THE CELTIC FAMILY. 15 



and subsequently ravaged a great part of Europe, and established a monarchy in 

 Spain. They crossed also into Africa, and took and occupied several of the 

 Roman provinces on that continent. 



Austria and Hungary, (the ancient Pannonia,) and the adjoining states, are 

 at this time peopled by the lineal descendants of the Goths, w^hose harsh features 

 contrast strongly with those of the more polished nations of southern Europe. 



2. The Sclavonic Variety. " This second Germanic variety is composed of 

 men issuing probably from Mount Krapack, whence, turning to the south they 

 peopled Hungary, crossed the Danube, and pressed their migrations to the Adriatic 

 sea. In the north they followed the marshy track of the Vistula and Niemen. 

 Descending the Dneister towards the Black sea, they mingled with bands of 

 Tartars from the Scythian provinces, until becoming identified with them, a 

 mixed race was formed; the latter, assuming the name of Scythians, are celebrated 

 in history for their incursions on Persia on the one hand, and on the Roman 

 empire on the other. "^ 



Under this denomination are also embraced the Russians, Poles, Lithuanians 

 and part of the Bohemians and Hungarians. They are for the most part charac- 

 terised by darker hair and complexion than the Teutonic tribes. The Tartars 

 who conquered Russia in the twelfth century under the renowned Zenghis Khan, 

 retained their dominion for more than two hundred years, and have left evident 

 traces of their sojourn both in the physical character and social institutions of the 

 Russians.! The people of this division of the Germanic family are brave and 

 enterprising, but generally rude and uncultivated ; and the Russians, perhaps the 

 most polished branch, emerged from the deepest barbarism so lately as the reign 

 of Peter the Great. 



3. THE CELTIC FAMILY. 



This branch of the great Caucasian race, occupied at one period nearly all 

 western Europe. They extended from the Pyrenees to the Rhine, and from the 

 base of the Alps to the western islands of Britain. They bore the general name 

 of Celtae, and their continental territory was the "Gallia Celtica" of the Romans. 



The long continued intercourse of these people with other and dissimilar 

 nations, has tended to obliterate their primitive characteristics, excepting in 

 certain parts of the extreme west of Europe. Thus they are yet numerous in 



* L'Homme, I, p. 132-136. t Klaproth, Trav. in Caucasus, p. 90. 



