The facial angle of the cranium has been represented by Blumenbach at 73 degrees, an obliquity which induced him to place the American Indian in his series of the varieties of the human race, as the fourth in number.
But his observations were made upon the cranium of a Carib, than which people, as Humboldt justly {4} remarks, "there is no race on the globe in which the frontal bone is more depressed backwards, or which has a less projecting forehead." This observation will not rigidly apply to the western Indian, who certainly possesses a greater verticality of profile. Agreeably to the mensurations of Doctor Harlan,[19] a cranium, which we obtained on the plains of the Platte, exhibits an angle of 78 degrees—A Wabash male 78°, female 80°, and a Cherokee only 75°.
The hair is coarse, black, glossy, and dense upon the head, sparse and slender upon the chin, independently of the custom of extirpating it, but although the hair is certainly oval in its transverse section, yet we could not perceive, that, in this respect, its proportions exceeded our own.
The line of the direction of their eyes is nearly rectilinearly transverse, being in this respect intermediate between the arcuated line of the eyes of the white man, and that of the Indians of New Spain, who, according to Humboldt, have the corner of the eye directed upward towards the temples.
The nose is generally prominent, and either aquiline or Roman, with the wings not more dilated than those of white men. This form of nose is so prevalent, as to be regarded as the most beautiful; it is no small compliment to tell a person that his nose is like that of a mule; and beauty is indicated in their language of signs, by placing an arcuated finger upon the face in imitation of the aquiline curve. The pug-nose, and the more common form of the noses of the white Americans, of a concave outline, are regarded as remote from the standard of beauty.
The lips are more tumid than those of the white American, but very far less so than those of the negro.
The lower jaw is large and robust; the teeth are very strong, with broad crowns. The chin is well formed.
{5} The cheekbones are prominent, but not angular like those of the Mongul, and stamp a peculiarity on the contour of the face, characteristic of the American Indian.
The expression of the countenance is austere, often ferocious.[20]
Very few of them are left-handed, perhaps even a smaller number of them use the left hand in preference to the right, than is observable among white men.