254 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



conformation, show their consanguinity with Caucasians nost 

 distinctly in the structure of their minds. While other savages 

 and barbarians are incurious, merely satisfied with childish sur- 

 prise, or value only the superior means of destruction possessed 

 by Europeans; they alone, though so near the savage state 

 when first visited by our navigators, were struck with the 

 wonders of civilization in a right spirit. No other tribe of 

 Man was so desirous of learning the useful, the peaceful, and 

 ornamental arts of Europe. Some examples may be quoted of 

 other races listening with respect to the doctrines of religion, 

 and becoming imperfect proselytes ; but the Polynesians, even 

 when they were still cannibals, embraced Christianity with 

 ardor, and now hold it with an intelligent sincerity, that 

 enables converts of a late date to become messengers of peace 

 to other tribes, and open the path for more educated teachers. 

 They alone have shown examples of chiefs, quitting the pleas- 

 ures and prejudices of local consideration, who, for the pure 

 love of benefiting their native land, have entered as common 

 sailors on board British ships, that they might visit England, 

 see, learn, and adopt improvements in ship-building, naviga- 

 tion, and agriculture ; procure seeds of triticum and legumin- 

 ous plants, and advance civilization. Others used the pleni- 

 tude of power to encourage the same object, to learn the alpha- 

 bet, to read, write and cipher; they set up a printing-press, and 

 had the honor to throw off the first printed words of the native 

 language. They have shown, when at war with the white 

 men of Europe, instances of romantic forbearance and valor, 

 under impressions of unjustly suffering a public wrong. All 

 these seeds of human progress have developed in the first gen- 

 eration, since they have become acquainted with better things, 

 and are going on notwithstanding the evil examples but too 

 commonly held out to them. If, therefore, Frederick Cuvier, 

 when descanting on the trifling external characters of some 

 mammalia, nearly allied in structure, be right to recommend 

 rigorous researches in their relative moral instincts and inteUi- 



