2.92 FORMS OF THE SKULL. 



Egypt was venerated, even by antiquity, as the birth-place 

 of the arts ; and still retains innumerable monuments of their 

 former splendour, after so many ages of desolation. Her 

 principal temples, and the palaces of her kings, still exist, 

 although the least ancient of them were constructed be- 

 fore the war of Troy. With our present experience of the 

 capacity of Negroes, and our knowledge of the state in which 

 the whole race has remained for twenty centuries, can we 

 deem it possible that they should have achieved such prodi- 

 gies ? that Homer, Lycurgus, Solon, Pythagoras, and 

 Plato, should have resorted to Egypt to study the sciences, 

 religion, and laws, discovered and framed by men with black 

 skin, woolly hair, and slanting forehead ? 



The situation of Egypt favours the notion of a mixed po- 

 pulation, which may have flowed in at various times from 

 different quarters of Africa, Asia, and Europe. 



The Caucasian races of Arabia, Syria, and the surround- 

 ing parts, must have found their way into this fertile and flou- 

 rishing country: the Red Sea offers an easy medium of com- 

 munication both with Arabia and India ; while the freest 

 access exists on the south and west to the Negroes and 

 Berbers of Africa. Hence specimens of various races may 

 be naturally expected to occur among the mummies ; and 

 may have afforded models to the painter and sculptor. If, 

 however, among the myriads of embalmed bodies, of the 

 sculptured figures which covers the walls of temples and pa- 

 laces, and of other works of art, we should meet with one or 

 two of Negro formation, are we thence to conclude that the 

 original Egyptians were Negroes ? or that men of the latter 

 race possessed those distinguished powers of knowledge and 

 reflection, which the early history of this wonderful country 

 compels us to assign to its ruling race ? Ought we not 

 rather to draw our conclusions from th.e most prevalent forms, 

 those vvhich are most numerous and abundant in the oldest 

 specimens ? If among a profusion of mummies and figures, 

 bearing the stamp of the Caucasian model, a few should 

 occur with a little dash of the negro character, may we not 

 suppose the individuals who furnished the pattern of the 



