HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



271 



philofopher who vaunts the phyfical and moral qualities 

 of the Europeans over thofe of the Americans, would 

 have done better, we think, to have fuppreifed facts fo 

 opprobrious to the Europeans themfelves. It is true, 

 that neither Europe in general, nor any nation of it in 

 particular, can be blamed for the excelfes into which 

 fome individuals run, efpecially in countries fo diftant 

 from the metropolis, and when they aft againft the ex- 

 prefs will and repeated orders of their fovereigns ; but 

 if the Americans were difpofed to make ufe of M. de 

 Paw's logic, they might from fuch premifes deduce uni- 

 verfal conclufions againft the old continent in the fame 

 manner, as he is continually forming arguments againfl: 

 the whole of the new world, from what has been ob- 

 ferved in fome particular people, or polfibly only in fome 

 individuals. 



He allows the Americans a great agility of body, and 

 fwiftnefs in running ; becaufe they are accuftomed from 

 childhood to this exercife : neither then ought he to deny 

 them flrength ; for, as it is clear from their hiftory and 

 from their paintings, that as foon as they could walk, 

 they were habituated to carry burdens, in which occupa- 

 tion they were to be employed all their lives ; in like 

 manner no other nation ought to be more vigorous in 

 carrying burdens, becaufe no other exercifed itfelf fo 

 much as the Americans in carrying loads on their backs, 

 on account of their want of beafts of burden (n\ with 

 which other nations were provided. If Mr. de Paw had 

 feen, as we have, the enormous weights which the Ame- 

 ricans 



(n) Although the Peruvians had beafts of burden thefe were not fuch as could 

 ferve them in tranfporting thofe large ftones which were found in fome of their 

 buildings, and in thofe of Mexico : having no machines either for afTiRing them 

 in that work, it muft have been done folely by the flrength of men. 



