144 Distinctive characteristics of the 



country farther north. The marks of early civilization, too, one of 

 the most important proofs of long residence in a fixed spot, are all, 

 as in the older world, in favor of the tropical climates."* 



We may further inquire, how it happens that during the lapse of 

 more than three hundred years since the discovery of America, there 

 has not been an authenticated immigration from Asia ? The long 

 and desolating wars which have driven whole nations from the 

 central to the northern parts of that continent, have not supplied a 

 single colony to the New World. Nay, if such colonization had 

 occurred within a thousand or two thousand years, would we not 

 now possess more indubitable evidences of it in language, customs 

 and the arts ? 



We propose in the next place, to make a very few observations in 

 reference to the idea that America has been peopled by the Malay 

 race, which, in the ordinary classification, includes the Malays proper 

 of the Indian Archipelago, and the Polynesians in all their number- 

 less localities. These people, however, have so much of the Mongo- 

 lian character, that nearly the same objections arise to both. The 

 head of the Malay proper, is more like that of the Indian, because 

 it not unfrequently presents something of the vertical form of the 

 occiput ; and the transverse diameter, as measured between the 

 parietal bones, is also remarkably large. But excepting in these 

 respects, the osteological developement coincides with that of the 

 Mongolian ; while the whole category of objections which we have 

 just urged against the latter people, is equally valid in respect to the 

 whole Malay race. For independently of differences of organization, 

 how great is the disparity in their arts and social institutions ! So 

 great, indeed, that to account for it, Dr. Lang, one of the most 

 ingenious supporters of the theory, insists on an intellectual dege- 

 neracy, consequent to change of climate and circumstances. " It is 

 an easy and natural process," says he, " for man to degenerate in 

 the scale of civilization, as the Asiatics have evidently done in 

 travelling to the northward and eastward. He has only to move 

 forward a few hundred miles into the wilderness, and settle himself 



*On the Origin of the Indian Population of America. By B. H. Coates, 

 M. D. 1834. 



