Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 37.djvu/483

Rh dull, heavy, and stupid countenance, devoid of sensibility or the least expression."

A few years later, in 1806, Langsdorff describes the same Indians with somewhat more detail, as follows: "These Indians are of a middling, or rather of a low stature, and of a dark-brown color approaching to black. . . . They have large, projecting lips, and broad, flat, negro-like noses; indeed, many of their features, as well as their physiognomy, and almost their color, bear a strong resemblance to the negroes. Their hair is, however, extremely different, being long and straight; if left to grow, it will hang down even to the hips, but they commonly cut it to the length of four or five inches, sticking it out like bristles; this has a very disagreeable appearance in the eyes of a European: the hair grows very far down toward the eyes, so that the forehead is extremely low; the eyebrows are small and the beards thin; many shave them close with mussel-shells. None of the men that we saw were



above five feet high; they were ill-proportioned, and had such a dull, heavy, negligent appearance that we all agreed we had never seen a less pleasing specimen of the human race."

The Indians of Santa Clara Mission, many of whom were from the interior tribes, appear to have impressed Langsdorff much more favorably, and he concludes his description of them with the statement that "the people of this mission are,