which relates to their local refidence. His profeffed defign is to give a GEOGRAPHICAL hiftory of men and quadrupeds; and to indicate the climates beft adapted to each species; to enquire how far the different claffes of quadrupeds are capable of being Spread over the various countries of the globe; to trace the changes produced on those animals which inhabit the most oppolite regions, and to mark, with more accuracy than his predeceffors have done, the effects produced on their form or infinets by the influence of thofe different degrees of heat, cold, humidity, drynefs, domeftication, and kind of food, peculiar to thefe diverfities of fituation. By climates, we are to underftand, not fimply or folely thofe diftinguished by the geographical divifions of the globe, to the exclufion of what he terms phyfical climates, or that which depends on the changes produced in any given latitude by fuch adventitious circumftances as the lower or more elevated fituations of a country, its being encompaffed by water or large tracts of land, placed in an extenfive plain, or furrounded by lofty mountains. Peculiarities of the like kind, it is well known, frequently prevent the phyfical climate from correfponding entirely with the geographical, as a country influenced by them is often much warmer or colder than other regions placed under the fame degree of latitude. Profeffor ZIMMERMAN published a treatife on the fame subject, in the Latin language, fome years ago: which, as we are informed, was favourably received on the continent, though we do not recollect that it has found its way into this ifland. The many publications fince that period, particularly the works of Lord Kaims, Profeffors Blumenbach, Schreber, Euxleben, and others, have furnished fuch a rich abundance of new materiais, and fuggefted fo many new ideas to the author, that the work before us is to be confidered rather as a new publication, on the plan of the former, than as an enlargement of that treatise. The prefent performance, though it keeps its principal object in conftant view, is enriched with moft of the difcoveries which have been more recently made, and interfperfed with a great variety of interefting obfervations of a philofophical and moral nature. The work is divided into four principal parts. In the first part, the author takes a view of the nobler animals which are univerfally diffufed over every part of the habitable globe, and are rendered capable of fuftaining the extremes of heat and cold, both in the old and in the new world: in the fecond, the class of quadrupeds which inhabit both worlds, but yet are not fo univerfal as the other: in the third, the inhabitants of particular regions only. The fourth part, which conftitutes nearly the whole of the third volume, is chiefly devoted to various curious fpecu 1126 Brewer's fpeculations, and philofophical inferences drawn from the view of animal nature given in the preceding volumes. As man is allowed to be the lord of this lower world, in regard to the nobler faculties of his mind, fo with refpect to corporeal co vantages, be enjoys a decided pre-eminence. His frame is better able to refift every extreme than that of any other animal. He walks over the furface of the earth without being checked or limited; and takes up his abode where he pleaks, without fuffering any fenfible diminution of his native strengta. The pole, the equator, the highest mountains, and the deepet mines, find him an inhabitant. He vifits every place, and degete rates in a much lefs degree, in confequence of local fituation, thes any other of thofe animals that can fubfift in a great diverfity of climate.' The author therefore begins his geographical hiftory with man, and enquires, What degrees of heat or cold is man capable of sustaining? How and wherefore does he inhabit fuch a diversity of climates? Does this capacity proceed from the toughness and pliability of his corporeal fyftem, or is he, as M. DE BUFFON maintains, indebied to his mental powers alone for the advantage? Again, what inflarne have climate, nutrition, and various incidental circumftances, on him? Are they fufficient to effect the differences obfervable in huma beings; or has nature formed, from the beginning, a diversity of individuals, each adapted to his own climate? Which is the proper land of his nativity, and the fpot from which he migrated? Is te naturally biped, or quadruped; in fize, a Patagonian or an Esquimaux; in complexion, a Negroe or a Circaffian ?' Thefe are the queftions which M. ZIMMERMAN examines, at large, in the first chapter of this interefting work; and which he answers to our fatisfaction, and, we hope, to the fatisfaction of all whom they may concern; as he fupports the fimplicity of creation, and the dignity of human nature, in oppofition to all philofophic levelling. He begins with animadverting on the degrees