104 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



tial perfons. I certainly have no bias upon my own mind 

 which fliould make me lean to one fide more than to the 

 other ; as neither the feelings of a fellow-countryman 

 can fway my opinion in their favour, nor can I be inter- 

 eftcd to condemn them from a love of my nation, or zeal 

 for the honour of my countrymen : fo that I fliall fpeak 

 frankly and plainly the good and the bad, which I have 

 difcovered in them. 



The Mexicans are of a good flature, generally rather 

 exceeding than falling fliorc of the middle fize, and well 

 proportioned in all their limbs : they have good com- 

 plexions, narrow foreheads, black eyes, clean, firm, re- 

 gular white teeth, thick, black, coarfe, gloffy hair, thin 

 beards, and generally no hair upon their legs, thighs, 

 and arms. Their fkin is of an olive colour. 



There is fcarcely a nation, perhaps, upon earth in 

 which there are fewer perfons deformed, and it would 

 be more difficult to find a fingle hump-backed, lame, or 

 fquint-eyed man amongft a thoufand Mexicans, than 

 among any hundred of any other nation. The unplea- 

 fantnefs of their colour, the fmallnefs of their forehead, 

 the thinnefs of their beard, and the coarfenefs of their 

 hair, are fo far compenfated by the regularity and fine 

 proportions of their limbs, that they can neither be call- 

 ed very beautiful, nor the contrary, but feem to hold a 

 middle-place between the extremes. Their appearance 

 neither engages nor difgufls ; but among the young wo- 

 men of Mexico, there are many very beautiful and fair ; 

 whofe beauty is at the fame time rendered more winning 

 by the fweetnefs of their manner of fpeaking, and by 

 the pleafantnefs and natural modefly of their whole be- 

 laaviour. 



Their 



