BIMANA, OR MAN. 49 



only been carried to a high degree since the invention of agriculture and the division of the 

 soil into hereditary possessions. By means of agriculture, the manual labour of a portion 

 of society is adequate to the maintenance of the whole, and allows the remainder time 

 for less necessary occupations, at the same time that the hope of acquiring, by industr}', a 

 comfortable subsistence for self and posterity, has given a new spring to emulation. The 

 discovery of a representative of property, or a circulating medium, has carried this emulation 

 to the highest degree, by facilitating exchanges, and rendering fortunes more independent and 

 susceptible of being increased ; but by a necessary consequence, it has also equally increased 

 the vices of effeminacy and the furies of ambition. 



In every stage of the developement of society, the natural propensity to reduce all knowledge 

 to general principles, and to search for the causes of each phenomenon, has produced reilecting 

 men, who have added new ideas to those already accumulated ; nearly all of whom, while know- 

 ledge was confined to the few, endeavoured to convert their intellectual superiority into the 

 means of domination, exaggerating their merit in the eyes of others, and disguising the 

 poverty of their knowledge by the propagation of superstitious ideas. 



An evi\ more irremediable, is the abuse of physical power ; now that Man only can injure 

 Man, he affords the only instance of a species continually at war with itself. Savages dispute 

 their forests, and herdsmen their pastures ; and make irruptions, as often as they can, upon 

 the cultivators of the soil, to deprive them of the fruits of their long and painful labours. 

 Even civilized nations, far from being satisfied with their enjoyments, carry on war for the 

 prerogative of pride, or the monopoly of commerce. Hence the necessity of governments 

 to direct the national wars, and to repress or reduce to regular forms the quarrels of 

 individuals. 



Circumstances, more or less favom-able, have restrained the social condition within limited 

 degrees, or have promoted its developement. 



The glacial climates of the north of both continents, and the impenetrable forests of 

 America, are still inhabited by the savage hunter or fisherman. The immense sandy or salt 

 plains of Central Asia and Africa are covered with a pastoral people, and innumerable herds : 

 these half-civilized hordes assemble at the call of every enthusiastic chief, and overrun the 

 cultivated countries that surround them, in which they establish themselves but to become 

 enervated, and to be subjected in their turn to the next invaders. This is the true cause of 

 that despotism, which, in every age, has crushed the industry called forth under the tine 

 chmates of Persia, India, and China. 



Mild climates, soils naturally irrigated and rich in vegetables, are the natural cradle of 

 agriculture and civilization ; and when their position is such as to afford shelter from the 

 incursions of barbarians, talents of every kind are mutually excited ; such were formerly (the 

 first in Europe,) Italy and Greece; and such is, at present, nearly all that happy portion of 

 the earth's surface. 



There are, however, certain intrinsic causes which appear to arrest the progress of particular 

 races, even though situated amidst the most favourable cu'cumstances. 



VARIETIES OF THE HUMAN SPECIES. 



Although the lumian species would appear to be single, since the union of any of its members pro- 

 duces individuals capable of propagation*, there are, nevertheless, certain hereditary peculiarities of 

 conformation observable, which constitute what are termed races. 



Three of these in particular appear eminently distinct : the Caucasian, or white, the Mongolian, or 

 yellow, and the Ethiopian, or negro. 



The Caucasian, to which we belong, is distinguished by the beauty of the oval which forms the 



* It is now certain that this circumstance affords no proof of spc- i which I have just witnessed, in the class of birds, of a brood of ducks, 

 cilical identity, inasmuch as many nearly allied but obviously dis- both parents of which were half mallard and half pintail (.-/m/i i»<cA,<j 

 tinct species produce hybrids that are prolific inter te : an instance of I and A. acuta). Sec note to p. 19.— Kd. 



