The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-20

49,. ,.on, larkness 70 light Another curious
,ofrcldence may be mentioned. namely. that
=, uc,vaian mythology the giants were
,assnteJ Ms lighting against the
-, In Otahcite. the notions OF
c,,ro state were extremely vague and III.
I,o.pc the only crimes visited 10y tho dis
stsasure OF d,itcs being tho neglect of somc
s,,o mr. failure to furnish required offerings.
n,,,r,i.e the Tahiians did not suppose that
,to,, actions hero in the loGsi Influenced tho
.r,rlife. Thor mythology has many points nj
..s,rchoncc with that Of the Sandwich Islands.
a,I eo,no OF their traditions are identified with
,noso NJ the Semitic racos. For instance, one NJ
,hoir lceends ns,ribcd tho creation Of tho first
amman palr 20 the principal deity. and ira
1tions Of adclugc huvoc existed In Otahete from
,be earliest period Of It's history. The Tonga
Flanders hold that the lower classes oi men
have no souls. butthe spirits OF deceased mobiles
,acone specics Of dcmi-gods. The Samoans
had fl host u imaginary dciies. including ma
rcpal local and household Uvin,tcs. There is u
eurious belief that these gods at times modest
women in their steep and produce supernatural
conceptions. Among their cosnogonicnl ira
ations was one describing time when the
b,ovcns alone were Inhabited and the earth
Favored with water One account OF the origin
of fire affirmed j, 20 have been stolen from the
enrthouake god by Samoan Pfomc,heus. IN
the New Zealand mythology one supreme Deity
wa. recognized. bui there were many sub
ordinate divinites The New Lealanders be-
ueys in a future life. yet they hold that evil
deeds are punished IN this world not IN the
oext Passing now to the Malay Archipelago.
we and that The Land Dyaks nave no decided
notions regarding the mortality * the soul.
The principal deity ot the Sea Dyaks Is called
BATAVIA. pure Sansrrit term for God, which Is
1robably a relict II former intercourse with the
Hindus Except on festive occasions. the
pyaks pay but htile reverence TO their divini-
ties and seem 70 have noapprehension Of retri.
button in after life. The Sumatrans. where
urtinctured with Nohammedanism. appear
,o have no notion of future stnte. and
tsclr conception " virtue or vice covers onlythC
Immediate tendency OF actions 10 the benefit OF
prejudice Of society. or one tribe. the Rciangs
W. are told that they worship neither god
devil NOT idol They have no name for Deity
Tie word employed to indicate in confused
way tie existence Of superior bolngs is Of for.
e!.n derivation. Another tribe. however. tn,
Lsmponss. are said to vencrate the tomb'
oi ancestors md tho Battas undoubtodl,
acknowledge certain dctics as rulers O.
the world. The primitive notions OF tn,
JayGnese cannot be easily ascertaincd. OWNS
% the early inGltrntion OF Buddhist ant
hoslem ideas. There is tradition tina
Java was first peoplcd by inhabitants VIII,
came In vessels from the Red Sea. havlnl
been tanshed from Egypt; but this legend /,
almost certainly OF Arabian origin.
We have been able to give only a faint idea o
The immense service rendered to the student o
sociology by Prof. Duncan's compilation. VI
must refer the reader to the work itself. for tn,
mutiiarous phenomena grouped under sucl
suggestive heads us gsthetic and moral senti
nents. aesthetic products. political and militar,
orsanization. arts. land works. clothing. imple
meuts. habits. and customs. This vast dises
Of material supplies data standing 10
ward the conclusions OF the SO
Ella. scientist in Just such relation
B. accounts Of the structures and functions @
derent types Of animals stand to the conclu
sions Of the biologist. There was no hope O
reaching in sociology CONGRATULATIONS approach
ill., scientific certainty until we could lay on
hand on definite and exhaustive description
Of the Institutions andactions of societies vary
ing in type and in various stages Of evolution
Then only could We expect to ascertain wha
Social phenomena are habitg.iI5s .tound to
gether. NAV H.