^14 THE VARIETIES M 



I. The most symmetrical, and therefore the most elegant variety of the 

 human form, is that which I have called the European, in consequence 

 of its being traced in the European division of the globe more largely 

 than in any other ; and the most perfect lineaments of this variety are 

 those of the region of Asia Minor, on the borders of Europe, the parent 

 spot from which it has been imported — lineaments which we find distri- 

 buted among the Georgians, Circassians, Mingrelians, Armenians, Per- 

 sians, and other nations that skirt the southern foot of the vast chain of 

 the Caucasus. Aiid it is on this account that M. Blumenbach has given 

 the name of the Caucasian variety to the European form in general. 

 It is remarkable that in this spot of the globe man was first created : 

 here he first received the breath of life, and arose in the image of his 

 Maker. The die has not yet lost its divine impress ; for here we 

 still meet, and in all ages have met (so far as relates to the exterior graces) 

 with the most exquisite models of symmetry and beauty. 



The general colour of the European or Georgian variety, the white 

 division of Gmelin, is fair ; that of the cheeks more or less red ; the head 

 globular ; the face straight and oval, with the features moderately dis- 

 tinct : the forehead slightly flattened ; the nose narrow, and shghtly aqui- 

 line ; the cheek-bones unprominent ; the mouth small ; the lips a little 

 turned out, especially the under one ; the chin full and rounded ; the 

 eyes and hair variable, but the former, for the most part, blue, and the 

 latter yellow, or brown and flowing. 



II. The colour of the Asiatic, or Mo?:golian, the Brown-man of 

 Gmelin, is yellowish brown or ohve, with scarcely ever an appearance of 

 red in the cheeks, which seems to be confined to the European variety ; 

 the head, instead of being globular, is nearly square ; the cheek-bones 

 wide ; and the general face flat ; the eyes are black and small ; the chin 

 rather prominent ; and the hair blackish and scanty. 



III. The American, or Red-man of Gmehn, is of an obscure orange, 

 rusty-iron, or copper-colour ; the head is less square, the cheek-bones 

 less expanded, and the face less flattened than in the Asiatic ; the eyes 

 are deeply seated ; and the hair is black, straight, and thick. This va- 

 riety seems to form a middle point between the European and the 

 Asiatic. 



IV. The colour of the African, the Ethiopian of Blumenbach, and 

 Black-man of Gmelin, varies from a deep tawny to a pitch or perfect 

 jet. The head is narrow ; the face narrow, projecting towards the 

 lower part ; the forehead arched ; the eyes projecting ; the nose thick, 

 almost intermixed with the cheeks ; the lips, particularly the upper one, 

 very thick, the jaws prominent ; the chin retracted ; the hair black, friz- 

 zled, and woolly. The countenance in this variety recedes farther, than 

 in any other, from the European, and approaches much nearer, than in 

 any other, that of the monkey. 



V. The Australian, or inhabitants of New South Wales, and the 

 numerous clusters of islands that begirt that prodigious range of unex- 

 plored country, together with the South Sea Islands in general, consti- 

 tuting the Malay of Blumenbach, and the Tawny-man of Gmelin, is of 

 blackish-brown, or mahogany colour : the head is somewhat narrowed 

 at its upper part ; the forehead somewhat expanded ; the upper jaw 

 slightly prominent ; and the nose broad, but distinct ; the hair harsh, 

 coarse, long, and curly. This variety seems to form a middle point be- 

 tween the European and the Afi-ican ; as the American does between the 



