Chap. X. A N T I E N T M E T A P H Y S I C S. 207 



the people by their lock, their figure, and appearance. And I am 

 perfuaded, that, in Britain, and in every other part of Europe, a 

 man of rank and family was, fome hundred years ago, as readily 

 known at firft fight, as a horfe of blood is now. And this natural 

 diftindion of men, appears to be known in every country on earth : 

 For in the New World, which Captain Cook has difcovered in the 

 South Sea, the ranks of men are as much diftinguifhed, by their fize 

 and figure, as ever they were at any time in Europe. Bouganville, 

 the French traveller, fays, that the Nobles in Ottaheite are fo much 

 diftinguillied in that way from the Tootoos, or lower fort of peo- 

 ple, that he is inclined to believe them to be of a different nation. 

 And Captain King, in the third volume of Captain Cook's laft voyage*, 

 fpeaking of the Erees, or chiefs of the Sandwich Ifles, fays, ' The fame 

 ' fuperiority, that is obfervable in the perfons of Erees through all 

 ' the other iflands, is alfo found here. Thofe, whom we faw, were, 

 ' without exception, perfedly well formed ; whereas, the lower 

 ' fort, befides their general inferiority, are fubjedt to all the variety 

 ' of make and figure that is feen in the populace of other countries. 

 ' Inftances of deformity are more frequent here than in any of the 

 ' other iflands.' Then he proceeds to mention fome particular in- 

 ftances of deformity among them. And Mr Matra, who accompanied 

 Captain Cook in his firft voyage, and whom I have elfewhere men- 

 tioned t, as one who had looked with a difcerning eye upon men, and 

 had ftudiedwith particular attention manners and characters, aflures me 

 that the leading men in all the iflands where he was, had fomething in 

 their appearance, their voice, and manner, which diftinguiflied them 

 from the reft of the people fo much, that it was obferved even by 

 the common failors aboard the fhip, who knew them immediately 



to 



• Page 126. 



t In Origin of Language, Vol. V. p. 213. ; alfo in the introdudlion to Vol. VI. p 

 4. Where the man I mention, who gave me an account of the eloquence of the Ne^' 

 Zealanders, is the dmc Mr Matra, now our conful at Morrocco. 



