17 



that country contained, on a small extent 

 of territory, the Cicilians of Semitic race, 

 the Phrygians of Thracian origin, the 

 Lydians, and the Celts. The configuration 

 of the soil, the strength of vegetation, the 

 apprehensions of the mountaineers under 

 the tropics of exposing themselves to the 

 burning heat of the plains, are obstacles to 

 communication, and contribute to the 

 amazing variety of American dialects. This 

 variety, it is observed, is more restrained 

 in the savannahs and forests of the north, 

 which are easily traversed by the hunter, 

 on the banks of great rivers along the coast 

 of the ocean, and in every country wher e 

 the Incas had established their theocracy 

 by the force of arms. 



When it is asserted, that several hundred 

 languages are found in a continent, the 

 whole population of which is not equal to 

 that of France, we regard as different those 

 languages, which bear the same affinity to 

 each other, I will not say as the German and 

 the Dutch, or the Italian and the Spanish, 



VOL. XIII. c 



