Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

644 EARLY MIGRATION That colour is not alone dependant upon, or caused by cli- mate, however much it may be altered by exposure to sun and wind, or by seclusion, no person can doubt who has at all attended to the subject, and read the opinions of men who have made it their study : but that its various hues may be derived from intermarriage, without any change of climate, this table goes far to prove.* Having seen how all the varieties of colour may be pro- duced from white, red, and black, we pause, because at fault, and so we should remain, did we rely on our own unassisted reason. But, turning to the Bible, we find in the history of those by whom the earth was peopled, after the flood, a curse pro- nounced on Ham and his descendants ; and it is curious that the name Ham should mean " heat — brown — scorched," while that of Cush his son, means " black :" that Japheth should imply " handsome," and that Shem, from whose line our Saviour was descended, should mean " name — renown — he who is put or placed." I cannot myself read this explanation of Cush, and the denunciation " Cursed be Canaan — a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren," without believing that Cush was a negro, and that from the intermarriages of his descendants with those of Shem and Japheth, came hosts of mulatto, copper, or dark- coloured men who peopled a great part of Asia, Polynesia, America, parts of Africa, and part of Australia. According to this view the black descendants of Cush overspread part of Africa, Australia, and Van Diemen's Land, New Guinea, and portions of other islands : while white families, children of Japheth and Shem, spread over Asia Minor, the Caucasian district, great part of Northern Asia, and the whole of Europe. We read, in another place, that Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, and sent them away eastward from Canaan, unto the east country : many years before this sepa- ration, Ishmael, the son of Hagar, an Egyptian slave belong- ing to Abraham, was established in the country next to the * It did not, however, satisfy me as to the production of a bright red copper colour ; but of that I afterwards saw an excellent example at the Keeling Islands. See page 63C.