The Origin of the American Races. 283 



it as at least a convenient basis of classification for certain purposes. 

 And h* Father Brosse's theory as to the dispersion of the children of 

 Hani eastward and westward be adopted, not on the somewhat eclectic 

 principle (if I may so put it) which he adopted in selecting particular 

 races and excluding others, but on the comprehensive supposition that, 

 despite differences in physique, culture and religion developed in the 

 course of ages, the races peopling certain large areas, especially those 

 widely separated from others, may originally have belonged to one 

 common stock, and that one the recognised stock most closely resembling 

 them in ethnical peculiarities generally — -w T ell, there is no better hypo- 

 thesis to exclude, and commonsense, no less than the learned proofs 

 put forward by the Rev. Father himself, goes to support it. It is right 

 to remember that Father Brosse's selection was not in any sense a narrow 

 one ; it included several African races, among others the Fulahs ; as I 

 have spoken of commonsense, perhaps I may venture, having lived 

 eight years in a country where the Fulahs were formerly the dominant 

 race — the upper Gambia is called Fuladu or Fuladugu, i.e., the Fulah 

 country — and are still numerous, to offer a general personal impression 

 for what it is worth, and say that the identification of that race with the 

 inhabitants of Northern India does not strike me as unreasonable when 

 sufficient allowance is made for the continuance of variation over a very 

 extended period. Father Brosse's studies were directed mostly to the 

 east ; had he Jived longer, and studied equally extensively the races of the 

 New World, the unity of type and culture, amid numberless differences, 

 recognised by recent investigators, might not improbably have led him 

 to broaden his theory on such lines as I have indicated I am sensible 

 that I have done very scant justice to my subject generally, and to his 

 works in particular ; but time would not allow me to attempt more 



