. LETTER X. 



The aboriginal Americans, although many of their 

 tribes are equal to the Europeans in stature, are less 

 muscular and strong, which is probably an effect of 

 the climate in conjunction with the scantiness or bad 

 quality of their food. The wan and flaccid appear- 

 ance of the descendants of the Europeans settled in 

 America, shew that the influence of the climate, or 

 the productions of the soil, are less favourable to the 

 human constitution than those of the old world. 



The sixth and last marked division of the human 

 race, and the most elevated in the scale of terrestrial 

 beings, comprehends the people of Europe, with some 

 of the adjacent countries. In this class may be in- 

 cluded the Georgians, the Circassians, the Mingre- 

 lians, the people of Asia-Minor, and those of the nor- 

 thern parts of Africa. Among so many different na- 

 tions, dispersed over countries of so great an extent, 

 a considerable variety of complexion and counte- 

 nance must undoubtedly be found ; but yet this di- 

 versity is less than might be expected. All in gene- 

 ral have nearly the same stature, and the same ge- 

 neral contour of features. The colour qf the skin in 

 all these nations is also the same, and the difference 

 often found in the tints of the face, is, for the most 

 part, no more than the effects of a greater or less ex- 

 posure to the weather, which may often be observed 

 among individuals in the same district, as well as 

 among the inhabitants of different countries. 



According to the information of travellers, the Cir- 

 cassians are the most personal people in the world. 

 A complexion incomparably fine, eyebrows black, 

 soft, fine as silk, and thickly planted ; eyes blue, 

 larcre, and full of animation ; with a mouth and chin 

 exquisitely formed, ,are the characteristics of the Cir- 

 cassian females, with whom may be ranked those of 

 Georgia and Mingrelia. Their stature is tall, their 

 shape elegant, and their hair of the most beautiful 

 black. Yet these people live under the same climate 

 with the Tartars, who fall exceedingly short of the 

 standard of European beauty. In this respect they 

 exhibit a similar phenomenon with the Abyssinians, 



