330 PSYCHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION. [PART II. 



tively to state what belongs to it exclusively. Thus much may, 

 however, be asserted that a hot climate renders physical, and 

 still more, mental labour difficult, induces man to consider every 

 kind of effort as a greater evil, and indolence as a greater 

 enjoyment than is the case in temperate or cold regions. The 

 European experiences such sensations when he settles in a 

 tropical climate, and it can scarcely be supposed that they are 

 essentially different in the natives of hot climates, because 

 their organism is not only habituated to them, but also con- 

 forms like that of the European to his own climate. Although 

 we may admit that the influence of climate acts more in- 

 tensely on strangers than on the natives, it can scarcely be 

 denied that the latter, whose organism is in harmony with 

 the climatic condition of their country, possess by nature such 

 qualities of temperament as are only gradually developed 

 in the immigrant. The intense reluctance against labour of 

 any kind, especially mental, among the Europeans in Africa, 

 the white Creoles in West India and other tropics, is generally 

 known. It must further be taken into consideration, that the 

 European is, in his own country, brought up to labour and self- 

 control, which the natives of the above countries are not. We 

 can thus hardly make the mental capacity responsible for their 

 want of energy. When we hear of the " unconquerable disin- 

 clination" for mental efforts which distinguishes the Whites in 

 hot climates, 1 it must, at least, appear very doubtful whether 

 they would by themselves have there acquired that high degree of 

 mental development from which they now look down with con- 

 tempt upon the Negro. Foissac 2 has pointed out that in many 

 tropical countries where the mortality is great (inBatavia, 1 : 28 ; 

 in Guadeloupe, 1:27; Bombay, 1 : 20 ; Guanaxato, in Mexico, 

 1 : 19), there was also a proportionately great prolificacy. We 

 cannot agree with him in considering this circumstance as the 

 cause of these peoples constantly remaining in a certain state 

 of childhood. Thus much, however, must be admitted, that the 



1 Europeans at Java complain that the climate admits of no mental effort. 

 Their children show a decided reluctance to engage in serious occupations; 

 drawing, music, etc., they learn easily (Selberg, " K. nach Java," p. 189, 1846). 



Loc. cit., p. 164. 



