ANIMALS. 399 



enfeebled by luxury or indolence. The women of savage nations 

 seem, in a great measure, exempt from painful labours ; and 

 even the hard-working wives of the peasants among ourselves, 

 nave this advantage from a life of industry, that their child-bear- 

 ing is less painful. Over all India, the children areive sooner 

 at maturity, than with us of Europe. They often many and 

 consummate, the husband at ten years old, and the wife at eight ; 

 and they frequently have children at that age. However, the 

 women who are mothers so soon, cease bearing before they are 

 arrived at thirty; and at that time they appear wrinkled, and 

 seem marked with all the deformities of age. The Indians have 

 long been remarkable for their cowardice and effeminacy ; every 

 conqueror that has attempted the invasion of their countiy, hav- 

 ing succeeded. The warmth of the climate entirely influences 

 their manners ; they are slothful, submissive, and luxurious ; 

 satisfied with sensual happiness alone, they find no pleasure in 

 thinking; and contented with slavery, they are ready to obey 

 any master. Many tribes among them eat nothing that has life ; 

 they are fearful ot killing the meanest insect; and have even 

 erected hospitals for the maintenance of all kinds of vermin. 

 The Asiatic dress is a loose flowing garment, rather fitted for 

 tlic purposes of peace and indolence, than of industry or war. 

 The vigour of the Asiatics is, in general, conformable to their 

 dress and nourishment; fed upon rice, and clothed in effeminate 

 silk vestments, their soldiers are unable to oppose the onset of 

 an European army ; and from the times of Alexander to the 

 ])resent day, we have scarcely any instances of their success in 

 arms. Upon the whole, therefore, they may be considered as a 

 feeble race of sensualists, too dull to find rapture in any pleasures, 

 and too indolent to turn their gravity into wisdom. To this 

 class we may refer the Persians, and Arabians, and, in general, 

 the inhabitants of the islands that lie scattered in the Indian 

 ocean. 



The fourth striking variety in the human species, is to ho 

 found among the negroes of Africa.* This gloomy race of 



• In taking a glance at the population of the in3mense peninsula of Africa, 

 till! attention seems first naturally directed to what was once a most mapni. 

 lircnt and important, though small, portion of it. The local situation of 

 iii.cient K;,'ypt, that groat (nulle of Kuropean civiliz itiiin and li'arnintr, ha'<, 

 pi'okubly, induced the oj/miou, which has lieeii very prevalent, that the eu- 



2 L 2 



