138 cook's first voyage may, 



hands : they then swam out with it again, and were 

 again driven back, just as our holiday youth climb 

 the hill in Greenwich-park for the pleasure of rolling 

 down it. At this wonderful scene we stood gazing 

 for more than half an hour, during which time none 

 of the swimmers attempted to come on shore, but 

 seemed to enjoy their sport in the highest degree ; 

 we then proceeded in our journey, and late in the 

 evening got back to the fort. 



Upon this occasion it may be observed, that human 

 nature is endued with powers which are only acci- 

 dentally exerted to the utmost ; and that all men are 

 capable of what no man attains, except he is stimu- 

 lated to the effort by some uncommon circumstances 

 or situation. These Indians effected what to us ap- 

 peared to be supernatural, merely by the application of 

 such powers as they possessed in common with us, 

 and all other men who have no particular infirmity 

 or defect. The truth of the observation is also 

 manifest from more familiar instances. The rope- 

 dancer and balance-master owe their art, not to any 

 peculiar liberality of nature, but to an accidental 

 improvement of her common gifts ; and though equal 

 diligence and application would not always produce 

 equal excellence in these, any more than in other 

 arts, yet there is no doubt but that a certain degree 

 of proficiency in them might be universally attained. 

 Another proof of the existence of abilities in man- 

 kind, that are almost universally dormant, is fur- 

 nished by the attainments of blind men. It cannot 

 be supposed that the loss of one sense, like the 

 amputation of a branch from a tree, gives new vigour 

 to those that remain. Every man's hearing and 

 touch, therefore, are capable of the nice distinctions 

 which astonish us in those that have lost their sight, 

 and if they do not give the same intelligence to the 

 mind, it is merely because the same intelligence is 

 not required of them : he that can see may do from 

 choice what the blind do by necessity, and by the 



