Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 22, 1911.djvu/459

 Totemism, and Religion. 423

-quotes Mr. Eyre, Expeditions into Central AjistraHa,vo\. ii., PP- 355-358, to the effect that " the natives of New Holland, as far as yet can be ascertained, have no religious belief or ceremonies. A Deity, or great First Cause, can hardly be said to be acknowledged ... by this people, who ascribe the creation to very inefficient causes. They state that some things called themselves into existence and had the property of creating others." I do not wonder that these metaphysicians were guilty of a bull ! A thing must be in existence before it can " call itself into existence." Theirs is a way of trying to understand "The Great First Cause, itself least understood." I don't suppose that Mr. Eyre understood the problem any better than the blacks did.^*

Now I also quoted from the same pages of Mr. Eyre's book his discovery, among these very blacks, of Noorele " all powerful and of a benevolent character," who dwells with three unborn sons " up among the clouds." Noorele is credited with "the origin of creation"; "he made the earth, trees, water, etc." Yet, goes on Mr. Eyre, " a great First Cause can hardly be said to be acknowledged." I added " such are the consistent statements of Mr. Eyre." Lord Avebury omits the passages in Mr. Eyre's book which I cite. Mr. Eyre, of course, first reported, in his own terms, what the blacks told him in theirs, — that Noorele is " all powerful " (omnipotent) and " of a benevolent character," flecting on these views, added " a Deity, or great First Cause, can hardly be said to be acknowledged," — obviously because he found no worship of the " benevolent all power- ful maker of earth and sky." Lord Avebury prefers Mr. Eyre's reasonings (logical as they are). I prefer to look at Mr. Eyre's statements, and to exhibit the nature of his reasoning. I give both positive statements and reasonings.
 * ' made earth, trees, water, etc.," and then Mr. Eyre, re-

We often meet examples of Mr. Eyre's kind of reasoning in works written before attempts were made to study savage


 * Avebury, pp. 17 1-2.