Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1880 — Climate and Complexion. [ARTICLE]

Climate and Complexion.

There is a great diversity of opinion as to the differences of complexion to be observed among mankind. Roughly speaking, the hue of the skin varies with the latitude, the fairer races having their homes at a distance from the equator, the darker within or near the tropics. This fact would seem to point to the position of the sun with reference to those on whom he shines as the cause. Bat the question presents difficulties which this supposition does not aid in solving. At the same distance from the equator we find the fair Englishman the yellow Mongolian, and the copper-colored Indian. To the north of the white Russian and Finn live the swarthy Lapp and Samoyed. North of the Caucasus are dark-skinned Tartars, sodth of R fair-complexioned Circassians. The aborigines in America vary lees in color than the natives of the Old World. None of them are as fair as the Swede, none as black as the negro of Congo, and those living in Brazil on the equator are not the darkest. There are blacker men in Australia and New Guinea than in Borneo and Sumatra, though these islands are on the equator and those are not. The Shillooks of the upper Nile, who live about 10 degrees north latitude, are blacker than the Minbutte, who are six degrees farther south. .14.