polished Indian people, with the additional circumftance of a few men and other creatures having been faved in a large This curious fubject is fo well treated, that the philo fophical reader will perufe it with pleasure.
The climate of Mexico next attracts the Abbé's attention, when he again fhews the errors of the French writers.
One of the arguments most infifted on by Buffon and De Paw, to illuftrate the unhappy nature of the American foil, and the malignity of its climate, is the pretended degeneracy of animals.
In the fourth differtation, the Author examines the proofs which these naturalifts bring to fupport their opinions, and detects many contradictions into which they have fallen. The natural hiftory of America wants much improvement, and we think this differtation affords many hints for fuch improvement. Pointing out the errors of reputable authors, is the first step toward reformation; fubfequent obfervation of facts must then eftablish the true fyftem.
In the fifth differtation, the Abbé treats of the phyfical and moral conftitution of the Mexicans. Here M. de Paw is ably refuted, both with respect to what he advances concerning the corporeal and mental qualities of the Mexicans. The firft Europeans who eftablished themselves in America, not lefs powerful than avaricious, defirous of enriching themfelves to the detriment of the natives, kept them in a ftate of flavery, and confidered them as fatyrs. The miffionaries having, in fix years, baptized above a million of these large apes and garces, the bishop of Tlafcala was under the neceffity of obtaining a bull from the Pope, to make the Spaniards acknowledge the native Americans to be true men [veros homines]. A copy of the origi nal bull is given in a note; it is dated 1537, 4to. non. Jun. Dr. Robertfon, who has in fome measure adopted the opinions of M. de Paw, is also refuted by the Abbé.
The fixth treatife is on the culture [probably civilization] of the Mexicans. The greatest part of the inhabitants of the new continent confefled a fupreme omnipotent Being, although their belief was, like that of the vulgar among other people, mixed with errors and fuperftitions. They had temples and priefts, facrifices and rites for the uniform worship of the Divinity. They had a king, governors, and magiftrates. They had numerous cities, and an extenfive population. They took great care to enforce juftice and equity in commercial and civil contracts. Every individual was fecured in his property and poffeffions. They exercifed agriculture and other arts; not only thofe neceffary to life, but fuch alfo as contributed to luxury and pleasure. What more is neceffary to vindicate a nation from the imputation of being barbarous and favage? M. de
Paw deems them barbarous and favage, becaufe they want
money-they want iron-they are unfkilled in naval architec-
ture-and feveral arts. The Author refutes each of these im-
putations with much ingenuity. With regard to money, any
portable property of value, of which there are various forts in
Mexico, anfwers all the purposes of coined or ftamped money.
The Athenians ufed oxen as money; as the Romans did sheep;
-the Lacedemonians had no money,-yet thefe were civilized
nations. As to the want of iron, the Americans had a species
of copper, to which they gave a temper as hard, we are told,
as the Europeans do to fteel.-The Abbé treats each objection
of De Paw nearly in the fame manner, and concludes this trea-
tife with a catalogue of writers in the American languages.
This catalogue, though not numerous (being only one hundred
and fourteen), is a fufficient proof of their languages being
written.
The feventh differtation treats of the boundaries and popula-
tion of Mexico. The former part of this treatife is merely
geographical, and the latter is intended to correct the mistakes
of fome French writers.
The eighth explains the religious fyftem of the Mexicans.
The Author, though he acknowledges fome of the rites to be
cruel, fhews, that the Mexicans were no more inhuman than
many highly civilized people of the old world.
In the laft differtation, the Author attempts to refute Aftruc,
and other writers on that fubject, by fhewing that the lues
venerea did not originally come from America, or any of its
iflands. He, however, does not decide with certainty on this
difputed point; he offers his opinion only as a conjecture, that
the contagion firft came from Guinea, or fome other equinoxial
country on the coaft of Africa. There is great probability that
this conjecture is right, and many learned phyficians have been
of the fame opinion.
From the extracts which we have given, our Readers will
be able to judge of the tranflator's ftyle; and we shall only
add, that we think he hath done his countrymen, who are
ignorant of the Italian language, a material fervice, by prefent-
ing them with the Abbé Clavigero's work in an English drefs.
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word,-which will reftore the fenfe.
To the REMARKABLE PASSAGES in this Volume.
N. B. To find any particular Book, or Pamphlet, fee the
Table of Contents, prefixed to the Volume.
ACID, acetous, difference be-
tween it and radical vinegar,
Adam and Eve, account of their
creation, from an Indian hif-
tory of the world, 420.
Etna, beautiful view of its fum-
mit, in M. Houel's Voyage
Pittorefque, 603. Other views
of the Mount, 604. More
particulars, 605.
