254 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



Bonzes of the lower classes of the nation, have the 

 forehead remarkably depressed. In several portions of 

 the New Continent, the oblique eyes, complexion, and 

 other characters of Mongols occur, as among the Ali- 

 khoolis of Terra del Fuego; but the Chilenos have 

 strikingly Hindoo features. 



In general, however, it is evident, that the nations of 

 this portion of the globe possess a marked similarity of 

 physical characters. They have a small skull, varying 

 in the capacity of the cranial chamber from 100 to 

 60 cubic inches, according to Dr. Morton's measure- 

 ment. It approaches the Mongolian in shape, but the 

 summit is more rounded, and the sides are less angular. 

 In some tribes there is a somewhat more pointed crown, 

 and the back part is often flattened, in most cases arti- 

 ficially so : the cheek bones are high, the forehead natu- 

 rally rather low and depressed : the nose prominent; in a 

 few tribes aquiline : maxillae powerful, the mouth rather 

 large, and the lips full if not tumid. The eyes of all the 

 nations are black, and the hair rather scarce, lank and 

 coarse ; though, among the Arauca mountaineers, and 

 also on the west coast, grey eyes, and lighter coloured 

 hair is sometimes seen. These tribes also are as fair 



Sound, on the north-west coast, who, though they do not 

 belong to the Esquimaux stem, are more like natives of the 

 east coast of Asia ; and if these are claimed as a portion of 

 the Tschutski race, then they would show the last men- 

 tioned to be originally not American but Asiatic, nay 

 Finnic; and consequently, that the cranial conformation 

 in question is not peculiar to the New World ; but an ex- 

 cessive divergence arising in an abnormal stem, where the 

 sutures close more slowly than in the typical stocks. 



