is given in full in a
subsequent chapter, and its structure gives rise to the suspicion that it
was originally as limited as those of kindred tribes, and that it underwent
a considerable development after the natives had come in contact with the
Europeans. There is good reason to believe that no Australian in his wild
state could ever count intelligently to 7.[40]

In certain portions of Asia, Africa, Melanesia, Polynesia, and North
America, are to be found races whose number systems are almost and
sometimes quite as limited as are those of the South. American and
Australian tribes already cited, but nowhere else do we find these so
abundant as in the two continents just mentioned, where example after
example might be cited of tribes whose ability to count is circumscribed
within the narrowest limits. The Veddas[41] of Ceylon have but two
numerals, _ekkame[=i]_, 1, _dekkamei_, 2. Beyond this they count
_otameekai, otameekai, otameekai_, etc.; _i.e._ "and one more, and one
more, and one more," and so on indefinitely. The Andamans,[42] inhabitants
of a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, are equally limited in their
power of counting. They have _ubatulda_, 1, and _ikporda_, 2; but they can
go no further, except in a manner similar to that of the Veddas. Above two
they proceed wholly by means of the fingers, saying as they tap the nose
with each successive finger, _anka_, "and this." Only the more intelligent
of the Andamans can count at all, many of them seeming to be as nearly
destitute of the number sense as it is possible for a human being to be.
The Bushmen[43] of South Africa have but two numerals, the pronunciation of
which can hardly be indicated without other resources than those of the
English alphabet. Their word for 3 means, simply, many, as in the case of
some of the Australian tribes. The Watchandies[44] have but two simple
numerals, and their entire number system is _cooteon_, 1, _utaura_, 2,
_utarra cooteoo_, 3, _atarra utarra_, 4. Beyond this they can only say,
_booltha_, many, and _booltha bat_, very many. Although they have the
expressions here given for 3 and 4, they are reluctant to use them, and
only do so when absolutely required. The natives of Lower California[45]
cannot count above 5. A few of the more intelligent among them understand
the meaning of 2 fives, but this number seems entirely beyond the
comprehension of the ordinary native. The Comanches, curiously enough, are
so reluctant to empl