VARIETIES OF THE HUMAN RACE. 



21 



is his strength before that of the lion ? or the rapidity of his 

 pace compared with that of the horse ? Has he the flight of 

 the bird ? an equal power of swimming with the fish ? the 

 dog's sense of smell ? the piercing eye of the eagle ? or the 

 hearing of the hare ? What is his size beside that of the 

 elephant ? To escape his enemies he has not even the imbri- 

 cated shells of the pangolin, nor the buckler of the armadillo. 

 But, if we consider his admirable intelligence, we behold 

 him subjecting to his dominion or employing in his service 

 the rapidity of the horse, the strength of the elephant, the 

 smell of the dog, the piercing eye of the eagle. By means 

 of this intelligence he alone, of all other beings, has been 

 enabled to form for himself a language. Through this, 

 fathers transmit to their children their experience, their 

 ideas ; and this heritage, in passing from generation to gene- 

 ration, always increased in its progress from the preceding 

 generation, becomes at length a treasure which the memory 

 is no longer capable of preserving. This accumulation upon 

 accumulation of facts gave birth to writing and then again to 

 printing, the province of both which is, to render language 

 perceptible by the eye in all places and at all times. 



CAUCASIAN VARIETY. 



Facial angle from eighty-six to ninety degrees. Face oval ; 

 forehead prominent ; eyes horizontal ; the balls but slightly 

 projecting ; colour of the skin white or at least whitish; hair 

 varying from black to a shade nearly white. This variety 

 has formed all the most civilized people of the earth. It oc- 

 cupies Europe (with the exception of the polar regions), 

 western Asia and the northern part of Africa. It is believed 

 to have had its origin in the groups of the Caucasus. Three 

 branches. 



THE CERMANIC-INDO-PELASGIAN BRANCH. 



Germans. 



Facial angle about ninety degrees. The vertex rounded ; 

 face nobly oval ; forehead open ; nose straight or nearly so ; 

 eyebrows more or less arched, reigning over large eyes. Lips 

 agreeably coloured and never too thick. Ears small and 

 lying close to the head. Beard well furnished. Hair 



