324 t h e c r a n i a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s
the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, north of the Mountains of the
Moon, is composed of numerous and diversified tribes, who, under
the influences of Arabian, Berber, and other foreign immigrations,
have assumed, in general, a higher character than those of the South
African family. This triangular area'of African types incloses a
terra incognita, towards which the ethnologist already looks for
remarkable revelations.2*3 It would require many pages to describe
the cranial characters of the numerous indigenous and exotic tribes
— some exceedingly ancient, and some quite modern — which the
traveller beholds in journeying from Cape Yerde to Abyssinia, thence
to the Cape of Good Hope, and so to the point of departure on the
western coast. A very brief representation, therefore, of some of
the principal cranial types must here suffice.
B lumenbach has already commented upon the number and diversity
of African skull-forms. He figures six African heads in the Decades,
all differing from each other in frontal development, prominence
of the maxillse, configuration of chin, &c. This diversity of form
is still better shown by the African heads contained in the Mortonian
Collection; from which series I select, as the peculiar type of Africa,
not the highest, hut a specimen of the lowest form — that of the
woolly-haired* prognathous man, the true Degro (Rig. 52, on next
page). In doing so,' I hut follow the example of L awrence, and the
advice of M u l l e r , Z eu n e , and others. That the head here figured
243 At a meeting of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, held October 16th,
1855, “ Mr. Ca s s in announced, that M. Duchaillu was about to return to Western Africa, for
the purpose, exclusively, of geographical exploration, and the collection of objects of Natural
History. Arrangements have been made to secure, for the cabinet of this Society, the
collections of Birds especially, and also of some other objects. Mr. Cassin explained the
general design of the Expedition, which was to pass from Cape Lopez, 1° S. latitude,
towards the supposed source of the Congo River, with the intention of attempting to reach
its source. Mr. Duchaillu has already penetrated farther into the interior of this part
of Africa than any other white man. The coast is unknown farther inland than from
twenty to twenty-five miles, except to slavers, there having been no exploration of that
part of Africa. M. Duchaillu had been on the Rivers Moonda and Mouni, had traced the
latter to its source, and had ascertained the existence of high mountains, probably a continuation
or spur of the Atlas range, and much further south than is to be found in any
published maps. Another fact ascertained by him, is the existence of a very populous
nation, of marked Negro character, known as the Powein Nation, which he estimates at
from five to seven millions. Their country extends across from the sources "of the Moonda,
probably to the sources of the Nile, and the nation is probably that mentioned by Bruce, as
occasionally descending the. Nile. It is a warlike and cannibal nation, engaged in agriculture,
not wandering, resembling in this respect the Ashantees and Dahomeys. It displays
the highest degree of civilization yet observed among the true Negroes, presenting
an analogy to the Feejees, among the Oceanic nations. M. Duchaillu possesses peculiar
advantages as an explorer. He has lived long in the country, is entirely acclimated, speaks
well two of the languages, and understands thoroughly the Negro character. He proposes
to proceed merely with convoys of natives from each tribe successively to the next.”
(Ho. 983 of the Collection) is
neither an unusual nor exaggerated
form, is rendered evident
by comparing it with the Creole
Hegro given in the first volume of
P r ic h a r d ’s laborious Researches
into the Physical History of Mankind,
with the drawings of S andi-
F ig .-52.
fort,244 and Cam p er ,345 or with the
skull represented on Plate VIH.
N e g r o .
of Lawrence’s Lectures. Indeed,
this latter drawing presents a more degraded form than the accompanying
figure. The general typical resemblance, however, is so
great, that I transcribe, without hesitation and for self-evident reasons,
the following description by L awrence :
“ The front of the head, including the forehead and face, is compressed laterally, and
considerably elqngated towards the front; hence the length of the whole skull, from the
teeth to the occiput, is considerable. It forms, in this respect, the strongest contrast to
that globular shape which some of the Caucasian races present, and which is very remarkable
in the Turk. — The capacity of the cranium is reduced, particularly in its front
part. . . . Thq face, on the contrary, is enlarged. The frontal bone is shorter, and, as
well as the parietal, less excavated and less capacious than in the European; the temporal
ridge mounts higher, and the space which it includes is much more considerable. The
front of the skull seems compressed into a narrow keel-like form between the two powerful
temporal muscles, which rise nearly to the highest part of the head; and has a compressed
figure, which is not equally marked in the entire head, on account of the thickness of the
muscles. Instead of the ample swell of the forehead and vertex, which rises between and
completely surmounts the comparatively weak temporal muscles of the European, we often
see only a small space left between the two temporal ridges in the Ethiopian. — The foramen
magnum is larger, and lies farther back in the head; the other openings for the
passage of the nerves are larger. — The bony substance is denser and harder; the sides
of the skull thicker, and the whole weight consequently more considerable.-|s The bony
apparatus employed in mastication, and in forming receptacles for the organs of sense, is
larger, stronger, and more advantageously constructed for powerful effect, than in the
races where more extensive use of experience and reason, and greater civilization, supply
the place of animal strength. — If the bones of the face in the Negro were taken as a basis,
and a cranium were added to them of the same relative magnitude which it possesses in the
European, a receptacle for the brain would be required much larger than in the latter case.
However, we find it considerably smaller. Thus the intellectual part is lessened, the animal
organs are enlarged: proportions are produced just opposite to those which are found
in the Grecian ideal model. . . . The narrow, low, and slanting forehead, and the elongation
of the jaws into a kind of muzzle, give to this head an animal character, which cannot
escape the most cursory examination. . . . It is sufidciently obvious, that on a vertical
244 Museum Acad. Lugd. Batav., t. 1 , tab. 3.
245 Dissertat sur les Varietés Naturelles, &c., tab. I., fig. S. — Since writing the above, a
umber of human orania and casts, formerly belonging to Dr. Harlan’s Collection, have
been presented to the Academy, by Mr. Harlan. Among these, is the cast of a Mozambique
»null, closely resembling the heads above alluded to.