mountains on the north, the Vindya on the south, and between the
Indian ocean and the Bay of Bengal.* In this rggion, called Ayra-
Varta, or India Proper, live those once-powerful tribes which it has
taken the English more than half a century to subdue. The occupancy
of India by these Persian tribes dates, according to M. Guigniaut,
from the year 3101 before Christ, when also it is supposed the division
of castes was instituted. [ 3® ]
thirty-two adult Indostanic skulls in my collection, eight only
can be identified with tribes of the Ayra or conquering race; nor
even in this small number is there unequivocal proof of the affinity in
question. The largest head in the series, that of a Brahmin who was
executed, in Calcutta, for murder, measures ninety-one cubic inches
for the size of the brain — the smallest head, seventy-nine. Two
others pertain to Thuggs, remarkable for an elongated form and
lateral flatness. . The mean of these Ayra heads is eighty-six cubic
inches.
Contrasted with this people, and occupying the country adjacent to
the Bay of Bengal, are th% Bengalees — small of stature, feeble in
constitution, and timid in disposition. They are obviously an aboriginal
race, upon whom a foreign language has been imposed; and
are far inferior, both mentally and physically, to the true Ayr as.
Weak and servile themselves, they are surrounded by warrior castes;
and perhaps the most remarkable feature of their character is the
absence of will,, and implicit obedience to those who govern them.
Of these child-like people, my collection embraces twenty-four adult
crania, of which the largest measures ninety cubic inches; the smallest,
sixty-seven; and the mean of all is but seventy-eight.
All the Caucasian families of which we have spoken, belong to that
vast chain of nations called Indo-European, in consequence of their
having one common tongue, the Sanscrit, as the basis .of their varied
languages. This is also the Japetic race, and it extends from India
proper in one direction to Iceland in the other.
i T h e .S e m i t i c F a m i l y . — This group includes the Chaldeans, Assyrians,
Syrians, and Lydians of antiquity, together with the Arabians
and Hebrews.
The immense number of Jews in Egypt, even after the Exode (b . c.,
1528), and especially during the Greek dominion of the Lagidse,f
would lead us to search for the embalmed bodies of this people in the
catacombs; and hence it was no surprise to me to identify, with considerable
certainty, seven Semitico-Egyptian heads, in all of which
* See President Salisbury’s Discourse on Sanscrit and Arabic Literature: New Haven,
1843. The Ayra race derive their name from Iran, Persia,
f Josephus, B. XII. Chap. 2.
the Hebrew physiognomy is more or lesspapparent, and in some of
them unquestionable. This identity is further confirmed by the fact,
that the Jews in Egypt adopted the custom of embalming at a very
early period of time (Genesis 1. 26). And again, the two nations appear
to have fraternized in a remarkable manner ; for Adad married the
sister of Pharaoh’s wife, and one of Solomon’s wives was the daughter
of an Egyptian king, who is supposed to have beèn Osorkon. [ 389] To
these facts we may add the marriage of Joseph, at a far earlier period
of history, with a daughter of the priest of Heliopolis. Eor these reasons,
I repeat, the Hebrew nation should be largely represented in
the catacombs.
Five of my embalmed Semitic heads are susceptible of measurement,
and give the low average of eighty-two cubic inches — the
largest measuring eighty-eight; the smallest, sixty-nine,* In these
crania, and also in others of existing Semitic tribes, I have looked in
vain for the pit described by Mulder as situated on the outer wall of
the orbit at the attachment of the temporal muscles; and consequently
there is no trace of the corresponding elevation, also described
by him, within the orbitar cavity.
I have had but little success in procuring the crania of the modern
Semitie -tribes ; and for thé three that I possess I am indebted to Mr.
Gliddon. Of these, two are Baramka or Barmecide Arabs ; the third,
a Bedouin. The largest measures ninety-eight cubic inches ; the smallest,
eighty-four ; an^i the mean is eighty-nine ; but if we take the
average of these eight Semitic heads, ancient and modern, it will be
eighty-fivé inches.
I also received from Mr. Gliddon three additional skulls, from
Cairo, which he was assured were those of Jews ; [ ™ ] but their form
has induced me to class them, perhaps erroneously, with the Fellahs
of Egypt. + " ■
T he Nilotic P ace.—In this designation I include the ancient
Egyptians of the pure stock, and the modern Fellahs.
For the extensive series of Egyptian skulls in my possession, I am
indebted to the kindness of Mr. Gliddon, Mr. A. C. Harris of Alexandria,
in Egypt, Dr. Charles Pickering, and Mr. William A. Gliddon.
Of these 129 embalmed heads, 88 present the Egyptian conformation
; and of the latter number, 55 are capable of being measured.
I may here repeat a previous remark, that some of these crania
present both Pelasgic and Egyptian lineaments, and thus form a
transition between the two races ; but I have classed them in one
group or the other, according to the preponderance of national char*
Crania iEgyptiaca, pp. 41 and 46, and the accompanying plates,
■j* Catalogue of skulls, Nos. 771, 772, 773.