CHAPTER XIIL 



THE WHITE OR ARABIAN RACE. 



Europeans and European colonists, are comparatively uniform in 

 their complexion and personal appearance ; and they can hardly con- 

 ceal their origin by dress, even amid the population of Northern 

 Africa and Northwestern Asia. The inhabitants of the two last- 

 named countries, present among themselves more diversity; although 

 at the same time, there is rarely any difficulty in recognising the phy- 

 sical race. 



The White race then, as it exists in Northern climates, may be 

 characterized by its superiority in lightness of complexion, in thin- 

 ness of lip, in prominence of nose, and in length and copiousness of 

 beard. No one of these tests, is of itself sufficient to distinguish the 

 race; for Abyssinians, in some instances, rival it in prominence of 

 nose; Telingans, or even Ethiopians, in thinness of lip; many Pa- 

 puans, have as copious a beard ; and I have myself seen the florid 

 complexion among Mongolians of high Northern latitudes. So far 

 however as my observation has extended, flaxen hair, red hair, and 

 blue eyes, (albinoes being excepted,) are found only in the White 

 race. 



The hottest portion of the globe, appears to be about seventeen de- 

 grees in width, counting from latitude 27° North, and extends from 

 the Atlantic Ocean to the Ganges. One third perhaps of this im- 

 mense tract is inhabited by the White race ; although often under a 

 physical aspect, that would not readily be acknowledged by Euro- 

 peans. The complexion, always dark, is in frequent instances suffi- 

 ciently so to conceal a flush ; indeed, the Malay-brown complexion 

 seems rather to predominate ; and I have seen Arabs of a deeper hue, 

 who yet were apparently of unmixed descent: moreover, a considera- 

 ble proportion of the inhabitants of Southern Arabia, are nearly or 



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