ANIMALS. 83 



races. The nations that inhabit the peninsula of 

 India seem to be the principal stock from whence 

 the inhabitants of the islands that lie scattered in 

 the Indian Ocean have been peopled. They are, 

 in general, of a slender shape, with long straight 

 black hair, and often with Roman noses. Thus 

 they resemble the Europeans in stature and fea- 

 tures ; but greatly differ in colour and habit of 

 body. The Indians are of an olive colour, and, 

 in the more southern parts, quite black ; although 

 the word Mogul, in their language, signifies a 

 white man. The women are extremely delicate, 

 and bathe very often ; they are of an olive colour, 

 as well as the men ; their legs and thighs are 

 long, and their bodies short, which is the oppo- 

 site to what is seen among the women of Europe. 

 They are, as I am assured, by no means so fruitful 

 as the European women ; but they feel the pains 

 of child-birth with much less sensibility, and are 

 generally up and well the day following. In 

 fact, these pains seem greatest in all countries 

 where the women are most delicate, or the con- 

 stitution enfeebled by luxury or indolence. The 

 women of savage nations seem, in a great mea- 

 sure, exempt from painful labours ; and even the 

 hard-working wives of the peasants among our- 

 selves have this advantage from a life of indus- 

 try, that their child-bearing is less painful. 

 Over all India, the children arrive sooner at ma- 

 turity, than with us of Europe. They often 

 marry, and consummate, the husband at ten 

 years old, and the wife at eight ; and they fre- 

 quently have children at that age. However, 



