COMPLEXION. 



45 



Com- also of those of VaU Dicnien's Island, which lies in 45° 

 plexion. south, is another striking proof, that a dark hue does 

 »— -Y— ' not depend on the heat of the climate. 



4. Different complexions are found under the same 

 physical latitude, and among the same people. Illus- 

 trations and proofs of this have already been given. 

 The physical latitude in which the Norwegians, the 

 Icelanders, the Fins, and the Laplanders 'live, scarcely 

 differs, and yet their complexions, and the colour of 

 then - eyes and hair, are widely different. There is a 

 great diversity of colour and features among the Morla- 

 chi, who inhabit Dalmatia. The inhabitants of Kotar, 

 and of the plains of Seigu, and Knin, have fair blue eyes, 

 broad face, and flat nose. Those of Duare and Ver- 

 goraz, on the contrary, have dark coloured hair, then- 

 face is long, their complexion tawny, and their stature 

 tall. (Fortis' Travels in Dulmulia, p. 51.) M. Sauchez, 

 who travelled among the Tartars in the southern pro- 

 vinces of Russia, describes a nation called the Kaben- 

 dedski, as having countenances as white and fresh as 

 any in Europe, with large black eyes. (Smellie's Philos. 

 of Nat. Hist. ii. p. 167.) The inhabitants in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Cape of Good Hope differ in their com- 

 plexions much more than in the nature of the climate un- 

 der which they respectively live. The Caffres are black ; 

 the Booshuanas of a bronze colour; and the Hottentots, 

 a light brown, or brownish yellow. In the island of 

 Madagascar, there are three races, distinctly marked. 

 The first are black, with frizzled hair, supposed to be 

 the original inhabitants of the island. The second race 

 inhabit the interior provinces; they are tawny, and 

 have long hah- like the Malays. The third race reside 

 near Fort Daupliris, and on the west coast ; they are 

 supposed to be descended from some shipwrecked 

 Arabs, and retain a resemblance to that nation, (Son- 

 nerat's Voyages to the East Indies and China translated 

 from the French, iii. p. 30.) People with the Negro 

 complexion and features, are also found in the interior 

 of the Philippine islands ; and in Java, the Hindoo and 

 Malay character may be clearly traced in the com- 

 plexion and features of the two classes of inhabitants 

 which are found in that island. In several of the Mo- 

 luccas, is a race of men who are blacker than the rest, 

 with w r oolly hair, inhabiting the interior hilly parts ©f 

 the country. The shores of these islands are peopled 

 by another nation, whose individuals are swarthy, with 

 curled long hair. In the interior hilly parts of Formo- 

 sa, the inhabitants are brown, frizzled haired, and 

 broad faced, while the Chinese occupy the shores. 

 Forster observes, that there are two great varieties of 

 people in the South Seas ; the one more fair, the other 

 blacker, with their hair just beginning to be woolly 

 and crisp. The first race inhabits Otaheite, and the 

 Society Isles, the Marquesas, the Friendly Isles, Eas- 

 ter Island, and New Zealand ; the second race peoples 

 New Caledonia, Tanna, and the New Hebrides, es- 

 pecially Mallicollo. If we examine the relative situa- 

 tion and latitudes of these islands on a map, we shall 

 be convinced, not only that darker complexioned peo- 

 ple are found where the climate is comparatively cold- 

 er, but that the same complexion is found under very 

 different latitudes. 



As, in several instances which have been given, es- 

 pecially under the last head, the difference of com- 

 plexion may be supposed to have arisen from difference 

 of race, and therefore by no means to prove the point 

 at issue, we shall now proceed to consider the effects 

 which have been produced by change of climate, where 



Complet- 

 ion of the 



the complexion has been exposed to the operation of Com- 

 this cause for several generations. plexion. 



It may, however, be proper to premise one general ,T""^' 

 remark : It would by no means follow, even if it could the c ^ mm 

 be proved that the complexion of the Caucasian, or plexion by 

 fair-skinned variety, had been permanently and radi- change of 

 cally changed by long exposure to a warm climate, that climate; 

 this change was the effect, solely, or principally, of 

 climate ; intermarriage will produce the change to the 

 greatest degree in which it is alleged to have been pro- 

 duced. Whereas, if cases can be brought forward, ia 

 which the primitive complexion of the variety has re- 

 sisted the operation of change of climate for a great 

 number of generations, it may fairly be inferred, that 

 native differences of colour do not depend upon climate ; 

 and that, as they are not changed by a change of cli- 

 mate, they were not originally occasioned by climate. 

 The cases which have been already given, of people 

 with radical varieties of complexion and features exist- 

 ing together in the Philippine islands, in Madagascar, 

 &c. ought, perhaps, to have been referred to that divi- 

 sion of the subject which we are now about to discuss ; 

 but as there is no historical evidence, (though there is 

 strong presumptive proof,) that the people of either of 

 these varieties emigrated from a different climate to 

 their present abode, it was thought more methodical 

 to consider their cases under the last head ; but how- 

 ever they are arranged, their bearing on the point at 

 issue is equally direct and strong. 



1. The case of the Colchi shall be first considered. 

 Herodotus informs us, that, in his time, they were dis- 

 tinguished by the blackness of their complexion, and Colchi. 

 the crispature of their hair ; and that, from these cir- 

 cumstances, the Egyptians regarded them as the de- 

 scendants of part of the troops of Sesostris. This case 

 is regarded by the advocates for the opinion that cli- 

 mate produces and changes complexion, as making very 

 decidedly and strongly in their favour ; no such people 

 are now found in those regions, as Herodotus describee 

 the Colchi to have been ; therefore, they argue, that the 

 blackness of their complexion, and the crispature of 

 their hair, must have been destroyed by the influence 

 of climate. The application of the general remark 

 with which we introduced this part of our subject, 

 would be a sufficient answer to this argument ; since, 

 during the course of 2000 years, intermarriages, and 

 other causes by no means connected with climate, may 

 fairly 'be supposed to have produced those changes 

 which are attributed to climate. But the case of the 

 Colchi, when properly considered, makes against, in- 

 stead of for, the influence of climate : As, however, this 

 view of the case cannot be put in its strongest light, 

 unless we previously ascertain what were the com- 

 plexion and features of the Egyptians (from whom the 

 Colchi were supposed to be descended) in the time of 

 Herodotus, a few observations must be premised on 

 this point. 



Volney maintains, that the primitive Egyptians were Complex- 

 negroes. This opinion he draws from the present ap- ion of the 

 pearance of the Copts — from the features of the sphynx primitive 

 — and from the appearance of the mummies. Browne £ g7P tians ' 

 decidedly controverts this opinion : The Copts, he says, 

 have no resemblance of the Negro features or form : 

 Their complexion is a dusky brown, like that of the 

 Arabs. But the argument "drawn from the Copts, is of 

 little value on either side of the question ; for though 

 they have intermixed less than most people with their 

 conquerors, they cannot be regarded as pure. The an- 



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