of cold which the human frame is able to fuftain with impunity. The greatest degree of natural cold that has hitherto been afcertained by the thermometer, is that mentioned by the elder Gmelin, at Fenefeif 58 deg. N. lat. in the year 1735. It commenced in January, and was to ftrong, that the mercury of Fahrenheit's thermometer funk degrees below the freezing point. Birds ful dead on the ground, and every thing capable of freezing, became ice. This fact, which has been called in queftion by fome, is rendered credible by the narrative given by M. Pallas, in his travels through Siberia, in the year 1772. He tells us that, at Krasnoyjar, the cold was fo extreme, on the 7th of December, that the mercury funk to 80 degrees below (o), and fome days afterward, it froze in the ball. Unfortunately, this gentleman's thermometer was not graduated fufficiently low to enable him to make more accurate obfervations: but according to Bs experiments, not lefs than 370 degrees below () are requifite completely to congeal the quick filver. Gilver*. Not lefs extraordinary muft that degree of cold have been which the English fuftained at Churchill's River, in Hudson's Bay, according to the narrative given by Middleton. The Lanofeen was frozen twelve feet, and brandy could not be prevented from freezing in the warmest rooms. Whoever expofed himself to the open air was in danger of lofing the epidermis of his face and hands. Yet this degree of cold did not prove fatal to thofe born in a warmer climate; and it is fupported by the inhabitants with the utmoft fafety. The Canadian favages, who live very near to Hudfon's Bay, and the Esquimaux Indians, hunt, almost naked, the whole winter through, notwithstanding the feverity of their feafons. The Dutch under Hemfkirk, in the year 1597, who were obliged to pafs a winter in Nova Zembla, refifted the feverity of the cold, though the white bear, native of thefe regions, fought a warmer atmosphere; and the white fox (canis lagopus) was the only animal that remained. Crantz, in his account of Greenland, afferts that the inhabitants are very flightly clothed, and that they go with their heads, necks, and legs, naked; that the Norwegian peafants work with their bofoms expofed to the cold, till the hair is frozen together, and when in a perspiration by labour, cool themselves by rolling in the fnow, without receiving any injury.' After having produced feveral other inftances of a fimilar nature, our philofopher proceeds to enquire what degrees of heat the human frame is able to fuftain without apparent detriment. Adanfon obferved that in Senegal, 17 degrees N. lat. Fahrenheit's thermometer was rifen in the fhade to 108 degrees; and that near the coaft it ftood at 117. The Sicilians, during the Sirok winds, refift a heat of 112 degrees; and the negroes frequently to the 120th degree, and fometimes far above it. But the artificial heat which has been fuftained, is much more aftonishing. M. ZIMMERMAN has collected various inftances of this; and quotes, among others, the experiments made by Lord Mulgrave, Dr. Solander, Sir J. Banks, and Dr. Blagden, from which it appears that they could refift 211, 224, 260 degrees of heat without being roafted alive. But the refifting powers of Dr. Blagden himself, who fupported, for eight minutes, a heat exceeding that of boiling water by 48 degrees, muft yield to those of the French girls mentioned by Meffrs. Du Hamel and Tillet; who inform us, as they were making inquiries concerning a difeafe which had infected the grain, that they found at Rochefoucault in Angoumois, fome female fervants who bore the heat of their ovens, in which fruits and meats were baked, more than ten minutes, with the utmoft compofure. These academicians, on accurate examination, found the heat of an oven to be exactly 275 of Fahr. therm. exceeding that of Dr. Blagden no lefs * Many of our readers will recollect a more ample narrative of the above facts given in Bishop Watfon's elegant Effays, vol. i. Effay 7th. APP. Rev. VOL, LXXX, than than 15 degrees. The girls were frequently obliged to expofe themfelves to this heat; and, through the power of custom, bort it without any pernicious effects *. It has been thewn that no animal can withstand the extreme! cold of the northern climates, equal to man, excepting the canis lagopus; and experiments further prove that he is fupreme in the oppofite quality. According to Dr. Blagden, a bitch refifted the 220th degree of heat. Tillet's bird, the Loxia, died in the heati of 169. A rabbit bore tolerably well 164, but a cock could not endure a heat of 169 degrees, without danger. Thus it ap pears that man, and man alone, is formed to refift the two extremes that he lives, and continues healthy under all the variations of temperature from the 232d of natural cold to the 130th degree of natural heat.. No lefs wonderful is the difference