COLOUR OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS. 751 



Should it be asked why the natives of tropical 

 America are less dark than those of central Africa, 

 southern India, New Holland, New Guinea, Bor- 

 neo, and Sumatra, I answer, that the mean tem- 

 perature of South America is greatly mitigated 

 by the continual exposure of its eastern coast to 

 the trade winds, by the elevation of Chili, Peru, 

 and Mexico, from eight or ten to fifteen thousand 

 feet above the ocean, and by the small amount 

 of dry land between lat. 10 and 30 N. giving to 

 Guatemala and Mexico the character of a mari- 

 time climate. Accordingly, we are informed by 

 Ulloa, Bougouer, and other travellers, that on 

 the table lands of Peru and Mexico, the natives 

 are much fairer than on the low and level plains 

 of Brazil, where Dr. Prichard says they are 

 nearly as black as Africans. We also learn from 

 the surgeon who accompanied Captain Beechy 

 in his voyage of discovery in the Pacific, that 

 among the Araucoans who inhabit the temperate 

 climate of Chili, he found several individuals who 

 had grey eyes, which is never the case with per- 

 sons of dark bronze or copper complexion. 



But it has been stated on the authority of 

 Humboldt, that the colour of the native Ameri- 

 cans is nearly the same in all latitudes; conse- 

 quently that difference of climate will not explain 

 all the varieties of complexion in the human 

 species. To which I answer, that the opinion of 

 Humboldt is refuted by the testimony of nume- 



