H U 



M 



A 



N 



S 



P 



E 



C 



I 



E 



S. 



1 



tHe tribe of Puelches. Thefe nations feldom refort to the fea, or 

 the neighbourhood of the Straits of Magellan, and are therefore lit- 

 tle known to fuch navigators as touch at thofe unfrequented places. 

 It will perhaps appear to us a flrange phsenomenon, that a whole 



But 



we are 



nation fliould preferve that remarkable tall flature. 

 united in focieties, where the conflant intercourfe with foreigners, 

 makes it next to impoffible to preierve the^ purity of races without 

 n^jxture ; and pity it is, that the guiles of art and deceit are fo 

 gr^j^t in one fex, and curioiity, levity, and lewdnefs, are fo com- 

 mon in the other, in our enlightened and highly-civilized focieties, 

 that t! 7 contribute flill more to make the prefervation of races 

 precarious. This depravation prevailed fo far, that even Omai 

 became the objedl of concupifcence of fome females of rank. The 

 Puelches, on the contrary, and the other Patagonian tribes, what- 



/ 



ever be their names, live in a country, which is little frequented, 

 by nations different from their own ; their neighbours, the Spa- 



ard 



;, in Chili and Rio de~ la Plata, having very little inter- 



w 



M 



courfe with them, and being happy to live undifturbed from the 



4 



incurfions and depredations of fuch dangerous enemies. They 



■ 



procure, with great facility, their livelihood by the chace, and 

 from their own numerous herds, in a country rich in paflures 

 and of immenfe extent, hounded 



> 



the fea. 



and feparated by 



high ridges of mountains from all other nations, Thefe are the 



moft: 



247 



VARIE- 

 TIES OF 



MEN,. 



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