r with remarkable
gentleness, and amiably offered to shake hands. This trifling
characteristic, which I observed in the case of all chimpanzees reared
in my house, is worthy of particular emphasis, because it seems to prove
that _our man-monkey descries and pays homage to that higher being, man,
even in the tiniest child. On the other hand, he by no means shows any
such friendly feelings towards creatures like himself--not even towards
little ones_."

In every stage of the development of savage peoples we come across
classical examples of mock kings--of the "primus inter pares," "duces ex
virtute," _not_ "ex nobilitate reges"--of rational and valued leaders.
The savages of Chile elect as their chief the man who is able to carry
the trunk of a tree farthest. In other places, military prowess, command
of words, crafts, a knowledge of spells are the causal sources of the
usually extremely trifling homage due to the chieftain. "Savage hordes
in the lowest stage of civilization are organized, like troops of
monkeys, on the basis of authority. The strongest old male by virtue of
his strength acquires a certain ascendancy, which lasts as long as his
physical strength is superior to that of every other male...."

Beyond that given by nature, primitive society recognizes no other
prestige, for the society of savages lacks the subjective conditions of
prestige--settlement in large numbers and permanency. The lack of
distance compels the savage to respect only persons who hold their own
in his presence: this conspicuous clearness of the estimation of
primitive peoples is the cause that has prevailed on us to dwell so long
on this point. That the cause of this want of prestige among savages is
the lack of concentration in masses, not any esoteric peculiarity, is
proved by the profound psychological appreciation of the distances
created by nature, and still more by the expansion of tribal life into a
barbarian one. The tenfold increase of the number of a tribe renders
difficult a logical, ethical, or aesthetic selection of a leader, as
well as an intuitive control of spells and superstitions.

The dramatic _mise en scene_ of human prestige coincides with the first
appearance of this concentration in masses, and triumphs with its
triumph.

4. Prestige and Status in South East Africa[264]

In no other land under the British flag, except, perhaps, in the Far
East, certainly in none of the great self-governing colonies with which