INTRODUCTION. Ixxi 



will, on the authority of our late navigators, open abund- 

 ant fources for philofophical difcuffion. One queftion of 

 this forr, in particular, which had formerly divided the 

 opinions of the inquifitive, as to the exiftence, if not of 

 ♦* giants on the earth," at leaft of a race (inhabiting a di- 

 flri<5t bordering on the North fide pf the flrait of Magal- 

 haens), whofe ftature confiderably exceeds that of the bulk 

 of mankind, will no longer be doubted or difbelieved. And 

 the ingenious objeftions of the fceptical author of Recherches 

 fur les Americains*, will weigh nothing in the balance againft 

 the concurrent and accurate teftimony of Byron, Wallis, and 

 Carteret. 



Perhaps there cannot be a more interefting inquiry than 

 to trace the migrations of the various families or tribes that 

 have peopled the globe ; and in no rerpe<fl have our late 

 voyages been more fertile in curious difcoverics. It was 

 known in general (and I fhall ufe the words of Ksmpfer-j-), 

 that the Afiatic nation called Malayans, " in former times, 

 " had by much the greateft trade in the Indies, and fre- 

 •' quented with their merchant fliips, not only all the coafls 

 *' of Afia, but ventured even over to the coafts of Africa, 

 «' particularly to the great ifland of Madagafcar :j:. The title 



* Tom, i. p. 331. 



•f- Hiftory of Japan, Vol. i. p. 93. 



X That the Malayans have not only frequented Madagafcar, but have alfo been 

 the progenitors of feme of the prefent race of inhabitants there, is confirmed to us 

 by the teftimony of Monfieurde Pages, who vifited that iffand fo late as 1774. " lis 

 " m'ont paru provenir des diverfcs Races ; leur couleur, leurs cheveux, et leur corps 

 " I'indiquent. Ceux que je n'ai pas cru originaires des anciens naturels du pays, font 

 " petits et trapus ; ils ont les cheveux prefque unis, et font olivatres comme les Ma~ 

 " layes, avic qui i/s ont, en general, une efpece de refemb lance." 



Voyages d(5 M, des Pages, T. ii. p. 90. 



." which 



