372 JAMAICA. 



for how vaft is the diftance between inert matter, and matter endued 

 with thought and reafon I The feries and progreffion from a lump of 

 dirt to a perfeft human being is amazingly exteniive ; nor lefs fo, per- 

 haps, the interval between the latter and the mod perfect angelic 

 being, and between this being and the Deity himfelf. Let us (hake off 

 thofe clouds with which prejudice endeavours to invelope the under- 

 ftanding ; and, exerting that freedom of thought which the Beft of 

 Beings has granted to us, let us take a noon-tide view of the human 

 genus ; and fhall we fay, that it is totally different from, and lefs per- 

 fect than, every other fyftem of animal beings? The fpecies of every 

 other genus have their certain mark and diftlnftion, their varieties, and 

 fubordinate claffes : and why ihould the race of mankind be Angularly 

 indifcriminate? 



;" — In the catalogue they go for mefi, 

 "■ As hounds anu-'^{"£vhounds, mongrels, fpaniels, curs, 

 " Shocks, water-rugs, ana Jdemi-wolves, are 'clep'd 

 " ^// by the name of dogs; the vaiued file 

 '* Difiinguifhes the fwift, the flow, the fubtle, 

 *' The houfekceper, the hunter; everyone 

 «' According to the gift, which bounteous nature 

 ♦« Hath in him clos'd; whereby he does receive 

 " Particular addition, from the bill 

 *' That writes them all alike; — And fo of men — " 

 fays that faithful obfervcr of nature, our immortal Shakefpear; and 

 with him fo far agrees that truly learned and fagacious naturalift Monf. 

 Buffon, who inveftigates the marks of variation among mankind in 

 the following manner: " Men differ from white to black, from com- 

 pound to fimple, by the height of ftature, fize, adivity, firength,, and 

 other bodily charafteri flics; and from the genius to the dolt, from ihe 

 greateft to the leaft, by the meafure of intelle^r That there are fome 

 phyfical diftinftions, in refpeft of perfon, I think, requires no further 

 demonftration; and that men vary ftlU more in intelleft, is almofl 

 equally evident. On our entering Africa towards the European con- 

 fine on the North, we firft meet with the Moors, a race of tawny menj 

 who pofTefs many vices^and fome virtues; they are acute, indufti'lous, 

 and carry on trade and manufaftures ; next to thefe, are a mixture of 

 Moors and Arabs t we then arrive at the gum coafl, or country of 



Senaga, 



