MAN 
become lefs confpicuous; and it may be faid, that 
two neighbouring nations, however unlike at firft, 
will affimilate by degrees; and, by long inter- 
courfe, the diiTercnce between them will become 
almoft imperceptible^ It is not therefore between 
contiguous nations that v/e are to look for any 
marked varieties in the human fpecies: it is by 
comparing the inhabitants of oppofite climates 
and diilant countries; thofe who live within the 
polar circles with thofe beneath the equator; thofe 
■who refide on one fide of the globe with thole 
who occupy the other. 
But though there are fome marked varieties in 
the human race, the differences between mankind 
are much Imaller than between the other tribes of 
animals. Of the lower race of creatures, the 
changes are fo great, as often entirely to difguife 
the natural animal, and to diftort or disfigure it's 
fhape: but the principal differences in Man origi- 
nate rather from the tin6lure of his fl-iin than the 
variety of his figure; and in all climates he pre- 
ferves his ere6l deportment, and the marked fupe- 
riority of his conformation. If we furvey the ha- 
bitable globe, there feem to be but fix diftin6l va- 
rieties in the hum.an fpecies ; each of which is 
ftrongly marked, and declares the kind to have 
had little intercourfe with others. But there is no- 
thing in the figure or faculties that indicates a 
different original; and the varieties of climate, 
food, and cullom, are fufficient to account for 
every perceptible alteration. 
Beginning at the north, we meet with the firft 
diftindt race of Men round the polar regions. 
The Laplanders, the Efquimaux Indians, the Sa- 
moied Tartars, the inhabitants of Nova Zemibla, 
the Greenlanders, and the natives of Kamtfchatka, 
may be confidered as one peculiar race of people, 
ftrongly refembling each other in their ffature, 
complexion, cufiioms, and mental endowm.ents. 
Thefe nations lying under a rigorous climate, 
where nature has fpread her produ6l"ion3 with a 
parfimonious hand, and where provifions are both 
fcarce and unwholefome, their bodies have fhrunk 
to the nature of their food; and their coinplexions 
have fuffered, from the effefts of the cold, almoft 
a fimilar change to that which heat is Icnown to 
produce; their colour being a deep brown, in 
fome places inclining to black. Thefe therefore 
are generally of afliort ftature, and aukward fhape, 
with countenances as lavage as their manners are 
barbarous. 
Thefe nations not only refemble each other in 
deformity, in fmallnefs of ftature, and in the co- 
lour of their hair and eyes; but alfo in their dif- 
pofirions and manners : they are all equally ftupid, 
grofs, and fuperftitious. The Danifti Laplanders 
have a black Cat, to which they communicate their 
fecrcts, and which they confult in all their im- 
portant affairs ; for example, whether fuch a day 
ihall be allotted to hunting or fifhing. Among 
the Swedifh Laplanders, a drum is kept in every 
l^mily, for the purpofe of confulting the Devif; 
and though they are a rebuff and nimble people, 
ftich is their pufiUanimiity, that they never could 
be perluaded to face an enemy in the field of bat- 
tle. Guftavus Adolphus endeavoured to embody 
a regiment of Laplanders ; but he found it impof- 
fible to accomplilh his defign, for it would feem 
that they can live only in their own country and 
after their own manner. I n order to enable them- 
felves to travel on the fnow, they ufe a kind of 
ficates made of fir-wood^ about two ells long, and 
MAN 
half a foot broad: thefe ficates are raifed before, 
with a hole in the middle for tying them firmly 
on the feet; and with them they run on the fnow 
with fuch celerity, as eafily to overtake the fwifteft. 
animals. They carry with them poles pointed 
vv'ith iron at one extremity, and fharpened at the 
other: thefe poles ferve to pufti them along, to di- 
re£l their courfe, to prevent them from falling, to 
check the impetuofity of their motions, and to kill 
fuch game as they may have overtaken. Affifted by 
their fixates, they defcend the fteepeft mountains, 
and fcaie the moft craggy precipices ; and in this ex- 
ercife the Women are not lefs expert than the Men. 
They likewife ufe the bow and the crofs-bow ; a 
contrivance feemingly peculiar to all barbarous na- 
tions, the invention of which at firft required na 
fmall degree of ficill. They alio launch javelins 
with vaft force ; and, according to fome authors, can 
hit a mark, not larger than a crown-piece, atthedif- 
tance of thirty yards, and with fuch vigour as 
would transfix a human being. They are hunters 
by profcffion; and particularly purfue the ermine, 
the fox, the ounce, and the marten, for the fake of 
their fl^ins : thefe they barter with their fouthern 
neighbours for brandy and tobacco, both which 
articles they ufe to excefs. Their food confifts 
principally of dried fifn, and the flefh of rein-deer 
and bears ; their bread is compofcd of the bones 
of fiflies pulverized, and mixed with the interior 
bark of pine-trees ; and their common beverage is 
train-oil, or water in which juniper-berries have 
been infufed. 
If confidered in a moral point of view, thefe 
people poffefs all the virtues of fimplicity, and all 
the vices of ignorance. They proftitute their 
vv'ives and daughters to ftrangers; and even con- 
fider it as a particular honour if their fcandalous 
offers are accepted. They entertain no idea of 
religion, or of a Supreme Being ; the greateft num- 
ber of them are idolaters ; and their ftiperftition is 
as profound as their worfliip is contemptible. 
But, wretched and ignorant as they are, they in- 
dulge the foolifh pride of eftimating themfelves 
above the reft of mankind; and Krantz affures us, 
that when the Greenlanders are affembled on any 
particular occafion, nothing is more cuftomary 
among them, tlian to hold up the Europeans to ri- 
dicule. They are indeed involuntarily compelled 
to yield them the pre-eminence as to underftand- 
ing and mechanic arts; but they think thefe ac- 
quirements of the moft humble order, and almoft 
beneath their notice : they therefore account them- 
felves the only civilized and well-bred people on 
earth ; and it is an uftial obfervation among them, 
when they fee a modeft quiet ftranger, that he is 
almoft' as polite as a Greenlander. 
It is a common prailice among all the inhabi- 
tants of the remote hyperborean regions now un- 
der confideration, to make fubterraneous commu- 
nications, during the winter, from one hut to ano- 
ther, whereby they can vifit their neighbours with- 
out going abroad. A night confifting of feveral 
months obliges them to illuminate their dreary 
abodes with lamps, in which they burn the fame 
whale-oil that they ufually drink. In the fummer 
feafon they fcarcely enjoy more comfort than in 
winter, being obliged to live perpetually amidft 
a thick fm.oke : this is the only means they have 
hitherto contrived to guard themfelves againft the 
annoyance of gnats, which are perhaps more nu- 
merous in this frozen country than in the torrid 
zone, But, notwithftanding this melancholy and 
hard 
