Page:A discourse upon the origin and foundation of the inequality among mankind (IA discourseuponori00rous).pdf/286

 long, ome intead of Hair have nothing but a curled Wool; ome are in a Manner covered all over with Hair, others have not o much as a Beard; there have been, and perhaps there are till Nations of a gigantic Size; not to init on the Fable of the Pigmies, which perhaps is no more than an Exaggeration, it is well known that the Laplanders, and epecially the Greenlanders, are greatly below the middle Stature; it is even pretended that there are whole Nations with Tails like Quadrupeds; and without blindly giving Credit to Herodotus and Cteias, we may at leat draw this very probable Opinion from their Relations, that if good Obervations could have been made in thee early Times, when the Manners and Cutoms of Nations differed more than they do at preent, more triking Varieties would have likewie appeared in the Figure and Habit of their Bodies. All thee Facts, of which incontetible Proofs may be eaily given, can atonih thoe only who never conider any Objects but uch as urround them, and are Strangers to the powerful Influence of different Modes of Life, Climate, Air, Food, and above all the urprizing Power of the ame Caues, when acting