tiie blackness of the Jews spread through’ different parts of
India is attributable to intermarriages with Hindoos ; bât
of this there is no evidence : it is probable that the preservation
of the Jews in these countries as a distinct people is
owing, as elsewhere, to their avoiding all intermixture with
the native inhabitants. The Jesuits in China expressly in form
us that the Jews settled in Honan, where they have
been established for many ages, keep themselves distinct,
and intermarry within their own community.* It appears
that the ancient Jewish inhabitants of Cochin were Ur people
of the same migration with those of China ; and it is very
improbable that they differ from their brethren in the particular
above alluded to.
S e c t io n I X Concluding Observations on the Syro-
Arabidn Race.
We have, in the instance of the Syro-Arabian nations,
taken collectively an example of a single race,* for the es^
sential affinities of their dialects give us â right to draw the
inference that they are of one stock, spread through different
regions Of the world, and displaying the greatest diversity
of complexion. There are circumstances connected
with the history of most of these tribes which preclude
almost the possibility that these variations are the results
of mixture with aboriginal inhabitants of the several countries.
In Europe we know that the Jews are, for the most
part, an unmixed race. In the East we are informed that
they remain distinct in China, and there is no reason to
suppose that their habits are in India different from those
observed among them in other parts of the world. We
know that the Syrian communities of Kûrdistan are unmixed
with Kûrds, and we have a similar assurance respecting
the Sbegya and other Arabian tribes. Let us compare
those offsets of the Syro-Arabian stock towards the
south and north with the great body of the race who still
remain within the Arabian Peninsula. There the native
* Duhalde. Astle’s Voyages, vol. iv. p. 227.
colour of the people is a-brownish white, with black eyes and
hair in the-^sputhern parts, varying in Yemen to a lighter
colour of both; as we ha¥cn seen in the description of these
tfibes, while in, high mountainous tracts the xanthous variety
appears. The same!rx&nthous variety shews itself and becomes
general .among t]ie Jews of Northern Europe, and
the^yrians of Kurdistan, w h ^ the Shegya and other Nilotic
races arefbW ^ a n d , as Mr. Kozet informs us, the Arabs
of Mauretania are sometimes, quite black.
But no.t only the. colour,,- the physical conformation of
the'race differs; in .different countries. The Jews
of Europe differ in nothing/except a peculiar caste of physiognomy
from the natit©Inhabitants;.of the countries where
they dwell. The Arabb differ- considerably among themselves,
and they likewise!differ from other nations. They
nowhere display, in their .mental character, the simple,
undeveloped intellect qf the Mongolian and other nomadic
tribes, nOr have they sunkdMof the squalid and sensual condition
of savage life.- We neither,, discover among them
the pyramidal heads of the former nor the; prognathous
uountenance of thengenwe Negro. , These,at least are
nqt frequent phenomena.' It ;iS» however, by no means
ascertained, that the $hemite i&ce. would not degenerate,
as others do, under circumstances tending jjj|g physical degradation.
The following, observations will be found tq;
have some bearing on this question; and, if they» are accurately
related, will go .far, towards furnishing a solution
of it. “ The most curious example,” says a learned and
highly-gifted writer, “ which I have met with of the spread-
ing tendency to -produce in one human race the.- characteris-
tics4#f another, is mentioned by. a ^cent.traveller, almost
the first who explored the Haiiran, a district beyond the
Jordan. He writes as follows | The family residing
here,—at Abu-eLBeady,—in charge of the sanctuary, were
remarkable for having, with the exception of the father
only, negro features, a deep black colour, and crisped hair.
My own opinion was, that this must have been occasioned
by their having been born of a negress mother, as such
persons are * sometimes found among the Arabs, in the re