Physiognomy of British Columbia Coastal Indians. 35

both B. This result as regards the Yahgans is so contrary to probability that it cannot be
accepted without confirmation. No other race is known which is practically all B.

Fitzroy on the Beagle estimated the Tierra del Fuegan population at 3000. Brownell
(1857) names five tribes, of which the “ Yacanes ” and “ Alikhoolips ” are recognizable. Rahm
states that the Yahgans, who live on the island of Navarino, now number 73 inhabitants,
including 25 children. They are far more vigorous and civilized than the Onas, who live on
the mainland and number 110. They are also distinguished linguistically and do not under-
stand each other. Baldwin Spencer (see Marett and Penniman, 1931) made many observations
on the customs and implements particularly of the Yahgans, but took no blood groups.

The fact that in all the Indian groups tested and regarded as of pure blood there is an
occasional sporadic A individual may perhaps be due to rare mutations occurring, but is more
probably due to an unknown ancestral cross. The fact that these sporadic cases appear to be
always A and never B, however, favours the conclusion that they may be mutations. The
matter cannot be determined on present evidence.

If the A blood group is much older than the B, as the general evidence in the Eastern
hemisphere indicates, it is not easy to reconcile this with the relatively advanced status of
the American Indian and his relatively late advent in the Western hemisphere. The difficulty
might, however, be resolved by an examination of the blood groups in the various Asiatic
peoples from whom the Indians may have been derived.

Hrdlicka (1913, 1917) summarizes the very strong evidence, both linguistic and physical,
for regarding the Amerinds as essentially a unitary race, although they must have crossed to
America in small parties at considerable intervals over a long period, down nearly to the
historical era. He recognizes several distinct subtypes or waves of newcomers. The first were
probably dolichocephalic, represented by the Algonkian, Iroquois, Sioux and Shoshonean
stocks, as well as the Piman-Aztec tribes and many branches in South America. The next
were the Toltec type, brachycephalic, on the North-west coast of America, in the mound region,
the Gulf States and the Antilles, as well as branches m Mexico and Central America and on
the Peruvian coast. These were followed by the brachycephalic Athapascans in Alaska and
north-west Canada, with some intrusions penetrating to California, Arizona and New Mexico.
The Eskimo are regarded by Hrdlitka as among the latest arrivals from Asia. There seems
increasing evidence for the view that they were already adapted to an ice culture and that
they therefore made no serious attempt to penetrate inland lke the Indians.

In his discussion of American origins, Joyce (1928) emphasizes that the entrance into
America must have been by spasmodic infiltration through an Arctic environment. This
would be a lengthy process, and if the original immigrants had a knowledge of weaving or
pottery it could hardly have been preserved under circumstances of Arctic life and migration.
This does not exclude all contact with Polynesia. As Joyce points out, the sweet potato, which
is indigenous to Central America, is found in Polynesia, where it is known as kumara, while
among the Chincha people of Peru it was called kumar.

Urdlitka argues cogently that the Asiatic continent, including its north-eastern part, must
have been peopled before any ventured across to America via either Behring Strait or the