' ANIMALS. 425 



all which the particulars are pretty nearly the same. One of the 

 circumstances which most puzzled me to reconcile to probability 

 was that of the horses, on which they are described as riding 

 down to the shore. We know the American horse to be of the 

 European breed ; and, in some measure, to be degenerated from 

 the original. I was at a loss, therefore, to account how a horse 

 of not more than fourteen hands high, was capable of carrying a 

 man of nine feet; or, in other words, an animal almost as large 

 as Itself. But the wonder will cease, when we consider, that so 

 small a beast as an ass, will carry a man of ordinary size toler- 

 ably well ; and the proportion between this and the former in. 

 stance is nearly exact. We can no longer, therefore, refuse our 

 assent to the existence of this gigantic race of mankind : in 

 what manner they are propagated, or under what regulations they 

 live, is a subject that remains for future investigation. It should 

 appear, however, that they are a wandering nation, changing their 

 abode with the course of the sun, and shifting their situation, 

 for the convenience of food, climate, or pasture. ' 



This race of giants are described as possessed of great 

 strength ; and, no doubt, they must be very different from those 

 accidental giants that are to be seen in different parts of Eu- 

 rope. Stature, with these, seems rather their infirmity than 

 their pride ; and adds to their burden, without increasing their 

 strength. Of those I have seen, the generality were ill formed 

 and unhealthful ; weak in their persons, or incapable of exerting 

 what strength they were possessed of. The same defects of 

 understanding that attended those of suppressed stature, were 

 found in those who were thus overgrown -. they were heavy, 

 phlegmatic, stupid, and inclined to sadness. Their numbers, 

 however, are but few ; and it is thus kindly ordered by Provi- 

 dence, that as the middle stature is the best fitted for happi- 

 ness, so the middle ranks of mankind are produced in the gieat- 

 esl variety. 



However, mankind seems naturally to have a respect for men 

 of extraordinary stature ; and it has been a supposition of long 

 standing, that our ancestors were much taller, as well as much 

 more beautiful, than we. This has been, indeed, a theme of 

 poetical declamation from the beginning ; and man was scarcely 



1 Later voyagers have uut confirmed this account, in some paniculara. 



2n2 



