o SURVEY OF ASIATIC
the human family—-have been herd accustomed r frequently
to traverse immense spaces, and to make b u t temporary
abodes under particular climates. Repeated migrations.from
one region to another are recorded in:history, which have in
many instances changed the social condition, and have even
renewed the population of extensive countries. Owing to.'such
interchanges of inhabitants between different t racts, it has
come to pass that the same tribes of people, or . nations
nearly related to each other, are found spread through wthe
most distant parts of Eiriope and Asia.
From these considerations several remarks arise, as- to the
method in which we must e n t e r - t h e w&wihgiîisqidry^
and on the collateral subjects of research which are to be kept
in view-&s we proceed.
First. As it is a fact that several of the 'most widely; spread,
and some of the most numerous, families-of nations,- are
dispersed over different parts of Europe and Asia,, wc. mus,t
consider these continents a s one. region, haying a-common
stock of inhabitants.
It Secondly. The dispersion of the same races over countries
widely separated and situated under different climates,;'especially
when the dispersed tribes can be proved': to have
occupied their present abodes from remote times^ affords us
many opportunities of estimating the in flu e n c e 'p h y s ic a l
causes in modifying the characters of organization. In
order to draw any certain results from these facts, it will bè
necessary to trace with accuracy the proofs o r connexion
between nations supposed to be of kindred origin, wherever
such nations are found dispersed. This will lead us into a
sériés of inquiries- respecting the history of several races of
men, as deduced from a comparison of their languages,
religions, and whatever peculiar traits may contribute to
throw light on -their origin and affinities.
Thirdly. In tracing the varieties which appear in the
-organic types of particular races, we must be especially
attentive to the circumstances under which they.have taken,
place, in order to arrive at a true theory respecting their
Causes. The agencies from which such changes may be
supposed likely to result, are of * two kinds; first, alterations
AND EUROPEAN NATIONS. 3
in>the moral state of particular tribes pand>sécondly, changes
which may hkfe taken, piaêedn the physical conditions under
whiéfefthiêyihavevexisted. Of the former-we have examples
in ihedri&tofy ’of nart-iems^ wH^ from beirigfhomadic wanderers,
have become f-liittfed-as tillers Of thé soil oH inhabitants <ff
towns-. * "%In thtesriinstanees; wè^disoover considerable changes
insfthe.:#g®ffe'lcharacter of raées whö^èfftstate has been thus
modified.' Qf,; chan-ges^of nfffe latter kin d /w e have more
numerous examples. In the continents,)of Europe and Asia
are countries ptöfced unde-nalmost every variety of climate
and local situation, from thesceMëst region in the arctic zoiiè
habitable byrnan^to-thej greatest-' heat of the i insert topical
space.,- and :from*jthe lofty , plains of High Asia, which are the
greatest ptdjedti'on' existing1 oü the surface of our planet, to low
traGts scarcely raised above thiC'Ocea#, öryiïi sómé -instances; de*-
pressed below its lev el , - This part of our investigat-iomwill render
iéïtéêdissaiy..to observe the most remarkable features:,in the
physical geography of particular, countries.? In taking a very
general A&urvey of this 'subject* we may remark, that "the
climated of Asia may be -dmdted- into three1: gre'at departments;
and ithtó M thé races of men respectively inhabiting theffi;
some physical differences: are very.-manifest. These divisions
are, first; the.-iatértropiéal region of Asia, inhabited by nations
©f a dark complexion, and other peculiar characters.;! secondly,
the cold and vélevatedv tabledands of Gréat Tartary and
Eastern^ Siberia; inhabitëd principlff^ by races who resemble
the Mongolians? and the Chineses and, thirdly, the temperate
countries in- the: -west of Asia, ? thé inhabitants of which
reshmble in physical;characters the nations of Europe. That
there is some connexionbetween the physical condition of
these .several regions, and the Organic. peculiarities' of the
tribes by which they are? inhabited, is too obvious to require
proof; but whether such peculiarities are original characters
belonging to different races fitted by their natural qualities
.to . exist in theCountries where they are respectively, found, as
different species of animals are by organization adaptéd to
particular regions-, or are varieties produced by the agency
of local circumstances; in other words, whether they are
permanent characters, or are liable to be modified in tribes: