336 JAMAICA. 



woman either proving barren, or their offspring, if they have any^ 

 not attaining to maturity; when the lame man and woman, having 

 commerce with a White or Black, would generate a numerous if- 

 fue. Some examples may poflibly have occurred, where, upon the 

 intermarriage of two Mulattos, the woman has borne children ; 

 which children have grown to maturity: but I never heard of fuch 

 an inftance ; and may we not fufpe£l the lady, in thofe cafes, to 

 have privately intrigued with another man, a White perhaps? The 

 fufpicion is not unwarrantable, if we confider how little their paf- 

 fions are under the reftraint of morality ; and that the major part, 

 nay, almoft the whole number, with very few exceptions, have been 

 files de joye before they became wives. As for thofe in Jamaica, 

 whom 1 have particularly alluded to, they married young, had re- 

 ceived forae fort of education, and lived with great repute for their 

 chafte and orderly conduft ; and with them the experiment is tried 

 with a great degree of certainty : they produce no offspring, 

 though in appearance under no natural incapacity of fo doing with 

 a different connexion. 



The fubjed is really curious, and deferves a further and very at- 

 tentive enquiry ; becaufe it tends, among other evidences, to efta- 

 blidi an opinion, which feveral have entertained, that the White 

 and the Negroe had not one common origin. Towards difproviiig 

 this opinion, it is neceffary, that the Mulatto woman (hould be 

 pad all fufpicion of intriguing with another, or having communi- 

 cation with any other man than her Mulatto hufband ; and it then 

 remains for further proof, whether the offspring of thefe two Mu- 

 lattos, being married to the offspring of two other Mulatto parents, 

 would propagate their fpecies, and fo, by an uninterrupted fuccef- 

 fion, continue the race. For my own part, I think there are ex- 

 tremely potent reafons for believing, that the White and the Ne- 

 groe are two diftinft fpecies. A certain philofopher of the prefent 

 age confidently aver?, that " none but the blind can doubt it." It 

 is certain, that this idea enables us to account for thofe diverfities 

 of feature, ikin, and intelledl, obferveable among mankind ; which 

 cannot be accounted for in any other way, without running into a 

 thoufand abfurdities. 



Th« 



