DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS. 8i 



is furnished by the black Jews of Malabar, men- 

 tioned by Dr. Buchanan. At Cochin, he says, 

 there are two classes of Jews, the white and the 

 black Jews. The latter are supposed to have 

 arrived in India soon after the Babylonian cap- 

 tivity ; at least, they have that tradition amongst 

 them, which seems confirmed by the fact that 

 they have copies only of those books of the Old 

 Testament which were written previously to the 

 captivity. The white Jews emigrated from 

 Europe to India in later ages. Now here is a 

 singular fact, that in the lapse of so many ages 

 a white or tawny race has become black. Mr. 

 White endeavours to account for such an aber- 

 ration from his principle, that colour does not 

 result from climate, by an observation not alto- 

 gether founded in fact namely, that the Jews 

 have gained proselytes in every country in which 

 they have resided, and, being at liberty to marry 

 those proselytes, this would produce mixed 

 breeds. But though the Jews, in our Saviour's 

 time, would compass sea and land to gain one 

 proselyte, this has not been their character since 

 the destruction of Jerusalem, and we never hear 

 now of their making proselytes. Indeed, these 

 black Jews of Cochin seem to have been settled 

 there long before any white ones came to that 

 place. 



With regard to the degradation of the intellect, 

 and the peculiar acuteness of the senses or 



VOL. i. o 



