c a u s e s evident difference in their charadter, colour, f i z e , form, and habit
OF. V A R I E
T I E S . ° f b o d y .
I f we apply this indudtion to the two different tribes, whom we
found in the South-Sea, it will appear to be highly probable, that
they may be defcended from two different races o f men ; and though
living in the fame climate, or nearly fo, might, however, preferve
a difference in charadter, colour, fize, form and habit o f body; and
i f I could now prove, by an hiftorical argument, that they really
are defcended from two different races o f men, nothing will be
wanting to convidion. How far I fliall fucceed. in this hiftorical
argument, will be eafily feen from the following obfervatiom
It has always been cuftomary among the. more critical and chafte
hiftorians, to rechon all fuch nations as Ipeak the fame generalIclii.-
guage, to be o f the fame tribe or r a c e u n le fs there be a pofitive
proof to the contrary, in a goody authentic, -co temporary writer.;
or one who has made enquiries on the fubjedt from old materials,
now no longer exifting. _ By the s a m e g e n e r a l l a n g u a g e ,
I underftand all the various fubordinate dialedts o f one- language.
N o one.for.inftance, acquainted with the fubjedt, will deny, that
the D.uteh, Low—German, Damlh, Swedifh, Norwegian, Icelandic,
and the Engliih (in relpedt to fuch words as owe their origin
to the Anglo-Saxon) are dialedts fubordinate to the fame original
language, together with theprefent High-German, -and the re-
■ mams
2.77
mains o f ^the Gothic i n Ulfila’s New Teftament. But allow- c a u s e s
. . . OF v a r i -
ing this, yet we find that thefe dialedts differ in many refpedts, Exies.
each having peculiar words, for- ideas which the nation acquired
later, after parting from the original tribe ; and other words,’ which
they obtained by connexions with, or the conquett of, another
nation’ : many words, however, though fomewhat modified, always
preferve enough o f the original type, to fatisfy the critical
etymologift, that they belong to the fame general language, as Pub-
ordinate dialedts. This; fiiort digreffion will therefore open a way
to- prove that the five races, which I enumerated as belonging to
the firft tribe, are really defcended from the feme original nation ;
for they all fpeak a language that has in the greateft part of their
words, a great and ltriking affinity.
I took particular care in colledting-the words of every-peculiar
nation we met with, that I might be enabled to form art idea o f
the. whole, and how far all the languages are related to each other.
I foon perceived, that in general, the five’nations already enumerated,'
fpoke a language differing only in a few-words, and that for the
greater part, the difference confifted in a few vowels or confonants,
though the words ftill preferved a great affinity; nay, many were
absolutely the fame in all the dialedts.. I could therefore no longer
doubt, that they were all defcended from the feme original item,
and that the differences in the language arofe only from the diffi-
i culty