306 



Americas throughout an extent of more than 

 one thousand nine hundred leagues in length : 

 if, however, we consider South America apart, 

 we there find the Portugueze language spread 

 over a larger space of ground, and spoken by a 

 smaller number of individuals than the Casti- 

 lian. It would seem, as if the bond, that so 

 closely connects the fine languages of Camoens 

 and Lope de Vega, had served only to separate 

 nations farther, who had become neighbours 

 against their will. National hatred is not 

 modified solely by a diversity of origin, of man- 

 ners, and of progress in civilization ; whenever 

 it is powerful, it must be considered as the effect 

 of geographical situation, and the conflicting 

 interests thence resulting. Nations detest each 

 other a little less, when they are more distant ; 

 and when, their languages being radically dif- 

 ferent, they do not even attempt to combine 

 together. Travellers who have passed through 

 New California, the interior provinces of Mexico, 

 and the northern frontiers of Brazil, have been 

 struck by these shades in the moral dispositions 

 of bordering nations. 



When I was in the Spanish Rio Negro, the 

 divergent politics of the courts of Lisbon and 

 Madrid had augmented that system of mistrust, 

 which even in calmer times the commanders 

 of petty neighbouring forts love to encourage- 

 Boats went up from Barcelos as far as the Spa- 

 nish missions, but the communications were of 



