8o Inquiry concerning the Nature of Heat, 



If that should be the case, instead of despising these 

 poor creatures for their attachment to a useless and 

 loathsome habit, we should be disposed to admire their 

 ingenuity, or rather to admire and adore the goodness 

 of their invisible Guardian and' Instructor, who teaches 

 them to like, and to practise, what he knows to be use- 

 ful to them. 



The Hottentots besmear themselves, and cover their 

 bodies, in a manner still more disgusting. They think 

 themselves fine, when they are besmeared and dressed 

 out according to the loathsome custom of their country. 

 But who knows whether they may not in fact be more 

 comfortable, and better able to support the excessive 

 heats to which they are exposed ? From several experi- 

 ments which I made, with a view to elucidate that 

 point, (of which an account will be given to this Soci- 

 ety at some future period,) I have been induced to con- 

 clude that the Hottentots derive advantages from that 

 practice exactly similar to those which negroes derive 

 from their black colour. 



It cannot surely be supposed that I could ever think 

 of recommending seriously to polished nations the 

 filthy practices of these savages. That is very far in- 

 deed from being my intention, for I have ever consid- 

 ered cleanliness as being so indispensably necessary to 

 comfort and happiness that we can have no real enjoy- 

 ment without it ; but still I think that a knowledge 

 of the physical advantages which those savages derive 

 from such practices may enable us to acquire the same 

 advantages by employing more elegant means. A 

 knowledge of the manner in which heat and cold are 

 excited would enable us to take measures for these 

 important purposes with perfect certainty ; in the mean 



