The Patagonians, or Tehuels, which occupy the south-east part of the extre mity of South America, seem to be the tallest of the human race ; but their height has been siiugh exaggerated. Piga, fetta, who accompanied Magalhaens on his voyage round the world, asserted that they were twice as tall as Europeans, and the accounts of subsequent navigators have been very contradictory. They seem, in truth, to be a tall, though not gigantic race, and to possess a muscular frame. According to Wallis, Bougainville, and Carteret, the ordinary height may be six feet ; and none seem to exceed six feet and seven inches : a stature not so very remarkable, since other native tribes of the same continent have been remarked for their height. As they are a wander ing race, we cannot be surprised at find ing that Europeans visiting the coast have not always been able to see them. The accounts of travellers prove, that the height of the Patagonians is not a peculiar circumstance. Bartram repre sents the Muscogulges and Cherokees of North America, inhabiting between 31° and 35° of North latitude, as ' taller than Europeans many being Love six feet, and few under five feet eight or ten inches. (Travels, p. 482). The Caffrees, according to Barrow, are " tall, robust, and muscular, and distinguished by a pe culiar firmness of carriage ; some of them were six feet ten inches, and so elegantly proportioned, that they would not have disgraced the pedestal of the Farnese Hercules. The accounts of a pigmy race, called Quimos or Kimos, in the interior of Madagascar, do not seem to be at all au thentic. The Laplanders and Nova Zem blians, in Europe, the Samoieds, Ostiacs, Yakuts, and Tungooses in Asia, and the Greenlanders and Esquimaux of America, all, in short, who inhabit high northern latitudes, are short in stature, measuring from four to five feet ; and they agree re markably in other characters, although occupying such distant countries. This accordance must be explained by expo sure to the same causes ; living in a bar. ren and inhospitable climate, and exposed equally to its rigour, feeling the same wants, and having the same means of gra tifying them, should we not expect a simi larity of stature, colour, countenance, It seems rather doubtful, whether the miserable Pescherais, who wander naked over the rocks of Terra del Fuego, are also diminutive ; but Barrow informs us, that the Boshmen, who adjoin the Cape, scarcely ever exceed four feet nine inches.
Every one will immediately perceive, that the differences of stature in the hu man race are not equal to those occurring in different breeds of animals. The pigs taken from Europe into the island of Cu ba have grown to twice their original size ; and the cattle in Paraguay have experienced a great increase in this re spect.
That climate possesses an influence, seems to be proved from the circumstance of the Laplanders and Hungarians, which differ so widely in stature and formation, having descended from a common source.
Physiological considerations render it probable, that food will be efficacious in increasing or diminishing stature. The Arees or nobles of Otaheite and the Socie ty Islands exceed the other natives in stature and personal beauty ; and this is ascribed by Forster to their enjoying a more copious and luxurious food. The use of ardent spirits is said to have dimi nished the size of the native Americans in some instances.
That the state of society and Wanner of life have great influence on the stature, may be proved, by comparing the pre sent Germans with their ancestors, as de scribed by the Roman authors. The an cient Germans lived chiefly on animal food, as milk and flesh : they were stran gers to the use of wine and spirituous li quors ; in time of peace, they were em ployed in the chase, free from those cares which so often agitate and oppress more civilized people. They refrained from
the enjoyment of women till a late pe riod; " Sera juvcnum Venus eoque in exhausta pubertas." Hence they appear to have been of immense size and strength, and undaunted courage ; " im manes animis et corporibus," is the for cible language of Pomponius Meta. Con ring, after comparing all the accounts of the writers of those times, states their stature at six feet three inches ; which equals that of the Patagonians, and cer tainly exceeds that of the modern Ger mans.
As the ancient Germans seem to have exceeded the stature of the moderns, so, if we may credit their philosophic de scriber, the cattle were distinguished in the contrary way, which is not, we be lieve, the case at present. " Pecorum fecunda, sed plerumque improcera. Ne armentis quidem stills honor, aut gloria frontis." TACITUS.
The observations of Barrow concerning the Collies, whose superior 'stature we have just noticed, confirm our reasonings as to the effect of climate and manner of life. " The natives of Caffraria," says he, " if taken collectively, are perhaps superior in point of figure to the inhabit ants of any other country on earth : they are indeed exempt from many of those causes, which in civilized society tend to debilitate and impede the growth of the human body. Their diet is perfectly sim ple, their exercise conducive to health, and the air which they breathe is salubri ous. Strangers to the licentious appe tites which frequently proceed from a de praved imagination, they cheerfully re ceive the bounteous gifts of nature ; and when midnight sways her ebon sceptre over the country, " Sweetly composed the weary peasant lies, Tho' through the woods terrific winds resound ; Tho' rattling thunder shakes the vaulted skies Or vivid lightning runs along the ground." We must remember, that the stature of any tribe or nation will be gradually changed by inter-marriages with others, and that it can be preserved pure only by avoiding such intercourse. That heredi tary disposition has great influence on the size of the body, is undeniably prov ed by numerous examples of families re markable for their tallness or lowness of stature.
Faculties of the Mind. The different progress of various nations in general ci vilization, and in the culture of the arts and sciences, the different characters and degrees of excellence in their literary productions, their varied forms of go vernment, and many other considerations, must convince us, beyond the possibility of doubt, that the races of mankind are no less characterized by diversity of men tal endowments, than by those differ ences of organization which we have al ready enumerated and considered. Such, however, has been the effect of educa tion, of laws, of peculiar habits and cus toms, and of the different forms of go vernment, in modifying the mind and cha racter of men, that we cannot now dis cern what should be ascribed to original difference, and what should be referred to the operation of these external causes. That climate will exert a powerful influ ence on the mind, may be very reasona bly expected ; and it has an analogous in fluence on the animal creation. We are informed, that the dog in Ktuntschatka, instead of being faithful and attached to his master, is malignant, treacherous, and full of deceit. lie does not bark in the hot parts of Africa, nor in Greenland ; and in the latter country loses his docility, so as not to be fit for Witting.