Il2 COOK S FIRST VOYAGE SEPT. 



but very lately brought all tlie fruit of a vineyard to 

 be of one sort, by engrafting their vines : there 

 seems to be in mind as there is in matter, a kind of 

 ris inertice, which resists the first impulse to change. 

 He who proposes to assist the artificer or the hus- 

 bandman by a new application of the principles of 

 philosophy, or the powers of mechanisiii, will find, 

 that his having hitherto done without them will be 

 a stronger motive for continuing to do without them 

 still, than any advantage, however manifest ancj con- 

 siderable, for adopting the improvement. Wherever 

 there is ignorance there is prejudice ; and the 

 common people of all nations are, with respect to 

 improvements, like the parish poor of England with 

 respect to a maintenance, for whom the law must 

 not only make a provision, but compel them to accept 

 it, or else they will be still found begging in the 

 streets. It was, therefore, with great difficulty tbat 

 the people of Madeira were persuaded to engraft 

 their vines, and some of them still obstinately refuse 

 to adopt the practice, though a whole vintage is very 

 often spoiled by the number of bad grapes which are 

 mixed in the vat, and which they will not throw out, 

 because they increase the quantity of the wine : an 

 instance of the force of habit, which is the more 

 extraordinary, as they have adopted the practice of 

 engrafting with respect to their chesnut-trees, an 

 object of much less importance, which, howfsver, are 

 thus brought to bear sooner than they would other- 

 wise have done. 



We saw no wheel-carriages of any sort in the place, 

 which, perhaps, is not more owing to the want of in- 

 genuity to invent them than to the want of industry 

 to mend the roads, which, at present, it is impossible 

 that any wheel-carriage should pass : the inhabitants 

 have horses and mules, indeed, excellently adapted 

 to such ways; but their wine is, notwithstanding,, 

 brought to town from the vineyards where it is made 

 in vessels of goat-skins^ which ^re carried by men 



