The Genesis of the United States National Miiseiivi. 169 



and customs of the various nations and tri])es of mankind, as indicating the char- 

 acter and the grade of civilization wliich is to be ascribed to them. Travelers in 

 Egypt inform us that, from the representations of objects and views pictured on the 

 monuments of that country, one may obtain a clear and probably accurate idea of 

 the mode of life of the ancient inhabitants, and can thence form a better conception 

 of their national characteristics tlian from all the works of historians. The natives 

 of most countries, particularly those less advanced in civilization, possess no mon- 

 uments of this kind, which may be copied or transported into our midst, like those 

 of Ivgypt. lUit one may have the very implements and manufactures which those 

 pictures would represent, the canoe and net of the fisherman, the bow and javelin 

 of the hunter, the spear and club, the helmet and buckler with wliich the warrior 

 went out to meet his enemy; we may have the clothing, the domestic utensils, the orna- 

 ments for the dance — in .short, enough to show the .state of the arts, the daily habits, 

 and the ideas of comfort and prosperity existing among particular people. Among 

 the collections of the Exploring I^^xpedition deposited with the In.stitute will be 

 foimd nearly all the articles of native manufacture in u.se among two tril)es of dis- 

 tinct race, the New Hollanders and the I'Mjians; those of the former number about 

 a dozen, while the latter yield .several hundreds. A .siugle glance at the two collec- 

 tions will give a clearer idea of the wide difference exi.sting between these tribes 

 than any description. 



In tracing the migrations of a people and the connections of di.stant branches, the 

 compari.son of arts and .social habits may, if pursued with caution, be an important 

 guide. A person knowing nothing of our langu.ige or hi.story, who should visit the 

 United States, after having traveled in Europe, would have little doubt from which 

 country of the latter our ancestors proceeded. The islands of the Pacific are peo- 

 pled by two di.stinct races, thp one having a yellowish brown complexion, with 

 fiowing hair; the other a dusky skin, frizzled or wooly hair, and features aji]iroach- 

 ing the African t3'pe. There is not in the climate or nature of the islands which 

 they respectively inhabit an^' reason why their habits and mental characteristics 

 should difTer. Yet we find that the art of pottery and the use of the bow are 

 connnon to all the islanders of the latter or dark-skinned race, without exception, 

 while they aro entirely unknown to the former, except where they have been ac- 

 quired in late times from the other. \Vc nuist, therefore, presume that these arts were 

 1)rought by the dusky tri1)es who possess them from the original seat whence they 

 have emigrated. These observations will .show that the articles of this description 

 preserved by the In.stitute are not to be regarded merely as amusing toys or as objects 

 of idle curiosity, but possess an important scientific value. 



Another department of this .study relates to the physical varieties of the hmnan 

 race. In .stature, in complexion, in the nature of the hair, and the .shape of the cra- 

 nium the differences that prevail between various tribes are very .striking. vSome 

 have supposed it po.s.sible to clas.sify all these varieties under these principal divi- 

 sions or races, while others have believed them to be .so numerous and to fade into 

 one another by such insensible gradations as to set all cla.ssification at defiance. 

 Still there can be no doubt that every distinct people possesses a peculiar ca.st of 

 countenance and .style of complexion and feature, what i.s commonly called a 

 national physiognomy, and that .separate tribes and nations, descended from the .same 

 .stock, preserve in their ])hy,sical characteristics the traces of their connnon origin. 



Knowing, as we do, that the infiuence of climate and manner of life is powerful in 

 modifying the con.stitution and personal appearance of those subjected to it, a qties- 

 tion of the highest importance ari.ses as to the extent to which this modifying power 

 may be effective. Some have supposed that all the peculiarities which distinguish 

 the varieties of mankind have had their origin in this influence of climate and 

 social habits, while others have con.sidered the power nuich more limited, and main- 

 tain that these peculiarities have existed unchanged as they were originally stamped 



