Types of mankind or, Ethnological researches : based upon the ancient monuments, paintings, sculptures, and crania of races, and upon their natural, geographical, philological and Biblical history, illustrated by selections from the inedited papers of Samuel George Morton and by additional contributions from L. Agassiz; W. Usher; and H. S. Patterson / by J. C. Nott, and Geo. R. Gliddon.

  • Josiah C. Nott
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Types of mankind or, Ethnological researches : based upon the ancient monuments, paintings, sculptures, and crania of races, and upon their natural, geographical, philological and Biblical history, illustrated by selections from the inedited papers of Samuel George Morton and by additional contributions from L. Agassiz; W. Usher; and H. S. Patterson / by J. C. Nott, and Geo. R. Gliddon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

    223/796 (page 183)
    The Hottentots have been supposed by many to belong to the same race as the Bosjesman or Bushmen ; and although we do not partake of this opinion, the point is too unimportant to our purpose to justify critical discussion here. In most particulars, the physical characters of Bushmen and Hottentots do not differ greatly — the Hottentots ex- hibit much of the orang character of the Bushmen, and their females often present two very remarkable peculiarities or deformities : viz., humps behind their buttocks, like those on the backs of dromedaries, and a disgusting development of the labia pudendi. (See an example in the Hottentot Venus, figured in our Chapter XIH.) The complexion of the Hottentots is compared by travellers to that of a person affected with jaundice — a yellowish-brown, or the hue of a faded leaf — a tawny buff, or fawn-color. Barrow relates that— The hair is of a very singular nature — it does not cover the whole surface of the ecalp, but [grows in small tufts, at certain distances from each other, and when clipped short has the appearance and feel of a hard shoe-brush, except that it is curled and twisted into small round lumps, about the size of a marrowfat pea. When suffered to grow, it hangs on the neck in hard-twisted tassels, like fringe. The Hottentots are also very strongly distinguished from all other races by their singular language. Their utterance, according to Lichtenstein, is remarkable for numerous rapid, harsh, shrill sounds, emitted from the bottom of the chest, with strong aspirations, and modified in the mouth by a singular motion of the tongue. The name for it is commonly gluckings. The peculiar construction of the vocal organs of this race greatly facilitates the formation and emission of these sounds, which to other species of men would be veiy difficult. [We had the pleasure, two years ago, at a meeting of the Ethnological Society in New York, to hear some specimens of this language from Prof. Haldemann, of Pennsylvania, who possesses an extraordinary talent for imitating sounds, and we can readily believe that the Hottentot vocalization has no affinity with any other in existence. —J. C. N.] The next race we encounter, after leaving the Cape, is the Kafirs, or Caffres. They are not only found along the coast to the north- east in Caffraria, but extend far beyond, into the interior of Africa. They display certain affinities with the Fulahs, FoolaJis, or Fellatahs, who are prolonged even into Northern Africa — whence an opinion that the two races are identical; but the fact, to say the least, is a matter of great doubt. The Caffres are traced northward, under various names; and their language and customs are very widely spread. Though they are now encountered in considerable numbers near the Cape, their original seat is doubtful. In geography, Centx-al