Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/316

 304 Reviews.

the community in the House of Myths, as well as other stories more or less common to the Pacific tribes. I have said enough to give some notion of the many interesting problems which the mythology of the Bella Coola discloses. Dr. Boas discusses some of them in two final chapters, full of arguments and observations deserving of careful study. I shall take the liberty of transcribing some of the weighty remarks with which he brings this admirable monograph to a conclusion. " The mind of the Bella Coola philosopher, operating with the class of knowledge common to the earlier strata of culture, has reached conclusions similar to those that have been formed by man the world over, when operating with the same class of knowledge. On the other hand the Bella Coola has also adopted ready-made the thoughts of his neigbours, and has adapted them to his environment. These two results of our inquiry emphasise the close relation between the comparative and the historic methods of ethnology, which are so often held to be antagonistic. Each is a check upon rash con- clusions that might be attained by the appHcation of one alone. It is just as uncritical to see, in an analogy of a single trait of culture that occurs in two distinct regions, undoubted proof of early historical connection as to reject the possibility of such connection, because sometimes the same ideas develop independently in the human mind. Ethnology is rapidly outgrowing the tendency to accept imperfect evidence as proof of historical connection, but the comparative ethnologist is hardly beginning to see that he has no right to scoff at the historical method. Our inquiry shows that safe conclusions can be derived only by a careful analysis of the

whole culture All traits of culture can be fully understood

only in connection with the whole culture of a tribe. When we confine ourselves to comparing isolated traits of culture we open the door to misinterpretations without number."

I will only add that there are six excellent plates of masks and carvings of the tribe, representing mythological personages.

E. Sidney Hartland.