refided here at different times. Th e people were clad in. the fame-
manner as in the former place ; their habitations, efpecially, on
their hippas or ftrong holds, were better, cleanlier, and lined on die:
infide with reeds ; they had no plantations,, but they knew the
names o f Terr® and Goomalla,. which the inhabitants o f the tropical
ifles give to the Arum efculentum and the Convolvulus Batatas..
This, in my opinion, evidently proves that they were defended
from a tribe, who had cultivation, and. who had loft, or negledted
this way o f fupporting themfelves, either becaufe they found
greater plenty o f fifh, and animal food ; or becaufe they fled their
country in fo precipitate a manner, that they could- not take any
roots with them; or daftly, from mere fupinenefs and 'indolence;
for we faw them eat fern roots, a. very infipid, coarfe, and wretched
food. Whatever may be the real caufe, the climate, would certainly,
allow of planting eddoes and pota/wr, being, in 41°.. 5'. South lath-.
tude; and it. is evident that the natives were, degenerated and de-
bafed ..from a. more perfedt and more happy date. . Th e inhabi-
tants of the Northern ifle, who , came off to u s , had better boatsi
and were clad in finer garments ; but we could not make many, obfer-
vations on their fituation, as we-faw them only in a tranfitory
manner; however, the publifhed accounts o f the preceding
voyage, and thofe which I was favoured with by Capt.. Cook,
agree in this;, that they had very extenfive, regular,, well-
cultivated plantations, inclofed in very firm and neat fences, made.
I I U M A N S P E C I E S. 293
o f reeds; that they acknowledged the authority o f a. chief in a p r o g r e s s
diftrid of 80 leagues at Ieaft, where' pur people found juftice ad- VAGES.
miniftered by inferior chiefs ; and that they feemed to live in
that diftria in greater fecurity and more comfortably than, in any
other part o f the ifle. Hawkfmorth, voL 3. p.. 470-
T h e natural inferences, drawn from thefe data, feem. to prove,
that mankind being more numerous in or near the tropics, and
very thinly fcattered towards, the cold extremities o f our globe,
the human fpecies was originally, fettled in or. near, the tropics,
and from thence fpread towards the extremities. Secondly, the
inflances. given here, evince likewife the truth o f what we advanced
before, viz. that, the . human fpecies,. when unconnefted
With the highly civilized nations,, is always found more debafed in
its phyfical, mental, moral, and focial capacity, in proportion as it
is removed-from the tropical regions. It feems therefore probable
that favage nations in, cold climates, con-trad:. a harfhnefs or rigidity
in their fibres and frame of body,, which, caufes fluggifhnefs,
indolence and. ftupidity o f mind;. their hearts grow infenfible. to
the dictates of. virtue, honor and confcience, and they become
incapable o f any attachment, affedfion or. endearment-
Let us now turn, our eyes to 0 -T A H E I T E E , th e queen of tropical
ifles, and its happy inhabitants, and extend our yieyv. to all,.the
Society and the Friendly Ifles; Though we found population to
1 be