290 PHYSICAL COMPARISON
some to prove them to have been entirely, separate from the
rest of mankind from a very early period, and before the
developement of such arts and sciences as the American
•nations possessed.
Paragraph 1.—Of the mutual Resemblance observed between
therAmerican Races.
Europeans who travelled among the American nations at
an early period after-the discovery of the New World seeifc
to have been very strongly impressed by a certain uniformity
of aspect which they observed or imagined between the native
tribes. Herrera inferred from their general resemblance a
common origin* He s a y s E s cosa notable que tod as las
gentcs^de las Indias, del norte y def mediodia, son de una
misma inclinacion y calidad, porque segun la major opinion
procedièron de una misma parte; y asimtsmo. los do las islas,
a las quales passarèn de la tierra firma de Florida.” Don
Antonio Ulloa is often quoted as saying, “ Visto mi Indio dé
quahjuiera region, se puede decir que se ban visto todos • —
« A person who has seen an Indian of whatever region may
say that he has seen them all.” The impression which these
writers received appears to have been precisely that which
travellers from civilised countries havenver experienced when
they have first visited barbarous nations whose triform .habi ts
of life give rise to a similarity of demeanour and expression.
The Romans made the same remark respecting our German
ancestors.
There is, however, a considerable resemblance in the* most
striking physical characters of many nations in America.
The tribes ih the northern part of the continent are very
similar in complexion and in some other traits to those of the
south. Among those writers who have made this observation,
the most distinguished is the Baron Alexander von Humboldt.
He says: — u The Indians of New Spain bear a
general resemblance to those who inhabit Canada, Florida,
Peru, and Brazil. They have the same swarthy and copper
colour, straight and smooth hair, small beard, squat body,
long eyes,—with the comers directed upwards towards the
temples*- -prominent * eheek-bones, thick lips, expression of
gentleness in the mouth stropgly contrasted with a gloomy
and severe look.” | Over a million and a half f p square
leagues, from Tierra del Fuegdfto the driver,' St. Lawrence and
Behring’s Straits, we are- struck at the fir&Fglance with the
general resemblancelfin the -features of,the inhabitants i->> We
think that we perceive them all to *be descended* from the
same (stock, notwithstanding the prodigious*, diversity-of languages*
which separates them one from a n o t h e r “ In the
faithful-portrait which excellent .observer, M. Volney, has
drawn of the Canady Indians, 5we undoubtedly.-trecegufise
the tribes scattered in the savannahs ofi ^ Rio Apttre and
the Caronyv The same style of features- feasts in both
Americas.-” # ■ ■
These observations must not lead us do suppose that th ep l
arC-Upt dmong the numerous, rucesi&fi America aseonsiderable
diversities of physical character. This factfsjjg '•asserted by
writers on whose- testimony we-may place reliance'. «
Molina, the Celebrated author o f the history of Ghil-i, says
the American nations are as • different frbm* each other {as.-are
the several nations, of Europe. | RideN fra vfo^te^©/’ he
says, V quandcrleggb' in-de*ti scrifctori mbdfetfiai',' riputati diligent!
osservatori, che tutti gli American! h&nno un medfesitno
aspetto, e che quando Si ne-abbia veduto ubo, si possa dire
di avergli vedutti tutti. Gotesti autori si lasciarono troppo
Sedurre da certe vaghe appareiize dhsomiglia'nza, ptocede&ti
per lo piii dal colorito, le quali svaniscono toStdhefee si con-
frontano gl’ individui di. una nazioneyeem qitelli dell’ ultra.
Un iChilese non si differenzia meno nell’ aspettd da un Peru-
viano, che un Italiano da un Tedescoc Io ho vedutepur dei
Paraguai, dei Cujani, e' dei Maf eMamiciy i- quali tutti hanrio
dei lineamenti peculiar!, che di distinguono notabilmefite gli
uni dagli altri.” *t*
I musk now cite two more teeCnt Writers who are singularly
at variance with each^bther oil the question of the
* Political Esifty. on New’-Spafi, feMk’ vi-
- f Molina sull'a Storia Chili, ‘p.