THK BAHAMA ISLANDS 413 



PTopetowii lias I)oen in a great nieasnre, if not entirely, bronglit about by too 

 close intermarrying of the inhabitants. Tn the case of lower animals, to l)e 

 sure, it has been found that interbreeding is not productive of disastrous results 

 if the original stock is good, and all abnoi'iiialities are excluded. Although 

 many authorities hold that this law a])])lies as well to the human species as to 

 the lower animals, 1 cannot conclude that close and continued intermarriage 

 among human beings is unattended witli evil results, for we can never be 

 certain that the same conditions are followed in the reproduction of the human 

 species as are enforced in the breeding of animals. The organization of the 

 human being is so complex, and the nervous system so delicately balanced, tbat 

 it is (liiticult. if not absolately impossible, to establish a Iniman.type, and to 

 agree as to what constitutes good human stock. Xothing is more difficult than 

 to find a perfectlv normal man or wonum, and if we cannot agree as to what 

 constitutes a normal type, how are we to decide as to what constitutes an 

 almoi-mality y In a sense, a genius is as abnormal on the one hand as an idiot 

 on the other, and it is impossible to draw a line between a being with normal 

 mental capacity, and one which is slightly !»(>low the standard. 



One t'annot conduct artificial ex])eriments on the human race similar to 

 those cai'ried on with lowei' animals. K.xcept within \ei'y nari'ow limits, 

 marriages are not regulated by law. and therefoi\' abnormalities, if they 

 occur, cannot well be eliminate(l. The xolition of the interested parties is 

 practically the oidy check on the })ropagation of ahnoiMiial types. As the 

 selection of a conipani(ni is not based on scientilic but on sentimental grounds, 

 and the iield of the observation of most men is small, the gi'cat majority 

 select their life partners from a comparatively limited ac((uaintance. The 

 smaller and more isolated the community, the more restricted will he the 

 horizon of the indi\iduals who com[)ose it. and the closer will he the inter- 

 marrying. If the laws governing the descent of lower animals ai-e identical 

 with thosi> goveiuiing the descent of the human race, the conditions under which 

 thev act are far ditfei'cnt. In restricted communities, then, an ahnorniality or 

 a (li,->ease will tend to he |)t'r])etuated. exaggerated and concentrated. 



In Ho])etown we have an ideal illustration of what a small and restricted 

 community of hunuui licings will do. Here is an experiment conducted by 

 Nature, as it were, to show what will result from close intermarrying, where 

 the volition (d' the intt'rested parties is the only check on marriage. ^lar- 

 riages here are lai-gely determined by propinf(uity, with the result that close 

 intermarrying without the elimination of abnormalities has been productive of 



