MAN. 



we should have supposed by changing- to 

 a hot climate, that by avoiding the heat 

 of the sun, by different clothing-, diet, 8cc. 

 they may avoid many of the causes which 

 act with full energy on the natives of such 

 climates. The proximate cause of the 

 dark colour of the skin consists, accord- 

 ing to Blumenbach, (de Gen. Human. 

 Var. Nat.) in the secretion of a greater 

 quantity of carbon, and its fixation, by an 

 union with oxygen, in the rete mucosum. 

 He states, that Negroes are not born 

 black, but acquire that colour by the ac- 

 cess of the atmosphere. He also insists 

 much on the influence which heat exerts 

 on the hepatic functions ; and the sympa- 

 thy existing between the liver and skin, 

 manifested by the dark tinge of the latter 

 in persons of an atrabilarious temperament. 

 There is no climate so favourable for the 

 operation of these causes as that of Africa, 

 which surpasses allothersin the continued 

 intensity of its heat, in peculiar proper- 

 ties of the atmosphere, arising from very 

 singular winds, &c. Accordingly, its in- 

 habitants having, by exposure to these 

 agencies for a long series of ages, ac- 

 quired a strongly-marked and deeply- 

 rooted character, transmit it unimpaired, 

 even in foreign climates, to their descen- 

 dants. 



There are varieties of col our in animals, 

 which, whether they owe their origin to 

 climate or other causes, are as remark- 

 able as those of the different races of 

 mankind, although they occur in the same 

 species. The swine are all white in the 

 northern provinces of France ; in Dau- 



Ehiny, and some other parts, they are 

 lack, as also in Spain, Italy, India, China, 

 and America; and in Bavaria, reddish 

 brown. The breeds of cattle manifest 

 similar variations. We have already 

 noticed the changes of colour in animals 

 in cold climates, in speaking of the in- 

 fluence of climate. 



Some objections have been made to the 

 explanation of colour derived from cli- 

 mate, which seem to admit of solution. 

 The temperature of any country cannot 

 be determined by considering merely its 

 geographical climate, or its distance from 

 the equator : we must advert at the same 

 time to the physical climate, or that 

 which is produced in any given latitude 

 by such adventitious circumstances as low 

 or elevated position, neighbourhood of 

 water, &.c. &c. The Abyssinians, al- 

 though nearly under the equator, by no 

 means approach in colour to Negroes ; 

 for their country is very elevated, the 

 barometer standing, according to Bruce, 

 at twenty-two inches. The inhabitants of 



the South Sea islands under the line, and 

 indeed of the South Sea ishnds in gene- 

 ral, are much lighter coloured than we 

 should have expected ; and this arises 

 from the coolness natural to insular situa- 

 tions. We find no Negroes under the 

 line in America, as in Africa; a circum- 

 stance which admits of an easy solution. 

 On the western side of America there is 

 one of the most elevated regions of the 

 globe. The plain of Quito, which is the 

 base of the Andes, is higher than the top 

 of the Pyrenees, and the summits of these 

 mountains, although in the centre of the 

 torrid zone, are covered with everlasting 

 snow. The country abounds with large 

 rivers, traversing it from west to east. 

 It is covered by a vast quantity of stag- 

 nant water, and the largest forests in the 

 globe ; it contains no sandy wastes, like 

 those of Africa. Hence the temperature 

 of any place in America is very different 

 from that of corresponding parts of the 

 old continent. At Quito, which is nearly 

 under the line, Reaumur's thermometer 

 never ascends beyond 28 ; while at Se- 

 negal, in 16 of north latitude, it mounts 

 to 38. The latitude of Paris corresponds 

 to that of Quebec, and that of London to 

 the almost uninhabitable regions of La- 

 brador. 



The brown and tawny colours are not 

 wholly confined to warm climates ; they 

 are found in the northern regions of Eu-, 

 rope and Asia, countries which, from 

 their excessive cold, and consequent ste-. 

 rility, are scarcely habitable. The inha- 

 bitants of these regions live on the flesh 

 of the rein-deer and dried fish ; their 

 bread is made of pounded fish-bones 

 with the bark of the pine or birch-tree. 

 They drink much whale oil. They live 

 under ground, or in huts sunk below the 

 surface of the earth ; and during their 

 long nights keep up lamplight, and are 

 enveloped in smoke. At other times 

 they are exposed to the action of a most 

 inhospitable climate, in following their 

 occupations of hunting and fishing. This 

 mode of life will naturally render the 

 skin coarse and dark ; and the discolora- 

 tion thus produced is increased in many 

 instances by the habit of painting the 

 body, and smearing it with grease and 

 other substances, which very commonly, 

 prevails among savage nations. Such an 

 effect is produced sometimes by these 

 practices, that the colour of the skin can- 

 not be ascertained. (Hawkesworth's Col- 

 lection of Voyages, &c. vol. iv. p. 24, 

 120, 138.) 



We have to observe further, that the 

 effect of climate is much modified by 



