264 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



judged to be true ? The impartial reader will decide this 

 queftion. 



M. de Paw, in order to demonftrate the weaknefs and 

 diforder of the phyfical conftitution of the Americans, 

 adduces feveral proofs, which we ought not to omit. 

 Thefe.are, i. That the firfl Americans who were 

 brought to Europe went mad during their voyage, and 

 their madnefs continued till death. 2. That grown men 

 in many parts of America have milk in their breafls. 



3. That the American women are delivered with great 

 facility, have an extraordinary plenty of milk, and the 

 periodical evacuation of blood is fcanty and irregular. 



4. That the leafl vigorous European conquered in wrefl- 

 ling any American whatever. 5. That the Americans 

 could not bear the weight of a light burden. 6. That 

 they were fubjec"l to the venereal diflemper, and other 

 endemic difeafes. 



With regard to the firfl proof, we deny it as being 

 altogether falfe and inconfiflent. Mr. de Paw fays, on 

 the faith of the Fleming Dappers, that the firfl Ameri- 

 cans whom Columbus brought with him in 1493, were 

 going to kill themfelves during the voyage, but that 

 having been bound in order to prevent them from do- 

 ing fo, they ran mad, and their madnefs lafled while 

 they lived ; that when they entered into Barcelona, 

 they frightened the citizens to fuch a degree with their 

 howls, their contorfions, and their con vul five motions, 

 that tljgy were thought to be delirious. We have ne- 

 ver feen the work of Dappers, but we have no doubt 

 that his account is a firing of fables ; for we do not find, 

 that either any of his cotemporary authors, nor thofe 

 who wrote in the years immediately following, make any 

 mention of fuch an event ; but, on the contrary, from 



what 



