14 HISTORICAL SKETCH 



tinctly recognizes the principle of natural selection, and 

 this is the first recognition which has been indicated; 

 but he applies it only to the races of man, and to cer- 

 tain characters alone. After remarking that negroes and 

 mulattoes enjoy an immunity from certain tropical dis- 

 eases, he observes, first, that all animals tend to vary in 

 *' (Some degree, and, secondly, that agriculturists improve 



' their domesticated animals by selection; and then, he 

 adds, but what is done in this iatter case "by art, 



r seems to be done with equal efficacy, though more 

 slowly, by nature, in the formation of varieties of man- 

 kind, 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 re- 

 gions 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 at- 

 tacks of disease, but from their incapacity of contend- 

 ing with their more vigorous neighbors. The color of 

 this vigorous race I take for granted, from what has 

 been already said, would be dark. But the same dis- 

 position 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 orig- 

 inated." He then extends these same views to the white 

 inhabitants of colder climates. I am indebted to Mr. 

 Rowley, of the United States, for having called my 

 attention, through Mr. Brace, to the above passage in 

 Dr. Wells' work. 



