H 



U M 



A 



N 



S 



P 



E 



C 



I 



E 



427 



Though the colonifts fettled at the Cape of Good Hope are manners 



'6 



I obferved in the various families of the town and 



country the number of females to prevail. The climate and food 

 might influence them in fome meafure ; but the chief reafon 

 which may be affigned for this appearance, is the licentious condu(fl 

 of the young people there. The numerous female Haves imported 

 from Madagafcar, Bengal, Java, the Moluccas, and the coafl of 



r 



r 



Papuas, give their young men many opportunities, and fo great a 

 facility of forming early and irregular connexions with thefe 

 kfcivlous females, by which the vigour, and flrength of conititution 



t 



w 



is exhaufled in their males before marriage 5 that it is no wonder 

 that the young women of the colony, born under a genial fun, 

 never flinted for food, nor fpent by labour, are more hale, vigorous, 

 and blefled with a v/arm conftitution ^ and that they during 

 marriage, bring forth more females than males. It has been 



■ 



obferved that in Sweden more females than males have been born 



during the latter part of this century. And it is reported that 



^ kingdom of Bantam * even ten women are born for one 



in th 



man. I wifh therefore, that what I have here obferved 



may 



be confidered as a decided fad, but rather as reafons for doubting 

 and continuing the enquiry with greater accuracy ; as fuch a hint 



\ 



lii 



2 



may 



\ 



* Lord Kalme's Sketches of the Hliloiy of Man, v®l. i. p. 176 



