he south, the
moisture is not drawn out by hot weather, but the atmosphere is full of
dampness which diffuses moisture into the system, and makes the frame
larger and the pitch of the voice deeper. This is also the reason why
the races that are bred in the north are of vast height, and have fair
complexions, straight red hair, grey eyes, and a great deal of blood,
owing to the abundance of moisture and the coolness of the atmosphere.

4. On the contrary, those that are nearest to the southern half of the
axis, and that lie directly under the sun's course, are of lower
stature, with a swarthy complexion, hair curling, black eyes, strong
legs, and but little blood on account of the force of the sun. Hence,
too, this poverty of blood makes them over-timid to stand up against the
sword, but great heat and fevers they can endure without timidity,
because their frames are bred up in the raging heat. Hence, men that are
born in the north are rendered over-timid and weak by fever, but their
wealth of blood enables them to stand up against the sword without
timidity.

[Illustration]

5. The pitch of the voice is likewise different and varying in quality
with different nations, for the following reasons. The terminating
points east and west on the level of the earth, where the upper and
lower parts of the heaven are divided, seem to lie in a naturally
balanced circle which mathematicians call the Horizon. Keeping this idea
definitely in mind, if we imagine a line drawn from the northern side of
the circumference (N) to the side which lies above the southern half of
the axis (S), and from here another line obliquely up to the pivot at
the summit, beyond the stars composing the Great Bear (the pole star P),
we shall doubtless see that we have in the heaven a triangular figure
like that of the musical instrument which the Greeks call the
"sambuca."

6. And so, under the space which is nearest to the pivot at the bottom,
off the southern portions of the line of the axis, are found nations
that on account of the slight altitude of the heaven above them, have
shrill and very high-pitched voices, like the string nearest to the
angle in the musical instrument. Next in order come other nations as far
as the middle of Greece, with lower elevations of the voice; and from
this middle point they go on in regular order up to the extreme north,
where, under high altitudes, the vocal utterance of the inhabitants is,
under natural laws, prod