the Negroes can have but little knowledge; but the fabric and colours of their Guinea cloths are proofs of their native ingenuity; and that they are capable of learning all kinds of the more delicate manual labour, is proved by the fact that nine tenths of the artificers in the West Indies are Negroes; many of whom are carpenters, and some watch-makers. The inhabitants of the most of the United States are acquainted with their knowledge and performances in the most of the arts. Barron gives us an account of the amiable qualities of the heart, and also a most interesting portrait of a chief of a tribe. "His countenance (says he) was strongly marked with the habit of reflection; vigorous in his mental, and amiable in his personal qualities, Gaika was at once the friend and ruler of a happy people, who universally pronounced his name with transport, and blessed his abode as the seat of felicity." Instances are by no means wanting of negroes who have distinguished themselves in literature and the arts, when favoured by fortune. We shall conclude this article by giving a general description of the five varieties into which the human race has been divided. 1. Caucassian variety.—White skin, red cheeks, brownish hair, head of a somewhat globular form; oval and straight face, with features moderately separate from each other; expanded forehead, narrow and rather aquiline nose, and small mouth, lips generally turned out and chin full and rounded. This description includes the European, (excepting the Laplanders and rest of the Finnish race) the western Asiatics, as far as the river Ob, the Caspian sea, and the Ganges; and nothern Africans. The name of this variety is derived from Mount Caucassus, because in its neighbourhood we meet with the most beautiful race of men in the world, viz. Georgians. From the accounts of numerous travellers, who all agree on this subject, we select the remarks of Charden. "The blood of Georgia," says he, "is the finest of the east, and I may say in the world. I have not observed a single ugly countenance in that country in either sex; but have seen numerous angelic ones. Nature has bestowed on the women graces and charms, which we see in no other place. It is impossible to look at them without loving them. More beautiful countenances, and finer fingers than those of the Georgian women, cannot even be immagined. Various reasons induce us to place the first families of men in this quarter: and this race forms a medium between the two following varieties. An argument on this subject arises from the white colour of the Caucassian race, which we should be disposed to consider as the primitive colour of men: since the white easily degenerates into the darker shades, while those, of the darker, when once fixed, hardly change at all. Mongolian variety.-Olive colour; black, straight, strong, and coarse hair; head of a square form, flattened face, with features running together; nose small and flat, rounded cheeks, projecting externally, slight projection of the chin. This includes the rest of the Asiatics, (excepting the Malays:) the Finnish race of the colder parts of Europe, as the Laplander, &c. and the tribes of Esquimaux, extending over the northern parts of America, from Bhering's strait to the extremity of Greenland. The Mongolians, widely scattered over the continent of Asia, have generally, but erroneously, been included with some of very different origin and formation, under the name of Tartars; whereas the last mentioned tribe, properly so called, belongs to the first division of the human race. The Tartars indeed are connected by the Kirguses, and neighbouring tribes, to the Monguls, in the same way as the latter are joined by the inhabitants of Thibet to the Indians; Esquimaux, to the Americans; and by the Phillippine Islanders, with the Malays. 3. Ethiopian variety.—Black skin, black and woolly hair, head narrow, and compressed laterally, arched forehead; cheekbones standing forwards; prominent eyes; thick nose, confused with the extended jaw; the lips, particularly the upper one, thick; the chin receding, knees turned in in many instances. The remaining Africans, besides those classed in the first variety, belong to this. Many of the observations in the preceding parts of this article show how ill founded is the opinion of those, who consider the African a distinct species, merely because his colour, a very striking characteristic, is so unlike our own. The observation, that Negroes resemble monkeys more than the other varieties is true, in the same sense in which it might be said that the variety of the swine which has a solid hoof, resembles the horse more nearly than other pigs; but the comparison itself is not a very important one, since it has been made, even by accurate observers, of several nations in the other varieties; as the Laplanders, Esquimaux, Caaiguas of South America, the inhabitants of the island of Mallicolo, &c. 4. American variety.-Red colour, black, straight, strong, and thin hair, short forehead, deep eyes, nose somewhat flattened but prominent; broad, but not flattened face, with the cheeks standing out, and the different features projecting distinctly and separately. Their forehead is often deformed by art. This variety includes all the Americans, (or Indians, the natives of America,) with the exception of the Esquimaux. Many idle tales have been propagated concerning the distinguishing char acteristics of this race. Some have denied the existence of a beard in the male, others, ascribe an uniform colour and countenance, to all the inhabitants of this vast continent. The concurring testimony of all accurate modern travellers, proves clearly that the Americans have, naturally, beards; but that it is a very general custom with them, carefully to eradicate it, which has been the case with several Mongolian and Malay tribes; and that various hordes in different parts of the continent preserve it as other men do. From a number of unanimous reports on this subject, we select the following statement of the celebrated Capt. Cook, respecting the natives of Nootka Sound. "Some have no beards at all, and others only a thin one on the point of the chin. This does not arise from an original deficiency of hair in those parts, but from their plucking it out by the roots; for those who do not destroy it, have not only considerable beard on every part of the chin, but also whiskers, or mustachios running from the upper lip to the lower jaw, obliquely downwards." The redness of the skin is not so constant, but that it varies in many instances towards a brown, and approaches likewise, in some temperate situations, to the white colour. Cook states, that the natives about Nootka Sound, are little inferior in fairness to Europeans; and it is fully ascertained that the native Americans (or Indians) possess the same variety of features which are observed in the other races. 