8 VARIETIES OF THE HUMAN SPECIES, 



The Circassians^ have long been celebrated for superior personal endowments. 

 The men are distinguished by the elegance of their shape : their stature seldom 

 exceeds the middle size, yet they are athletic and muscular without being corpulent. 

 The women have attracted the attention and commanded the admiration of all 

 travellers; nor can there be a question that in exquisite beauty of form and 

 gracefulness of manner, they surpass all other people. They are distinguished by 

 a fair skin, arched and narrow eyebrows, very long eyelashes, and black eyes and 

 hair. Their profile approaches nearest the Grecian model, and falls little short of 

 the beau-ideal of classic sculpture. 



Of all the Circassians the tribe called Nottahaizi presents the most general 

 diffusion of personal beauty. Mr. Spencer asserts, in his late travels among them, 

 that every individual he saw was decidedly handsome.f 



The Circassians are shepherds and agriculturists ; and although indolent in 

 field labor, they are extremely active and vigilant in war, which is their favorite 

 pastime. They pass much of their time in hunting, and in making predatory 

 excursions among the adjacent tribes. Like the Arabs, they affect great hospitality, 

 but they are at the same time selfish and deceitful. Contrary to the common 

 impression, they seldom sell their own women to the Turks ; for this traffic is 

 mainly supported by unfortunate captives from the different provinces of Georgia.^ 



The Caratski tribe have, by a singular misnomer, been called Black Circas- 

 sians ; whereas their complexions, says Father Lamberti, are very fair ; and he 

 adds, "that this name was probably given them only because the atmosphere of 

 the country is always gloomy and overcast with clouds."^ 



The Georgians are not less beautiful than the Circassians, possessing the same 

 style of features, but a darker complexion. |1 They are extremely vain of their 

 personal charms, and endeavor to enhance them by dying their hair, painting their 

 faces, and making their eyebrows join in a continuous line.^ The Georgians are 

 less warlike than the Circassians, but much more literary and refined ; they are 

 fond of poetry, and have a national love of music. 



* They call themselves Attighe, or Adige. They are the Zychi of the Greeks and Latins, and 

 the Tcherkess of the Russians. 



t Trav. in Circassia, II, p. 245. 



J Klaproth, Caucasus, p. 321. 



§ Ibid., p. 286. 



II Prof. Blumenbach has figured the skull of a Georgian female, to illustrate the perfect 

 proportions of the Caucasian head. — Decad. Cran., Tab. XXI. 



IF Freygan, Trav. in Caucasus, p. 136. 



