to North America. 191 



Beard as their Anceftors, and on the contrary, thofe 

 who are defcended from the firft Portuguese, who 

 peopl'd the Colonies of Brazil, are as hairy, and 

 have as great Beards, as if they had been born in 

 Portugal Bu after all, continued he, though all that 

 I have faid is absolutely true, yet there are fome 

 People, who raflily maintain, that the Children of 

 the Africans and Americans, will by degrees degene- 

 rate in Europe. This may happen to thofe whofe 

 Mothers receive the imbraces of Europeans, which is 

 the reafon why we fee fo many Mullattos in the 

 Iflesof America, in Spain, and in Portugal 1 Whereas 

 if thefe Women had been as clofely kept up in Eu- 

 rope, &$ the Portuguese Women are in Africa and A- 

 merka, the Children of the Br aft 'Hans would no more 

 degenerate than thofe of the Portuguese. Such Sir, 

 was the reafoning of this Do&or, who hits the 

 matter pretty juftly towards the end of his Dif- 

 courfe ; but his Principle is moft falfe, and moft ab- 

 furd, for no Man can doubt, unlefs he be void of 

 Faith, good Senfe and Judgment, buc that Adam was 

 the only Father of all Mankind. Tis certain, that 

 the Savages of Canada, and all the other People of 

 America, have not naturally either Hair or Beard j 

 that the features of their Face, and their colour ap- 

 proaching to an Olive, fhow a vaft difference be- 

 tween them and the Europeans. What is the caufe 

 of thefe things I know not, and yet I cannot be- 

 lieve them to be the effedfc of their Air and Foodc 

 For at that rate, thofe who are defcended from the 

 French, that firft fetled in Canada near a hundred 

 years agoe, and for the moft part run up and down 

 in the Woods, and live like the Savages, fhould have 

 neither Beard nor Hair, but degenerate alfo by de- 

 grees into Savages, which yet never happens. Af- 

 ter this Phyfician had alledg'd all thefe Reafons, he 

 digrefs'd from this Subjed, and having a mind to dif- 

 cover his extravagant Opinions, ask'd me what I 



thought 



