Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/348

 320 Reviews.

feeling expressed in rites and practices of this kind is the same as that of the settlers brought by the Assyrian king into the cities of Samaria, when they suffered from an invasion of lions, which seem to have done some execution among them, " because they knew not the manner of the god of the land." It is common in India, and operates for the benefit of the descendants of several aboriginal tribes.

Mr. Russell has by no means considered that his task was limited to a description of the various tribes and castes repre- sented in the Central Provinces, to summaries of their own accounts of their origin and history, and the reproduction of the results of modern enquiries on these subjects. He has endeavoured to explain the origin and meaning of their institutions and customs. In so doing he has added much interest to his work. It may be hoped that many of the officials, for whose reading the book is in the first instance intended, will be stimu- lated to anthropological study and enquiry. But it must never be forgotten that of the explanations here given not a few are pure conjecture, or are founded on biased, insufficient or inaccurate evidence. They must not be allowed to prejudice the collection of further information, though it may run counter to the received theories. True devotion to science commands an allegiance more urgent and imperious than that to any theory or any teacher, how- ever venerable. What we need just now on the part of officials, missionaries, traders, and others who are in contact with native races, in all parts of the world, is the accurate collection of facts unembarrassed by any theories. Every fact, however small or apparently unimportant, should be garnered, for no one can tell of what value it may turn out to be in investigating the history of a people, the provenience of its arts and customs or their interpretation. The interpretation may be left to others hereafter. This is not intended to imply blame to Mr. Russell. On the contrary, for reasons given above, I think we should be grateful for his explanations as well as the facts he has collected. But I do desire to emphasize the opinion that facts are at this stage of vastly more importance than theories suggested to explain them.

Attention is drawn in the course of the Introductory Essay to a number of interesting facts. One of these is the remains of a two-