■which makes it sometimes look flat, especially in women and children'; in them, also, the
lips, which in general are long and curved, are slightly prominent. Teeth fine; incisors
large. Cheek-bones large, not salient; enlarging the face, which, nevertheless, is longer
than wide.” ,
Blumenbach describes the cranium thus: — “ Summit of the head slightly contracted;
’forehead rather convex; cheek-bones not prominent; superior maxillary bone rather projecting;
parietal protuberances very prominent.”
Jacquinot declares that these characters are constant in all the individuals of the Polynesian
race; and he says feis description is confirmed by Forster,509 Moerenhout,510 Ellis, 511
Quoy et Gaimord, and others.
Most authors recognize three distinct races among the Polynesians: independent of those
just described, they designate the inhabitants of the Carolines, or Micronesians, and the
Malays; but M. Jacquinot regards this division as unfounded in nature. That there is
considerable variety of types in these scattered islands is admitted; and the question reduces
itself to, whether these islanders are really of one stock or of several. Anthropo-
logy perceives no reason for supposing that they are all descended from one pair; and I
therefore regard them as a group of proximate races, like the numerous other groups
already signalized on the earth’s» superficies. They have been separated, by some writers,
on philological grounds; but I hold it to be a demonstrable, even if not demonstrated fact,
that zoological characters are far more reliable than mere analogies of language; which
(critically examined) are frequently less real than fanciful.
After surveying the Polynesian race in detail, through all the islands, from the Philippines
to New Zealand and the Sandwich, Jacquinot concludes
u Thus this race is found spread from 20° N. lat. to 50° S. la t .; that is to say, it occupies
a space of about 3500 miles of latitude by 4500 of longitude. Certainly, within these
extremes, the climate offers numerous variations. Some of these islands are flat, others
mountainous; some are very fertile, others sterile; and, notwithstanding all these circumstances,
the Polynesians remain the same everywhere. They are all in the same degree of
civilization, of industry and intelligence; their color is not more dark under the equator
than without the tropics—and everywhere we find some more brown than others.
“ We repeat that, before such facts fall all theories respecting the influence of atmosphere
and of climate.
“ They prove also, in the clearest manner, that the Polynesians cannot be a hybrid race;
because, if it were so, they could not preserve, in the numerous islands, a homogeneousness
of character so perfect; there would necessarily be mixed breeds in different degrees, find
showing every shade and grade. The Polynesian race then is primitive.”
The original of Fig. 289
Fig. 289. Fig. 290. died in the Marine hospital
at Mobile, while under the
charge of my friends Drs.
Levert and Mastin; and
the skull was presented to .
Agassiz and myself for examination,
without being
apprised of its history.
Notwithstanding there was
something in its form which
appeared unnatural, yet it
resembled more than any
other race the Polynesian;
and as such we did not hesitate
Sandwich Islander. Vertical view.
to class it. It turned out afterwards that we were right; and that our embarrassment
had been produced by an artificial flattening of the occiput; which process the
Fig. 291.512 Fig. 292.513
Guanche.
Fig. 293.S14
N ouka-Hivaian.
Fig. 294.515
Islander, while at the
hospital, had told Drs.
Levert and M a s t in
■was habitual in his
family. The profile
view displays less protuberance
of brain behind,
and the vertical
view more compres-
sion of occiput, than
belongs generally to
his ra c e ; but still
there remains enough
of cranial characteristics
to mark his Polynesian
origin; even
were not the man s
history preserved, to
attest the gross depravity'of
his animal
propensities.
The first of these
heads (Fig. 291) is an
ancient Guanche from
the C a n a r y - I s le s ;
and, though out of
place here, is one of
Dumoutier’s series.—
Besides being itself
interesting, it contrasts
still more powerfully
with American
aborigines.
The other five (Figs.
292-296) are Polynesians
from different
islands, presenting a
strong family likeness
to each other—reced-
■ ing foreheads; elongated
heads; projecting
jaws, ponderous
Taitian.
Fig. 295.S16
i Tonga-Islander.
Fig . 296.517
Fegee-Islander. Sandwich-Isländer.
behind, &c.
I have pursued the Oceanic races, somewhat in detail, .from the
Indian seas across the whole extent of the Pacific Ocean to the shores
of America; where another groupof races, of entirely different type,
remains yet to be described. .My object in this tedious voyage has
been, to place before the reader such material as might enable him
to judge whether there is any proof, in this geographical direction,
of migrations from the Old to the blew World, that could account
for its primitive manner of population. We have beheld, during our
Oceanic travels, very opposite types in localities near to each other,