646 



EAIILY iilGUATION 



Climate, habits, and food operate to cause a considerable 

 change in the form and size, though their permanent effect on 

 the colour of the human race is slight. The effect of climate, 

 considered alone, may be seen in the descendants of English 

 families settled in some parts of North America, in Australia, 

 or Van Diemen's Land ; countries where neither habits nor 

 food differ much from those of England. We see there that 

 our sturdy thick-set labourer's son becomes a tall lathy youth, 

 though perhaps none of his family while in England exceeded 

 the middle height : and not only does the form alter, but the 

 gait and voice acquire peculiarities which mark the American 

 born, the Australian, or the Tasmanian. Exposure to cold, 

 wet, and wind, together with but little walking exercise, 

 shortens the legs, and increases the stoutness of body, as may 

 be seen in the Fuegian, the Esquimaux, and the Laplander, 

 — in fishermen, sailors, coachmen, and others ; but, activity 

 on foot, warmth, and a fine climate, have contrary effects, 

 which may be shown by the youth above mentioned, by the 

 African Negro, by the Indian, by the South Sea Islander, and 

 others. Habits require httle notice, for we can hardly look 

 around us without seeing many instances of faculties or forms 

 altered in one way or other, by exercise or the want of it, or 

 by certain customs : porters, smiths, dancers, grooms, jockeys, 

 are remarkable instances. That food is a material agent in 

 affecting the human form I think no one can doubt ; and when 

 all three combine to cause alterations, how considerable must 

 be the change effected. That colour may be altered a little 

 by seclusion and particular diet, or by exposure to wind and 

 sun, need not be remarked, except for the purpose of adding 

 that a change so caused is not permanent, or transmitted to 

 children, like peculiarity of form. The Otaheitans used to 

 shut themselves up for a month at a time, and eat only par- 

 ticvilar food, in order to become fairer ; yet their descendants 

 are as dark at this day as their fathers were when Wallis first 

 discovered them in 1786. 



I will now endeavour to point out those lines of communi- 

 cation across the oceans which appear to me, ^as a seaman, the 



