STUDY XI. 353 



perpetuating themfelves by their families ; whereas 

 more than the half of Mankind is doomed to celi- 

 bacy. The other half curfes the bands which have 



matched 



years 1768, 1769, 1770, and 1771, page 83. " The inhabi- 

 " tants of Otaheite, trade with thofe of the adjacent iflands which 

 " lie to the eaftward, and which we had difcovered on our paflage. 

 " During three months of the year, the winds which blow from 

 '£ the IVeJl quarter are very favourable to them for carrying on 

 " this traffic." Admiral An/on likewife met with windsfrom the 

 Weft, in thofe Latitudes, which retarded him. 



Certain Philofophers explain the correfpondencies to be found 

 between the inhabitants of the iflands and thofe of Continents, 

 by fuppoling iflands to be lands once united to the Continent, 

 but now fwallowed up by the Ocean, the fummit only, and a few 

 of the inhabitants upon it, remaining above the water. But 

 enough has been already faid in this Work, to evince that ma- 

 ritime iflands are not fragments feparated from the Continent, 

 and that they have mountains, peaks, lakes, hills, proportionable 

 to their extent, and directed to the regular winds which blow 

 over their feas. They have vegetables peculiar to themfelves, 

 and which no where elfe attain the fame degree of beauty. Far- 

 ther, had thofe iflands formerly conftituted part of our Conti- 

 nent, we fliould find in them all thofe of our quadrupeds which 

 are to be met with in all climates ; there were no rats nor mice 

 in America, and in the Antilles, previous to the arrival of the 

 Europeans, if we may believe the teftimony of the Spanifh Hif- 

 torian Barrera, and of Father du Tertre. We fliould, likewife, 

 have found in them the ox, the afs, the camel, the horfe, but they 

 contained none of thefe animals ; but plenty of our common 

 poultry, ducks, dogs, fwine, as well as among the Iflanders of the 

 South-Sea, who themfelvea had no other of our domeftic animals. 

 a a 2 It 



