32 
to preserve the heat, and then went forth to invite others, 
by signs and gestures, to come and witness the discovery. 
In the concourse that thus took place, they testified their 
different opinions and expressions by different inflexions 
of the voice. From daily association words succeeded 
to these indefinite modes of speech ; and these becoming 
by degrees the signs of certain objects, they began to 
join them together, and conversation became general. 
Thus the discovery of fire gave rise to the first assembly 
of mankind, to their first deliberations, and to their 
union in a state of society. For association with each 
other they were more fitted by nature than other animals, 
from their erect posture, which also gave them the ad- 
vantage of continually viewing the stars and firmament, 
no less than from their being able to grasp and lift an 
object, and turn it about with their hands and fingers. 
In the assembly, therefore, which thus brought them 
first together, they were led to the consideration of 
sheltering themselves from the seasons, some by making 
arbours with the boughs of trees, some by excavating 
caves in the mountains, and others in imitation of the 
nests and habitations of swallows, by making dwellings 
of twigs interwoven and covered with mud or clay. From 
observation of and improvement on each others' expe- 
dients for sheltering themselves, they soon began to 
provide a better species of huts. It was thus that men. 
who are by nature of an imitative and docile turn of 
mind, and proud of their own inventions, gaining daily 
experience also by what had been previously executed. 
vied with each other in their progress towards perfection 
in building. The first attempt was the mere erection of 
à few spars united together with twigs and covered with 
mud. Others built their walls of dried lumps of turf. 
connected these walls together by means of timbers laid 
across horizontally, and covered the erections with reeds 
and boughs, for the purpose of sheltering themselves 
from the inclemency of the séasons. Finding, however,