ty of the former, and hatred to strangers is the national character of the latter. Virtues and vices as entering into the character of individuals, depend on caufes fo various, and fo variable, as to give an impreffion of chance more than of defign. We are not always certain of uniformity in the conduct even of the fame perfon; far lefs that fons will inherit their father's virtues or vices. In moft countries, a favage who has no averfion to strangers, nor to neighbouring clans, would be noted as fingular: to find the fame qualiin every one of his children, would be furprifing: and would be still more fo, were it diffufed widely through a multitude of his defcendents. Yet a family is as nothing compared with a whole nation; and when we find kindness to strangers a national character in certain tribes, we reject with difdain the notion of chance, and perceive intuitively that effects fo regular and permanent must be owing to a conftant and invariable caufe. Such effects cannot be accidental, more than the uniformity of male and female births in all countries and at all times. They cannot be accounted for from education or example, which indeed may contribute to spread a certain fashion or certain manners, but cannot be their fundamental cause. Where the greater part of a nation is of one character, education and example may extend it over the whole; but the character of that greater part can have no foundation but nature. refource then have we for explaining the opposite manners of the iflanders above mentioned, but that they are of different races? What The fame doctrine is strongly confirmed upon finding courage or cowardice to be a national character. Individuals differ widely as to thefe; but a national character of courage or cowardice must depend on a permanent and invariable caufe. I therefore proceed to inftances of national courage and cowardice, that the reader may judge for himself, whether he can discover any other caufe for fuch steady uniformity but diverfity of race. The northern nations of Europe and Asia have at all times been remarkable remarkable for courage. Lucan endeavours to account for the courage of the Scandinavians from a firm belief, univerfal among them, that they should be happy in another world. Vobis auctoribus, umbre, Non tacitas Erebi fedes, Ditifque profundi Pallida regna petunt; regit idem fpiritus artus Maximus, haud urget leti metus. Inde ruendi In ferrum mens prona viris animaque capaces Pretty well for a poet! but among all nations the foul is believed to be immortal, tho' all nations have not the courage of the • "If dying mortals dooms they fing aright, "No ghosts descend to dwell in endless night; "Nor feek the dreary filent fhades below; "But forth they fly, immortal in their kind, "And other bodies in new worlds they find. "And, like a line, Death but divides the space; Rowe. (a) Lib. 1. Scandi Scandinavians. The Caledonians were eminent for that virtue; and yet had no fuch opinion of happiness after death as to make them fond of dying. Souls after death were believed to have but a gloomy fort of exiflence, like what is defcribed by Homer (b). Their courage therefore was a gift of nature, not of faith. The people of Malacca and of the neighbouring islands, who are all of the fame race and speak the fame language, are fierce, turbulent, and bold above any of the human fpecies, tho' they inhabit the torrid zone, held commonly to be the land of cowardice. They never obferve a treaty of peace when they have any temptation to break it; and are perpetually at war with their neighbours, or with one another. Inftances there are, more than one, of twenty-five or thirty of them in a boat venturing, with no other weapons but poniards, to attack a European fhip of war. Thefe men inhabit a most fruitful country, which fhould naturally render them indolent and effeminate; a country abounding with variety of exquifite fruits and odoriferous flowers in endless fucceffion; fufficient to fink any other people into voluptuoufnefs. They are a remarkable exception from the observation of Herodotus, "That it is not given by the gods to any country, to produce rich crops and warlike men.' This inftance, with what are to follow, fhow paft contradiction, that a hot climate is no enemy to courage. The inhabitants of New Zealand are of all men the most intrepid, and the leaft apt to be alarmed at danger. The Giagas are a fierce and bold people in the midst of the torrid zone of Africa: and fo are the Anfieki, bordering on Loango. The wild Arabs, who live mostly within the torrid zone, are bold and refolute, holding war to be intended for them by Providence. The African negroes, tho' living in the hottest known country, are yet ftout and vigorous, and the most healthy people in the univerfe. I need (a) Odyffey, b. II. 99 fcarce fcarce mention again the negroes adjacent to New Guinea, who have an uncommon degree of boldness and ferocity. But I mention with pleasure the island Otaheite, difcovered in the South fea by Wallis, because the inhabitants are not exceeded by any other people in firmnefs of mind. The inhabitants are numerous; and tho' the Dolphin was probably the firft fhip they had ever feen, yet they refolutely marched to the fhore, and attacked her with a fhower of ftones. Some volleys of fmall fhot made them give way but returning with redoubled ardour, they did not totally lofe heart till the great guns thundered in their ears. Nor even then did they run away in terror; but advising together, they affumed looks of peace, and fignified a willingness to forbear hoftilities. Peace being fettled, they were fingularly kind to our people, fupplying their wants, and mixing with them in friendly intercourfe*. When Mr Banks and Dr Solander were on the coaft of New Holland, the natives feeing fome of our men fishing near the fhore, fingled out a number of their own equal to thofe in the boat, who marching down to the water-edge, challenged the ftrangers to fight them; an inftance of the most heroic courage. The people in that part of New Holland must be a of New Holland must be a very different race from those whom Dampier faw. A noted author (a) holds all favages to be bold, impetuous, and proud; affigning for a caufe, their equality and independence. As in that obfervation he feems to lay no weight on climate, and as little on original difpofition, it is with regret that my fubject leads me in this public manner to differ from him with respect to the latter. The character he gives in general to all favages, is in It is remarkable that thefe people roaft their meat with hot ftones, as the Caledonians did in the days of Offian. (a) Mr Fergufon. deed deed applicable to many favage tribes, our European forefathers in particular; but not to all. It but faintly fuits even the NorthAmerican favages, whom our author feems to have had in his eye; for in war they carefully avoid open force, relying chiefly on ftratagem and furprife. They value themselves, it is faid, upon faving men; but as that motive was no lefs weighty in Europe, and indeed every where, the proneness of our forefathers to open violence, vouches for their fuperiority in active courage. The following incidents reported by Charlevoix give no favourable idea of fome North-Americans with regard to that fort of courage. The fort de Vercheres in Canada, belonging to the French, was in the year 1690 attacked by fome Iroquois. They approached filently, preparing to fcale the palifade, when fome musket-fhot made them retire. Advancing a fecond time, they were again repulfed, wondering that they could difcover none but a woman, who was feen every where. where. This was Madame de Vercheres, who appeared as refolute as if fupported by a numerous garrifon. The hopes of ftorming a place without men to defend it, occafioned reiterated attacks. After two days fiege, they retired, fearing to be intercepted in their retreat. Two years after, a party of the fame nation appeared before the fort fo unexpectedly, that a girl of fourteen, daughter of the proprietor, had but time to fhut the gate. With the young woman there was not a foul but one raw foldier. She fhowed herfelf with her afliftant, fometimes in one place, fometimes in another; changing her dress frequently in order to give fome appearance of a garrifon, and always fired opportunely. The faint-hearted Iroquois decamped without fuccefs. But if the Americans abound not with active courage, their paflive courage is beyond conception. Every writer expatiates upon the torments they endure, not only patiently, but with fingular fortitude; deriding their tormentors, and braving their utmost cruelty. North-American favages differ indeed fo widely from thofe |