COMMON THINGS MAN. 



discussion on the problematical influence of climate on nations 

 and races." * 



61. Thus it appears that according to the principles admitted 

 by the most eminent physiologists and naturalists, whether 

 assenting or not to the doctrines of Christianity, there is nothing 

 in the natural differences observable between different parts of the 

 human race distributed over the globe, which is incompatible with 

 that part of the narrative of the origin of mankind, consigned to 

 the Hebrew Scriptures, which traces the whole human race to a 

 single pair and constitutes them therefore as members of a common 

 family. 



62. Naturalists and physical geographers have distributed by 

 various classifications these varieties of men, and have generally 

 given them the somewhat vague and improper name of races. 

 Thus Blumenbach classifies them into five races, called the Cau- 

 casian, the Mongolian, the American, the Ethiopian, and the 

 Malay. Some authorities reduce this number to four, regarding 

 the Malay merely as a variety of the Ethiopian. 



Dr. Prichard, on the other hand, classifies the human family 

 into seven races, which he calls . 



The Iraunian, 



The Turanian, 



The American, 



The Hottentots and Bushmen, 



The Negroes, 



The Papuas, 



And the Alfourous. 



This division is objected to by Humboldt, and does not appear to 

 have obtained general acceptation. 



63. The Caucasian race (fig. 20), p. 49, in which the population of 

 Europe is included, is distinguished by the beauty of the oval form 

 of the head and countenance ; by the large facial angle, amounting 

 to about 90 ; by the consequent upright forehead ; the horizontal 

 direction of the eyes; the absence of all projection of the cheeks ; 

 fine smooth hair ; and the fair tint of the skin. They are, however, 

 still more remarkable for the high degree of perfection to which 

 their moral and intellectual faculties speedily attain ; a quality 

 which has rendered them the most civilised people of the globe. 

 They occupy all Europe, western Asia as far as the Ganges, and 

 the northern part of Africa. They have derived their name of 

 Caucasian from the supposition that they came originally from the 

 country north of Mount Caucasus, lying between the Caspian and 

 the Black Sea. Although generally fair, they include various 



* Cosmos, vol. i. p. 352, translation. 

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