of preffure which the human body is capable of fuftaining without detriment, which amounts, according to an accurate eftimate made by our author, to no less than a diverfity of 153,000 pounds: that is, the preffure of the atmosphere on the bodies of thofe who inhabit countries level with the fea, is greater by the above weight, than the inhabitants of the Cordilliers experience. And it is well known that Divers can occafionally fuftain upward of 300,000 pounds more than the weight fupported by the inhabitant of a ftrand, without any material detriment. This univerfality of his frame expofes man to a great diverfityi of atmospheres. He breathes, and often continues healthy, in airs furcharged with watery particles, and laden with noxious vapours. Many thoufands pafs their days in the mines of Potofi; and Gondamine informs us that he found healthful inhabitants in a country between Loxa and Juen, where they were free from rains only during two months in the year. Man is no lefs qualified by nature to derive whole fome nourishment from whatever fpecies of food he may find in each climate. Both his appetite and his make prove him to be carnivorous, granivorous, frugivorous, and ichthyofagous. The Greenlander fatiates his apperite with the raw flesh of a whale, and washes it down with the blood of the feal. The inhabitants of Jakuti feed luxuriously on mice, wolves, foxes, horfes, &c. while the poor Lybian is contented with dried grafshoppers. Numberless fects of India feed on rice, while an European ftomach can bear, at It is neceffary to inform the English reader, that, in many parts of France and Switzerland, their domeftic ovens are very large, and it is customary for the fervant maids, instead of using an inftrument, to go into thefe glowing ovens, and fetch out the different articles of grain, fruit, &c. after they have been dried or baked fufficiently. one one meal, a farrago of milk, foups, mineral waters, oil, vinegar, mustard, beer, various forts of wine, butchers meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, and fruits; and afterward, to affift digeftion, will take a fmall mouthful of brandy. 1 Profeffor ZIMMERMAN now demands, in oppofition to the Count de Buffon, Is it to talents and ingenuity, that the Greenlander, the Efquimaux, the Canadian, are beholden for their power to refift the cold? Do thefe enable the peafant to expofe his open breaft and naked limbs to the feverity of a Northern winter? or the Negroe to fuftain a vertical fun, healthy and ftrong, though the burning fands fcorch the foles of his feet? The mind, it is true, can procure many ac commodations for the body; can fupply it with warm clothing, fhelter it from the fun's rays, teach to man the various ufes of iron, and instruct him to form weapons, &c.; but it cannot, with all its influence, render him the inhabitant of every region, were not his body fo adapted, by the toughness and pliability of its frame." An enquiry here prefents itfelf of no fmall moment: are the human beings which poffefs thefe various and oppofite powers, derived from one common origin: or were different races of men formed and adapted by their original make to their fpecific climates? M. ZIMMERMAN enters fully into this queftion, which has been fo frequently agitated. Like a true fon of Adam, he contends earnestly for the old conftitution, in oppofition to the bold attacks of a Voltaire and a Flume. He plainly fhews, that the diftinct, and almoft innumerable, exertions of creative power in the formation of different races of men, is a fuppofition, as unneceffary as it is extravagant; the influence of natural caufes being equal to all the differences obfervable in the human fpecies. He walks with a firm, foot and fteady pace, through every region of the habitable globe, examines the ftature, form, and complexion of its inhabitants, compares thefe with the peculiarities of their climate, and fituation, and fatiffactorily proves, that the difference of ftature between the Laplander and the Patagonian, or of colour between the Circaffian and the Negroe, are not fo great as to require various exertions of omnipotence to create them; nor are they fo great as the changes produced on the brute creation, confelfedly by the influence of climate. The extreme of cold, he maintains, is an impediment to growth, not only in the human fpecies, but alfo in the whole animal and vegetable creation: whereas a more moderate degree of cold, connected with a vagrant life, and perpetual exertions of corporeal ftrength, are favourable to the gigantic ftature; of which he produces the ancient Germans, and modern Patagonians, as examples and proofs. He afferts alfo, and we think he has made his affertion good, that the complexion of the human fpecies is uniformly correfpondent to the degree of heat or cold to which they are habitually expofed. In Y y 2 this |