New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-03-02

One OF the items Of knowledge which our teach
ers some thirty years ago. were careful to impress
our plastic youthful minds. that mankind
divided into three classes-civiliZco barbarian
and savage The division seemed entirely salts
factory. and we never doubted ability to as
sign any human being to one of these three classes
the moment laid eyes him. The savage was
supposed 10 for nothing but eating and sleep
ing the civilized cared for something besides
eating and sleeping and the barbarian was mid
way between these. Too bad that so simple an
arrangement should ever need revision! Since then,
however. facts have become known in regard to
BaVages. barbarians and civilized men, too. which
tend TO obterate the lines Of division that seemed
so clear
To-day these terms continue to be used from
mere force of habit just naturalists continue
10 talk about species and genera, when they know
very well that there is and cannot be any sharp
dividing line between any two species. We now
know that there is hardly a feature in civilized
life that is not present, least in rudimentary
form. among the so-called savages, while, on the
other hand. We have come TO the conclusion that
there hosts of human beings able to read and
write and to a million, having the ballot
using the telephone and holding their possessions
between thumb and forefnger in handbook, who
nevertheless civilized at ali, but merely
domestcated, and who. If epidemic were to
carry of all the real active brains of civilization
would instantly relapse into the Stone Age II they
did not die Of starvation.
That there could be any human beings who
dhink Of nothing but eating and sleeping. might
have been evident from the first for the higher
animals have got beyond that stage. All that was
needed was TO listen TO the song OF a canary bird
Were there any representatives OF the Pithecan-
thrcpus of Java still in existence, we should doubt
less ind them using some kind of decoration. hav-
ing some traditions in set form (the beginning OF
Gterature) and some regularly recurring nonations
rhythms repeated for the sake Of pleasing the
(the beginning Of music. In point OF fact the
lowest human beings now in existence represent an
immense advance over the earliest that might claim
The human. Nine times most likely. has
nature wiped the lower races off the earth 10 make
room for some improved breed. the inferior
being either exterminated absorbed as the
superior spread by virtue OF their slightly bet
brains. And thus it will probably go on in
definitely. and it may be that we have no business
TO try to stop It.
glance the Esquimau coat sufhces to show
that dealing with race which does care
for something besides eating and sleeping. Two
thirds Of the seams this coat are solely for the
sake of ornamentation: the sagloreneng the
mans back. the igia down his throat. the nunga
across his head. the tunuka on the womans' back
the manuka under her chin. the ersi below the
Breasts the tungawing around the lower border
all decidedly handsome patterns. even to the civ
Allied eye. Their tools, houses and tents all bear
the imprint of long development.
I that any record has yet been
made of their music except their choral song, the
commonest of all, which inevitably attracts the
notice OF any who stays with them than
q day or two. The EsQuimaus OF Danish Greenland,
1noeeQs are known 10 possess Keen musical
and admirable voices but the songs they now sing
are said to be all OF Danish origin The first men
lion Of a song among the tribe to the north OF
Cape York occurs in the report OF Sir John Ross
who discovered them IN 1878:
We then tried to discover IL they had among
fhem any amusements, such music or dancing
and. after difficulty, succeeded in persuading
two of the strangers, who. we made to under
stand, were nephews of Eryik, to give a speci-
men OF their dancing. One Of them accordingly
began Immediately distort his face, turn u
his eyes exactly resembling the appearance of a
person in fit Of epilepsy, that were convinced
this accident had happened, and I was about 10
cell for assistance from the surgeon. l was, how
ever. soon undeceived he Immediately proceeded
10 execute. in succession, e variety of extraordi-
nary gestures and attitudes, accompanied by the
most hideous distortions OF countenance Like the
these contained the indecent illusions which are
wei known to form essential feature in the
dances OF many nations, N other respects far adj
Fanced IN civilization The body generally in
g. STOPPING posture and the hands resting the
knees. After a few minutes the performer began
TO sing Amman ajah," and a very short time
other in silence, began if inspired stort his
face, and initiate the indicate attitudes of the
first. and soon after to sing chorus, "Hejaw,
hejaw.' After this had increasing
changed to Shrill note. in which the words Wee
hee, wehee." uttered with great rapidity.
They then approached each other by slipping their
1eet FORWARD, grlnning, and In great agitation, until
their noses touched, when savage laugh ended
this extraordinary performance.
Kane. who visited the tribe in $685. describes
similar song:
They sang ANNA Ayah' for Us, their rude,
monotonous song, till our cracked with the
discord; and improvised a special eulogistic chant