temperate climate, very different from that of Guinea. And the Caffres, even thofe who live near the Cape of Good Hope, are the fame fort of people. The heat of Abyffinia approacheth nearer to that of Guinea; and yet, as mentioned above, the inhabitants are not black. Nor fhall our author's ingenious obfervation concerning the extremities of heat and cold purchase him impunity with refpect to the fallow complexion of the Samoides, Laplanders, and Greenlanders. The Finlanders and northern Norwegians live in a climate not lefs cold than that of the people mentioned; and yet are fair beyond other Europeans. I fay more, there are many inftances of races of people preferving their original colour in climates very different from their own; but not a fingle inftance of the contrary fo far as I can learn. There have been four complete generations of negroes in Pensylvania without any visible change of colour: they continue jet black as originally. Shaw, in his travels through Barbary, mentions a people inhabiting the mountains of Auress bordering upon Algiers on the south, who appeared to be of a different race from the Moors. Their complexion, far from fwarthy, is fair and ruddy; and their hair a deep yellow, instead of being dark as among the neighbouring Moors. He conjectures them to be à remnant of the Vandals, perhaps the tribe mentioned by Procopius in his first book of the Vandalic war. If the European complexion be proof against a hot climate for a thousand years, I pronounce that it will never yield to climate. In the fuburbs of Cochin, a town in Malabar, there is a colony of industrious Jews of the fame complexion they have in Europe. They pretend that they were established there during the captivity of Babylon: it is unquestionable that they have been many ages in that country. Those who afcribe all to the fun, ought to confider how little probable it is, that the colour it impreffes on the parents fhould be communicated to their infant children, who never faw the fun: I fhould be as foon induced to be

lieve with a German naturalift, whofe name has efcaped me, that the negro colour is owing to an ancient custom in Africa of dying the skin black. Let a European for years expofe himself to the fun in a hot climate, till he be quite brown, his children will nevertheless have the fame complexion with thofe in Europe. The Hottentots are continually at work, and have been for ages, to darken their complexion; but that operation has no effect on their children, From the action of the fun is it poffible to explain, why a negro, like a European, is born with a ruddy skin, which turns jet black the eighth or ninth day?

Different tribes are distinguishable, not lefs by internal difpofition than by external figure. Nations are for the most part fo blended by war, by commerce, or by other means, that vain would be the attempt to trace out an original character in any cultivated nation. But there are favage tribes, which, fo far as can be discovered, continue to this day pure without mixture, who act by instinct not art, who have not learned to disguise their paffions: to fuch I confine the inquiry. There is no propenfity in human nature more general than averfion to strangers, as will be made evident in a following sketch (a). And yet fome nations must be excepted, not indeed many in number, who are remarkably kind to ftrangers; by which circumftance they appear to be of a peculiar race. In order to fet the exceptions in a clear light, a few inftances fhall be premifed of the general propenfity. The nations that may be the most relied on for an original character, are iflanders at a diftance from the continent and from each other. Among fuch, great variety of character is found. Some islands adjacent to New Guinea, are inhabited by negroes, a bold, mifchievous, untractable race; always ready to attack ftrangers when they approach the fhore. The people of New Zealand are of a

(a) Book 2. fketch 1.

large

large fize and of a hoarfe voice. They appeared fhy according to Tafman's account. Some of them however ventured on board in order to trade; but finding opportunity, they furprifed feven of his men in a fhallop, and without the flighteft provocation killed three of them, the rest having escaped by fwimming. The island called Recreation, 16th degree fouthern latitude and 148th of longitude weft from London, was difcovered in Roggewein's voyage. Upon fight of the fhips, the natives flocked to the fhore with long pikes. The crew made good their landing, having beat back the natives by a continued fire of muskets; who, returning after a flort interval, accepted presents of beads, fmall looking-glaffes, and other trinkets, without fhewing the leaft fear: they even assisted the crew in gathering herbs for those who were afflicted with the fcurvy. Some of the crew traverfing the island in great fecurity, and trufting to some of the natives who led the way, were carried into a deep valley furrounded with rocks; where they were inftantly attacked on every fide with large ftones; and with difficulty made their escape, but not without leaving several dead upon the field. In Commodore Byron's voyage to the South fea, an ifland was discovered named Disappointment. The fhore was filled with natives in arms to prevent landing. They were black, and without cloathing, except what covered the parts that nature teaches to hide. But a specimen is fufficient here, as the fubject will be fully illuftrated in the fketch referred to above.

