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N the tribe of the Naires, on the coast of Malabar, the men can have only one wife, while a woman, on the contrary, may have many husbands. The origin of this custom is not I believe difficult to discover. The Naires are the tribe of nobles, who are the soldiers of all those nations. In Europe, soldiers are forbid to marry: in Malabar, where the climate requires greater indulgence, they are satisfied with rendering marriage as little burthensome to them as possible; they give a wife amongst many men, which consequently diminishes the attachment to a family, and the cares of housekeeping, and leaves them in the free possession of a military spirit.

ITH regard to polygamy in general, independently of the circumstances which may render it tolerable, it is not of the lead service to mankind, nor to either of the two sexes, whether it be that which abuses, or that which is abused. Neither is it of service to the children; for one of its greatest inconveniencies is, that the father and mother cannot have the same affection for their Rh