eiglit of the islands, when slavery was everywhere in vogue (1834) ;
and I can unhesitatingly declare that I saw nothing to confirm this
assertion, which I regard as wholly idle and gratuitous. The only
difference that occurred to me was, that the better class of English
women had become paler, or whiter, and thinner, on account of the
great and constant heat of the climate, and consequent neglect of
exercise..
The observations of Dr. Pinkard, an intelligent English author,*
correspond entirely with my own. He relates that he saw in the Island
of Barbadoes’(where I myself passed six weeks), an English family
that had lived there through at least six generations ; “ and yet,” he
adds, “ one would suppose them to have been horn in Europe, so fine
was the skin, so clear the complexion, and so well formed the features.”
Similar remarks have been made respecting the Mexican
Spaniards, and the colonists of South America generally.
Although h u t -& skulls are included in the preceding Teutonic
series, yet, when we take into consideration their variety and authen-
tieity, and the fact that they have been collected without regard to
size, I have no hesitation in assuming ninety cubic inches for the
average of the brain in the Germanic family of nations ; and I am’
further convinced that this standard is the highest among the races
of men.
We should reasonably look for a preponderating brain in a race
that is not more remarkable for its conquests and its colonies, than
for the extent of its civilization ; a race that has peopled hTorth America,
reduced all India to vassalage, and is fast spreading itself over
Polynesia, Southern Africa and Australia ; a race that is destined to
plough the field of Palestine, and reap the harvests of thé Mile.
T h e S clavonic R ac e .—It is remarked by Dr. Prichard, that our
acquaintance with the Germanic nations dates hack three centuries
before Christ ; hut the history of the Slavonic tribes begins nine centuries
later. They are obviously the descendants of the ancient Sar-
matians, and, among many smaller nations, at present • embrace the
Russians, Poles, Lithuanians, Bohemians, and Moravians.
I much regret that my cranial series possesses but a single example
derived from this race,—the skull of a woman of Olmutz sent me hy
Prof. Retzius, and which measures only cubic inches. I record
this deficiency in my collection, in the hope that some person interested
in pursuits of this nature may he induced to provide me with
materials for making the requisite comparisons. My impression is,
that the Sclavonic brain will prove much less voluminous than that
of the Teutonic race.
* Quoted by RudolpM : Anthropologie, p. 153.
T h e F in n i s h R ac e .—Among these people I consider the true type
to be preserved in the Western Finns—the aboriginal inhabitants of
Scandinavia, the predecessors of the Teutonic nations; for the Estbo-
nians, the Tchudic tribes of Middle Russia and Permia, and, above
all, the Hgrians of Siberia, have lived so long in contact with the
Mongolian races, that they often present a veiy mixed physical character.*
We should, therefore, he cautious in grouping these communities
into a supposed cognate race, merely from analogies of
language, which, however, important as aids in ethnology, áre often
no better than blind guides.f
I am the more particular in making these remarks, because the
Madjars of Hungary have been classed, not only with the Finns, but
even with the Bashkirs and Votiaks of Siberia, upon no other grounds
than those just mentioned.! But mark a single admitted fact: the
Tchudish tribe of Metzegers speaks the Turkish language, and, for
this reason, has been by some writers actually classed with' the Tartar
races, with whom they were supposed to be affiliated! And, sinqe
the stronger often gives its language to the weaker race, is it not
most probable that the Bashkirs, Votiaks, and other tribes have-derived
their language, by adoption, from the contiguous Tchudic
population?? ÜÉI ■ 1 i _ 1
Again, the present Madjars of Hungary entered that country in the
middle of the ninth century, not to take possession of an uninhabited
region, but to mingle with a numerous existing population; whence
their characteristics,-both of mind and body, must have undergone a
remarkable change, and become highly improved.
History indicates the cause of these changes when if tells us, .that
when the Madjars arrived in Hungary they at once formed political
a l l i a n c e s with the German princes, in order to check or expel “ the
common enemies of both nations, the Sclavonian races.” ' It is to be
inferred, 'as a matter of course, under these circumstances,'that the
intrusive Madjars formed social connexions, not only with the Sclavo-
nians, whom they reduced to subjection, in the heart of Pannonia,
hut also with the surrounding German communities; and, in this
* For evidence of this kind in relation to the inhabitants of north--western Asia, even in
very ancient times, see Herodolus, Melpomene, cap. cviii., and Dr. Wiseman’s - Lectures, pp.
103 105. Pallas further informs us that the Nogais, who are decided Mongolians, are fast
losing their natural traits by intermarriage with, the Russians.—Trav. in Russia, p. 425.
f A single example, now before' our eyes, will illustrate this proposition. “ Two hundred
years since, the Irish language prevailed over the whole province of Leinster. English was
spoken only in the cities and great towns. At the present moment not one' person in a
thousand, even of the lowest rank of the natives of that, district, understand Irish.”—
Betham: Etruria Céltica, i. 31. Here, then, are 2,000,000 of Celts, who, if judged solely
by their spoken language, would be classed with the Anglo-SaxoU race.
| Prichard: Researches, &c. iii. 326, 330.