liq u e ly downward *. T h e ir eye-brows are alfo fcanty, and
a lways n a r row ; but the hair o f the head, is in great abun dance,
ve ry coarfe and ftrong; and, without.a fingle excep-
* One*óf the moft curious Angularities obfervable in-the natural hiftory of--, the hu-
man fpecies, is the fuppofed defe£t in thè habit and temperature o f the bodies o f the
American Indians, exemplified in their having no beards, while they are furniihed with
a profufion o f hair on their heads. M . de Paw, the ingenious author o f Recbercbes.
Jur les Americains ; D r . Robertfon, in his Hijlory o f America^ and, in general,| the
writers for whpfe authority we ought to. have the higheft deference, adopt this as an
indifputable matter o f faft. May we not be permitted to requeft thofe who efpoufe
their feptiments, to reconfider the queftion, when we -can produce Captain Cookes
. evidence on the oppofite fide, at leaft fo far as relates.to the American tribe, whom he
had intercourfe with at Nootka ? No r is Captain Cook Angular in his report. W h a t
fie faw on' the fea coaft, Captain ¿Cary.pr alfo .met,with.amongft the Americanjndians
far up in the country. His words are as follow: “ From minute inquiries, and a
« curious infpe&ion, I am able to declare (however refpètìable I may hold the autho-
K - rity o f thefe Hiftorians in other points), that their affertions are erroneous, and .pro-
ct ceeding from.a want .of a. thorough knowledge o f the cuftoms o f the Indians. After
« the age o f puberty, their bodies, in their natural ftate, are covered in the fame man-
ce ner as thofe o f the Europeans. T h e men, indeed, cfteem a beard very unbecoming,
« and- take great pains to get rid o f it 5 nor is there any ev?r to .be perceived on their
« faces, except when they grow old, and become inattentive to appearances.— T h e
« Naudoweflès, and the remote nations, pluck them, out with bent pieces o f hard
“ wood, formed into a kind o f nippers 5 whilft thofe who ¿have communication.
<> with Europeans, procure from, them wire, which they twift jnto a fcrew or worm ;
“ applying this to,the part, they prefs tfie rings together, and with a fudden twitch
« draw out all the-hairs that are inclofed in them.” Carver*s'Travels, p. 224, 225.
The-remark made by M r . Marfden, who alfo quptes -'Carver, is-worth attending to,
tfiat the v izor gr maik pf Montez.uma’sarmpur, .preferved at BruiTels, has remarkably
large whiikers ; and that thofe ^rpericajis could not have imitated’this ornament, unlefs
. nature had prefented them, with the model. From Captain Cook’ s obfervation- on the
W e ft coaft o f North America, combined with Garyeir’s- in-jthe inland parts o f that cqhr
tingnt, and confirmed by the Mexican V izo r as above, there fee ms abundant reafon.to
agree with Mr. Marfden, who thus modeftly expreffes himfelf : “ Were it not for the
numerous and very refpeflable authorities, from-which we are aflured that the 11a-
tives. o f America are-naturally -bear-dlefs, I.ihould .think that the common opinion
“ on that fubje& had been baftily adopted 5 .and .that their appearing thus at a mature
xi age, was only the cònfequence o f an early pra'ilice, fimilar to that obferved among
“ the Sumatrans. Even now,:I muft eonfef§,ithat it would remove fonìe fmall degree
o f doubt from pry mind,/could,it be nicertained that no fuch cuftom prevails.”
Marfden*s Hiftory o f Sumatra, p. 39, 40.
T H E P A C 'I P I ' C O C E A N , • 303
tion, black, llraight, and lank, or h an g in g down o v e r the *778-
ihoulders. T he neck is fhort ; the arms and body, have no c— >
particular mark o f beauty or elegance in* their formation,
but are rather clumfy ; and the limbs* in all, are- very fmall
in proportion to the other parts, and crooked, or ill made,
■with large feet badly fhaped,. and- projecting ankles. This
laft d e fe ft feems, in a great meafure, to arife from their
fittin g fo much on their, hams or knees, both in their canoes
and hordes..
T h e i r colour w e could never pofitively determine, as their
bodies were'incrufted with paint and dirt ; though, in particular
cafes, when thefe were well rubbed off, the whiteneft
o f the fkin appeared almoft to equal that o f Europeans;
though rather o f that pale effete ca ll w h ich diftingu.ifh.es
thofe o f our Southern nations. T h e ir children, whofe fkins
had never been ftained w ith paint, alfo equalled ours in
whitenefs. D u r in g their youth, fome o f them have no dif-
agreeable look, i f compared to the gen era lity o f the people ;
hut this feems to be entirely ow in g to the particular animation
attending that period o f life ; for, after attaining a certain
age, there is hardly any diftinftjon. Upon the whole;
a 'v e ry remarkable famenefs feems to characterize the countenances
o f the whole nation ; a dull phlegmatic want o f
expreflion, with very little variation, b eing ftrongly marked
in all o f them.
T h ew om en are nearly o f the fame fize, colôur, and form;
w ith -th e men; from whom it is not eafy to diftinguifh
them, as they poflefs no natural delicacies fufficient to render
their perfons agreeable ; and hardly any one was feen,
even àmongft thofe who were in the prime o f life , Who had
the lealt pretenfions to be called handfome.
T h e ir