rather to the “ Caucasian” family,' as suggested
by C u v i e r , in his observations upon
the Venus Hottentotte. 2 6 6 This opinion is confirmed
by a Gruanche skull in the Mortonian
Collection.
Through Crania Americana, it has long
been known to the scientific world that a
remarkable sameness of osteological character
pervades all the American tribes
from Hudson’s Bay to Terra del Fuego. It
is equally well known, that the researches of H umboldt and Ga l la t in
have demonstrated a conformity not less remarkable in the language
and artistic tendencies of these numerous and widely-scattered aborigines.
Dr. M orton divides the American race into two great
families — the Toltecan, possessing a very ancient demi-civilization,
and the Barbarous tribes. The latter, he sub-divides into the Appalachian,
Brazilian, Patagonian, and Fuegian branches. The Appalachians
are characterized by a rounded head; large, salient, and
aquiline nose; dark-brown and very slightly oblique eyes; large
and straight mouth, with nearly vertical teeth; the whole face
triangular. The physical traits of the Brazilian group differ but
little from those of the Appalachian. A larger and more expanded
nose, and larger mouths and lips, seem to constitute the only difference.
Tall statures, fine forms, and indomitable courage distinguish
the Patagonian group. The Fuegians have large heads, broad
faces, small eyes, clumsy bodies, large chests, and ill-shaped legs.
As the cranial type or standard representative of these American
Barlaroi, I have selected the head of a Cotonay, or Black-foot chief,
named the “Bloody Hand” (Fig. 60).
It is from the upper Missouri, and
was presented by J. J. Audubon,
Esq. (Ho. 1227 of the Collection).
The following extract from the Crania
Americana will serve to give the reader
a general idea of the cranial peculiarities
of the American type, while
a comparison with the subjoined figures
will show how extensively this
type has been distributed over our
continent.
Fig. 60.
C o to na y .
“ After examining a great number of skulls, I find that the nations
east of the Alleghany Mountains, together with the cognate tribes,
256 Mémoires du Museum d’Histoire naturelle, t. iii.
have the head more elongated than any other Americans. This
remark applies especially to the great Lenapé stock, the Iroquois,
and the Cherokees. To the west of the Mississippi, we again meet
with the elongated head in the Mandans, Ricaras, Assinaboins, and
some other tribes. Yet even in these instances, the characteristic
truncation of the occiput is more or less obvious, while many nations
east of the Rocky Mountains have the rounded head so characteristic
of the race, as the Osages, Ottoes, Missouris, Dacotas, and numerous
others. The same conformation is common in Florida; but some
of these nations are evidently of the Toltecan family, as both their
characters and traditions testify. The head of the Charibs, as well
of the Antilles as of Tèrra Firma, are also naturally rounded ; and
we trace this character, so far as we have had opportunity for examination,
through the nations east of the Andes, the Patagonians and
the tribes of Chili. In fact, the flatness of the occipital portion of the
cranium will probably be found to characterize a greater or less
number of individuals in every existing tribe, from Terra del Fuego
to the Canadas.26? If these skulls be viewed from behind, we observe
the occipital outline to be moderately curved outwards, wide at the
261 It is pleasing to observe the unabated energy and zeal which the Professor of History
and English Literature in University College, Toronto (already, as we have seen, celebrated
for his" archaeological and ethnological researches in Scotland), still bestows upon his
favorite study, in his new Canadian home. In a recent No. of the Canadian Journal of
Industry, Science, and Art (November, 1856), of which he is the editorial head, the reader
will find, from his pen, an interesting account of the Discovery of Indian Remains in Canada
West, From this article I select the following paragraph, from its bearing upon the subject
matter presented in the text above: “ No indications,” says Prof. W., “ have yet been
noticed of a race in Canada corresponding to the Brachy-cephalic or square-headed mound-
builders of the Mississippi, although such an approximation to that type undoubtedly
prevails throughout this continent as, to a considerable extent, to bear out the conclusions
of Dr. Morton, that a conformity of organization is obvious in the osteological structure
of the whole American population, extending from the southern Fuegians, to the Indians
skirting the Arctic Esquimaux. But such an approximation—and it is unquestionably no
more — still leaves open many important questions relative to the area and race of the
ancient mound-builders. On our northern shores of the great chain of lakes, crania of the
more recent brachy-cephalic type have unquestionably been repeatedly found in comparatively
modem native graves. Such, however, are the exception, and not the rule. The
prevailing type, so far as my present experience extends, presents a very marked predominance
of the-longitudinal over the parietal and vertical diameter; while, even in the
exceptional cases, the brachy-cephalic characteristics fall far short of those so markedly
distinguishing the ancient crania, the distinctive features of which some observers have
affirmed them to exhibjt. In point of archasological evidence of ancient occupation, moreover,
our northern sepulchral disclosures have hitherto revealed little that is calculated to
add to our definite knowledge of the past, although the traces of ancient metallurgie arts
suggest the probability of such evidence being found. The discovery of distinct proofs
of the ancient extension of the race of the mound-builders into these northern and eastern
regions, would furnish an addition of no slight importance to our materials for the primeval
istory of the Great Lake districts embracing Canada West."