The merchants, ashamed of the conduct they had promoted, but enriched by the fruits of it, applied to the pope to declare the Americans an inferior species of men; creatures that formed a link between the lordly Spaniard and the brute; but this request, by the interposition of the priests, was not complied with. In a struggle of this kind, impartiality could not reasonably be expected in the adherents of either party: but, setting aside the controversy, impartiality was not a feature of those times.

The merchants, and those in their interest, exaggerated the vices, and represented as hideous the customs of the Americans, in order to palliate the crimes committed against them; but the priests, who seem to have been actuated by pure and honourable motives, represent them as amiable and interesting characters, and in this they are supported by Columbus, but they may have gone somewhat into the opposite extreme.

Dr. Robinson, though aware of the extravagant notions and false representations which had been given, has drank too much into their spirit; and with all the softening which his good sense would direct him to give, has, notwithstanding, drawn a picture of the state of

society and manners among the Indians, in colours calculated to excite disgust and abhorrence; and in the same account, rendered still more pointed and partial by the selection of Mr. M., we are struck with horror at their misery.

But besides the partiality with which all events are related when the interest of a party is to be served, there is another source of error not sufficiently noticed, I mean, the spirit of the times and the state of information when a narrative is written. To give a clear idea of what I mean, and to show how it bears on the present argument, I must enquire into the spirit of those writers of any nation who have given to their countrymen the first account of a foreign people.

As soon as a nation emerges from the darkness, and is secure from the alarms and dangers of a savage state, the mind expands and is inquisitive. A wish to know something of the inhabitants of distant countries is felt, not that any expectation is formed, or hope indulged,, of improving in useful knowledge by the acquaintance, but such curiosity is common to man.

Travellers are soon found, who, if they are not distinguished for wisdom, cannot be without

enthusiasm, and, strange as it may appear, of whatever country they may be, the same spirit actuates the whole, the same train of incidents, the same marvellous stories, the same monstrous people, are by all mentioned.

As a fair example of what may be found in such writers, I refer to the narrative of Joan de Plano, ambassador to the Tartars in the year 1246: see Hakluyt's Coll. v. 1, p.61. He writes thus: "Occody Cham built the city of Chamyl, near which is a desert, in which are men who cannot speak, and are destitute of joints to their legs.---Men, resembling dogs, the women being of proper form, are reported to live between Tartary and India.---In the reign of Occody the Russians attacked the Hungarians and Poles, and were defeated; returning from thence, they came to the Perossitie, who, having little stomachs and small mouths, eat not at all, but seething the flesh, receive the steam. They next came to the Samogite, who live by hunting: from thence they proceeded into a country lying near the sea, where they found certain monsters, who, of all things, resembled the shape

of

men, saving that their feet were like the feet of an ox, and they had men's heads and dogs faces; they spoke indeed two words like men,

but at the third, they barked like dogs. This nation being conquered, duke Cyrpondon marched with his forces southward against the Armenians; and travelling through certain desert places, they found monsters in the shape of men, who had each of them but one arm and one hand, growing out of the midst of their breast, and but one foot."

Strange and ridiculous as these stories may appear, they are common, as hath been mentioned, to every country; in every language they are told; and by every people, in a half civilized state, believed.

In histories of great antiquity we read of centaurs, sphinxes, and a variety of other monstrous forms; indeed, the further back we go, the more were such notions propagated and credited. The stories told by Joan de Plano, of the Tartars, were told of the people to the north of the Caspian sea by the Greeks: Anacharsis, v. 2, p. 200.--And the Roman soldiers were terrified at the accounts given of the Germans by the Gauls, and had nearly revolted, rather than meet them in battle.*---Nor were the Jews exempt from this

* Dum paucos dies ad Vesontionem, rei frumentariae commeatusque causa, moratur ; ex percunctatione nostrorum, vocibusque Gallorum, ac mercatorum, qui ingenti magni

credulity; for the men who were sent as spies to Canaan, worked powerfully on the minds of their countrymen, by telling them that they had seen giants.---Of the East-Indians, and of the Americans, the same frightful relations were given; and in applying them to the natives of the Cape of Good Hope, they were, if possible, made more hideous and degrading.---In the island of Ceylon, the natives are said to have ears so long, that when they lie down to sleep, one serves as a bed and the other as a covering.

Many other illustrations might be given, for early histories are full of them: but enough has been said to show what may be expected of travellers who write for prejudiced or ignorant persons.

The next race of travellers soften the strong colouring of this frightful picture, and represent the people they have visited, as not absolutely hideous, but as very uncommon human beings: some with breasts of prodigious length, as

tudine corporum Germanos, incredibili vertute, atque exercitatione in armis esse praedicabant, saepenumero sese cum iis congressos, ne vultum quidem atque aciem oculorum ferre potuisse; tantus subito timor omnem exercitum occupavit, ut non mediocriter omnium mentes animosque pertubaret. Vulgo totis castris testamenta obsignabantur.

L

Caesar's de Bel. Gal. Lib. 1. cap. 39.