THE HUMAN SPECIES. 255 



as southern Europeans. The South Americans are 

 more yellow than copper-coloured ; but, in the northern 

 portion, the skin is reddish, agreeing with the distinc- 

 tive name which the native tribes bestow upon them- 

 selves ; that colour being formed by a peculiar tissue 

 below the epidermis, according to Monsieur Flourence ; 

 but yet not nearly so vivid as we have often observed 

 it to be among French and Spanish fishermen in the 

 West Indies.* The Caribs are intermediate ; some 

 tribes of Guiana much darker than Mulattoes, and the 

 Californians almost black, or dark like Samboes. 



In most respects the aboriginal population may be 

 divided into the yellow tropical semi-Malay stem of 

 the eastern regions of South America, and the Caucaso- 

 Mongolians of the north, and of the Cordilleras, along 

 the whole west coast of the continent. The frame is 

 in general symmetrical, rather tumid, in the one below 

 the middle stature, in the other portion generally above 

 it, and among some tribes equal to the largest men of 

 the old continent. With regard to mental qualifica- 

 tions, the nations of North America not having passed 

 beyond the state of hunters, show, for want of the la- 

 bouring ox and conquering horse, the characteristics of 

 others in the same condition. They are active, vigilant, 



* We have personally compared, and drawn from life, 

 many individuals of different tribes : Fuegians, Brazilians, 

 Arookas, Caribs, Mosquito Indians, Seminoles, &c., of the 

 United States, and others in Canada of different northern 

 tribes. The highly developed reddish colour may be a result 

 of the long continued action of dry sharp winds in the 

 prairies of Upper North America. 



