Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/728

Rh 686 AMERICA [ETHNOLOGY. itself, What is the total of the indigenous population] Humboldt, in 1823, estimated the number of Indians at 8,610,000. Bollaert estimated the number existing in 1863 as follows : Mexico 4,000,000 Peru 1,600,000 Bolivia 1,400,000 Central America 1,000,000 Paraguay 700,000 Ecuador 500,000 United States 500,000 Other countries 1,314,710 Abori- gines : l)i visions of Total ................................................... 11,014,710 It is probable that these numbers have been diminished : the latest official returns for the United States territories, in 1872, estimate the Indian population at 300,000. The indigenous population of America presents man under many aspects, and society in various stages, from the regular but limited civilisation of Mexico and Peru, to savage life in its most brutal state of abasement. At one extremity of the country we find the pigmy Esquimaux of four feet and a half in height, and at the other the Pata- gonian standing above six feet. In complexion the variety is great, and may be said to embrace almost every hue known elsewhere on the face of the earth, except the pitchy black of the Negro. About one-half of all the known languages belong to America ; and if we consider every little wander ing horde a distinct community, we have a greater number of nations here than in all the rest of the world. Amidst all this diversity philosophers have thought they were able to discover certain general characters, sufficiently marked to distinguish the American nations from those of the old continent. It is foreign to our purpose to inquire whether the varieties of form, stature, and complexion, in the human species, are modifications produced by external causes operating differently on distinct portions of the progeny of one primitive pair, or whether several races were originally created, and have given birth, by their mixture, to the amazing varieties we witness. We assume the former opinion as true, because the probabilities seem to be in its favour ; but the phenomena present themselves to us in the same light in whichever way they originated. Physiologists are not at one in their accounts of the characteristics of the aborigines of the new world, nor are ^ e y agreed as to whether they should be considered one race or several. Blumenbach places them all under one class, except the Esquimaux. Bory St Vincent divides them into four races, or five if we include the Esqui maux, under the following designations: 1. The Colom bian, which comprehends the tribes formerly inhabiting the Alleghany Mountains, Canada, Florida, the eastern coasts of Mexico, and Central America ; and the Caribs, who occupied the West India Islands and Guiana. 2. The American, embracing the tribes which occupy all the other parts of South America east of the Andes, except Pata gonia. 3. The Patagonian race, inhabiting the southern extremity of the continent. 4. The Neptunian, inhabiting the western coasts of both divisions of the continent, from California to Cape Horn, and which he considers as essen tially the same with the race spread over the Malay Penin sula and the Indian Archipelago. With this race are classed the Mexicans and Peruvians. By another writer the species are reduced to two, the Colombian and the American; the former including all the North American tribes, with the Caribs, the Mexicans, and Peruvians, and other in habitants of the Cordillera; and the latter the Brazilian Indians and Patagonians. Neither of these systems, when tested by facts, is very satisfactory. Dr Prichard thinks that the mutual resemblance among the American nations has been exaggerated by some writers; yet it is certain that there is more of a common family character in their organisation than in that of the indigenous population of Asia or Africa. &quot; The Indians of New Spain,&quot; says Humboldt, &quot; bear a general resemblance to those who in habit Canada, Florida, Peru, and Brazil. We have the same swarthy and copper colour, straight and smooth hair, small beard, squat body, long eye, with the corner directed upwards towards the temples, prominent cheek-bones, thick lips, and expression of gentleness in the mouth, strongly contrasted with a gloomy and severe look. Over a million and a half of square leagues, from Cape Horn to the river St Lawrence and Behring s Straits, we are struck at the first glance with the general resemblance in the features of the inhabitants. We think we perceive them all to be descended from the same stock, notwithstanding the pro digious diversity of their languages. In the portrait drawn by Volney of the Canadian Indians, we recognise the tribes scattered over the savannahs of the Apure and the Carony. The same style of features exists in both Americas.&quot; On the authority of Dr Morton, the most natural division of the Americans is into two families, the Toltecan and the American; the former of which bears evidence of centuries of half-civilisation, while the latter embraces all the barbarous nations of the New World, with the exception of the Polar tribes, which are evidently of Mongolian origin. In each of these, however, there are several subordinate groups, which may be distinguished as the Appalachian, the Brazilian, the Patagonian, and the Fiiegian. The Appa lachian branch includes all the nations of North America, except the Mexicans, together with the tribes of South America north of the river Amazon and east of the Andes. In this race the head is rounded, the nose large, salient, and aquiline ; the eyes dark brown, with little or no obliquity of position ; the mouth large and straight ; the teeth nearly vertical ; and the whole face triangular. The neck is long, the chest broad but rarely deep, the body and limbs mus cular, and seldom disposed to fatness. In character these nations are warlike, cruel, and unforgiving ; they turn with aversion from the restraints of civilised life, and have made but little progress in mental culture or the useful arts. The Brazilian branch is spread over a great part of South Ame rica, east of the Andes, including the whole of Brazil and Paraguay, between the River Amazon and 35 S. latitude. Their physical characteristics differ but little from those of the Appalachian branch ; they possess, perhaps, a larger and more expanded nose, with larger mouths and lips. The eyes are small, more or less oblique, and far asunder ; the neck short and thick ; the body and limbs stout and full, even to clumsiness. In character, also, they differ little. None of the Americans are less susceptible of cultivation ; and what they are taught by compulsion seldom exceeds the humblest elements of knowledge. The Patagonian branch includes the nations to the south of the Plato, as far as the Strait of Magalhaens, including also the mountain tribes of Chili. They are chi efly distinguished by thei r tall stature, handsome forms, and indomitable courage. The Fuegians, who call themselves Yacannacunnee, rove over the sterile wastes of Tierra del Fuego, which is computed to be half the size of Ireland, and yet their whole number has been computed as not exceeding 2000. The physical aspect of the Fuegians is altogether repulsive. They are of low stature, with large heads, broad faces, and small eyes. Their chests are large, their bodies clumsy, with large knees, and ill-shaped legs. Their hair is lank, black, and coarse, and their complexion a decided brown, like that of the more northern tribes. Their expression of face is vacant, and their mental operations are to the last degree slow and stupid ; they are almost destitute of the usual curiosity of savages, caring little for anything that does not minister to their present wants.