17.  The  Population  of  the  whole  American  continent  is
supposed  to  amount  to  53,000,000,  consisting  of:  Indians
and  a  few  Esquimaux,  the  indigenous  people  ;  the  descend-
ants of  Europeans,  chiefly  British,  Spanish,  and  Portuguese;
African  negroes ;  and  Mixed  races.  The  proportions  are
stated  as  foUows : —

Indians  and  Esquimaux       9,000,000

Europeans  by  descent,  and  Settlersi    . .      . .      31,000,000

JS'egroes , 6,000,000

Mixed  races,  European  and  Indian,  Euro-
pean and  Negro,  Indian  and  Negro        . .        7,000,000

The  Esquimaux,  in  the  far  north,  correspond  to  the  northern
Asiatics,  and  are  probably  of  the  Mongolian  family.  The
Indians,  rapidly  diminishing,  constitute  a  distinct  variety  ot
the  human  race ;  and  though  varying  in  colour  from  deep
bronze  to  light  cinnamon,  they  are  identified  by  certain
physical  correspondences,  while  their  languages,  verbally  most
discordant,  have  a  common  structural  band  of  union.
Bison,  or  American  BufEiEtlo.
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Ameriea.]  411

NORTH  AMERICA.
Wbale-flsbing.
DAJVnSH  AMEBiQK— GREENLAND,  ICELAND.
Mentioned  already  under  **  Foreign  Possessions  of  Denmark,"  at  p.  265.
