$0 ACCOUNT OF THE ISLAND SAMAR. Scpti 2 J, 



every fituation, the fuperlority of men over other ani- 

 mals is manifeft, and that, wherever the human race 

 exifts, he needs not be afhamed to embrace the indivi- 

 duals he may meet with as his brethren. It is not a 

 little remarkable that we difcover lefs favage barbarity, 

 and more native gentlenefs of difpofition among the 

 inhabitants of the iilands in the Indian ocean than any 

 where elfe on the globe. This is a pleafmg exception, 

 to account for which may give rife to fome very inte- 

 refling fpeculations. Our ingenious traveller thus def- 

 cribes this happy ifland : 



EXTRACT. 



" In this ifland the foil is extremely fertile, cafiW 

 cultivated, and rewards the induftry of the labourer at 

 leaft forty fold. Befides other grain, the Indians 

 fow a confiderable quantity of rice, but which is wholly 

 intended for tlie ufe of the parochial clergy*, the fet- 

 tlement of Manilla, and the governor of the province. 

 The common food of the natives confifts chiefly in a 

 fpecies of potatOe, yams, and a root named gaby. A- 

 greeably to the example of the Indians, I lived here en- 

 tirely on roots, whofe fugary tafte is much more plea- 

 fant than the uniform infipidity of boiled rice. At flrft 

 they feemed heavy and flatulent, but they foon became 

 familiar to my ftomach ; and I was fatisficd in the end 

 that they were more nutritious to the conftitution, as 

 well as more relifliing to the tafte. I ate likewife a 

 good deal of pOrk, which is lefs in fize, and runs move 

 into filamcntr., thaft ours. 'J'his flefli, though black, and 

 confifting of ftrong fibres, like thofe of the Ox, is much 

 fweeter, and by no meafts dilRcult of digeftion. The 

 Indian has a furprifing dexterity at difcovet'ing the 



■ * The parochial clergy' were fiere all of the order of the Jefuits at 

 the time <nir author was there, who had an influence over the people 

 nearly as;;rfat as that they enjoyed in -Paraguay, which,- we muft do 

 them the jullice to fiiy,feemsto have hecn ixerted chieiiy in augmenting 

 th;; general happincfs of the community.— Erir. 



