industrial biography-第4部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



'could　only　have　come　from　the　latitudes　of　Spain；　Southern　France；

or　Italy。'〃　Sir　C。　LYELL；　Antiquity　of　Man；　48…9。

　。。。＇

Their　smaller　boats；　or　coracles；　were　made　of　osiers　interwoven；

covered　with　hides；　and　rigged　with　leathern　sails　and　thong　tackle。



It　will　readily　be　imagined　that　anything　like　civilization；　as　at

present　understood；　must　have　been　next　to　impossible　under　such

circumstances。　　〃Miserable　indeed；〃　says　Carlyle；　〃was　the　condition

of　the　aboriginal　savage；　glaring　fiercely　from　under　his　fleece　of

hair；　which　with　the　beard　reached　down　to　his　loins；　and　hung　round

them　like　a　matted　cloak；　the　rest　of　his　body　sheeted　in　its　thick

natural　fell。　　He　loitered　in　the　sunny　glades　of　the　forest；　living

on　wild　fruits；　or；　as　the　ancient　Caledonians；　squatted　himself　in

morasses；　lurking　for　his　bestial　or　human　prey；　without　implements；

without　arms；　save　the　ball　of　heavy　flint；　to　which；　that　his　sole

possession　and　defence　might　not　be　lost；　he　had　attached　a　long　cord

of　plaited　thongs；　thereby　recovering　as　well　as　hurling　it　with

deadly；　unerring　skill。〃



The　injunction　given　to　man　to　〃replenish　the　earth　and　subdue　it〃

could　not　possibly　be　fulfilled　with　implements　of　stone。　　To　fell　a

tree　with　a　flint　hatchet　would　occupy　the　labour　of　a　month；　and　to

clear　a　small　patch　of　ground　for　purposes　of　culture　would　require

the　combined　efforts　of　a　tribe。　　For　the　same　reason；　dwellings　could

not　be　erected；　and　without　dwellings　domestic　tranquillity；

security；　culture；　and　refinement；　especially　in　a　rude　climate；　were

all　but　impossible。　　Mr。　Emerson　well　observes；　that　〃the　effect　of　a

house　is　immense　on　human　tranquillity；　power；　and　refinement。　　A　man

in　a　cave　or　a　campa　nomaddies　with　no　more　estate　than　the　wolf

or　the　horse　leaves。　　But　so　simple　a　labour　as　a　house　being

achieved；　his　　chief　enemies　are　kept　at　bay。　　He　is　safe　from　the

teeth　of　wild　animals；　from　frost；　sunstroke；　and　weather；　and　fine

faculties　begin　to　yield　their　fine　harvest。　　Inventions　and　arts　are

born；　manners；　and　social　beauty　and　delight。〃　　But　to　build　a　house

which　should　serve　for　shelter；　for　safety；　and　for　comfortin　a

word；　as　a　home　for　the　family；　which　is　the　nucleus　of

societybetter　tools　than　those　of　stone　were　absolutely

indispensable。



Hence　most　of　the　early　European　tribes　were　nomadic：　　first　hunters；

wandering　about　from　place　to　place　like　the　American　Indians；　after

the　game；　then　shepherds；　following　the　herds　of　animals　which　they

had　learnt　to　tame；　from　one　grazing…ground　to　another；　living　upon

their　milk　and　flesh；　and　clothing　themselves　in　their　skins　held

together　by　leathern　thongs。　　It　was　only　when　implements　of　metal　had

been　invented　that　it　was　possible　to　practise　the　art　of　agriculture

with　any　considerable　success。　　Then　tribes　would　cease　from　their

wanderings；　and　begin　to　form　settlements；　homesteads；　villages；　and

towns。　　An　old　Scandinavian　legend　thus　curiously　illustrates　this

last　period：　　　There　was　a　giantess　whose　daughter　one　day　saw　a

husbandman　ploughing　in　the　field。　　She　ran　and　picked　him　up　with　her

finger　and　thumb；　put　him　and　his　plough　and　oxen　into　her　apron；　and

carried　them　to　her　mother；　saying；　〃Mother；　what　sort　of　beetle　is

this　that　I　have　found　wriggling　in　the　sand？　〃　But　the　mother　said；

〃Put　it　away；　my　child；　we　must　begone　out　of　this　land；　for　these

people　will　dwell　in　it。〃



M。　Worsaae　of　Copenhagen；　who　has　been　followed　by　other　antiquaries；

has　even　gone　so　far　as　to　divide　the　natural　history　of　civilization

into　three　epochs；　according　to　the　character　of　the　tools　used　in

each。　　The　first　was　the　Stone　period；　in　which　the　implements　chiefly

used　were　sticks；　bones；　stones；　and　flints。　　The　next　was　the　Bronze

period；　distinguished　by　the　introduction　and　general　use　of　a　metal

composed　of　copper　and　tin；　requiring　a　comparatively　low　degree　of

temperature　to　smelt　it；　and　render　it　capable　of　being　fashioned

into　weapons；　tools；　and　implements；　to　make　which；　however；

indicated　a　great　advance　in　experience；　sagacity；　and　skill　in　the

manipulation　of　metals。　　With　tools　of　bronze；　to　which　considerable

hardness　could　be　given；　trees　were　felled；　stones　hewn；　houses　and

ships　built；　and　agriculture　practised　with　comparative　facility。

Last　of　all　came　the　Iron　period；　when　the　art　of　smelting　and

