File:The history of mankind (1896) (14740970466).jpg

Identifier: historyofmankind01ratz (find matches)
Title: The history of mankind
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Ratzel, Friedrich, 1844-1904 Butler, Arthur John, 1844-1910
Subjects: Ethnology Anthropology
Publisher: London, Macmillan and co., ltd. New York, The Macmillan co.
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Wellesley College Library

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f the coast, in their neighbourhood were greatheaps of shells. The Tasmanians are more closely connected with the true Australians inthe degree of culture possessed by them than anthropologically. One piece of 382 THE HISTORY OF MANKIND furniture which they had and the Australians had not was the head-cushion ofskin. In spite of the climate they were no more of agriculturists than theAustralians, but their shores and their forests provided flesh food in abundance..Their greater energy resulted from their better nourishment. They seem tohave cooked, like the Australians, with hot stones. Their canoes were merelybroad raft-like vessels made of bark or strong reeds. Accordingly they neverventured far out to sea, nor had they always paddles to propel their boats,often using only spears ; they could however swim and dive well. They lived bypreference on shell-fish ; their weapons differed materially from those of theAustralians ; they had no boomerangs, throwing-sticks, or bows and arrows.
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Truganina, the last Tasmanian woman. (From a photograph.) They chiefly used long wooden spears, a sharpened missile stick half a yardlong, wooden clubs, and for chopping and cutting rudely chipped flakes ofstone. They lived almost constantly in a state of war, but they were notman-eaters, and they treated their women better than did the Australians. The6000 or 8000 estimated inhabitants of the pre-European time were divided intonumerous tribes. Their modes of burial remind us of Australia, and also themanifold ways even in this limited space of burning, of cremation, burial, puttingaway in hollow trees, building dead huts over the grave. The Tasmaniancharacter displayed itself to the whites as in the main cheerful and goodhumoured ; their mental endowments were tolerable. Too late was educationallowed to spread among the remains of this unhappy race, and too late wasit recognised that, as was expressed by Mr. A. R. Wallace, we had here to do witha race having dispositions towards prog

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