A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans : with an ...

RELIMINAKY DISSEHTATION. XXIU
ijut also witii ^a^.re(i history, winch is too clear on this jioiiit to admit oJ
a (iifierfiit construction. No doubt the compiirison of languages will
not, by itsolf, demonstrate the unity of the human race, or an original
sameness of idiom in the whole species, but if properly applied, it wili
furnish vast assistance in tracing the history and affinity of nations.
Perhaps the best illustrations of the utilitj' and security of this mode of
investigation are to be found in the history of the Goths who conquered
the Roman empire, and in that of the Polynesian races. The Goths
were supposed by most of the writers wlio lived shortly aftrr the era of
the Gothic invasion, to be Getae or Thiacians ; an opinion which has
been adopted by some modern historians : but from an ample spcoimen
of their language in the version of Ulphilas, it has been ascertained,
that in conformity with their own traditions, they were not Geta; nor
Thracians, but nearly allied in kindred to the northern tribes of the German
family. In the same way, by a comparison of the languages of
some of the tribes of the Polynesian races, living in the most remote
islands of the Great Ocean at an immense distance from all other inha-
bited regions, with those of the tribes inhabiting part of the Indian
continen', and the isles of the Indian Archipelago, it has been clearly
ascertained that they derived their origin from the same quarter, al-
though the great remoteness of these islanders would appear to furnish
an argument to the Rationalist, that they commenced their existence in
their present abodes.*
With those who fearlessly reject the evidence of sacred history, the
subject is not one which can be decided either way by authority ; and
it is only by examining the evidence which seems to bear more immediate-
ly upon the subject, that thej' can ever hope to arrive at a satisfactory
conclusion. This viewed generally, is of two kinds, and comprehends, firtt,
considerations resulting from a survey of the natural historj' of the
globe, and facts connected with physical geography, and with the multi-
plication and dispersion of species of both plants and animals ; and, se-
condly, analytical investigations into the structure, affinities, and diver-
sities of languages, in reference to the general question as to the history
of our species.
With regard to the arguments deduced from the former source, how-
ever, although they may, at first view, appear to bear with the greatest
weight upon this question, yet, from our inability duly to appreciate
the effects of physical causes operating during a long course of ages, it is
impossible with any degree of certainty to infer original distinction from
the actual differences observable amongst mankind. But in the ease of
languages, especially those w hich, though they have ceased to be spoken,
are still preserved, there is no such element of uncertainty ; and hence
wp are inclined to hold, that the only conclusions upon which we can
safely rely respecting the aboriginal history of our species, are those
• l*iichait), p. 5.