Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-04-12

We give the following from the Boston Trav-
eller's report of Prof. Agassizs lectures, deliver
ed at Lowell, Mass:
awe next come to the geographical distribu-
ton of the races of men; and here we must
leave out of consideration all questions to the
unity of races Prof. Agassiz is conscious that
some of his views, 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 in the same
spirit, as his object is to arrive at TRUTH ....
ave will first study the limits of the range on
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
rs, where the races were originally placed, rath-
er than what are the modern changes in their dis
tribution.
"The first races to be considered is one pecu-
liar to the Arctic regions, race differing much
from any nhabiting the temperate zone, and still!
more from those of the tropics. This race COM
prises the Esquimaux of this continent, the Lap
landers of Europe, and the Samoydes of Asia.
They are all characterized by broad face, short
in its vertical diameter, 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 Pritchard must be
| oone,Itod Tho d;strihufion IF thpsa roroS cor.
respond very nearly to the geological regions of
the north. ia. ..-...... .a.
"The races of temperate zones are three
The Mongolian in Asia, the aborigines in Amer
lea, and the whites in Europe; and it is remarka'
BILE, also, that these races occupy the same terri
tories as the faunas previously described. In
Asia has been described the terrestrial Japanese
fauna, and the fauna of the Caspian regions, in
termediate to that of Europe and Asia. Inhabit,
ing precisely the same countries, are the Japa-
nese, Chinese and Turks.
"The Indians of North America are distinct
race, (on this point Prof Agassiz disagrees with
DR.. Pickering,) differing from the races of the
Old Wold, 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 Terre del Fuego, the only difference
being one of tribes not Of races. These tribes
are divided into an infinite number of small
tribes, fact perfectly in accordance with the dis
tribution OF the inferior animals upon this conti-
nent. .4. .... ..
"We have seen that great mountain chain
extending from the Canadas to Patagonia, con-
meets uniformity in their faunas; that their faun-
as are sub-divded into those of the Pampas, the
Antilles, the Andes, the Southern States, the
Middle States, the Canadas, the table lands west
of the States, and those of Oregon and Calfor-
MA In the same manner the aborigines are
sub-divided into larg 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 and
divided into many nations. Those inhabting the
eastern part of Africa, the northern part OF Ara
bia, Mesapotamia, Asia Minor, &C., all constitute
different nations, with different language. The
Teutonic branch, including the German, Dutch,
English, Danish, &C.. the Sclavonian branch,
including the Russians, Poles &C., each have a
nationality and language peculiar to themselves.
But they all have feature in common, viz: a no.
BILE expression of the face, above that of all 9TH
oc tba INN
of the soul, and it is this branch, also, which is
capable of the highest moral culture and the
highest degree of civilization.
Africa has one characteristic race--the negro.
But the interior of the great desert, Nubia and
Abyssinia, have races different from the negro.
The Hottentot lives at the south, and western
shores have their peculiar tribes. 1t was poss-
Bile, even, during his recent visit to the Southern
States, to recognise among the negroes those
belonging to these several African tribes.
In the East Indies are three distinct species;
the Malay, Tehngan, Negrillo, (ke the negro,
only dwarfsh.) The Australian is a tribe pecu-
liar to their country. The features are those of
the negro, but the hair is straight and flowing
The inhabitants of Madagascar are peculiar
tribe, but our information concerning them is
scanty. They are not negroes, but resemble
more the inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands.
With these facts before us we can assert that
there is law of distributation of the human
race, as we'll as Of the inferior races and that
these laws are in accordance with each other.
How MAN FEELS ON A SINKING BRIDGE.--
The Cincinnati Commercial gives the following