164 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



thofe of the old continent, are a proof of their degenera- 

 cy, arifing from the malignity of the clime, as Mr. de Paw 

 would have it, we ought in like manner to argue the 

 malignity of the climate of Europe from the fmaller fize 

 and lefs flercenefsof its animals, compared with thofe of 

 Africa. If a philofopher of the country of Guinea fhould 

 undertake a work in imitation of M. de Paw, with this 

 title, Recherches Philofophiques fur les Europeens, he might 

 avail himfelf of the fame argument which M. de Paw 

 ufes to demonflrate the malignity of the climate of Eu- 

 rope, and the advantages of that of Africa. The cli- 

 mate of Europe, he would fay, is very unfavourable 

 to the production of quadrupeds, which are found in- 

 comparably fmaller, and more cowardly than ours. 

 "What are the horfe and the ox, the largeft of its animals, 

 compared with our elephants, our rhinocerofes, our fea- 

 horfes, and our camels ? What are its lizards, either in 

 fize or intrepidity, compared with our crocodiles ? Its 

 wolves, its bears, the mofl dreadful of its wild bealls, 

 when befide our lions and tygers ? Its eagles, its vul- 

 tures, and cranes, if compared with our oflriches, ap- 

 pear only like hens. In order to avoid prolixity, wc 

 omit other fuch obfervations which might be made 

 againft Europe, flill adhering to the materials and words 

 of M. de Paw. What Buffon and de Paw would an- 

 fwer to that African philofopher, we will now anfwer 

 to thofe philofophers of .Europe; fmce their arguments 

 either do not prove, that the climate of America is bad, 

 or fay that the climate of Europe is bad, or at leafl that 

 the African is better than the European climate. 



From the fcarcity and fmallnefs of quadrupeds M. 

 de Paw pafTes to the enormous fize, and prodigious mul- 

 tiplication of the infects, and other noxious little ani- 

 mals. 



