222 DARWIN. 



of men, and to the explanation of the origin of sin- 

 gle characters. In Darwin's words : 



" After remarking that negroes and mulattoes enjoy an immunity 

 from certain tropical diseases, he observes, firstly, that all animals 

 tend to vary in some degree, and, secondly, that agriculturists im- 

 prove their domesticated animals by selection ; and then, he adds, 

 but what is done in this latter case by art seems to be done with 

 equal efficacy, though more slowly, by Nature, in the formation 

 of varieties of mankind, fitted for the country which they inhabit. 

 Of the accidental varieties of man, which would occur among the 

 first few and scattered inhabitants of the middle regions of Africa, 

 some one would be better fitted than the others to bear the diseases 

 of the country. This race would consequently multiply, while the 

 others would decrease ; not only from their inability to sustain the 

 attacks of disease, but from their incapacity of contending with 

 their more vigorous neighbours. The colour of this vigorous race 

 I take for granted, from what has been already said, would be 

 dark. But the same disposition to form varieties still existing, a 

 darker and a darker race would in the course of time occur ; and 

 as the darkest would be the best fitted for the climate, this would 

 at length become the most prevalent, if not the only race, in the 

 particular country in which it had originated." 



This is certainly the most complete of all the 

 anticipations of Darwinism. 



In 1831 PATRICK MATTHEW published a work en- 

 titled Naval Timber and Arboriculture. It con- 

 tained, in an appendix, a brief statement of a theory 

 of the origin of species of which Darwin says : 

 " The differences of Mr. Matthew's views from mine 

 are not of much importance. He seems to consider 

 that the world was nearly depopulated at successive 

 periods, and then restocked, and he gives as an al- 



