of the Human Species, 819 



skulls have the oval, or, as it is termed, Caucasian form. We 

 thus find that the division of mankind termed the Mongolian 

 race, includes several groups or classes of nations distinguished 

 by the most permanent and indelible characters which are 

 known to separate the great families of the human race from 

 each other. They are associated by no common circumstance 

 whatever, except a resemblance in physical characters, and these 

 are plainly subject to great varieties. 



" We now come to Baron Cuvier''s Caucasian race, of which 

 he gives the following account : — * The stock from which we 

 are descended has been termed the Caucasian race, because the 

 traditions and filiations of tribes seem to carry it to that group 

 of mountains situated between the Caspian and the Black Sea. 

 He goes on to say, that ' the principal branches of the Cauca^ 

 sian race may he distinguished by the analogy of their lan- 

 guages? Here he enters upon the ground of philological in- 

 vestigation, and it is important to observe how far it affords a 

 firm basis for his conclusions. The branches of the Caucasian 

 race are thus mentioned : — ' l.y^. The Aramean branch, or that 

 of Syria, directed its progress southward ; it produced the As- 

 syrians, the Chaldeans, the Arabs, always unconquered, who, 

 after Mohammed, expected to have become lords of the world ; 

 the Phoenicians, the Jews, and the Abyssinians, colonies of the 

 Arabs ; it is very probable,' he adds, ' that the Egyptians be- 

 longed to the same division.' Before we proceed to the account 

 which is given of other branches of the Caucasian stock, we may 

 take an opportunity to observe, that some historical paradoxes 

 have been already brought under our view. Both Jews and 

 Arabs are allowed to have ancient traditions ; yet none of these, 

 written or oral, represent either people as descended from Mount 

 Caucasus. Again, it is not a little startling to find the red or 

 copper-coloured Egyptians considered as Caucasians, and as be- 

 longing to the Semitic stock of nations. How is this to be re- 

 conciled with the statement of Herodotus and Manetho, and all 

 the historians who so strongly contrast the Egyptians with the 

 Jews, and even of Moses, who represented them as speaking 

 different languages as early as the time of the patriarch Joseph ? 

 And how, indeed, are we to get over the fact, that the Egyp- 

 tian language which remains to our time, is entirely of a dif- 



