AND COLOUR OF THE IRIS. 26^ 



common to all the Negro tribes. This is either formed 

 into small and short masses, or it may admit of being 

 combed to the length of three or fom* inches, still forming 

 a kind of general woolly fleece. 



The analogy, on which the hairy covering of the Africans 

 has been called wool, is quite a loose one, and goes no far- 

 ther than a slight resemblance in appearance. The fila- 

 ment of wool is rough on the surface ; in hair it is smooth. 

 The latter is of an uniform thickness throughout, or rather 

 slenderer towards the point, while the former is unequal in 

 size, and larger towards its end. The thicker part is said 

 to be produced in the summer ; the thinner in the winter 

 months. In a variety of experiments made by Dr. Ander- 

 son * he always found that the growing part of the fibre of 

 wool varied in thickness with the temperature of the 

 season ; being thickest in summer, smaller in spring and 

 autumn, and smallest of all in the winter. Another dis- 

 tinction of wool is, that it falls off altogether in a mass ; while 

 human hairs always drop off singly and from time to time. 



The above division is sufficient as a general one ; but 

 there are some exceptions to it. Woolly hair is not con- 

 fined entirely to the Africans ; nor is the black colour in- 

 variably found in all the three last varieties. Bruce de- 

 scribes the Gallas as having long hair ; and some brown 

 people (as those of the Duke of York's Island, near New 

 Ireland in the South Pacific) have it strongly curled. 



In the Papuas of New Guinea it is completely frizzled 

 and woolly ; but so much longer than in the Negroes, that 

 when fully dressed out, according to their favourite fashion, 

 it forms a round bush of three feet f in diameter, quite 

 eclipsing our most dignified legal and theological wigs. 



The New Hollanders and the natives of Van Diemen's 

 Land form so complete a medium between the woolly- 

 haired African, and the copious curling hair of the other 

 South Sea Islanders, that we are completely puzzled how to 

 class them. The difficulty is greater when we find in this one 



* White on the regular Gradation, p. 95. 

 i Forrest's Voyage to New Guinea. 



