THE HUMAN SPECIES. 163 



tries ; certainly so within the tropics, and in very warm 

 regions, where development and decay is universally 

 allowed to be more rapid. 



Weight is another element in the consideration of 

 races, as this quality materially influences physical 

 strength, and consequently bestows confidence, enter- 

 prise, and success. An instrument, the dynamometer, 

 has been invented to measure the relative scale, and 

 they have shown savage nations to be strong in pro- 

 portion to the abundance and wholesomeness of the 

 food they possess ; but in all cases hitherto examined, 

 civilized Europeans surpassed them ; * and, it appears, 

 English exceeded French.; or perhaps more correctly, 

 the Teutonic stock surpassed the Celtic, both in strength 

 and weight, although the Irish Celts are said to be taller 

 and heavier than the English Saxons. As yet, no great 

 stress can be laid on results obtained from an imperfect 

 instrument, partial inquiries, and questionable nation- 

 alities ; still enough is determined to reject an opinion, 

 often prevalent, that the moderns are degenerate when 

 compared with their ancestors. The conclusion is fur- 

 ther controverted, by an experiment made at Goodrich 

 Court, where the splendid collection of ancient armour 

 is classified, with rigorous attention, both to date and 

 nation, by Sir Samuel R. Meyrick, the enlightened and 



* The strongest North American Indians are asserted to 

 fail against the ordinary power of wrist of Europeans ; 

 that is, when each side place the right elbow to elbow, and 

 cross the fingers through each other's hand, striving to bend 

 -the opposing wrist back. The fact was established by the 

 60th Regiment in Canada 