Agriculture, abfolute, fyftem of, 99.
relative, what, 102.
Air, hepatic, exper. on, 185.
dephlogisticated, on the in-
flammation of, in clofed veffels,
553. Its effects on fire, acting
on the most refractory mineral
fubftances, 557.
Alexandrian MS. of the New Test.
account of, 546. Dr. Woide's
edit of, 545.
Alfred, king, his verfion of Oro-
fius commended, 616.
America, great advantages to be
reaped by, from her commercial
intercourfe with France, 594.
Argand's lamp confidered, 321.
Afiatic Mifcellanies, 422, 480.
Afthma, cafe of a cure of, in
which the flowers of zinc were
highly inftrumental, 333-
Aftronomical inftruments, obferva-
tions on the methods of gradu-
ating, 29, 157.
Athenians, account of their man-
ners, and the state of their re-
public, at the clofe of the Per-
fian wars, 460.
Atonement, Dr. Price's notion of
that doctrine, 402.
Attachments, doctrine of, 259.
Attorneys, the low ones, pettifog-
gers, their vile practices expof-
ed, 175.
APP. Rev. Vol. LXXVI.
Balloon (air) account of the ca-
tastrophe of that by which
Pil. de Rozier and de Romaine
perifhed, 331. Caufe of that
unhappy accid. investigated, ib.
Barker, Mr. his barometrical and
thermometrical register, 193.
Bafaltes, remarkable rock of, in
Sicily, 604.
Bath waters, their fuccefs in pa-
ralytic cafes, eftimated by the
hofpital regifter, 535.
Beak, Bp. his character, 146. In-
terment at Durham, 147,
Belknap, Mr. his account of the
white mountains in New Hamp
shire, 138.
his obfervations on
the Aurora Borealis, 393. On
the method of preferving parf-
nips by drying, 470.
Bellendenus, fome account of that
writer, 489. New edit. of his
three books De Statu, &c. ib.
Berkeley, Bp. anecdote of his con-
nection, as a writer, with Steele,
in the Guardian, 23.
Berthollet, M. his memoir con-
cerning the difference between
radical vinegar and the acetous
acid, 553. Concerning the
preparation of cauftic alkali,
its cryftallization, and its ac-
tion on spirit of wine, 554
Bolfover cattle, in Derbyshire, ac-
count of, 428. Magnificent
entertainments given there to
Ch. I ib.
Brain, difeafes of, and accidents
to which it is liable, confider-
ed, 35.
Atructure of, enquiry con-
cerning, 559.
Bryant, Mr. his account of the
torpedo, 140.
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Butis, fanctuary of defcribed, 567.
Incredible fize of the rock, ib.
CAglioftro, Count, his advent.
385. His impofture strongly
indicated, 389.
Camper, Dr. his conjectures re-
lative to fome petrifactions
found near Maeftricht, 106.
Carfe, a Scottish word, explain-
ed, 148.
Cafcade, fee Hutchins.
Cavallo, Mr. his magnetical ex-
periments, as published in the
Philofoph. Tranfactions, 193.
Cave, the printer, anecdote of,
281. His method of getting
materials for the parliamentary
debates, as given in the Gen-
tleman's magazine, 286.
Cavendish, Mr. his account of ex-
periments at Hudfon's Bay, re-
lative to freezing mixtures, 191.
Caufland, Mr. his particulars re-
lative to the Indians of North
America, 197
Cepheus, obfervations on the vari-
ation of the light of a star in the
head of, 30.
Chabert, Marquis de, on the use
of marine clocks, relative to
navigation, &c. 560.
Chambers, Mr. his tranflation of
an Indian account of embaffies
and letters that paffed between
the Emperor of China, and
Sultan Shahrokh, 421. His
tranflation of a Perfian hiftory
of the Marratta ftate, 482.
Chaftellux, M. de, attacked on ac-
count of his mifreprefentations
of the Quakers, &c. 337.
Cheltenham water, nature of, 36.
Chesterfield, Earl of, ftory of his
acquaintance, and difference, with
S. Johnfon, 288.
Chrift. See Fathers. See Pro-
phets. See Meffiah.
Clark, Dr. his obferv. on the ex-
cefs of the mortality of males
above that of females, 120.
Clocks, marine. See Chabert.
Comets. See Rittenhouse.
Condorcet, M. his eulogies on fome
late deceased members of the
French academy, 238.
--, his memoir on the
calculation of probabilities, part
iv. 561.
Congelation, fpirituous and aqueous,
curious exper. relative to, made
at Hudfon's Bay, 191.
Coftard, Rev. Mr. reduced in his
later days to live on private
charity, 419.
