The uncivilized races of men in all countries of the world - being a comprehensive account of their manners and customs, and of their physical, social, mental, moral and religious characteristics (14770880104)

Identifier: uncivilizedraces00wood (find matches)

Title: The uncivilized races of men in all countries of the world : being a comprehensive account of their manners and customs, and of their physical, social, mental, moral and religious characteristics

Year: 1878 (1870s)

Authors: Wood, J. G. (John George), 1827-1889

Subjects: Ethnology Manners and customs Savages

Publisher: Hartford : J. B. Burr and company

Contributing Library: University of California Libraries

Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

Text Appearing Before Image:

irm, lithe, and grace-ful form has become flabby and shapeless.In the series of portraits which has beenmentioned, this gradual deterioration of formis curiously evident; and in one example,which represents a row of girls sitting un-der the shade of a hut, young girls just twentyyears of ago look like women of forty. The chief drawback to a Kaffir girls beautylies in her face, which is never a beauti-ful one, according to European ideas onthis subject. It is mostly a pleasant, good-humored face, but the cheek-bones are toohigh, the nose too wide, and the lips verymuch too large. The two which have beenalready represented are by far the most fa-vorable specimens of the collection, and noone can say that their faces are in any wayequal to tlieir forms. It may be that theirshort, erisji, harsh, woolly hair, so differentfrom the silken tresses of European women,pioduces some feeling of dislike ; but, evenif they were furnished with the finest andmost massive head of hair, they could never

Text Appearing After Image:

(■> ) OLD KAFFIR WOMEN. (See page 27.)(25) OLD KAFFIR WOMEN. 27 be calted handsome. People certainly doget used to their peculiar style, aud some-times prefer tlie wild beauty of a Katiirgirl to the more refiued, thoujjh more in-sipid, style of the European. Still, few Eng-lishmen would think themselves flatteredif their faces were thought to resemble thefeatures of a Kaffir of the same age, and thesame rule will apply to the women as wellas to the men. Unfortunately, the rapidity with whichthe Kafhr women deteriorate renders themvery unsightly objects at an age in whichan European woman is in her prime.Among civilized nations, age often carries with it a charming mixture of majesty andsimplicity, which equally command our rev-erence and our love. Among this people,however, we find nothing in their old ageto compensate for the lost beauty of youth.They do not possess that indefinable charmwhich is so characteristic of the old age ofcivilized woman, nor is there any vestige ofthat

africans in 19th century art the uncivilized races of men in all countries of the world 1878 book illustrations ethnology travel and description africa savages images from internet archive

1878

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