STUDY VII. 19 



In every country, the temperature of Climate 

 haftens, or retards, the expanfion of all plants, and 

 the geftation of all animals, the Human Race ex- 

 cepted : let this be carefully remarked. *' In the 

 " Antilles iflands," fays Father du Tertre, " the 

 " white women and the negreffes go with child 

 " nine months, as in France," I have made the 

 fame remark in all the countries through which I 

 have travelled, in the Ifle of France, under the 

 Tropic of Capricorn, and in the extremity of Ruf- 

 fian Finland. This obfervation is of confiderable 

 importance. It demonftrates that the body of 

 Man is not fubjetfled, in this refped:, to the fame 

 laws with other animals. It manifefts a moral in- 

 tention in Nature, to preferve an equilibrium in 

 the population of Nations, which would have been 

 deranged, had the pregnancy of the woman been 

 of fhorter duration in hot countries than in cold. 

 This intention is farther manifefted in the admi- 

 rable proportion (lie maintains in the production 

 of the two fexes, fo nearly equal in number, and 

 in the very difference which we find, of one coun- 

 try from another, between the number of males 

 and females : for it is compenfated from North to 

 South, in fuch a manner, that if there be rather 

 more women born to the South, there are rather 

 more men born to the North ; as if Nature meant 

 to attract and to unite Nations, the mofl remote 

 from each other, by intermarriages. 



c 2 Climate 



