THE SAVAGE MIND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 12, 30 August 1911, Page 8

THE SAVAGE MIND.

Some good words luive boon said lately for the Australian aboriginal, who is generally believed to be one of the lowest of savage typos. Dr. Myoberg, the Swedisli scientist who has been exploring in West Australia, finds that lie is not so low as people think, and cites the fact that natives at the mission staions quickly learn to read and write. The back-country native of the North and North-West seems to be a very fair type—strong in physique, intelligent, and a good worker at certain occupations. Dr. Walter Iloth, who knows the Australian aboriginal well, writes to “The Times” to correct the idea that savages are stupid because they do not do what the civilised man expects them to do. He refers to a pssago in an article by a New Guinea explorer, in which natives of the interior of that island are put down extremely stupid because they showed no interest when matches were struck in front of them. Dr. Doth says that ton years’ experience of the North Australian savage, who he thinks is akin in-primitiveness to the New Guinea native, gave him a very high opinion of his intelligence. Tiie savage appears stupid only because the traveller dot's not understand him. Dr. Kolb struck many matches in Irnnt of Australian blacks before ho learned that it is not natural for the savage to express surprise by outward s'pis. Once, after striking; match alter match before some natives to

whom such a thing; was an absolute novelty, l)r. Roth asked Ids interpreter for an explanation. The reply was that the natives thought him a fool not to give the matches to them

instead of wasting them. Commenting on Dr. Roth’s letter, “The Times” remarks that, instead of being an altogether different typo from the civilised man, and more like an animal, the savage is much nearer to the man of genius than to the highest animal. Th better ho is known the more plainly are Ins human faculties discerned. Ho docs not use his faculties as we do, hut ho trains them in such a way that iu some directions he is more skilful than the average man. “The throwing of the boomerang, for instance, is no more a matter of instinct than the riding of the bicycle or the playing of the violin, at least if we are to make any real distinction between instinctive and other powers.”