of the prcehistorical World in South America. 41 



of them are to such a degree pressed in, that the forehead 

 almost entirely disappears. It is known, that the human 

 figures which were sculptured upon the ancient Mexican monu- 

 ments are of a wholly peculiar conformation, and that the 

 cranium, retreating backwards, was made to disappear imme- 

 diately above the eyes. This anomaly, which in general is 

 ascribed either to an artificial disfiguring of the head, or to the 

 taste of the artists, thus receives a natural explanation, since 

 it is proved that a race of men lived in these regions which 

 possessed this conformation of the head.* The skeletons found 

 belonged to both sexes, and were of ordinary size, though two 

 male skeletons shewed a larger size. After these brief obser- 

 vations on the corporeal constitution of the primitive inhabi- 

 tants of Brazil, we will also take into consideration their pro- 

 bable mental condition, and the degree of their cultivation. 

 Since now it is proved that the development of the mental 

 powers stands in direct relation to that of the brain, it follows, 

 from the formation of the skulls found, that the intellectual 

 life of their possessors must have played a very inferior part, 

 and that their progress in arts and crafts must have been in 

 the highest degree meagre. This inference is confirmed by the 

 discovery of an utensil of the most imperfect make, which lay 

 buried alongside of the skeletons. It was a semi-spherical horn- 

 stone of ten inches in circumference, which was worn smooth 

 on the flat side, and evidently must have served to bruise seeds 

 and other hard substances. As it cannot be my object, on this 

 occasion, to make a thorough exposition of the present sub- 

 ject, a labour which I give over to abler hands, I have merely 

 to observe farther, that I have found human fossil bones in 

 two other caves also, which were almost without any gelati- 

 nous part, and therefore easily friable, and shewed a white frac- 

 ture. Unfortunately, however, they did not occur with other 

 animal bones, so that the question of chief importance, in re- 

 spect to the longer existence of the human race on this earth, 

 remains still undecided." 



* It is still probable, however, that this configuration of cranium was the re- 

 sult of artificial causes. (Professor Silliman.) 



