1336 



VARIETIES OF MANKIND. 



the principles already laid down, that this 

 effect would be increased when the cause is 

 in continued operation for several genera- 

 tions. And we might with the more confi- 

 dence anticipate such a result, when we see 

 that a marked difference in complexion often 

 exists between parent and offspring, or be- 

 tween the children of the same parents. 

 Thus, it is a matter of familiar observation, 

 that of two members of the same family, the 

 one shall be a blonde, the other a brunette. 

 Further, it is not uncommon to find, in indi- 

 viduals of the fair races, large patches of the 

 surface almost as deeply coloured as the skin 

 of the negro. On the other hand, albinoism, 

 that is, the total absence of colouring matter 

 in the skin, is probably as common among 

 dark races as among fair. And Dr. Prichard 

 has collected evidence which shows that in 

 many of the individuals who have been de- 

 signated as " white Negroes," there has not 

 been mere albinoism (that is, an entire ab- 

 sence of colouring matter), but a positive de- 

 velopment of the colouring matter that cha- 

 racterises the xanthous variety, in which the 

 complexion is fair and ruddy. Such being 

 the tendency to variation presented by this 

 character, we might fairly anticipate that it 

 might undergo marked changes in the course 

 of a long succession of generations, especially 

 where the external conditions have been 

 altered ; and there is no deficiency of valid 

 historical evidence, that proves this to have 

 been the case. Perhaps the most striking 

 example that could be cited, is that afforded 

 by the Jewish race ; in which there is no ques- 

 tion that a general purity of descent has been 

 preserved through a long succession of gene- 

 tions, during which the scattered residence of 

 the race has subjected it to a great variety of 

 climatic influences. Now, although the de- 

 scendants of Abraham are still generally re- 

 cognizable by certain peculiarities of physiog- 

 nomy (so that they have often been quoted 

 as examples of the permanence and fixity of 

 the characters of races), yet a great variety of 

 complexion exists among them. Thus, among 

 the Jews whose families have been long settled 

 in this country, although a light brunette hue 

 with black hair is most common, yet a fair 

 complexion, with blue eyes, is not unfre- 

 quent. In Germany and Poland, the ordi- 

 nary complexion is more florid, and blue eyes 

 are more common. On the other hand, the 

 Jews of Portugal are almost invariably much 

 darker than those of Northern and Central 

 Europe, as are also those who still cling to 

 their ancient home in Palestine. Lastly, the 

 Jews that have been settled in India for a 

 long succession of generations, have become 

 nearly as black as the natives around them, 

 so that the people of a particular colony at 

 Mattacheri, in Cochin, in whom this change 

 has not yet taken place, are distinguished 

 by the appellation of" white Jews." Hence it 

 may be stated as a general proposition, that 

 the complexion of the Jewish race tends to as- 

 similate itself to that prevailing in any country 

 in which their residence has been sufficiently 



prolonged ; and even admitting that a limited , 

 admixture with the surrounding population 

 has taken place in any or all of these in- 

 stances, still the introduction of a small quan- 

 tity of extraneous blood does not by any 

 means afford an adequate explanation of the 

 change, since it has not been sufficient to alter 

 any of the other characters of the race, and 

 (as already remarked) the immediate results of 

 such an occasional admixture are soon merged 

 in the general uniformity of the mass. It is 

 probable that, in races as in individuals, the 

 influence of a tropical climate in darkening 

 the complexion will be more decided, in pro- 

 portion to the previous condition of the chro- 

 matogenous function ; for example, that the 

 Jews, whose natural complexion is swarthy, 

 are more readily blackened than Saxons or 

 Celts would be, the pigmentary matter in 

 their epidermis being of a different character. 

 There are several other cases of the same 

 kind, in which the historical testimony is less 

 complete, but in which the deficiency is made 

 up by philological evidence. Thus, the Ba- 

 rabra or Berberines of the higher parts of the 

 Nile, appear, from the most careful researches 

 that have been made into their history, to be 

 the descendants of the Nobatae, who were 

 brought by Diocletian from an oasis in the 

 western country, fifteen centuries ago, to in- 

 habit the valley of the Nile. The particular 

 district out of which they issued was proba- 

 bly Kordofan, the inhabitants of which, true 

 Negroes, still preserve and speak the Barabra 

 language. In their habits of life, they show 

 a considerable advance in civilisation ; and 

 this has been accompanied by a considerable 

 change in complexion, their present physiog- 

 nomy and hue of skin presenting a marked 

 resemblance to that of the ancient Egyptians. 

 This alteration cannot be set down to any 

 intermixture with the Arabs, or other in- 

 habitants of the Nile Valley, from whom the 

 Berberines keep themselves distinct. In like 

 manner, the Funge, who made themselves 

 masters of Sennaar about three centuries ago, 

 although originally Negroes of the Shilukh 

 nation, no longer present the physiognomy or 

 complexion of that race, but much more 

 nearly approach the Berberines. There ap- 

 pears, in both cases, to be a special tendency 

 towards a red complexion, and even red hair ; 

 and among the Funge, the individuals thus 

 distinguished are stated to form a separate 

 caste, being known under the name of " El 

 Akmar," or "the red people." In Northern 

 India, again, there is no doubt that many of 

 the tribes of mountaineers, already alluded to 

 as distinguished by fair complexion and blue 

 eyes, are of the same stock with the inhabit- 

 ants of the low country ; their language, tra- 

 ditions, religious observances, &c., being es- 

 sentially the same. One of the most remark- 

 able of these tribes is the Siah-Posh, a people 

 of exquisite beauty, with regular Grecian 

 features, blue eyes, arched eyebrows, and a 

 fair complexion, having no resemblance to 

 the Affghan or Cashmerian people, near 

 whom they dwell; their language principally 



