bunch on its back, the camel has two; the race is more numerous than that of the camel, and more widely spread. One would not defire diftinguishing marks more fatisfying; Xand yet thefe two fpecies propagate together no lefs freely than the different races of men and of dogs. Buffon indeed, with respect to the camel and dromedary, endeavours to fave his credit, by a diftinction without a difference.. They are," fays he, "one fpecies; but their races are different, and have been so past all memory(ƒ).” Does this fay more than that the camel and the dromedary are different fpecies of the fame genus? which alfo holds true of the different fpecies of men and dogs. If our author will permit me to carry back to the création the camel and the dromedary as two distinct races, I defire no other conceffion. He admits no fewer than ten kinds of goats, vifibly diftinguishable, which alfo propagate together; but fays that these are varieties only, tho permanent and unchangeable. No difficulty is unfurmountable if words be allowed to pafs without meaning. Nor does he even preferve any confiftency in his opinions: tho' in diftinguishing a horfe from an afs, he affirms the mule they generate to be barren, yet afterward, entirely for. getting his rule, he admits the direct contrary (g). At that rate a horfe and an afs are of the fame fpecies. Did it never once enter into the mind of this author, that the human race would be ftrangely imperfect, if they were unable to diftinguish a man from a monkey, or a hare from a hedge-hog, till it were known whether they can procreate together?

But it seems unneceffary after all to urge any argument against the foregoing rule which M. Buffon himself inadvertently abandons as to all animals, men and dogs excepted. We are indebted to him for a remark, That not a fingle animal of the torrid zone is common to the old world and to the new. But how does he verify his remark? Does he ever think of trying whether fuch animals can procreate together? They are," fays he, "of different kinds, having no fuch refemblance as to

(ƒ) Vol. 10. p. I.
(g) Vol. 12. p. 223.

"make us pronounce them of the fame kind. Linnæus "and Briffon," he adds, " have very improperly given "the name of the camel to the lama and the pacos of "Peru. So apparent is the difference, that other writ

18

ers class these animals with sheep. Wool however is "the only circumstance in which a pacos resembles

a fheep: nor doth the lama refemble a camel ex"cept in length of neck." He diftinguifheth in the fame manner, the true Afiatic tiger from feveral American animals that bear the fame name. He mentions its fize, its force, its ferocity, the colour of its hair, the ftrips black and white, that like rings furround alternately its trunk, and are continued to the end of its tail; characters," fays he, "that clearly distinguish the true tiger from all animals of prey in the new world; the largest of which fearce equals one of our mastiffs." And he reafons in the fame manner upon the other animals of the torrid zone (6). Here then we have M. Buffon's authority against himfelf, that there are different races of men; for he cannot deny that certain tribes differ apparently from each other, not lefs than the lama and pacos from the camel or from the sheep, nor lefs than the true tiger from the American animals of that name. Which of his rules are we to follow? Muft we apply different rules to different animals? and to what animals are we to apply the different rules? For proving that dogs were created of different kinds, what better evidence can be expected than that the kind's continue diftinct to this day? Our author pretends to derive the maftiff, the bulk-dog, the hound, the greyhound, the terrier, the water dog, &c. all of them from the pricktear thepherd's cur. Now, admitting the progeny of the original male and female cur to have fuffered every poffible alteration from climate, food, domeftication; the refult would be endless varieties, fo as that no one individual fhould resemble another. Whence then are deriv ed the different fpecies of dogs above mentioned, or the different races or varieties, as M. Buffon is pleased to (b) See vol. 8. fec. Of animals common to the two conti

nents.

name them? Uniformity and permanency must be a law in their nature, for they never can be the production of chance. There are mongrels, it is true, among dogs, from want of choice, or from a depraved appetite: but as all animals prefer their own kind, mongrels are few compared with animals of a true breed. There are mongrels alfo among men: the feveral kinds however continue diftinct; and probably will fo continue for ever.

