards his children is further increased by the fact that he is the author of their being, and for that reason the source of their misery. Finally, the community as a whole will suffer by his negligence. The parents' duty of taking care of their offspring lasts until the latter are able to shift for themselves. On the other hand, when the parents, in their turn, get in need of support, their care is to be reciprocated by the children. The practice of killing or abandoning decrepit parents is an exception even in the savage world, and, as we have seen, restricted to extreme cases in which it may be regarded as an act of kindness or of hard necessity. There are always savage peoples among whom aged parents, though suffered to live, are said to be grossly neglected by their children. But, so far as I know, these peoples are not numerous, and can hardly be regarded as representatives of a custom common to any larger ethnic group. "1 Thus, according to Hearne, "old age is the greatest calamity that can befall a Northern Indian; for when he is past labour, he is neglected, and treated with great disrespect, even by his own children. They not only serve him last at meals, but generally give him the coarsest and worst of the victuals; and such of the skins as they do not chuse to wear, are made up in the clumsiest manner into clothing for their aged parents.' Yet among the same people Richardson witnessed "several unquestionable instances of tenderness and affection shown by children to their parents, and of compliance with their whims, much to their own personal inconvenience.” 2 In his work on the tribes of California Mr. Powers observes :-"Filial piety cannot be said to be a distinguishing quality of the Wailakki, or, in fact, of any Indians. No matter how high may be their station, the aged and decrepit are counted a burden. The old man, hero of a hundred battles, sometime 'lord of the lion heart and eagle eye,' when his fading eyesight no more can guide the winged arrow as of yore, is ignominiously compelled to accompany his sons into the forest, and bear home on his poor old shoulders the game they have killed." 3 But concerning the Indians of Upper California Beechey writes, "When any of their relations are indisposed, the greatest attention is paid to their wants, and it was remarked by Padre Arroyo that filial affection is stronger in these tribes than in any civilised nation on the globe with which he was acquainted.” 4 Among the Indians on the east side of the Rocky Mountains, "the aged are commonly treated with much respect, which they consider themselves as entitled to claim"; and they not suffered to want any thing which they need, and which 1 Hearne, Journey to the Northern Ocean, p. 345 sq. 2 Richardson, Arctic Searching Expedition, ii. 17. 3 Powers, op. cit. p. 118 sq. 4 are Beechey, Voyage to the Pacific and Behring's Strait, ii. 402. The it is in the power of their relations to procure for them." 1 religious teachers of the Iroquois inculcated the duty of protecting aged parents, as divinely enjoined :-"It is the will of the Great Spirit that you reverence the aged, even though they be as helpless as infants."2 The Aleuts described by Veniaminof considered disregard of one's parents to be the greatest and most dishonourable of crimes; "we should sincerely love them," they said, “do all we could toward their support, remain with them, and care for them until their death."3 The children of the Central Eskimo are very dutiful, obeying the wishes of their parents and taking care of them in their old age; 4 and statements to the same effect are made with reference to other Eskimo tribes.5 Cranz, who did not generally panegyrise the moral qualities of the Greenlanders, wrote that the bonds of filial and parental love seem stronger in them than amongst other nations, and that "ingratitude in up-grown children towards their old decrepit parents, is scarcely exemplified among them." ."6 Among the Botocudos Prince Wied-Neuwied saw a young man carrying about his blind father, not leaving him alone. for a single moment.7 Among the Fuegians " grown-up children are expected to support their parents when they become aged; the son generally makes his father, if he is past work, a canoe every season, and if the aged man is a widower he lives entirely under the charge of his eldest son." The Australian natives are much praised for the regard with which they treat their parents and elders. With reference to the Western tribes, Bishop Salvado observes :-"Les fils adultes payent de retour l'affection de leurs parents. S'ils sont vieux, ils réservent pour eux les meilleurs pièces de gibier, ou de tout autre mets, et se chargent de venger leurs offenses." 9 India, "when past work, the father and mother are supported by their children." 10 Among the Bódo and Dhimáls "it is Grönland, x. 93. 1 Harmon, Voyages and Travels in the Interior of North America, p. 348. 2 Morgan, League of the Iroquois, P. 171. 3 Veniaminof, quoted by Petroff, loc. cit. p. 155. Boas, Central Eskimo,' in Ann. Murdoch, Point Barrow Expedition,' in Ann Rep. Bur. Ethn. ix. 417. Turner, Ungava District,' ibid. xi. 191. 6 Cranz, op. cit. i. 174, 150. Cf. Egede, Description of Greenland, p. 147; Holm, Ethnologisk Skizze af Angmagsalikerne,' in Meddelelser om Among the Kukis of 7 Wied-Neuwied, op. cit. ii. 40. 8 Bridges, Manners and Customs of the Firelanders,' in A Voice for South America, xiii. 206. 9 Salvado, Mémoires historiques sur l'Australie, p. 277. Cf. Curr, The Australian Race, iii. 155; Gason, 'Dieyerie Tribe,' in Woods, Native Tribes of South Australia, p. 258; Mathew, Australian Aborigines,' in Jour. & Proceed. Roy. Soc. N. S. Wales, xxiii. 388. 10 Lewin, Wild Races of South-Eastern India, p. 256. |