2 + 
C O O K ’s O V Y A GE, 
and habit only make us lhudder at the violation of cuftonv in 
one inftance, and blulh at it in the other : yet, leaving this as 
a point|of doubtful difputation, to be difcufled at leifure, it 
may fafely be affirmed, that thepraftice of eati ng human flelh, 
whatever it may be in itfelf, is relatively, and in its confe- 
quences, moft pernicious ; tending manifeftly to eradicate a 
principle which is the chief fecurity of human life, and more 
frequently reftrains the hand of murder than the fenfe of duty, 
or even the . fear of „punifhment. 
Among thofe who are accuftomed to eat the dead, death 
muft have loft, much of its horror ; and where there is little 
horror at the fight of death, there will not be much repug- 
nance to kill. A fenfe of duty, and fear of punifhment, may 
be more eafily furmounted than the feelings of nature, or thofe 
v/hich have beer, engrafted upon nature by early prejudice and 
uninterrupted cuftom. The horror of the murderer arifes lefs 
from the guilt of the faff, than its natural cfFeft ; and he wlio 
has familiarifed the effeft, will confequently loofe much of the 
‘horror. By our laws, and our religion, murder and theft in- 
cur the fame panifhment, both in this world and the next ; 
yet, of the multitude who would deliberately fteal, there are 
but very few who would deliberately kill, even to procure 
much greater advantage. But there is the ftrongeft reafon to 
believe, that thofe who have been fo accuftomed to prepare a 
human body for a meal, that they can with as little feeling cut 
up a dead man, as our cook-maids divide a dead rabit for a fri- 
caffee, would feel as little horror in committing a murder, as 
in picking a pocket, and confequently would take away life 
with as little compunfiion as property ; fo that men, under 
thofe circumftances, would be made murderers by the flight 
temptations that now make them thieves. If any man doubts 
whether this reafon is conclufive, let him alk himfelf, whether 
in his own opinion he fheuld not be fafer with a man in whom 
the horror of deftroying life is ftrong, whether in confequence 
of natural inftinfi unlubdued, or of early prejudice, which 
has nearly an equal influence ; than in the power of a man who 
under any temptation to murder him would be reftrained only 
by conflderations of intereft ; for to thefe all motives of mere 
duty may be reduced, as they mull terminate ^either in hope 
of good, or fear of evil. 
The fituation and circumftances, however, of thefe poor 
people, as well as their temper, are favourable to thofe who 
t hall fettle as a colony among them. Their fituation lets them 
in need of proteftion, and their temper renders it eafy to at- 
tach them by kindnefs ; and whatever may be faid in favour of 
a favage life, among people who live in luxurious idlenefs 
upon the bounty of nature, civilization would certainly be a 
blefting -to thofe whom Jicr pariimeny fcorcely furnifiies with 
