[ '5' ] 



I have in the outfet of this ElTay admitted, that turkies were 

 found in a wild ftate upon the coaft of Virginia at the latter end 

 of the Sixteenth century ; and though I have conceived from many 

 proofs that they were not indigenous in the neighbourhood of 

 Mexico, I do not pretend to affert this with the pofitivenefs ufed 

 by Mr. de BufFon, in relation to their being unknown in Europe 

 till the difcovery of America, the contrary of which I hope to 

 have fully evinced. If M. de BufFon had not thus excluded 

 Afia and Africa, the controverfy would have turned out, as if 

 the point to be difcuffed was, whether tobacco and potatoes were 

 not peculiar to the New World. Now it is certain that both 

 thefe plants are of American growth, but not exclusively fo, for 

 in 1584, Cavendifh received potatoes from the inhabitants of 

 Gapul, which is an ifland not far from Manilla a ; and in 1 6 1 6 5 . 

 Schouten was fupplied with tobacco from the coaft of New 

 Guiney b .. 



a See Calander's Collection of Voyages, Vol, I. p. 459,. 

 h Ibid. Vol. II.. 



ESSAY 



