Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-10-26
AGAssIz ON THE RACES OF MEN.

AGAssIz ON THE RACES OF MEN.
We give the following from the Boston Trav-
eler's report of Agassiz's Lowell lectures
We next come to the geographical distribution
out Of consideration all questions as to the unity
of the races Agassiz is conscious that his views
on some points are not generally received, and
he fully respects the motives which make the
views of others almost sacred TO them. He hopes
that his views will be received with the same
spirit as he represents them, viz: in the effort to
arrive at the truth.
We will first study the limits of the ranges of
each race on the different continents, and must
consequently eliminate every element depending
upon migration, as the present American races.
We are to consider the primitive location of the
races, that is the distribution of man as recog-
nized by the earliest traditions The question is,
where the racfs we're originally placed, rather
than what are the modern changes in their dis
tribution.
The first race to be considered is one peculiar
to the Arctic regions, race different much from
any inhabiting the temperate zone, and still more
from those of the tropics. This race compris 5
the Exqumaux of this continent the Lapland.
ers Of Europe and the Saymoyedes of Asia
They are all characterize by broad face, siort
in its vertical dame er, low forehead and great
length Of body when compared with the short.
ness of the legs. For more minute descriptions
the works of Pickering and Prichard must be
consulted. The disribAion of th@se races COR
respond very nearly to the geological regions Of
the north.
The races of the temperate zones are three
The Mongolians in Asia, the whites in Europe,
and the aborigines in America and it is re-
markable, also, that these races occupy the same
territories as the faunas previously described
In Asia has been described the terrestrial Japan
csc fauna, the insnla japanese fauna, the Chi
nese fauna, and the fauna of the Caspian regions.
intermediate to that of Europe and Asia In
habiting precisely the same countries, are the
Japanese, CHlnese ana IurkS.
The Indians of North America are a distinct
race, ION this point Professor Agassiz disagrees
with Dr. Pickering differing from the races Of
the Old World as the inferior animals of North
America differ in species from those of the Old
World. 1t is only within few years that the
animals of North America have been considered
not to be identical with those of Europe. The
aboriginal Indian race is identical from the Arc
tic regions to Terra del Fuego. the only differ
ence being one of tribes, not of races. These
tribes are divided into an infinite number Of
small tribes, fact perfectly in accordance with
the distribution of inferior animals upon this
Continent
We have seen that great mountain chain
extending from the Canadas to Patagonia, con-
meets North and South America, and produce,
q certain uniformity in their faunas that theil
faunas are sub-divihed into those of the Pampas
the Antilles, the Andes, the southern States, ,th
middle States, the Canadas, the table lands ives
of the States and those of Oregon and Califor
MIA In the same manner the aborignes ar
sub-divided into large number of small tribes
which are circumscribed within narrow limits
They form no great nations as do the Chinese
Tartars, and Japanese of the east
The Caucasian race is widely distributed an
divided into many nations. Those inhabitin
the eastern part Of Africa, the northern part q
Arabia, Mesapotamia, Asia Minor, &c., all cor
sttute different nations with different languages
: The Teutonic branch, including the German
Dutch, English, Danish, &C., the Sclavonia
branch, including the Russians, Poles, &c., eac
have nationality and language peculiar
themselves But they all have feature in con
mon, viz; noble expression of the face, abov
that of all other races, a mirror .of the inne
most movements of the soul, and it is tn
branch also, which is capable of the highe
moral culture and the highest degree of civliz'
tion.
Africa has one characteristic race, the negr'
But the interior of the great desert, Nubia an
Abyssinia, have races different from the negr
The Hottentot lives at the south, and the ives
ern shores have their peculiar tribes 1t VI
possible, even during his recent visit to I'll
southern States, to recognize among the negro
those belonging to the several African tribes.
In the East Indies are three different species
, the Malay, Telingan, and Negrillo, (like IL
negro only dwar6sh.) The Australian is
, tribe peculiar to that country. The featur
| are those Of the negro, but tho hair IL atraig
, and flowing. The inhabitants OF Madagasc
f arc peculiar tribe, but our information co
t cerning them is scanty. They are not negroe
> but resemble pore the inhabitants Of the San
] wich Islands.
!, With these facts before Us, we can ssssrt th