and industries; third, the operations of mind as exhibited in
philosophy; and these are the explanations given of the phenomena of the
universe. On such a basis a scientific psychology must be erected.
* * * * *
As methods of study are discovered, a vast field opens to the American
scholar. Now, as at all times in the history of civilization, there has
been no lack of interest in this subject, and no lack of speculative
writers; but there is a great want of trained observers and acute
investigators.
If we lay aside the mass of worthless matter which has been published,
and consider only the material used by the most careful writers, we find
on every hand that conclusions are vitiated by a multitude of errors of
fact of a character the most simple. Yesterday I read an article on the
"Growth of Sculpture," by Grant Allen, that was charming; yet, therein I
found this statement:
So far as I know, the Polynesians and many other savages have not
progressed beyond the full-face stage of human portraiture above
described. Next in rank comes the drawing of a profile, as we find
it among the Eskimos and the bushmen. Our own children soon attain
to this level, which is one degree higher than that of the full
face, as it implies a special point of view, suppresses half the
features, and is not diagrammatic or symbolical of all the separate
parts. Negroes and North American Indians cannot understand
profile; they ask what has become of the other eye.
Perhaps Mr. Allen derives his idea of the inability of the Indians to
understand profiles from a statement of Catlin, which I have seen used
for this and other purposes by different anthropologists until it seems
to have become a _favorite fact_.
Turning to Catlin's _Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and
Condition of the North American Indians_, (vol. 2, page 2) we find him
saying:
After I had painted these, and many more whom I have not time at
present to name, I painted the portrait of a celebrated warrior of
the Sioux, by the name of Mah-to-chee-ga (the Little Bear), who was
unfortunately slain in a few moments after the picture was done by
one of his own tribe; and which was very near costing me my life,
for having painted a side view of his face, leaving one-half of it
out of the picture, which had been the cause of the affray; and,
supposed by
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