INTRODUCTION. Ixxv 



©r furniili matter of cavil to the ill-intentioned. After the 

 great <lifcovery, or at lead the full confirmation of the 

 great difcovery, of the vicinity of the tv^o continents of Afia 

 and America, we truft that we lliall not be any more ridi- 

 culed, for believing that the former could cafily furnifli its 

 inhabitants to the latter. And thus, to ail the various good 

 purpofes already enumerated, as anfwered by our late 

 voyages, we may add this laft, though not the leafl im- 

 portant, that they have done fervice to religion, by robbing 

 infidelity of a favourite objciftion to the credibility of the 

 Mofaic account of the peopling of the earth *. 



6. Hitherto we have confidered our voyages as having be- 

 nefited the difcoverers. But it will be afked, Have they con- 

 veyed, or are they likely ever to convey, any benefit to the 

 difcovered? It would afford exquifite fatisfaftion to every ' 

 benevolent mind, to be inftruded in facfls, whi-ch might 

 enable us, without hefitation, to anfwer this queflion in the 

 affirmative. And yet, perhaps, we may indulge the pleaf- 

 ing hope, that, even in this refpecfl, our fhips have not 

 failed in vain. Other difcoveries of new countries have, 

 in efFe(fl, been wars, or rather mafTacres j nations have been 

 no fooner found out, than they have been extirpated ; and 

 the horrid cruelties of the conquerors of Mexico and Peru 



* A contempt of Revelation is generally the refult of ignorance, conceited of 

 its poffefling fupenor knowledge. Obferve how the Author of Recherches Philofa- 

 fhlques fur hs Americains, exprefl'es himf;lf on this very point. " Cctte diftance que 

 •' Mr. Antermony veut trouver fi peu iinportante, efl a-peu-pres de huit cent Ueues 

 " Gaulotfes au iravers d'un ocean perilleuXy et impoffible a franchir avec des canots ' 

 •' aufli chetifs et aiiffi fragiles que le font, au rapport d'Yfbrand Ides, les chaloupes 

 " des Tungufes," &c. &c. T. i. p. 156. Had this writer known that the two 

 continents are not above thirteen leagues (inftead of eight hundred) diftant from each 

 other, and that, even in that narrow fpace of fea, there are intervening iflands, he 

 would not have vent^ircd to urge this argument in oppofition to Mr. Bell's notion of 

 the quarter from which North America received its original inhabitants. 



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