VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY OF SOUTHERN LANDS.

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neceffity, cruffi to death, with ftones, the too tender progeny of the deceafed mother,as is related to be their practice, by Mr. Collins, (Appendix , No. XI.), and as wehave been credibly informed is the fatft. Barbarous expedient, which, however, thewretchednefs, the poverty, of this miferable race, have hitherto rendered inevitable,and which fimilar circumftances render but too common among favages in feveralother countries. ■

' SECT. VIII .—General Refults.

From the alfemblage of fails expofed in this memoir, the following general refultsare deduced.

1 ft. T 'nat the inhabitants of Timor , New Holland, and Diemen’s Land, vaftlybehind the French and Englifh in civilization, are neverthelefs confiderably weaker.

2d. That the moift and hot temperature of the ifland of Timor , with the too indo-lent and inactive mode of life of its inhabitants, are apparently the caufes of theirinferior ftrength.

3d. That in Diemen’s Land, and in New Holland, want of food, the bad quality ofthat on \vhich the inhabitants fubfift, and the fatigues they undergo in obtaining eventhis, appear to be the primary caufes, not only of their want of ftrength, but alfo oftheir defective conformation.

4th. That this continual want of food is exclufively the confequence of the mode oflife of thefe people; and that this mode of life, fo long afferted to be produtiive ofbodily ftrength and vigour, is on the contrary, in this inftance, proved to be the fourceof extreme debility.

And 5th. That the probable effed of an advance towards civilization on the part ofthefe favages will be an expanfion of greater ftrength, and the difappearance of theirprefent defe&ive conformation.

What then muft we think of thofe eloquent exclamations againft the focial ftate,founded as they are on the fuperior ftrength of the favage, or, uftng the language ofthe fophifts, of the child of nature ? What of the dodrine that the phyfical powersof man are in an inverfe ratio to the progrefs of civilization ?

CHAP. XXI .—Memoir relative to the new Genus Pyrofoma *.

LONG as the ftudy of mollufcse and foft zoophytes was negleded by naturalifts,a ftill longer time elapfed before thefe animals excited the attention of travellers.For this indifference on the part of one and the other various caufes may be affigned.

Among thefe caufes may be reckoned, the difguft which the majority of thefe ani-mals excite; their whimfical and inconftant figure, equally difficult to defcribe, todraw, or to preferve; their colour, moft commonly dull, obfcure, and difpleafing;their foft and vifcous nature, difagreeable to the touch; in many fpecies, acrid andcorrofive fluids ; in all, a rapid and almoft inftantaneous decompofition.

An additional caufe was the little intereft they occafioned,' owing to the fuppofedinutility of the ftudy ; for naturalifts were far from imagining fuch- important refults ,could be drawn from a branch of the animal fyftem fo much defpifed and fo repulfive,as M. Cuvier has fucceeded in effecting ; or that it might fome day throw freffi light on

* We fo frequently have had occafion in this fitft part of our hiftory to fpeak of mollufcte and feazoophytes; and (hall have fo often to revert to thefe Angular animals, that fome general remarks appear tome neceffaty refpedting them before 1 continue the detail of our voyage ; to thefe I have added, thehiftory at length of one of the moft extraordinary genera of this great family of marine animals.

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