246 A HISTORY OF 



coast. They Iso are become almost as black as the negroes, and are 

 aid by some to be even more barbarous. 



The inhabitants of America make a fifth race, as different from all 

 the rest in colour, as they are distinct in habitation. The natives of 

 America (except in the northern extremity, where they resemble the 

 Laplanders) are of a red or copper colour ; and although, in the old 

 world, different climates produce a variety of complexions and cus- 

 toms, the natives of the new continent seem to resemble each other 

 in almost every respect. They are all nearly of one colour ; all have 

 black thick straight hair, and thin black beards ; which, however, 

 they take care to pluck out by the roots. They have, in general, flat 

 noses, with high cheek-bones, and small eyes, and these deformities 

 of nature they endeavour to increase by art : they flatten the nose, 

 and often the whole head of their children, while the bones are yet 

 susceptible of every impression. They paint the body and face of 

 various colours, and consider the hair upon any part of it, except the 

 head, as a deformity, which they are careful to eradicate. Their 

 limbs are generally slighter made than those of the Europeans ; and I 

 am assured, they are far from being so strong. All these savages seem 

 to be cowardly ; they seldom are known to face their enemies in the 

 field, but fall upon them at an advantage ; and the greatness of their 

 fears serves to increase the rigours of their cruelty. The wants 

 which they often sustain, make them surprisingly patient in adver- 

 sity : distress, by being grown familiar, becomes less terrible ; so that 

 their patience is less the result of fortitude than of custom. They 

 have all a serious air, although they seldom think ; and, however 

 cruel to their enemies, are kind and just to each other. In short, the 

 customs of savage nations in every country are almost the same ; a 

 wild, independent, and precarious life, produces a peculiar train of 

 virtues and vices, and patience and hospitality, indolence and rapa- 

 city, content and sincerity, are found not less among the natives of 

 America, than all the barbarous nations of the globe. 



The sixth and last variety of the human species, is that of the 

 Europeans, and the nations bordering on them. In this class we may 

 reckon the Georgians, Circassians, and Mingrelians, the inhabitants 

 of Asia Minor, and the northern parts of Africa, together with a 

 part of those countries which lie north-west of the Caspian sea. The 

 inhabitants of these countries differ a good deal from each other ; 

 but they generally agree in the colour of their bodies, the beauty of 

 their complexions, the largeness of their limbs, and the vigour of 

 their understandings. Those arts which might have had their in- 

 vention among the other races of mankind, have come to perfection 

 there. In barbarous countries, the inhabitants go either naked, or 

 are awkwardly clothed in furs or feathers; in countries semi-barbarous, 

 the robes are loose and flowing ; but here the clothing is less made 

 for show than expedition, and unites, as much as possible, the extremes 

 of ornament and despatch. 



To one or other of these classes we may refer the people of every 

 country : and as each nation has been less visited by strangers, or has 

 had less commerce with the rest of mankind, we find their persons 

 and their manners more strongly impressed with one or other of the 



