186 On Elucidating the Natural History of Man, 



sented by the human race, and of course have not been able to 

 describe them, with a few rare exceptions, in a manner that is 

 at all satisfactory. 



Should any inquire respecting the causes to which we attri- 

 bute this imperfect state, this prolonged infancy, as it may be 

 called, of the science of anthropology, we answer we are far from 

 ascribing it to any deficiency of zeal or ability in those natural- 

 ists who have cultivated this branch of zoology ; on the other 

 hand we readily allow that generally ihey have done for it all 

 that was possible. It is the immense difficulty of the subject 

 which has prevented their labours from assuming that precision 

 and scrupulous accuracy which alone would entitle them to a 

 place among scientific results. 



The natural history of man, like all other branches of phy- 

 sical science, comprehends results of two kinds, viz. particular 

 facts, obtained by direct observation, and general facts which 

 are deduced by reason from that observation. In a word, the 

 facts are both positive and speculative, and must in fact present 

 this twofold character ; facts of the first kind without the second 

 would be only premises without conclusions, and facts of the 

 second without the first would be consequences without premises. 



The study of the characters of the several races of men is one 

 of the principal portions of the true natural history of man. 

 Thanks to the labours of a vast number of observers, in the first 

 rank of whom we place the commanders and naturahsts of our 

 recent and memorable scientific expeditions, the population of a 

 oreat part of the surface of the globe has recently been de- 

 scribed in a manner more or less accurate. But even when this 

 immense labour shall have thoroughly been executed in regard 

 to all the races of our species, and when even the innumerable 

 variations of their forms, tints and stature shall have been 

 studied, represented, and described, by competent observers, how 

 many obstacles will still obstruct, ere the thousands of facts 

 which are the fruits of these long and painful labours shall be 

 arrano-ed in a satisfactory manner ; and still more ere a rigorous 

 determination and an accurate classification of the several types 

 of the human race, will in the end supply a solid basis for an- 

 thropological investigations ! The immense advance which zoo- 

 oo-ical science has made during the last forty years, may be da- 



