5 6o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



deformed, apparently by old age, than is a European woman 



of 60. 



To come ftill nearer; it is a fact known to naturalifts, and 

 which the application of the thermometer fufficiently in- 

 dicates, that there is a great and fenfible difference in the 

 degree of animal heat in both fexes of different nations at 

 the fame ages or time of life. The voluptuous Turk eflran- 

 ges himself from the faireft and fineft of his Circaffian and 

 Georgian women in his feraglio, and, during the warm 

 months in fummer, addicts himfelf only to negro flaves 

 brought from the very latitudes we are now fpeaking of; 

 the fenfible difference of the coolnefs of their fkins leading 

 him to give them the preference at that feafon. On the 

 other hand, one brown Abyflinian girl, a companion for 

 the winter months, is fold at ten times the price of the 

 faireft Georgian or Circaffian beauty, for oppofite reafons. 



The very great regard I fhall conftantly pay my fair 

 readers has made me, as they may perceive, enter as ten- 

 derly as poflible into thefe difcuffions, which, as a philofo- 

 pher and a hiflorian, I could not, however, wholly omit : the 

 moft ufeful ftudy of mankind is man ; and not the leaf! in- 

 terefling view of him is when, flripped of his vain-glory and 

 the pageantry of palaces, he wanders naked and uncorrupt- 

 ed among his native woods and rivers..^ 



I must mention, greatly to the credit of two of the fiift 

 geniufes of this age, M. de Button and Lord Kaimes, that they 

 were both fo convinced by the arguments above mentioned, 

 ffcated in greater detail and with more freedom, that they 

 immediately ordered their bookfeller to ftrike out from the 

 1 fubfequent 



