In certain spots of the globe thus peopled with races derived from a common centre, varieties in physical conformation appear to have sprung up, which, in a scanty and scat tered population, would have a far greater tendency to perpetuation than is now any where exhibited (see p. 1312); new and more refined languages were originated ; local de velopments of higher forms of civilization oc curred ; and subordinate centres were thus formed, from which more limited radiations have subsequently taken place, impressing their own features of civilization upon the countries through which they have spread. Thus we have, at a very early period, indi cations of the Egyptian, the Syro-Arabian, the Arian, the Indo-Chinese, the Mexican, and the Peruvian races, preserved to us in their architectural remains, or in their written records ; and although some of these may possibly have been mutually connected at their origin, yet they seem to have been very early separated, and to have attained their fullest development independently of each other. The subsequent migrations of certain of these races, or of offsets from them, have en tirely changed their original distribution. The Arab race has extended itself through North ern and even Central Africa, over Southern Asia, and even into the Indian Archipelago. But the Arian has displaced the aboriginal population from almost every part of Europe, and has there formed a secondary centre of radiation, whilst its original stock has been almost obliterated. It is obviously a stock which attains its fullest development under the influence of a moderate temperature ; and only, therefore, when it exchanged its original seat for the more favourable influences of European climate, did it manifest its remark able capabilities. It can scarcely be doubted that from this race, or from a mixed race de veloped between it and their aboriginal popu lations, America and Oceania are destined to be re-peopled ; the destiny of Asia and Africa, however, seems more obscure. In the former country, the primitive races possess a con siderable amount of self-sustaining vigour ; and in the latter, they exhibit an adaptiveness to its peculiarities of climate, which will perhaps never be acquired by Europeans. Moreover, whilst the American and Oceanic races appear doomed to extinction as pure races, wherever they come into contact with Europeans, there is no evidence that such is the case with those of Mongolian or of African descent ; the latter, indeed, hold their ground with remarkable tenacity, and we may not improbably regard them as destined, under the influence of Chris tian civilization, to bear an important part in the future history of Mankind. (See p. 1344.) —[Since the former part of this article has been in print, the statements of Count Strzelecki, cited in p. 1341, have been
pointedly contradicted, as regards the abo riginal females of Australia, by Dr. T. R. H. Thompson (surgeon, R.N.), who states as the result of personal inquiries among several different tribes, that for a native female to bear children to a native male, after having borne half-caste children to an European father, is by no means an uncommon occurrence. He admits that wherever European settlers are commingled with the aborigines in Australia, the native race disappears. This however, he maintains, does not arise from "any deviation of nature's laws ;" but because the European, wherever he takes with him his civilization, takes with him his vices also; so that drunken ness and syphilitic diseases, which soon be come rife among the population, speedily cause their decline. Dr. Brown allows that the diminution is partly caused by the comparative infecundity of the females who have cohabited with Europeans ; but he ac counts for this by attributing it to the change of life to which she is subjected.
" From living in a state of nature, with irre gular and uncertain diet, exposed to every vicissitude of climate, with no other protection than a few kangaroo skins, or a roll of bark, or of the `tulka,' she enters on a more regular life, partakes of regular meals, and sleeps no longer exposed. But even with this alteration for the better, she does not bear to the white man more prolifically than to her native hus band ; on the contrary, her fecundity appears to decrease,— for, on partaking of the white man's comforts, she is a recipient of his vices; she passes much of her time in a half inebriated state, smoking tobacco and drinking ardent spirits whenever they can be procured. In deed, it is well known, that among the chief inducements for the native female to remain with a European, are the rum and tobacco with which she is supplied ad libitum. Can we then wonder, if, after some years spent in a manner which must militate against her capabilities for procreating, more than her previous rude mode of life, she returns to her tribe with a broken constitution, and probably past the usual term of life for conception (they seldom bear children after thirty years of age) to prove in such instances sterile?"* The same explanation is probably appli cable to the case of the other Aboriginal races adverted to by Count Strzelecki ; and, if it be the correct representation of facts, it altogether destroys the force of any argument which might be raised upon the infertility of the native females after having borne children to Europeans, in favour of the specific differ ence of the races.]