UM 



METEOROLOGY. 



[BTHNOKKSIC RELATIONS. 



but living at a great elevation, and in a severe climate,* 

 are still in a semi-aavage state, devoid of all the arts, 

 and chiefly exist to gratify the instincts of animal 

 nature. 



With certain modifications, these remarks might be 

 extended to Hindostan, Persia. Mexico, Brazil, &c. ; 

 but we shall refrain from further illustrations of tho 

 kind, referring our readers to tho Section on Ethnology 

 for fuller details. 



Africa, owing to the intense heat, and the unhealthi- 

 ness of it* climate, has been, with but trifling exceptions, 

 little explored. Around its coasts various settlements 

 hare been established by many nations, since the fall of 

 the Egyptian and Carthaginian empires, up to the present 

 day ; but every glimpae into its interior has revealed 

 human nature in its darkest forms, both literally and 

 metaphorically. The Africans of the interior are com- 

 pletely isolated, both by the climate and difficulties of 

 access ; and seem to be split up into so many varieties, 

 that scarcely anything but the physical characteristic has 

 been arrived at, respecting them, with any degree of 

 certainty. The negroes are distinguished from every 

 other variety of the human race by the darkness of the 

 skin, the woolliuess or cotton-like character of the hair, 

 protruding and thick lips, a yellow sclerotica of the eye,t 

 4c. They contrast greatly with the more intelligent 

 tribes inhabiting Nubia and Abyssinia, of which we shall 

 presently speak. Dr. Latham remarks "A negro is an 

 intertropical African, in a humid, alluvian locality. 

 .... In respect to descent, the negro of Sennaar has 

 his closest relations, in the way of language, manners, 

 and blood, with the African of Nubia, Abyssinia, and the 

 parts about his own country. Not so, however, his 

 physical conformation. This is with the Africans of 

 Senegambia and Guinea a fact brought about by the 

 common conditions of heat, moisture, and a low sea-level." 

 This quotation of the opinion of one of our most intel- 

 ligent ethnologists, gives a strong confirmation to the 

 statements wo have already advanced respecting the 

 influence of climate on the characteristics of the varieties 

 of our race. The same author observes, respecting the 

 Hottentot "The Hottentot stock has a better claim to 

 be considered as forming a second species of the genus 



homo than any other section of mankind Stature 



low, with slight limbs ; colour, more brown or yellow 

 than black (that of new-born children said to be nearly 

 white) ; cheek-bones prominent ; nasal profile depressed ; 

 hair in tuft, rather than equally distributed over the 

 head." In contrast with these we may describe the 

 Nubians, who, although dwelling between latitudes 13 

 and 24* north, are yet situated in a climate strikingly 

 different from that of the negro and Hottentot country 

 that of the Nubians being from 3,000 to 4,000 feet of ele- 

 rotion above the tea-lecel. Riippell thus speaks of 

 them: "A long oval countenance; beautifully curved 

 nose, somewhat rounded towards the top ; proportionally 

 thick lips, but not protruding excessively ; a retreating 

 chin ; scanty beard ; lively eyes ; strongly frizzled, but 

 never woolly, hair ; remarkably beautiful figures, gene- 

 rally of middle size ; and a bronze colour. " Of the 

 inhabitants in the neighbourhood of Lake Tshad, it may 

 be remarked, that they are perhaps the lowest specimens 

 of humanity, and the most complete savages, in every 

 respect, that the world can afford. 



We have described three varieties of Africans, suffi- 

 ciently to show how much human characteristics may 

 vary with the circumstances of latitude, elevation, tem- 

 perature, moisture, &c. ; and, therefore, how much 

 physical, mental, and moral development are dependent 

 on the same. It U no part of our business to enter into 

 the delicate question, of how far the degraded portion of 

 one race may be elevated by removal into more genial 

 climes, and by association with ameliorated conditions ? 

 But Mie successful instances of the kind are too numerous 

 to require specifying. The recently established colony of 

 Liberia hat given wonderful testimony to tho power of 

 such influences in Africa itielf ; and our own and other 



countries will afford thousands of examples in which the 

 neglected sons of Africa have shown a mental and moral 

 aptitude, which places them in no way inferior to the 

 rest of mankind. 



