Mortoii's Crania Americana. 371 



defect, probably is to be ascribed their aversion to civilized habits. 

 The inferiority of all of these skulls to that of the Swiss is con- 

 spicuous. The internal capacity of it is 95.5, and that of the 

 coronal region, 21.25. Dr. Morton does not give the capacity of 

 the anterior and posterior chambers of this skull, but the larger 

 dimensions of the intellectual organs have already been stated. 



We have no space to enter into any description of the skulls 

 found in the ancient tombs, or of those of the Flat-headed In- 

 dians and Charibs ; suffice it to say that Dr. Morton's materials 

 are full and satisfactory on these topics, and his facts and conclu- 

 sions highly interesting. We subjoin a ^ew of the general results 

 at which he arrives from a survey of his entire field. 



" The intellectual faculties," says he, " of the great American 

 FAMILY, appear to be of a decidedly inferior cast, when compared 

 with those of the Caucasian or Mongolian races. They are not 

 only averse to the restraints of education, but for the most part 

 incapable of a continued process of reasoning on abstract subjects. 

 Their minds seize with avidity on simple truths, while they at 

 once reject whatever requires investigation and analysis. Their 

 proximity, for more than two centuries, to European institutions, 

 has made scarcely any appreciable change in their mode of think- 

 ing or their manner of life ; and as to their own social condition, 

 they are probably in most respects what they were at the primi- 

 tive epocli of their existence. They have made few or no im- 

 provements in building their houses or their boats; their inventive 

 and imitative faculties appear to be of a very humble grade, nor 

 have they the smallest predilection for the arts or sciences. The 

 long annals of missionary labor and private benefaction bestowed 

 upon them, off"er but very few exceptions to the preceding state- 

 ment, which, on the contrary, is sustained by the combined tes- 

 timony of almost all practical observers. Even in cases where 

 they have received an ample education, and have remained for 

 many years in civilized society, they lose none of their innate 

 love of their own national usages, which they have almost inva- 

 riably resumed when chance has left them to choose for them- 

 selves." " However much the benevolent mind may regret the 

 inaptitude of the Indians for civilization, the affirmative of this 

 question seems to be established beyond a doubt. His moral and 

 physical nature are alike adapted to his position among the races 

 of men, and it is as reasonable to expect the one to be changed 



