32 .. MEMOIR OF 



nearly uniform cascade, in its extent of 2226 feet, 

 but in the form of a single and enormous prism, 

 full and solid, reaching 180 feet in all its dimen- 

 sions. 



There are no parts of Azara's works more valu- 

 able in themselves, and none, we believe, will be 

 more generally esteemed, than those which bear on 

 the history of man. We allude not only to his 

 historical researches and criticisms, properly so 

 called, descriptive of the conduct of the early Spa- 

 nish settlers and rulers, and of the unfortunate 

 natives, though these must ever be highly appre- 

 ciated ; nor do we refer to his statistical statements, 

 and to his accounts of the famous settlements of the 

 aborigines, made at one time by the Jesuits, and 

 at another by the civil government, and which will 

 continue, as they have done, to command a very 

 general attention ; but we apply our remark chiefly 

 to his laborious investigations concerning the natu- 

 ral history of man, especially of the native races, 

 with their physical and moral character, their cir- 

 cumstances, habits, powers, manners, &c. Few 

 were ever placed in fairer fields for investigation, 

 and few ever cultivated them with more assiduity 

 and success. Some of the tribes of central America 

 appear to have sunk nearly as far down the scale of 

 human wretchedness and ignorance as is possible, 

 and of these, as well as the less degraded, we have 

 here the laborious observations of a most acute 

 observer. These several inquiries occupy nearly 

 the whole of the second volume of his French work : 



