New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-29
FINDING THE WAY
Andrew Lang on the Sense of
Orientation in Man.
from the I.ondon Morning Post.


Lately / read in some scientific peri
odical about a singular experiment.
Sea birds in the tropics were taken and
painted in alien colors; their nests also
were painted. The birds were then con-
oeyed in a steamer TO New York; after
a short time they were released, and all
came flying home 10 their nests. How
did they find their way? Is a "homing
instinct" needed? Might not the birds
have sense enough TO steer south, with
in view of land. till theytcame to ia
miliar landmarks? Really their exploit
seems less difficult than that Of q cat
taken by rail from st. Andrews TO
erth. Puss crossed two rivers. Eden
and Tay, and if carried in basket he
could make no Typographical observa-
tons. Yet three or four days later he
get out from Perth and came marching
home, unless, indeed, he slowed him
self away in the right train, and
changed at the right functions. To do
that needed conscious reasoning; for
walk on foot his unconscious self may
have been sufficient guide.
on The Sense of Orientation in Man
NJ. Arnold Van Gennop has an inter-
estIns paper in the third Of his volumes
called Religions. Mnurs, ct Legendes."
He begins with the tribes OF the Sa-
hara, whose shepherds and hunters
easily find their way I'm q desoate re-
gion covered with similar and similarly
situated uniform hummocks Of sand,
which everywhere limit the view very
narrowly. NJ Cornetz has studied these
men, and thinks that they have "a real
instinct or sense of orientation." Many
people, like myself have none though
can find my way far more easily In
the country than in South KensingtOn,
I,h ar 1 frannaptly hgcn
the country burns and rivers and hill
peaks are excellent guides; there are
things 10 observe, and one goes by OBJ
servation and Inference, not by instinct.
NJ. Van Gcnnep, on the other hand, ac-
customed 10 mountaineering and 10 long
walks. cOnfCsses to "a sort Of tendency
which guides him when in doubt. He
analyses the tendency into, first. "a
considerable accumulation Of uncon-
sciOus observations But what is IAN
unconscious observation? Moreover,
VI. Van Gennep says, Il have within me
somewhat which warns me as to Wheth-
er or not I am taking the right course,
a somewhat which / can best compare
10 the curious quivering" 0resaillemenD
(which is said to be felt by water seek
ers who use the divining rod"
VI. Van Gennep had better be very
careful, Presently he win find that the
somewhat which warns" him Is the
Damon which steered Socrates through
life; the Subliminal Self, which knows
so many things that are unknown 10
our ordinary selves. When once he
reaches that position Il is an easy glide
into what is called superstition" For
our author calls II "unscientific 10 deny
the phenomena Of the divining rod be-
cause we cannot explain them" II ira
lon 1t is the privilege Of the scientific
Ia
Lord Aveburv writes in his new book If
/ were TO despair it would be 10 see some
of our ablest intelleCts still Clinging TO
the most childish superstitiOns of the
darkest ages and the lowest savages."
OF these superstitions belief in the sue
cessful use Of the divining rod is one;
and here is NJ. Van Gcnnep not denying
it. Just so, according to Zulu inform
ant Of Bishop CallaWGy, there is in
black men a something which is diyi-
nation within them" When anything Is
lost they first look for IL as We do; II
they fail they try 10 feel where the
thing is" they feel internally a point
ing" at last they see in clear Inner
sight the thing and the place where It
IS lying and they rush 10 the place.
Here perhaps IAN accumulation of I'M
conscious observations" in some way re-
vcals itself in IAN internal feeling Of a
pointing" OF oriontation, and then In
Inner sight" 'as clear as though it
was not an inner sight" All this with
NJ Van Gennep's mOntOry "quelque
chose" and "tresaillement" may be the
most childish superstition of the darkest
ages but il IS very useful to the Zulus
and 10 NJ. Van Gennep. I wish / had
their gifts when looking FOR any book IN
my collection.
However, NJ Van Genncp explains his
own confused sensation as the sem
sation of an angle" Here / lose him.
1 have no idea OF what the sensation
of an angle may be; at all events it
guides NJ. Van Gennep BY a series OF
zisZags 10 his aim.
NJ. Van Gennep does not hold, with NJ.
Pechucl-L ooschc. that the sense Of di-
rcction is the perfection Of memory Of
place. For the sense Of direction IS often
exhibited when the places are entirely
unknown. NJ. Pechuel-LoesChe IS said to
err because ne started from the a priori
idea that the notion of "a sense of di-
rectiOn' must be, like the belief In the
divining rod, "a childish prejudice, and
Il sort OF survival Of some theory OF
magic" There IS no use i'm starting
with the prejudice that any idea is
prejudice, especially is il necessary first
to examine the facts I'm the case and 10
make experiments. Stokes 0Si6) made
experiments on an Australian native, in
the dark. as 20 his sense of direction.
The man was never wrong. Gabriel de
Mortillet made experiments with the di-
yining rod. and, though mn 0HticicricW
CchCrCI6, his experiments were successful
DR.. Ouzilleau, who has often hunted
with the black spOrtsmcn of the French
Congo. finds that even the children have
the sense Of orientation," though it Is
more highly developed among the hunt
ers. Another French explorer and nat
uralist thinks that the blacks have no
special sense Of orientatiOk" that their
powers are the result of accumulated OBJ
scrvatiunS and Of differences derived
from long practice. This critic. NJ. lie
Petit. found that his own gift OF oricnG
tation improved till. except at night. NE
was quite the equal of his native COM
paniOns. His is the Vi2W which recon-
mends itself TO common sense, and ought
10 be preferred, unless there is adequate
evidence FOR powers If direction not
capable Of being explained as the result
Of observation and experience.
NJ. Chatclain, speaking of the Ba
Ronga. a tribe Of the southeasterly coast
Of Africa says that they possess I'm
high degree the sense OF orientation,"
but he seems 10 regard il az due To prac-
tice in a climate where the sun Is always
guide. and to a cultivated memory Of
paths. But ne admits mat they Oheyed
as il were, an internal monition and
occult directions which we cannot eX-
plain except 10y assigning % them a very
remarkably developed instinct" For in
stance a native guide led his party,
without q mistake. in the dark. through
forest. IN country quite unknown 10
him. on reaching q village. six natives
were asked where were we this morn
ine?' and where were we four DAYS
ago. An six. N night gave the direc-
ton. which the compass ard scientific
observations proved 10 be accurate. The
white leader asked guide. What di-