ftrangers deferves more attenGonneville, commander of a

The kindness of fome tribes to tion, being not a little fingular. French fhip in a voyage to the Eaft Indies in the year 1503, was probably the first European who visited the Terra Auftralis Incognita; being driven thither by a tempeft. He continued fix months in that country, while his veffel was refitting; and the manners he defcribes were in all appearance original. The natives had not made a greater progrefs in the arts of life than the favage Canadians

have done; ill clothed; and worse lodged, having no light in their cabins but what came in through a hole in the roof. They were divided into fmall tribes, governed each by a king; who, tho' neither better clothed nor lodged than others, had power of life and death over his fubjects. They were a fimple and peaceable people; and in a manner worshipped the French, providing them with neceffaries, and in return thankfully receiving knives, hatchets, small looking-glasses, and other fuch baubles. In a part of California the men go naked; and are fond of feathers and fhells. They are governed by a king, with great mildness; and of all favages are the most humane, even to ftrangers. An ifland discovered in the South fea by Tafman, 21ft degree of fouthern latitude and 177th of longitude west from London, was called by him Amfterdam. The natives, who had no arms offenfive nor defenfive, treated the Dutch with great civility, except in being given to pilfering. At no great diftance another ifland was difcovered, named Annamocha by the natives, and Rotterdam by Tafman; poffeffed by a people refembling those last mentioned, particularly in having no arms. The Dutch, failing round the island, faw abundance of cocoa-trees planted in rows, with many other fruit-bearing trees, kept in excellent order. Commodore Roggewein, commander of a Dutch fleet, discovered, an. 1721, a new island in the South fea; inhabited by a people lively, active, and fwift of foot; of a fweet and modeft deportment: but timorous and faint-hearted; for having on their knees prefented fome refreshments to the Dutch, they retired with precipitation. Numbers of idols cut in ftone were fet up along the coaft, in the figure of men with large ears, and the head covered with a crown; the whole nicely proportioned and highly finished. They fled for refuge to thefe idols: and they could do no better; for they had no weapons either offenfive or defenfive. Neither was there any appearance of government or fubordination; for they all spoke

VOL. I.

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and acted with equal freedom. This island, fituated 28 degrees 30 minutes fouthern latitude, and about 115 degrees of longitude west from London, is by the Dutch called Eafter or Pafch Island *. The Commodore directing his course north-west, discovered in the fouthern latitude of 12 degrees, and in the longitude of 190, a cluster of other islands, planted with variety of fruit-trees, and bearing herbs, corn, and roots, in plenty. When the ships approached the fhore, the inhabitants came in their canoes with fish, cocoa-nuts, Indian figs, and other refreshments; for which they received fmall looking-glaffes, ftrings of beads, and other toys. These islands were well peopled: many thousands thronged to the shore to see the fhips, the men being armed with bows and arrows, and appearing to be governed by a chieftain: they were of the fame complexion with that of Europe, only a little more funburnt. They were brisk and lively, treating one another with civility; and in their behaviour expreffing nothing wild nor favage. Their bodies were not painted; but handfomely clothed, from the middle downward, with filk fringes in neat folds. Large hats fcreened their faces from the fun, and collars of odoriferous flowers furrounded their necks. The face of the country is charming, being finely diverfified with hills and vallies. Some of the islands are ten miles in circumference, fome fifteen, and fome twenty. The hiftorian adds, that these islanders are in all refpects the most civilized and the best tempered people they discovered in the South fea. Far from being afraid, they treated the Dutch with great kindness ; and expreffed much regret at their departure. These islands got the name of Bowman's islands, from the captain of the Tienhoven, who difcovered them. In Commodore Byron's voyage to the South fea, while they were paffing through the ftreights of Magel

* The women were very loving, enticing the Dutchmen by every female art to the most intimate familiarity.

lan,