land has few natural beauties to boast of: even high mountains, deep valleys, impetuous torrents, and fuch other wild and awful beauties, are rare, But, of late years, that country has received manifold embellishments from its industrious inhabitants; and in many of its scenes may now compare with countries that are more favoured by the fun or by nature. Its foil has become fertile, its verdure enlivening, and its gardens the finest in the world. The confequence is what might have been foreseen: the fine arts are gaining ground daily. May it not be expected, that the genius and fenfibility of the inhabitants, will in time produce other works of art, to rival their gardens? How delightful to a true-hearted Briton is the profpect, that London, instead of Rome, may become the centre of the fine arts!

Sir William Temple is of opinion, that courage depends much on animal food. He remarks, that the horfe and the cock are the only animals of courage that live on vegetables. Provided the body be kept in good plight, I am apt to think, that the difference of food can have little influence on the mind. Nor is Sir William's remark

fupported

fupported by experience. Several small birds, whofe only food is grain, have no lefs courage than the cock. The wolf, the fox, the vulture, on the other hand, are not remarkable for courage, though their only food is the flesh of animals.

The colour of the Negroes, as above obferved, affords a ftrong prefumption of their being a different fpecies from the Whites; and I once thought, that the prefumption was fupported by inferiority of understanding in the former. But it appears to me doubtful, upon fecond thoughts, whether that inferiority may not be occafioned by their condition. A man never ripens in judgement nor in prudence but by exercising these powers. At home, the negroes have little occafion to exercise either: they live upon fruits and roots, which grow without culture: they need little cloathing: and they erect houfes without trouble or art *. Abroad, they are miserable flaves, having no en

*The Negro flaves in Jamaica, who have Sunday only at command for raising food to themselves, live as well, if not better, than the free Negroes who command every day of the week. Such is the effect of indolence from want of occupation.

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couragement

し

couragement either to think or to act. Who can fay how far they might improve in a state of freedom, were they obliged,

like Europeans, to procure bread with the fweat of their brows? Some nations in Negroland, particularly that of Whidah, have made great improvements in government, in police, and in manners. The negroes on the Gold coaft are naturally gay they apprehend readily what is faid to them, have a good judgement, are equitable in their dealings, and accommodate themselves readily to the manners of ftrangers. And yet, after all, there feems to be fome original difference between the Negroes and Hindows. In no country are food and raiment procured with lefs labour than in the fouthern parts of Hindoftan, where the heat is great and yet no people are more induftrious than the Hindows.

I fhall clofe the furvey with fome inftances that feem to differ widely from the common nature of man. The Giagas, a fierce and wandering nation in the heart of Africa, are in effect land-pirates, at war with all the world. They indulge in polygamy; but bury all their children the VOL. I.

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moment

moment of birth, and chufe in their stead the most promifing children taken in war. There is no principle among animals more prevalent than affection to offspring: fuppofing the Giagas to be born without hands or without feet, would they be more diftinguishable from the rest of mankind? The author of an account of Guiana, mentioning a deadly poifon composed by the natives, fays, "I do not find

that even in their wars they ever ufe poifoned arrows. And yet it may be "wondered, that a people living under no "laws, actuated with no religious prin

* I have oftener than once doubted whether the authors deferve credit from whom this account is taken; and, after all, I do not prefs it upon my readers. There is only one confideration that can bring it within the verge of probability, viz. the little affection that male favages have for their newborn children, which appears from the ancient practice of expofing them. The affection of the mother commences with the birth of the child; and had fhe a vote, no infant would ever be deftroyed. But as the affection of the father begins much later, the practice of deftroying new-born infants may be thought not altogether incredible in a wandering nation, who live by rapine, and who can provide themselves with children more eafily than by the tedious and precarious method of rearing them.

ciple, and unrestrained by the fear of prefent or future punishment, fhould not fometimes employ that fatal poi"fon for gratifying hatred, jealousy, or revenge. But in a state of na

;

ture, though there are few restraints, there are also fewer temptations to vice and the different tribes are "doubtlefs fenfible, that poifoned arrows "in war would upon the whole do more "mischief than good." This writer it would feem has forgot, that profpects of future good or evil never have influence upon favages. Is it his opinion, that fear of future mischief to themselves, would make the negroes of New Guinea abstain from employing poifoned arrows against their enemies? To account for manners fo fingular in the favages of Guiana, there is nothing left but original difpofition. The Japanese refent injuries in a manner that has not a parallel in any other part of the world: it would be thought inconfistent with human nature were it not well vouched. Others wreak their refentment on the perfon who affronts them; but an inhabitant of Japan wreaks it on himself: he rips up his own belly. Kempfer reports I 2

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the