COMPARISON OF RACES. 341 



observing the native population of India, but the 

 impression upon my mind of the moral character 

 of the people generally of that country, apart from 

 their particular worship, is, that the Indians, 

 especially the women, possess in a great degree 

 that moral principle, that delicacy of the mind, 

 whicli is essentially the basis of that high sense of 

 honour and personal respect, which constitute 

 female chastity. I was enabled to draw, by my 

 visit to India, a very interesting contrast between 

 the women of that country and those of Shoa. 

 Let me compare two extreme specimens, which 

 will illustrate more broadly that which I wish to 

 establish ; that important differences in the consti- 

 tution of the mind are the primary causes of those 

 varieties in human nature ; but which have been 

 previously determined by differences in the features 

 and form. This comparison will assist me, as truth, 

 I think, is sometimes strikingly demonstrated by 

 widely different contrasts ; the paradox surprises 

 and amuses the mind, and its effect in consequence 

 is more permanent. 



We will first, however, cursorily allude to the 

 physical differences between the Indian girl and 

 the Abyssinian, as a kind of introduction to their 

 habits. The former is tall, thin, long-waisted, 

 with an angular configuration of form, her features 

 regular, sharply defined, bright and placid. She 

 is a Circassian with a dark skin. Turn to the 



