178 



A HISTORY OF 



look for any strong marked varieties in the 

 human species: it is by comparing the in- 

 habitants of opposite climates arid distant 

 countries; those who live within the polar 

 circles, with those beneath the equator; those 

 that live on one side of the globe, with those 

 that occupy the other. 



Of all animals, the differences between 

 mankind are the smallest. Of the lower races 

 of creatures, the changes are so great as often 

 entirely to disguise the natural animal, and to 

 distort, or to disfigure, its shape. But the 

 chief differences in man are rather taken from 

 the tincture of his skin than the variety of his 

 figure : as in all climates he preserves his 

 erect deportment, and the marked superiority 

 of his form. If we look round the world, 

 there seem to be not above six" distinct varie- 

 ties in the human species, each of which is 

 strongly marked, and speaks the kind seldom 

 to have mixed with any other. But there is 

 nothing in the shape, nothing in the faculties, 

 that shows their coming from different origi- 

 nals ; and the varieties of climate, of nourish- 

 ment, and custom, are sufficient to produce 

 every change. 



The first distinct race of men is found round 

 the polar regions. The Laplanders, the 

 Esquimaux Indians, the Samosid Tartars, the 

 inhabitants of Nova Zembla, the Borandians, 

 the Greenlanders, and the natives of Kamts- 

 chatka, may be considered as one peculiar race 

 of people, all greatly resembling each other 

 in their stature, their complexion, their cus- 

 toms, and their ignorance. These nations 

 being under a rigorous climate, where the 

 productions of nature are but few, and the 

 provisions coarse and unwholesome, their 

 bodies have shrunk to the nature of their food; 

 and their complexions have suffered, from 

 cold, almost a similar change to what heat is 

 known to produce ; their colour being a deep 

 brown, in some places inclining to actual 

 blackness. These, therefore, in general, are 

 found to be a race of short stature and odd 

 shape, with countenances as savage as their 

 manners are barbarous. The visage in these 

 countries, is large and broad, the nose flat and 

 short, the eyes of a yellowish brown, inclining 



I have taken four of these varieties from Linnteus; 

 those of the Laplanders and Tartars from Mr. Buflbn. 



to blackness, the eye-lids drawn towards the 

 temples, the cheek-bones extremely high, the 

 mouth very large, the lips thick and turned 

 outwards, the voice thin and squeaking, the 

 head large, the hair black and straight, the 

 colour of the skin of a dark grayish. b They are 

 short in stature, the generality not being above 

 four feet high, and the tallest not above five. 

 Among all these nations the women are as 

 deformed as the men, and resemble them so 

 nearly, that one cannot at first distinguish the 

 sexes among them. 



These nations not only resemble each other 

 in their deformity, their dwarfishness, the 

 colour of their hair and eyes, but they have, 

 in a great measure, the same inclinations, and 

 the same manners, being all equally rude, 

 superstitious, and stupid. The Danish Lap- 

 landers have a large black cat, to which they 

 communicate their secrets, and consult in all 

 their affairs. Among the Swedish Laplanders 

 there is in every family a drum for consulting 

 the devil ; and although these nations are 

 robust and nimble, yet they are so cowardly 

 that they never can be brought into the field. 

 Gustavus Adolphus attempted to form a re- 

 giment of Laplanders, but he found it impos- 

 sible to accomplish his design; for it should 

 seem that they can live only in their own 

 country, and in their own manner. They 

 make use of skates, which are made of fir, of 

 near three feet long, and half a foot broad ; 

 these are pointed, and raised before, and tied 

 to the foot by straps of leather. With these 

 they skate on the icy snow, and with such 

 velocity, that they very easily overtake the 

 swiftest animals. They make use also of a 

 pole, pointed with iron at one end, and round- 

 ed at the other. This pole serves to push 

 them along, to direct their course, to support 

 them from falling, to stop the impetuosity of 

 their motion, and to kill that game which they 

 have overtaken. Upon these skates they de- 

 scend the steepest mountains, and scale the 

 most craggy precipices ; and, in these exer- 

 cises, the women are not less skilful than the 

 men. They have all the use of the bow and 

 arrow, which seems to be a contrivance com- 

 mon to all barbarous nations ; and which, 



b Krantz. 



