ftead of being dark, as among the neighbouring Moors. He conjectures them to be a 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 suburbs of Cochin, a town in Malabar, there is a colony of induftrious Jews of the fame complexion they have in Europe. They pretend that they were established there during the captivity of Babylon: it is certain 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 believe, with a German naturalift whofe name has escaped me, that the negro colour is owing to an ancient custom in Africa of dying the fkin 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

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 fkin, which turns jet-black the eighth or ninth day * ?

Different tribes are diftinguishable no 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, as far as can be difcovered, continue to this day pure without mixture, which act by inftinct not art, which have not learned to disguise their paffions to fuch I confine the inquiry. There is no propenfity in human nature more general than averfion from ftrangers, as will be made evident after

*Different flowers derive their colour from nature, and preferve the fame colour in every climate. What reafon is there to believe, that climate fhould have greater influence upon the colour of men than of flowers?

ward.

ward (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 fingular race. In order to fet the exceptions in a clear light, a few inftances shall be premised of the general propensity. The nations that may be the most relied on for an original character, are iflanders at a distance from the continent and from each other. Among such, great variety of character is found. Some islands adjacent to New Guinea are inhabited by negroes, a bold, mischievous, untractable race; always ready to attack strangers when they approach the shore. The people of New Zealand are of a large fize and of a hoarse voice. They appeared fhy according to Tafman's account. Some of them, however, ventured on board in order to trade but finding opportunity, they surprised feven of his men in a fhallop, and without the flightest provocation killed three of them, the reft having escaped by fwimming. The ifland called Recreation, 16th degree fouthern latitude, and 148th of longitude weft from London, was discovered (a) Book 2. fketch 1.

;

in Roggewein's voyage. Upon fight of the fhips, the natives flocked to the shore with long pikes. The crew made good their landing, having by fire-arms beat back the natives; who, returning after a fhort interval, accepted prefents of beads, fmall looking-glaffes, and other trinkets, without fhewing the leaft fear: they even affifted the crew in gathering herbs for thofe who were afflicted with the fcurvy. Some of the crew traverfing the island in great fecurity, and trufting to fome 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: with difficulty they made their efcape, but not without leaving feveral dead upon the field. In Commodore Byron's voyage to the South Sea, an ifland was difcovered, which he named Disappointment. The fhore was covered with natives in arms to prevent landing. They were black; and without clothing except what covered the parts that nature teaches to hide. But a fpecimen. is fufficient here, as the fubject will be fully illuftrated in the sketch referred to above.

The

The kindness of fome tribes to ftrangers deferves more attention, being not a little fingular. Gonneville, commander of a French ship in a voyage to the East Indies in the year 1503, was driven by a tempeft into an unknown country, and continued there fix months, while his veffel was refitting. The manners he describes 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 worfe lodged, having no light in their cabins but what came in through a hole in the roof. They were divided into small tribes, governed each by a king; who, though 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, fmall looking-glaffes, 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 island E

VOL. I.

discovered