70 
OUR RACE AND ITS ORIGIN. 
so expose his skin to the tanning influence of the sun, the 
other would be compelled by the increased cold of the cli- 
mate to add to his artificial clothing, and carefully envelop 
his person in the skins and furs of animals. The body 
therefore would thus, from two causes, decrease of climatic 
heat and additional clothing, gradually acquire an increased 
lightness of color, and the same continuing to operate 
through a lengthened period, this distinction would become 
more marked and fixed, until at last the present extremes 
would be attained. 
It must likewise be remembered, with the climate we have, 
not only the extremes of black and white, but of every 
intermediate shade as well — yellow, red, brown, and olive. 
Supposing, therefore, that red or brown were the original 
colors of our race ; radiating from them, we should have 
towards the south copper, chocolate, and finally black ; in 
the contrary direction, olive, yellow, and lastly white. And 
with these we should have the following agreement of cli- 
mate : — That of Chaldea being taken as the primary one, 
since all view it as the cradle of our race, would be warm ; 
further south hot ; and, at the equator, burning ; to the 
north of Chaldea temperate; still further north, cold and 
glacial. 
Local circumstances, also, in some instances, materially 
affect the climate. The sandy deserts of Africa, where there 
is neither water, grass, nor trees to modify the heat of the 
sun^s rays, materially add to its scorching effect on the 
human skin. 
In opposition to this theory, it is asserted that no race is 
found which has greatly changed color since the historic 
period : but it may be answered, what is really learnt from 
history; is it anything more than a record of wars and mur- 
ders ; of the setting up and pulling down of kingdoms ; of 
their greatness and grandeur ? Anything else is merely 
accidental ; literally nothing is known of the social state of 
ancient races from their histories which have reached us ; it is 
thus taken for granted, as a matter of course, that the black 
were always black, and the white always white ; but surely 
this remains to be proved. 