working　that　most　difficult　but　widely　diffused　of　the　minerals　was

discovered；　from　which　point　the　progress　made　in　all　the　arts　of

life　has　been　of　the　most　remarkable　character。



Although　Mr。　Wright　rejects　this　classification　as　empirical；　because

the　periods　are　not　capable　of　being　clearly　defined；　and　all　the

three　kinds　of　implements　are　found　to　have　been　in　use　at　or　about

the　same　time；*

　＇footnote。。。

THOMAS　WRIGHT；　F。S。A。；　The　Celt；　The　Roman；　and　The　Saxon；

ed。　1861。

　。。。＇

there　is；　nevertheless；　reason　to　believe　that　it　is；　on　the　whole；

well　founded。　　It　is　doubtless　true　that　implements　of　stone　continued

in　use　long　after　those　of　bronze　and　iron　had　been　invented；　arising

most　probably　from　the　dearness　and　scarcity　of　articles　of　metal；

but　when　the　art　of　smelting　and　working　in　iron　and　steel　had

sufficiently　advanced；　the　use　of　stone；　and　afterwards　of　bronze

tools　and　weapons；　altogether　ceased。



The　views　of　M。　Worsaae；　and　the　other　Continental　antiquarians　who

follow　his　classification；　have　indeed　received　remarkable

confirmation　of　late　years；　by　the　discoveries　which　have　been　made

in　the　beds　of　most　of　the　Swiss　lakes。*

　＇footnote。。。

Referred　to　at　length　in　the　Antiquity　of　Man；　by　Sir　C。　Lyell；　who

adopts　M。　Worsaae's　classification。

　。。。＇

It　appears　that　a　subsidence　took　place　in　the　waters　of　the　Lake　of

Zurich　in　the　year　1854；　laying　bare　considerable　portions　of　its

bed。　　The　adjoining　proprietors　proceeded　to　enclose　the　new　land；　and

began　by　erecting　permanent　dykes　to　prevent　the　return　of　the

waters。　　While　carrying　on　the　works；　several　rows　of　stakes　were

exposed；　and　on　digging　down；　the　labourers　turned　up　a　number　of

pieces　of　charred　wood；　stones　blackened　by　fire；　utensils；　bones；

and　other　articles；　showing　that　at　some　remote　period；　a　number　of

human　beings　had　lived　over　the　spot；　in　dwellings　supported　by

stakes　driven　into　the　bed　of　the　lake。



The　discovery　having　attracted　attention；　explorations　were　made　at

other　places；　and　it　was　shortly　found　that　there　was　scarcely　a　lake

in　Switzerland　which　did　not　yield　similar　evidence　of　the　existence

of　an　ancient　Lacustrine　or　Lake…dwelling　population。　　Numbers　of

their　tools　and　implements　were　brought　to　lightstone　axes　and

saws；　flint　arrowheads；　bone　needles；　and　such　likemixed　with　the

bones　of　wild　animals　slain　in　the　chase；　pieces　of　old　boats；

portions　of　twisted　branches；　bark；　and　rough　planking；　of　which

their　dwellings　had　been　formed；　the　latter　still　bearing　the　marks

of　the　rude　tools　by　which　they　had　been　laboriously　cut。　　In　the　most

ancient；　or　lowest　series　of　deposits；　no　traces　of　metal；　either　of

bronze　or　iron；　were　discovered；　and　it　is　most　probable　that　these

lake…dwellers　lived　in　as　primitive　a　state　as　the　South　Sea

islanders　discovered　by　Captain　Cook；　and　that　the　huts　over　the

water　in　which　they　lived　resembled　those　found　in　Papua　and　Borneo；

and　the　islands　of　the　Salomon　group；　to　this　day。



These　aboriginal　Swiss　lake…dwellers　seem　to　have　been　succeeded　by　a

race　of　men　using　tools；　implements；　and　ornaments　of　bronze。　　In　some

places　the　remains　of　this　bronze　period　directly　overlay　those　of　the

stone　period；　showing　the　latter　to　have　been　the　most　ancient；　but　in

others；　the　village　sites　are　altogether　distinct。　　The　articles　with

which　the　metal　implements　are　intermixed；　show　that　considerable

progress　had　been　made　in　the　useful　arts。　　The　potter's　wheel　had　been

introduced。　　Agriculture　had　begun；　and　wild　animals　had　given　place　to

tame　ones。　　The　abundance　of　bronze　also　shows　that　commerce　must　have

existed　to　a　certain　extent；　for　tin；　which　enters　into　its

composition；　is　a　comparatively　rare　metal；　and　must　necessarily　have

been　imported　from　other　European　countries。



The　Swiss　antiquarians　are　of　opinion　that　the　men　of　bronze　suddenly

invaded　and　extirpated　the　men　of　flint；　and　that　at　some　still　later

period；　another　stronger　and　more　skilful　race；　supposed　to　have　been

Celts　from　Gaul；　came　armed　with　iron　weapons；　to　whom　the　men　of

bronze　succumbed；　or　with　whom；　more　probably；　they　gradually

intermingled。　　When　iron；　or　rather　steel；　came　into　use；　its

superiority　in　affording　a　cutting　edge　was　so　decisive　that　it　seems

to　have　supplanted　bronze　almost　at　once；*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Mushet；　however；　observes　that　〃the　general　use　of　hardened

copper　by　the　ancients　for　edge…tools　and　warlike　instruments；　does

not　preclude　the　suppo