Chap. VII. THE EACES OF MAN. 225 



gether in large numbers in the same country, lie would 

 immediately discover that this was by no means the 

 case. In Brazil he would behold an immense mongrel 

 population of Negroes and Portuguese ; in Chiloe and 

 other parts of South America, he would behold the 

 whole population consisting of Indians and Spaniards 

 blended in various degrees. 15 In many parts of the 

 same continent he would meet with the most complex 

 crosses between Negroes, Indians, and Europeans ; and 

 such triple crosses afford the severest test, judging from 

 the vegetable kingdom, of the mutual fertility of the 

 parent-forms. In one island of the Pacific he would 

 find a small population of mingled Polynesian and 

 English blood ; and in the Viti Archipelago a popula- 

 tion of Polynesians and Negritos crossed in all degrees. 

 Many analogous cases could be added, for instance, in 

 South Africa. Hence the races of man are not suffi- 

 ciently distinct to co-exist without fusion ; and this it 

 is, which in all ordinary cases affords the usual test of 

 specific distinctness. 



Our naturalist would likewise be much disturbed as 

 soon as he perceived that the distinctive characters of 

 every race of man were highly variable. This strikes 

 every one when he first beholds the negro-slaves in 

 Brazil, who have been imported from all parts of Africa. 

 The same remark holds good with the Polynesians, and 

 with many other races. It may be doubted whether 

 any character can be named which is distinctive of a 

 race and is constant. Savages, even within the limits of 

 the same tribe, are not nearly so uniform in character, 

 as has often been said. Hottentot women offer certain 



15 M. de Quatrefages has given (' Anthropolog. Eeview,' Jan. 1860, 

 p. 22) an interesting account of the success and energy of the Paulistas 

 in Brazil, who are a much crossed race of Portuguese and Indians, with 

 a mixture of the blood of other races. 



VOL. I. Q 