5. Malay Variety.-Brown colour: hair black, soft, curled, and abundant; head moderately narrow, and forehead arched; nose full, and broad towards the apex; large mouth, upper jaw rather prominent. The inhabitants of the peninsula of Malacca, of the South Sea, Ladrone, Phillipine, Molucca, and Sandwich islands, are arranged under this division. As the Americans, in their national character, hold the middle place between that middle variety of the human race, which we have called the Caucassians, and one of the extremes, viz. Mongolians, so the Malay forms the connecting link between the Caucassian and the Ethiopian. The name Malay is given to it because most of the tribes which it includes, as those which inhabit the Indian islands near Malacca, the Sandwich, Society, and Frie: dly islands, also those of Madagascar, and thence to Easter island, use the Malay language.. The inhabitants of such various and distant countries, may reasonably be expected to differ considerably in elegance of form, and in other circumstances of bodily organization. Hence, some have described two races in the island of Otaheite; one of light colour, tall stature, and countenance scarcely distinguishable from the European; the other of moderate stature, with the colour and countenance of the Mulatto; crisp hair, &c. The latter, therefore, constitutes an intermediate gradation, passing towards the inhabitants of the Western islands of the Pacific ocean. The varieties which we have just stated, are so many proofs of that pliancy so wisely bestowed by nature on the human constitution, to enable it to adapt itself to every climate. Thus, the goodness of the Creator appears in forming the whole world for man, and in opening to him every opportunity of enlarging his habitation, and multiplying his scientific acquirements; instead of confining him, like the inferior animals, to a bounded range. He is completely unrestrained in the choice of his dwelling, by con~ siderations of air, temperature, &c., and, consequently, far exceeds all other parts of animated creation in extension over the surface of the globe. Gmelin experienced cold of 126° below 0 of Fahrenheit's scale, at Jeniseck in Siberia. The Greenlander lives, and follows his occupations, amidst eternal snows, where vegetable creation can no longer subsist, and where the polar fox and bear, half frozen and perishing with hunger, are compelled to hide themselves under ground. On the contrary, in Senegal, the thermometer mounts sometimes to 117° above 0, and a natural warmth of 125° has been experienced. In short, man lives in every part of the known world (except some unexplored northern countries, and a few remote southern islands), from Greenland to Terra-del-Fuego, from Spittsbergen to the Cape of Goodhope, from the 80th degree of north to the 58th of south latitude. "Yet where to find the happiest spot below, CHAPTER VI. CHRISTIANITY. WE have given, in the preceding chapters, a brief account of the Natural History of Man. We shall now give an account of the sect termed Christians, who derive their name from Christ their founder; and then proceed to detail such information as we have been able to collect, from various indisputable authorities, (commencing with the christian era) respecting the most considerable religious denominations that have made their appearance for upwards of eighteen centuries. After the death of Jesus, his disciples were for some years called Nazarenes from Nazareth, where he was brought up. This name afterwards became the designation of a particular sect; and we learn from a passage in the Acts of the Apostles, that about the year 42, all who adopted the principles and professed the religion which Jesus had taught, and for the sake of which he had cheerfully laid down his own life, were distin guished by the name of Christians at Antioch. Hence the system itself is termed Christianity. The foundation of a Christian's faith and practice, his ultimate, and, in truth, his only appeal must be to the facts, the doctrines, and the precepts of the Scriptures, particularly those of the New Testament. Other formularies, other confessions of faith, from whatever motives dictated, and from whatever reasons recommended, should ever be regarded with a suspicious eye; lest, by laying stress upoti what is human, we should overlook that which comes recommended by Divine authority. By carefully reading the New Testament, we shall be able to discover what is human, and what is of God. The scriptures, therefore, we recommend in preference to the creed of any sect, to all those who are seeking information on the subject of religion. In them the careful reader will find a detail of instruction given, of wonders performed, and of future events revealed by Christ and his Apostles. He will also meet with a very particular account of the sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, the founder. The history containing these things appears to be fairly written, and to carry with it as substantial proofs of its authenticity, as any history that has gained credit in the world. If the Christian is called upon for a reason why he believes in the antiquity of the writings of the New Testament; he may reply, |