p o p u l a t
i o n ;
in it, it rather confifts in having formed too fmall an eftimate, or
i f any particular account fhould exceed the true number, it mult
be in New Caledonia../
Secondly, T h e population o f countries encreafes in the fame
proportion with civilization and cultivation. Not that I believe
civilization or cultivation tp be the true caufes- o f a greater population!
but they are rather, in-my opinion, its. effedts. As-foon
as the numbers increafe in a confined place, v iz - an ifland, to fuch
a degree, that its inhabitants are obliged to cultivate: fomer plants
for their food, becaufc the natural wild productions are. no longer
fufficient, they then devife methods for performing this talk in an
eafy and" proper manner; they find themfelves obliged to obtain
from others, the feeds and roots, to ftipulate among themfelves;
not to deltroy each others plantations; to defend them jointly
againft the violence o f invaders, and to give eaeh other mutual
affiftance. Such are the beginnings: o f arts and cultivation, fach is
the rife o f civil focieties; fooner or later they caufe diftinftions o f
rank, and the various degrees o f power, influence, and wealth;
which, more or left are obferved among mankind. Nay, they
often produce a material difference in the colour, habits, and forms
o f the human fpecies, o f which, we fhall. now treat, more at large;
S E C T .
S E C T I O N II.
O n the V a r i e t i e s o f the H u m a n S p e c i e s , relative to
C o l o u r , . S i z e , F o r m , H a b i t , and N a t u r a l T u r n
o f M i n d in the N a t i v e s o f the S o u t h - S e a I s l e s . ..
Egr Se ti non 'Braga-rot icXiftoiT» * w<rre rot tx,sv <pv<rei
Eirrir Tin, tu & Heirei, xmi curxti<rei. Strabo lib. 2.
TH E varieties of the human fpecies are, as every one knows,
very numerous. T h e fmall fize, the tawny colour, the m e n .
miftruftful 'temper, are as peculiar to the Efquimaux; as the
noble and beautiful figure, and outline of the body, the fair complexion,
and the treacherous turn o f mind, to the inhabitant of
Tcherkaflia. Th e native of Senegal is charaderifed by a timorous
difpofition, by his'je tty black Ikin, and crifped wooly hair. A
majeftic fize, red hair, a blue languifhing eye, a remarkably fair
complexion, and a warlike, intrepid/ but open and generous
temper diftingufh the Teutonic tribes of the North o f Europe, from
the reft o f mankind. But to enumerate all thefe varieties, requires
too much time; and the fubjeft has been fo fully treated of b y
others,' that it would be highly improper to repeat their obfervations:
I will therefore confine myfelf to a fketch of the different varieties
G g 2 - peculiar