100 



PHYSICAL INVESTIGATION. 



[PART I, 



The frizzly hair developes itself as gradually as the colour 

 the skin. In the suckling the hair is of a chestnut brown, and 

 of a silky texture (Burmeister) . The skin exhalation has in 

 the negro a peculiar, disagreeable odour, which, however, is 

 but little perceptible in some individuals, whilst in others it is 

 smelt at a distance. This odour is particularly strong among 

 the Balantes and Bissagos, 1 and among the Negroes in th( 

 south of Sierra Leone, the Ibos, Papaws, Mokos, etc. 5 

 It corresponds to the odour emitted by the black feathers oi 

 birds and the black hair of the dogs in Guinea (Foissac) . 



From the preceding description of the Negro-type, in which 

 we have preferred to let every author speak for himself, il 

 cannot be doubted that there is a certain resemblance betwe< 

 the Negro and the Ape, although the distance between them is 

 sufficiently great to discard any idea as to their relationship. 

 We must add here a few more observations to shew that th( 

 differences between the Negro and European are less importanl 

 than they appear at first sight. 



The singularly thick skull which is considered as one of the 

 characteristics of the Negro race is not exclusively peculiar to 

 it. We need not mention that it is frequently occurring in 

 mental diseases, and Herodotus ascribes such thick skulls to 

 the ancient Egyptians. The natives of Van Diemen's Land 

 break wood on their heads (Labillardiere) . 3 This is also the 

 case among the Penhuenches in South America, and many 

 Indians in Brazil. 4 The skulls of the Australians are said to 

 be much thicker than those of Europeans. 5 Herrera mentions 

 that the Spanish conquerors were not able to split the skulls of 

 the aborigines of Cuba and Haiti with one stroke of the 

 sword. Ulloa 6 says that the skulls found in old American 

 graves are about six to seven inches thick. Polack 7 found the 



1 Arnoux, loc. cit., p. 215. 



K. Clarke, " S. Leone," p. 51, 1846. 



3 Labillardiere, " Eel. du voy. & la rech. de la Perouse," An. viii, ii, p. 54 ; 

 Melville, " The present state of Australia," p. 348, 1851. 



4 Poppig, " Eeise," i, 466 ; Spix und Martius, " Seise," p. 696. 

 6 Dawson, " The present state of Aust.," p. 66, 1830. 



6 " Physikal. und hist. Nachr.," ii, 99, 1781. 



7 " New-Zeal., being a narrative of travels," i, p. 214, 1838. 