The celebrated Linnæus, instead of defcribing every animal according to its kind, as Adam our first parent did; and Buffon copying from him, has wandered wonderfully far from nature in claffing animals. He distri butes them into fix claffes, viz. Mammalia, Aves, Amphibia, Pifces, Infecta, Vermes. The Mammalia are diftributed into feven orders, chiefly from their teeth, viz. Primates, Brutá, Feræ, Glires, Pecora, Belluæ, Cete. And the Primates are Homo, Simia, Lemur, Vefpertilio. What may have been his purpose in claffing animals fo, I cannot guefs, if it be not to enable us, from the nipples and teeth of any particular animal, to know where it lies in his book. It refembles the claffing books in a library by size, or by binding, without regard to the contents. It may ferve as a fort of dictionary; but to no other purpose fo far as I can difcover. How whimfical is it to clafs together animals that nature hath widely feparated, a man for example and a bat? What will a plain man think of a method of claffing that denies a whale to be a fifh Befide, one would wish to know why in claffing animals he confines himself to the nipples and teeth, when there are many other diftinguishing marks. Animals are not lefs diftinguishable by their tails; long tails, fhort tails, no tails: nor lefs diftinguishable by their hands, fome having four hands, fome two, fome none, &c. &c. At the fame time, if any folid instruction is to be acquired from fuch claffing, I fhall liften, not only with attention, but with fatisfaction.

And now more particularly of man, after difcuffing 6ther animals. If the only rule afforded by nature for claffing animals can be depended on, there are different races of men as well as of dogs: a maftiff differs not

more from a spaniel, than a white man from a negro, or a Laplander from a Dane. And if we have any faith in Providence, it ought to be fo Plants were created of different kinds to fit them for different climates, and fo were brute animals. Certain it is, that all men are not fitted equally for every climate. There is fcarce a climate but what is natural to fome mep, where they profper and flourish; and there is not a climate but where fome men degenerate. Doth not then analogy lead us to conclude, that as there are different climates on the face of this globe, fo there are different races of men fitted for thefe different climates? The inhabitants of the frozen regions of the north, men, birds, beafts, fish, are all of them provided with a quantity of fat which guards them against cold Even the trees are full of rofin. The Efquimaux inhabit a bitter cold country; and their blood and their breath are remarkably warm. The island St. Thomas, under the line, is extremely foggy; and the natives are fitted for that fort of wea ther, by the rigidity of their fibres. The fog is difpelled in July and Auguft by dry winds; which give vigour to Europeans, whofe fibres are relaxed by the moisture of the atmosphere, as by a warm bath. The natives, on the contrary, who are not fitted for a dry air, have more difeafes in July and Auguft than during the other ten months. On the other hand, instances are without number of men degenerating in a climate to which they are not fitted by nature; and I know not of a fingle inftance where in fuch a climate people have retained their original vigour. Several European colonies have fubfifted in the torrid zone of America more than two centuries; and yet even that length of time has not familiarifed them to. the climate: they cannot bear heat like the original inhabitants, nor like negroes tranfplanted from a country equally hot they are far from equalling in vigour of mind or body the nations from which they fprung. The Spanish inhabitants of Carthagena in South America lofe their vigour and colour in a few months. Their motion is languid; and their words are pronounced with a low voice, and with long and frequent intervals. Europeans.

who are born in Batavia foon degenerate. Scarce one of them has talents fufficient to bear a part in the adminiftration. There is not an office of truft or figure but what is filled with native Europeans. Some Portuguese, who have been for ages fettled on the fea-coaft of Congo, retain fcarce the appearance of men. South Carolina, efpecially about Charlestown, is extremely hot, having no fea-breeze to cool the air. Europeans there die so faft that they have not time to degenerate. Even in Jamaica, tho' more temperate by a regular fucceffion of land and fea breezes, recruits from Britain are neceffary to keep up the numbers. The climate of the northern provinces refembles our own, and population goes on with great rapidity.

Thus it appears that there are different races of men fitted by nature for different climates. Upon a thorough examination another fact will perhaps alfo appear, that the natural productions of each climate make the moft wholefome food for the people who are fitted to live in it. Between the tropics, the natives live chiefly on fruits, feeds, and roots; and it is the opinion of the most knowing naturalifts, that fuch food is of all the most wholefome for the torrid zone, comprehending the hot plants, which grow there to perfection, and tend greatly to fortify the ftomach. In a temperate climate, a mixture of animal and vegetable food is held to be the most wholefome; and there both animals and vegetables abound. In a cold climate animals are in plenty, but fcarce any vegetables that can serve for food to man. What physicians pronounce upon that head, I know not; but if we dare venture a conjecture from analogy, animal food will be found the moft wholefome for fuch as are made by nature to live in a cold climate.

M. Buffon, from the rule, That animals which can procreate together, and whofe progeny. can alfo procreate together, are of one fpecies, concludes, that all men are of one race of fpecies; and endeavours to fupport that favourite opinion by afcribing to the climate, to food, or to other accidental caufes, all the varieties that are found among men. But is he feriously of opinion, that any as.