In North and South America, situated between 70 of 

 north and 55 of south latitude, great variety subsists. 

 The Esquimaux wo have already described ;1 and, 

 between their country and Mexico, numerous tribes of 

 Indians roam, which are now rapidly becoming extinct. 

 In Mexico, between 15 and 30 of north latitude yet, 

 generally speaking, at about 6,000 or 8,000 feet of eleva- 

 tion above the tea-level, and therefore, although situated, 

 geographically, in the tropics, climatically nearly in the 

 temperate zone civilisation formerly existed to an 

 astonishing extent. The pyramids, temples, grottoes, 

 aqueducts, bridges, and other ruins, attest the skill of tho 

 former inhabitants, not only in architecture, but also in 

 sculpture, picture-writing, &c. Passing to the Carib 

 islands, we meet with the analogues of the African ; 

 whilst in Patagonia, between 39 and 55 of south 

 latitude, we notice a fine, tall, robust, active, and warlike 

 race, terminating, in a cool climate, the last vestige of 

 humanity to the south of the equator. 



In this rapid, and, therefore, exceedingly incomplete 

 notice of some of the leading varieties of the hum m 

 species, we have been desirous of directing attention to 

 the general influence which latitude or elevation, tem- 

 perature, moisture, &c., exercise on physical, mental, 

 and moral development : and that the student may more 

 distinctly understand the tendency of our observations, 

 we recommend a re-perusal of the description of the 

 climatic characteristics, given, for each country, at page 

 1195, and the pages succeeding it. By reading tho two 

 articles, in their mutual connection, he will be able to 

 comprehend tho relationship and importance of the 

 subjects. We must, however, guard our readers against 

 accounting, solely on climatic grounds, for the greut dif- 

 ferences which subsist between the physical, intellectual, 

 and moral condition of varieties of tho human race. 

 Such would be pushing the argument too far, and would 

 prove in itself its own refutation. The object we have 

 held in view, has been to show the important and ever 

 active acctssury influence of climate, and not to place it 

 beyond other and far more powerful causes to which we 

 cannot here even allude, as being beyond the scope of 

 our present enquiry. It would be ridiculous to argue, 

 because any tribe is placed in a climate either excessively 

 hot or cold, tropic or arctic, high or low in respect to 

 the sea-level, moist or dry, &c., that it must necessarily 

 be distinguished by depressed or elevated qualities in 

 body and mind. The influencing tendency is alone to be 

 regarded, and allowed for ; and comparison is only to bo 

 made between two tribes similar in every respect, with 

 the exception of climate, if wo would gain an absolute 

 knowledge of its effects. No condition of this kind can 

 be found existing on the face of our globe : our enquiries 

 and conclusions are, therefore, solely of a generally 

 relative character, and afford an aid for arriving at a 

 correct judgment, rather than being prouunciatory of tho 

 judgment itself. If possible, extensive tracts of laud 

 should be chosen, because islands frequently, if not 

 invariably, are subject to many causes producing great 

 uncertainty of climate. A bold contrast is afforded, for 

 instance, by the great Sahara in Africa, and the plains of 

 North America ; some portions of Thibet, in Asia, and the 

 north-eastern parts of South America ; the interior of 

 Africa and Australia generally, and their coasts, <ko. ; 

 in each of which distinctions of all kinds are so decidedly 

 marked. 



METEOROIOOY IN ITS CONNECTION WITH ENDEMIC 

 AND EPIDEMIC DISEASES. That certain peculiarities or 

 changes of climate are connected with endemic ami 

 domic diseases, is a matter of no doubt whatever ; 

 instances of which, in the yellow fever of the West 

 Indies, tho direful cholera of India, the plague of the 

 East, &&, are familiar to all ; but the chain of causation 

 is by no means satisfactorily understood. If, in each 



See unit, p. 1201. 



SM remark* respecting these being conrertiMe terms, at page 1190. 



