H 



U 



M 



A 



N 



S 



P 



E 



C 



I 



E 



S. 



313 



faw that they had fewed parts of their feal-Hcin or guanacoe-fkin origin 



cloaks, with fmews or fmall leather thongs, and yet they were not 



OF soci 



ETIES. 



ingenious enough to carry this invention of fewing one ftep far- 

 ther, by fhaping their fkins in fuch a manner, that they might 



■ 



Hielter them againfl; the inclem.encies of their rigorous climate ; 

 thefe particulars 



flrongly 



indicate the wretchednefs and debafed 



dition of thefe peopl 



Th 



miferable and forlorn condition 



\ 



of the poor Pcjferais, appeared dreadful to 



who were accuf- 



med 



the 



conveniences of a civilized life : but habit, together 



+ 



with indolence and ilupidity, render thefe hardfhips fupportable ; 



■ 



d they have hardly an idea that their litu 



be improved 



unlefs we believe that their indolence alone is fo great, as to check 

 even the leaft progrefs towards the enjoyment of greater and more ' 



delirable 



they feem 



b 



the vicflims of the re- 



venge or infolence of a more powerful tribe, who drove them to 

 this inhofpitable Southern extremity of the great American conti- 

 nent. All the nations found by the firft European difcovery, on 

 the immenfe continent of America, were favages, jufl removed one 



degree from animality, rambl 



the vafl: conneded forefls of 



this land, in fmall tribes : they all had very little clothing, and 



r 



lived chiefly upon the produce of fifliing, or the chace. Only two 



- 



nations had a kind of civilization, and they lived within the tro- 

 pics', and their improvements and progrefs towards a civilized 



S s ftate. 



\ 



« 



