These latter facts remind us of the statements, so frequently made by
travellers in all parts of the world, on the degraded state and savage
disposition of crossed races of man. That many excellent and kind-hearted
mulattos have existed no one will dispute; and a more mild and gentle set of
men could hardly be found than the inhabitants of the island of Chiloe, who
consist of Indians commingled with Spaniards in various proportions. On the
other hand, many years ago, long before I had thought of the present subject,
I was struck with the fact that, in South America, men of complicated descent
between Negroes, Indians, and Spaniards, seldom had, whatever the cause might
be, a good expression. (13/47. 'Journal of Researches' 1845 page 71.)
Livingstone--and a more unimpeachable authority cannot be quoted,--after
speaking of a half-caste man on the Zambesi, described by the Portuguese as a
rare monster of inhumanity, remarks, "It is unaccountable why half-castes,
such as he, are so much more cruel than the Portuguese, but such is
undoubtedly the case." An inhabitant remarked to Livingstone, "God made white
men, and God made black men, but the Devil made halfcastes." (13/48.
'Expedition to the Zambesi' 1865 pages 25, 150.) When two races, both low in
the scale, are crossed the progeny seems to be eminently bad. Thus the noble-
hearted Humboldt, who felt no prejudice against the inferior races, speaks in
strong terms of the bad and savage disposition of Zambos, or half-castes
between Indians and Negroes; and this conclusion has been arrived at by
various observers. (13/49. Dr. P. Broca on 'Hybridity in the Genus Homo'
English translation 1864 page 39.) From these facts we may perhaps infer that
the degraded state of so many half-castes is in part due to reversion to a
primitive and savage condition, induced by the act of crossing, even if mainly
due to the unfavourable moral conditions under which they are generally
reared.
SUMMARY ON THE PROXIMATE CAUSES LEADING TO REVERSION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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