lonies very many Negroes,'especially females, aïe seen, whose
figures strike Europeans as remarkably; beautiful. This
would not be the case if they deviated much from the idea
prevalent in Europe, or from the European standard of
beauty. Yet the slaves in the colonies, ; particularly in
those of England, were brought from the west coast of inter-
tropical Africa, where the peculiarities of figure which- in
our eyes constitute deformity in the Negro, are chiefly prevalent.
The black people imported into the French and to
some of the Portuguese colonies, from the eastern coast of
the African continent, and from Congo, are much better made.
The most degraded and savage nations are the ugliest.
Among the most improved and the partially civilized, a s
the Ashantees, and other interior states the figure and the
features of the native people approach much more to the
European. The ugliest Negro tribes are confined to the
equatorial countries ; and on both sides of thoequator as.we
advance towards the temperate zones, the persons o f the inhabitants
are more handsome and well formed.
In a later period of this work I shall cite authors who have
proved that many races belonging to this > departmentTuof
mankind are noted for the beauty of their features, and their
fine stature and proportions. Adanson has made this observation
of the Negroes on the Senegal. He thus: describes
the men. " Leur taille est pour l’ordinaire au-dessus de la
médiocre, bien prise et sans défaut. Ils sont forts,, robustes*
et d’un tempérament propre à la fatigue. Ils ont lés yeux
noirs et bien fendus, pue de barbe, les traits du visage assez
agréables.” They are complete Negroes, for it ia added th a t
their complexion is of a fine black, that their hair is black,
frizzled, cottony, and of extreme fineness. The women are
said to be of nearly equal stature with the men, and equally
well made. “ Leur visage est d’une douceur extrême. Elles
ont les yeux noirs, bien fendus, la bouche et les lèvres pétites
et les traits du-visage bien proportionnés. Il s’en trouve
plusieurs d’une beauté parfaite.” Mr. Rankin, a highly intelligent
traveller, who reports accurately and without prejudice
the results of his personal observation, has recently given a
similar testimony in regard to some of the numerous tribes of
northern Negfolairdywho 'fréquent the English colony of Sierra
Leone. Irishes* skull of the more-improved and civilized
nations among the^Avodily-haired -blacks of Africa, therè is
Comparatively slight deviation ■ from- thé form which may be
looked upon as the common type? of the* human head. We
are1 assured, for -exanap'il^by M. Golbeity, that the Ioloffs,
Whosé- colour- is dëép transparent btóek, and who haveVodlly
hair, are; robust and wêlï made, and !have%egular fedturês:
Their countenances^ he says, areik^Ihtfóüé, and inspire confidence
: they are honest, hóspiifebfêf gehterous and faithful.
The women are mild^Véry pretty,'wêll* made, and of agreeable
maaUers-.* On the other ' side ofthe* equinoctial line, the
Congo Negroes, as Pigafetta4 ffëêlarfey frayë’*ffot thick lij^ ^ r
Ugly features;5 éXêëptfÜn;-Colour^they>{fre^eryJike -the P o ii
tuguese. ^Kaffers5 ifri&fc&th Africa frequentlyM^imble E J f
ropeans, as many late travellers have declared. Itjfóï^fecJÈfc
the opinion-of many that the Kaffers pugfrfc to be separated
from the egroes‘«as^ a* distinct' branch ofrfH^human
family. This has been proved to freun error. In tfre-dorifor-
mation^df the skull which d * the leading character,’ the
Kaffers associate themselves with the great majority of woolly
African nations. The craniólogy of these races , will come
under Our consideration in the following chapter, and we shall
have a'p ro p e r opportunity for describing the - differences
which subsist between particular African nations, when we
enter upon the ethnographical inquiries fwhich form the subject
o f the succeeding books. -
< Section I I I .— O f the Papuas.
The name of Papuas is perhaps rfrost commonly applied to
tribes of people, whose colour, approaching to>black, varies in
the deepness of its shade, and whose hair is-neither lank nor
absolutely woolly. Races of this description- are known on
the coasts-of many islands in the Malayan-seas, such-as
Waigiou, Sallawaty, ‘Gummett, and Battenta, and about the
Golberry’s Travels in- Africa, vol. 1. Iluidlbrd’s Translation, p; 74.