THE CHEROKEES. 171 



Capacity of the anterior chamber, . . . 42.5 cubic inches. 



Capacity of the posterior chamber, , . . 52.25 cubic inches. 



Capacity of the coronal region, . . • 15.6 cubic inches. 



Facial angle, , ^ci degrees. 



THE CHEROKEES. 



The Cherokees, says Bartram, are even taller and more robust than the 

 Muskogees, and by far the largest race of men he had seen. Their complexion is 

 brighter than that of the succeeding tribes, and somewhat of an olive cast, while 

 some of their young women are nearly as fair as Europeans, 



The same traveller, who was much among the Cherokees towards the close 

 of the last century, describes them as grave and circumspect in their deportment, 

 and slow and reserved in conversation ; tenacious of their rights, and impatient of 

 aggression, yet more humane than most of their Indian neighbors. Mr. Bartram 

 speaks of them as a warlike nation, " ready always to sacrifice every pleasure and 

 gratification, even their blood, and life itself, to defend their territory and maintain 

 their rights."* This last statement, however, is rather at variance with history, 

 for the Cherokees have been remarked for their pacific disposition, and their 

 preference of agriculture to war. Mr. Bartram himself mentions the fact of their 

 doing homage to the Creeks in open council ; and he adds that this vassalage was 

 arrogantly imposed and passively submitted to.f 



It is also certain that some of the southern tribes, and especially the 

 Congarees, Yamassees and Esaws, made incursions into the Cherokee country for 

 the mere purpose of making prisoners, whom they subsequently sold as slaves in 

 Charleston, South Carolina; nor was this practice abolished until the year 1695.J 



It is obvious from the preceding facts that the arts of peace are more 

 congenial to the Cherokees than those of war. They are not only more docile, 

 but far more intelligent and capable of instruction, than the surrounding tribes ; 

 and in proof of this we need but instance the syllabic Cherokee alphabet, which 



* Trav. in Florida, &.C., p. 485. t Loco citat. 



X Gallatin, in Archoeolog. Amer. II, p. 92. 



