REVIEWS — INDIGENOUS RACES OF THE EARTH 209 



a bulky quarto volume, which, as it has just come to hand as these 

 sheets are passing through the press, we can only notice very 

 cursorily. And glancing first at that which comes last in the order 

 of arrangement, the special chapters devoted to the controversial 

 theme of " the Monogenists and Polygenists," or in simple words : 

 the unity, or the diversity of the human race, as the descendants of 

 one, or of several pairs ; we cannot but regret the form in which it is 

 here put forth, as calculated only to excite unnecessary prejudices 

 against the whole inquiry. Notwithstanding the vehemence of its 

 offensive and defensive warfare against all who venture to maintain 

 their literal interpretation, in simple faith, of the words of their Eng 

 lish Bible, that God " hath made ot one blood all nation of men :" 

 the author himself confesses that whilst according to his present 

 opinions, " the reasonings in favour of the diversity view preponder- 

 ate greatly over those against it, he does not, nevertheless, hold the 

 latter to be, as yet, absolutely proven." Such being the uncertainty 

 even in the mind of the boldest and most aggressive champion in the 

 cause of a diversity of origin for the human race, we feel assured that 

 the great majority of Ethnologists must deplore with us, the pre- 

 mature dragging into the arena of theological controversy of a science 

 which is still in its mere infancy ; has its data to accumulate, its first 

 principles to determine, and even a commonly recognized nomencla- 

 ture and termonology to agree upon ; and is therefore totally 

 unprepared to buckle on the armour fitted for offensive warfare. 

 What faith can the simple learner be expected to repose, for example, 

 in arguments based on Egyptian chronology, when no two of its 

 authorities can be got to agree on its dates. Within a brief interval 

 of five years, the era of Menes alone shifted back and forward over 

 a range of variations differing by upwards of two thousand two 

 hundred years. Since then it has shown no greater tendency to- 

 wards a stable equilibrium. Bunsen, indeed, it would seem, from 

 private information of his most recent views just received, (p. 587,) 

 makes of Menes' Egyptian reign (B.C. 3623,) quite a modern era, 

 and starting with the origin of mankind 20,000 years before 

 Christ (!) he gives us an Arian migration circa B.C. 11,000 ; 

 an Egyptian Eepublic, B.C. 10,000 ; a Theban Hierarchy B.C. 7,231 ; 

 and an elective monarch extending from the precise date, B.C. 5,413 

 to the very year in which Menes— the first of us moderns— united 

 Egypt under his single sceptre, exactly 54S0 years ago! In some 

 such comprehensive ante-historic eras. Mr. Gliddon fully 

 concurs. "Egypt," he remarks in summing up an ideal 



VOL. II. — O. 



