Rhine. These nations once extended into the north-eastern section
of Europe, whence,they were driven by the Sclavonic tribes.
2. The C im b r ic nations occupy western Germany, and among
many subordinate families, embrace the Saxons, Frisians, Hollanders,
&e.
3. The S cand in av ia n race is regarded by Adelung as a mixture of
Snevic and Cimbric tribes. It includes the Danes, Swedes, Goths,
and Icelanders; for although it is a disputed question, whether the
Goths came from Scandinavia, or from the northern shores of the
Baltic sea, the evidence preponderates in favor of the former opinion.
The Yandals, however, appear to have been strictly a Suevie people.
Of these great divisions I possess but twenty-three skulls, of which
twenty-one are used in the Table. Of this number, all but ohe have
been obtained from hospitals and institutions for paupers, whence we
may infer that they pertain to the least cultivated portion of their
race. The proportion of males to females is twelve to nine.
The exception alluded to above is the skull of a Dutch gentleman
of noble family, who was horn in Utrecht, received a good education,
was of convivial habits, and died at an early age, in the island of
Java. I particularize this cranium, because it is by far the largest in
my whole s e rie s fo r it measures 114 cubic inches of internal capacity.
Contrasted with this is a female Swedish head, kindly sent
me, with several others, by Professor Retzius of Stockholm, which
sinks to sixty-five cubic inches. Between these- extremes the mean
or average is ninety.
The A nglo-Saxons. — The next division of the Teutonic race is
the Anglo-Saxon ; that remarkable people who have made their way
with the sword, but marked their track with civilization. At an
early period of the Christian era, Angli and Saxones, two powerful
tribes, occupied the country between the Cimbrian peninsula, (now
called Jutland,) and along the western shore of the Elbe to the termination
of this river in the Baltic sea. These people commenced their
piratical incursions to the coast of Britain in the fourth century, and
were masters of the island as early as a . d . 449. They found it chiefly
inhabited by the native Britons, who were C e l t s ; but these latter
people had been for nearly 400 years under the dominion of the Romans,
who had largely colonized the country; and so complete was
this subjugation, that the Latin language was the colloquial speech
of all Britain at the fall of the Roman empire, excepting among the
Piets of the coast of Scotland.* From the period of the Anglo-Saxon
invasion, the population became a blended mixture of the Celtic, Pe-
* Bethara: Etruria Celtioa, I. 4.
las<nc and Teutonic races, among which the latter soon took the
preponderance, and gave its'language to the British Islands. The
Horman conquest added another physical element of the Teutonic
stock.
This fusion of three families into one, varying in degree in different
sections of these islands; has given rise to a physiognomy varying in
several respects from the Teutonic caste; while the cranium itself is
less spheroidal, and more decidedly oval, than is characteristic of that
people. • >
I have not hitherto exerted myself to obtain crania of the Anglo-
Saxon race, except in the instance of individuals who have been signalized
by their crimes; and this number is too small to be of much
importance in a generalization like the present. Yet, since these
skulls have been procured without any reference to their size, it is
remarkable that five give an average of 96 cubic inches for the bulk
of the brain; the smallest head measuring 91, and the largest 105
cubic inches. It is necessary, however, to observe, that these are all
male crania; but, on the other hand, they pertained to the lowest
class of society, and three of them died on the gallows for the crime
of murder.
The A nglo-A m er ic a n s conform, in all their characteristics, to the
parent stock. They possess, in common with their English ancestors,
a more elongated head than the unmixed Germans. The few crania
in my possession have, without exception, been derived .from the
lowest and least cultivated portion of the community — malefactors,
paupers, and lunatics. The largest brain has been ninety-seven cubic
inches; the smallest, eighty-two; and the mean of ninety accords
with that of the collective Teutonic race. The sexes of these seven
skulls , are, four male and three female.
Two or three circumstances connected with the ethnology of the
Anglo-American race, seem to call for a passing notice on this
occasion.
Mr. Haldemann has observed that when, in the last century, the
color of the American Indian was supposed to be owing to climate,
it was boldly insisted that the descendants of Europeans in this
country had already made some progress in a change of color. Since
that time an hundred years have elapsed; yet, I presume that no sensible
person will maintain that they have brought with them any confirmation
of the postulate in question.
Dr. Prichard has been informed that the heads of Europeans in the
West Indies approach those of the aboriginal Indian in form, independently
of intermixture. On this point I feel qualified to express
an opinion. I passed three months in the West Indies, and visited