D'Alembert, M. his eulogy, me-
moirs, and works, 238.
Darwin, Dr. his new exper. on
the ocular spectra of light and
colours, 197.
Demoivre, M. particulars of his
life and writings, 212.
Diffenters' application to parlia-
ment, for a repeal of the teft,
&c. 347. Charged with nar-
rowness of principle, 524.
Douglas, Mr. his differt. on brass
inftruments, &c. found in this
ifland, 428.
Dowfing, Wm. his account of his
violent proceedings, in de-
molishing the ornaments of
churches, &c. 84.
Drufes, a fmall independent na-
tion on the mountains of Le-
banon, &c. curious acc. of, 626.
Duelling, ftri&tures on, 115.
Er, remarks on the diseases
of fishes, curious account
of the ftructure of, 152.
Earth, the late fubfidence of a por-
tion of, near Folkstone, 195-
Eclipfe. See Grauchain.
Eel, electrical. See Bryant. See
Flagg. See Patterson.
Egyptians, modern, their manners
defcribed, 568. Monotonous
tenor of their lives, and ex-
ceffive indolence and luxury, ib.
Electricity, Van Marum's exper.
relative to, 581. His grand
battery, how much increased,
both in furface and power, 582.
Extra-
Extraordinary effects of, 583.
Phenomena refulting, 584.
Elliot, Dr. his obferv. on the af-
finities of substances in fpirit of
wine, 189.
Dr. John, his exper. on
light and colours, published
without his name, 24.
Enchanted fruit, an Indian tale,
42.
Etymology, obferv. on, 598.
Euxine, commerce of, late changes
with respect to, 580.
Eye, difeafes of, confidered, 36.
Eyre, Baron, his opinion on the
legality of military power, 533.
Fathers, Chriftian, their opinions
concerning Chrift, 15.
Ferns, Brit. remarks rel. to, 130.
Figure, obferv. on making a figure,
113.
Fire, philofophical difquifition
concerning, 318. Compound-
ed with light, ib. Phenomena
of, 320.
Fire-pump, electrical defcription
of, 552.
Fish, their structure and phyfiology
explained, 145. A new elec-
trical fish defcribed, 96.
Flagg, Mr. his account of the
torpedo, 141.
Ford, Parfon, anecdote of, 275-
Captain, his tranflation of
"Softly," an ode, from Hafiz,
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France and America, advantages
accruing from a commercial
intercourfe between thofe two
nations, 593.
Franklin, Dr. his proposal for a
new hygrometer, 389. Sundry
maritime obfervations by, 67.
Causes and cure of fmoky chim-
nies, 469. Defcription of a
new ftove for burning pit-coal,
and confuming its fmoke, 470.
Dr. Rufton's letter to him on
fmoky chimnies, ib.
Freezing. See Congelation.
Frejhets, a word used in an Amer.
publication, explained, 272.
GAs, inflammable. See Monge.
Gentil, M. his memoir on the
obliquity of the ecliptic, 560.
Gilpin, Mr. his obferv. on the
annual paffage of herrings, 141
Goodricke, Mr. his obferv. on a
ftar in the head of Cepheus, 30.
Gout, new theory of, and method
of prevention and cure, 220.
Grauchain, M. de, his obferv. on
a folar and a lunar eclipse, 219.
Gratitude encomium on, 4c9.
Gray, Mr. critical remarks on his
poems, 509.
Greece, anc. ftate of the arts in,463.
Habakkuk, animated paffage in,
critically illuftrated, 49.
Haggai, his prophecy relative to
the rebuilding of the temple,
critically inveftigated, 53. Con-
troversy on that fubject, 410-
Hamilton, Sir W. his particulars
relative to the present state of
Vefuvius, 195.
Harpfichord, improved method of
quilling, 470.
Harrogate, new fprings lately dif-
covered in that neighbourhood,
187.
Haftings, Mr. his memoirs of In-
dia, 70.
Recommends the
publication of the Bhagvat
Geeta, 200. His laudable en-
deavours to promote the study
of Indian literature, 301. Pro-
ceedings against him in Parlia
ment, and publications pro and
con. 177. 254. 344. 444. 523.
Heat, philof. investigated, 319.
See alfo Wedgwood and Thomson.
Herrings. See Gilpin.
Herfchel, Dr. his catalogue of
1000 new nebule, and clusters
of fars, 119. His inveftiga-.
tion of the caufe of that indif-
tinctness of vifion, which has
been afcribed to the fmallnefs
of the optic pencil, 198.
Hickocke, Mr. his tranflation of
the travels of Cefar Fredericke,
480.
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