488 DIVISION OF THE HUMAN SPECIES 



not be made to say that he was eighteen or sixty years of 

 age *." Wafer observed the same circumstance in the 

 Isthmus of Darien. The Indians attempted to reckon a 

 party of between three aud four hundred persons : one of 

 them put a grain of maize Into a basket for each that passed ; 

 but they could not cast it up. Some days after, twenty or 

 thirty of the chief men came together, and tried their skill 5 

 " But, when they could tell no further (the number probably 

 exceeding their arithmetic), and seemed to grow very hot 

 and earnest In their debates about it, one of them started up, 

 and, sorting out a lock of hair with his fingers, and shaking 

 it, seemed to Intimate the number to be great and unknown, 

 and so put an end to the dispute. But one of them came 

 after us, and inquired our number, in broken Spanish f." 



Several fabulous reports have been propagated, and enter- 

 tained even by writers of credit, respecting the distinguish- 

 ing characters of this race. The representation of their 

 entire natural deficiency of beard has been rectified already 

 (see p. 27] and following). It has been asserted that the 

 women are not subject to the menstrual discharge; and 

 that in some places the men suckle, and not the women J. 

 A formal refutation of such fancies cannot be necessary. 



V. Malay Variety. — Brown colour, from a light tawny 

 tint, not deeper than that of the Spaniards and Portuguese, 

 to a deep brown, approaching to black. Hair black, more 

 or less curled, and abundant. Head rather narrow ; bones 

 of the face large and prominent; nose full and broad 

 towards the apex ; large mouth. 



The inhabitants of the peninsula of Malacca, of Sumatra, 

 Java, Borneo, Celebes, and the adjacent Asiatic islands -, of 

 the Molucca, Ladrone, Philippine, Marian, and Caroline 

 groups ; of New Holland, Van DIemen's Land, New Gui- 

 nea, New Zealand, and the numberless islands scattered 

 through the whole of the South Sea, belong to this division. 



* Personal Narrative^ p. 24 1 . 



+ New Voyage and Description of the Isthmus of yl7nerica, p. 



X Clavicrro, Storia di Mcssico ; 4. 169. 



