above downwards. The measurement, made by the help of drawings, showed a very considerable
difference in the four sections, and an increase of that difference with the age.
This latter peculiarity is more significant than the mere inequality between the four
parts of the head. All zoologists are aware of the great difference in the formation of the
heads of the old and the young orang-outans. The characteristic of both is the large
size of the whole face, particularly the jaw, in comparison with the skull; in the .young
orang-outan, the extent of the latter exceeds that of the jaw; in the old it is the reverse,
in consequence of a series of large teeth having taken the place of the earlier small ones,
which resemble the milk-teeth of man. In fact, in all men, the. proportion between the
skull and face^changes with the maturity-of life ; but this change is not so considerable in
the European as in the African. I have before me a very exact profile-drawing of a Negro
boy, in which I find the total height, from the crown to the chin, four inches; the upper
of the four sections, not quite nine lines; the second, one inch; the third, thirteen lines;
the fourth, fourteen and one-quarter lines. The drawing is about three-quarters of the
natural size; and, accordingly, these numbers should be proportionately increased. The
strongly-marked head of an adult Caffrer a cast of which is in the Berlin-Museum, shows a
much greater difference in its proportions. I have an exact drawing of it, reduced to two-
thirds of the natural size, and I find the various sections as follows: — the first is 11 lines;
the second, 13; the third, 15; and the fourth, 18 lines. This would give, for a full-sized
head of 7J inches, 1 5 | lines for the crown; 19£ for the forehead: 22£ for the part including
the nose; and 27 lines for that of the jaws and teeth. In a normal European head, the
height of which is supposed to be 8£, each part generally measures 2 inches, while the
remaining £ may be variously distributed, in fractions, throughout lhe whole.
“ Any difference of measurement in the European seldom surpasses a few lines, at the
most: it is impossible to find a case of natural formation where the difference between the
parts of the head amounts, as in the Gaffre, to one inch. I would not assert, that this
enormous difference is a law in the Negro race. I grant, that the Caffre has the Negro
type in its excessive degree, and cannot, therefore, be taken as a model of the whole African
race. But, if the normal difference only amounts to half that indicated, it still remains
so much larger than in the European, as to be a very significant mark of distinction between
the races, and an important point in the settlement of the question of their comparative
mental faculties.
“ The peculiar expression of the Negro physiognomy depends upon this difference between
the four sections. The narrow, flat crown; the low, slanting forehead; the projection
of the upper edges of the orbit of the ey e ; the short, flat, and, at the lower part, broad
nose; the prominent, but slightly turned-up lips, which are more thick than curved; the
broad, retreating chin, and the peculiarly small eyes, in which so little of the white eyeball
can be seen; the very small, thick ears, which stand off from the head; the short, crisp,
woolly hair, and the black color of the skin — are the most marked peculiarities of the Negro
head and face. On a close examination of the Negro races, similar differences will be
found among them, as among Europeans. The western Africans, from Guinea to Congo,
have very short, turned-up lips. They are .ordinarily very ugly, and represent the purest
Negro type. The southern races, which inhabit Loanda and Benguela, have a longer nose,
with its bridge more elevated and its wings contracted; they have, however, the full lips,
while their hair is somewhat thicker. Some of the individuals of these races have tolerably
good, agreeable faces. A peculiar arch of the forehead, above its middle, is common
among them.
“ In the eastern part of Southern Africa, the natives have, instead of the concave bridge
of the nose, one more or less convex, and very thick, flat lips, not at all turned:up. The
Negroes of the East are commonly more light-colored than those of the West; their color
tends rather to brown than to black, and the wings of their noses are thinner. * The people
of Mozambique are the chief representatives of this race — the Caffres also belong to it.
The nose of the Oaffre is shorter and broader than that of the others, but it has the convex
bridge. The short, curly hair shows no essential deviation. The dark, brownish-black
eyeball, which is hardly distinguishable from the pupil, remains constant. The -white of
the eye has in all Negroes a yellowish tinge. The lips are always brown, never red-colored;
they hardly differ in color from the skin in the neighborhood; towards the interior edges,
however, they become lighter, and assume the dark-red flesh-color of the inside of the
mouth. The teeth are very strong, and are of a glistening whiteness. The tongue is of a
large size, and remarkable in thickness. The ear, in conformity with the nose, is surprisingly
small, and is very unlike the large, flat ear of the ape. In all Negroes, the external
border of the ear is very much curved, especially behind, which is quite different in the
ape. This curvature of the ear is a marked peculiarity of the human species. The ear-lobe
is very small, although the whole ear is exceedingly fleshy.
“ The small ear of the Negro cannot, however, be called handsome; its substance is too
thick for its size. The whole ear gives the impression of an organ that is stunted in its
growth, and its upper part stands off to a great distance from the head.”
It may be objected against perfect exactitude in tbe above minutiae,
tbat races run insensibly into each otber; but I contend, on tbe other
hand, that gradation is the law, as illustrated in our Chapter VI.
Looking for a point of departure, in this brief anatomical comparison
of types, one naturally turns to Egypt, where the most ancient
and satisfactory materials are found: there lie not only the embalmed
bodies of many races, deposited in catacombs several thousand years
old, but all anatomical facts deducible from these are confirmed nby
those characteristic portraits of races, on the monuments, with which
our volume abounds.
And here it is, that homage is more especially due to our great
countryman, M orton, whose Crania Americana and Crania JEgyptiaca
created eras in anthropology. His acumen, in this department of
science, is admitted by those who have studied his works; for, beyond
all other anatomists, he enjoyed the advantage of possessing, in several
departments, the most complete as^brtment of skulls in the world.
His collections of American and Egyptian crania, especially, are copious,
and of singular interest.
In 1844, Dr. Morton had received “ 137 human crania, of which 100
pertain to the,ancient inhabitants of Egypt,” 461 Seventeen additional
of the latter reached his cabinet in the same year;462 the more interesting
as they were taken from tombs opened by Lepsius around the
pyramids of the IVth dynasty; and, in some instances, may have
been coeval with those early sepulchres. Through the enthusiastic
cooperation of his many friends, about twenty-three more mummied
heads463 were added by 1851: so that his studies were matured over
the crania of some 140 ancient, compared with ¡37 skulls of modern
Egyptian races. Such facilities are as unexampled as the analytical
labor bestowed upon them by the lamented Doctor was conscientiously
severe. Possessors of his works, correspondence, and inedited
manuscripts, my colleague and myself can now speak unhesitatingly
upon Morton’s testamentary views.
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