îmr. above all, the friends of mankind with various modifications
of human nature. In one extreme we faw, and not
without compaflion, the dull, hungry, deformed favages of
Tierra del Fuego, incapable of guarding againft thé fevéri-
ties of their wretched climate, and having their mental faculties
reduced to that miferable fituation which places them
next to brutes. In the other, the happier tribes of the Society
Iflands, beautifully formed, placed in a delightful climate,
which fupplies all their wants ; fenfible of the advantages
of a well-ordered fociety, affeflionate towards each
other, and accuftomed to gratify their fenfes, even till they
lead to excelles. From the contemplation of thefe different
characters, the advantages, the bleffings which civilization
and revealed religion have diffufed over our part of the
globe, will become more and more obvious to the impartial
enquirer. He will acknowledge, with a thankful heart,
that incomprehenlible goodnefs which has given him a
diftinguifhed fuperiority over fo many of his fellow-
creatures, who follow the impulfe of their fenfes, without
knowing the nature or name of virtue » without being able
to form that great idea of general order, which could alone
convey to them a juft conception of the Creator. Upon the
whole, nothing appears more evident, than that the additions
to the flock of human knowledge which have been
made during this voyage, however confiderable they may
be when put in competition wiih what was known before,
are
are of fmall moment when compared with the immenfe j'Zlr.
variety of unknown objects which, even in our prefent confined
fituation, are ftill within our preach, and which, for
ages to come, will probably open new and extenfive fields,
where the human foul will have room to expatiate, and
difplay its faculties with fuperior luftre.
■ ... Vedi infieme I’uno e Faltropolo,
L e ftelle vaghe e lor viaggio torto 5
£ vedi, ’1 veder noftro quanto e corto! Petrarca.
F I N I S .