THE HUMAN SPECIES. 265 



cient cities, captured and abandoned by the beardless 

 stock, are still to be seen. Desolate cities, with stand- 

 ing gateways, in a great degree perfect, and monstrous 

 statues, akin to, but far more elaborate than the more 

 early Scandinavian and Gothic works of art in Europe, 

 ndicate no very remote period when they were for- 



ken, and testify, that the religion once predominant 

 had more affinity with the northern Caucasian doc- 

 trines of the west, than with the Budhism, Shamanism, 

 or any other superstitions known among the beardless 

 nations.* 



Having before shown the opinion, drawn from high 

 authorities, and corroborated by Chinese annals, that 

 while the Polar Sea covered, to within recent ages, se- 

 veral degrees of latitude in northern Asia, the climate 

 must have been considerably milder than at present, 

 and consequently have facilitated migration to the east- 

 ward, even if Behring's Straits had then already its 

 present dimensions, and the Aleuthian islands did not 

 form a more continuous chain than they now exhibit. 

 These circumstances may account both for the Caucaso- 



* Par-hotan, city of the Tiger, a mass of extensive ruins 

 on the Kirton-Gura of the Kalkas, and to the north of 

 Mongolia. The Kirton-Gura communicates with th 

 Amour by the Kulon-nor lake. The ruins are in latitude 

 48, and in longitude a little west of Pekin. Though not 

 built by the Mongolic nations, this and other cities were no 

 doubt occupied by them till after their conquest of China, 

 when to permit another hardy population to grow up con- 

 centrated in the north, was no doubt found to be unad- 

 visable. 



