582 The Descent of Man. Part III. 



Mr. Winwood Reade, however, who has had ample oppor- 

 tunities for observation, not only with the negroes of the West 

 Coast of Africa, but with those of the interior who have never 

 associated with Europeans, is convinced that their ideas of 

 beauty are on the whole the same as ours ; and Dr. Eohlfs writes 

 to me to the same effect with respect to Bornu and the countries 

 inhabited by the Pullo tribes. Mr. Eeade found that he agreed 

 with the negroes in their estimation of the beauty of the native 

 girls ; and that their appreciation of the beauty of European 

 women corresponded with ours. They admire long hair, and 

 use artificial means to make it appear abundant ; they admire 

 also a beard, though themselves very scantily provided. Mr. 

 Reade feels doubtful what kind of nose is most appreciated : a 

 girl has been heard to say," I do not want to marry him, he has 

 " got no nose ;" and this shews that a very flat nose is not admired. 

 We should, however, bear in mind that the depressed, broad 

 noses and projecting jaws of the negroes of the West Coast are 

 exceptional types with the inhabitants of Africa. Notwithstand- 

 ing the foregoing statements, Mr. Eeade admits that negroes 

 " do not like the colour of our skin ; they look on blue eyes with 

 " aversion, and they think our noses too long and our lips too 

 " thin." He does not think it probable that negroes would ever 

 prefer the most beautiful European woman, on the mere grounds 

 of physical admiration, to a good-looking negress. 68 



The general truth of the principle, long ago insisted on by 

 Humboldt, 69 that man admires and often tries to exaggerate 

 whatever characters nature may have given him, is shewn in 

 many ways. The practice of beardless races extirpating every 

 trace of a beard, and often all the hairs on the body, affords one 

 illustration. The skull has been greatly modified during ancient 

 and modern times by many nations; and there can be little 

 doubt that this has been practised, esjDecially in N. and S. 

 America, in order to exaggerate some natural and admired 



158 The 'African Sketch Book,' consider us as superior beings. I 



vol. ii. 1873, pp. 253, 394, 521. should add that a most experienced 



The Fuegians, as I have been in- ob&erver, Capt. Burton, believes 



formed by a missionary who long that a woman whom we consider 



resided with them, consider Euro- beautiful is admired throughout t,he 



pean women as extremely beautiful ; world, ' Anthropological Review,' 



but from what we have seen of the March, 1864, p. 245. 



judgment of the other aborigines of 69 ' Personal Narrative,' Eng. 



America, I cannot but think that translat. vol. iv. p. 518, and else- 



this must be a mistake, unless in- where. Mantegazza, in his ' Viaggi 



deed the statement refers to the few e Studi,' 1867, strongly insists on 



Fuegians who have lived for some this same principle. 

 time with Europeans, and who roust 



