But The Humble Philosopher, On The Other Hand, Will
Investigate The Causes, Without Ceasing To Deplore The Effects, And
Will Rejoice In The Belief, That There Are Any Means By Which Mankind
May Be Redeemed From The Condemnation Which His Judgment Cannot Fail
To Award.
To him, accordingly, the following observations of Mr G.
Forster are addressed, as preparatory to the farther consideration of
the subject, in which he will afterwards be engaged.
"Philosophers,
who have only contemplated mankind in their closets, have strenuously
maintained, that all the assertions of authors, ancient and modern, of
the existence of men-eaters, are not to be credited; and there have
not been wanting persons amongst ourselves who were sceptical enough
to refuse belief to the concurrent testimonies, in the history of
almost all nations, in this particular. But Captain Cook had already,
in his former voyage, received strong proof that the practice of
eating human flesh existed in New Zealand; and as now we have with our
own eyes seen the inhabitants devouring human flesh, all controversy
on that point must be at an end. The opinions of authors on the origin
of this custom, are infinitely various, and have lately been collected
by the very learned canon, Pauw, at Xanten, in his Recherches
Philosophiques sur les Americains, vol. i, p. 207. He seems to think
that men were first tempted to devour each other from real want of
food, and cruel necessity. His sentiments are copied by Dr
Hawkesworth, who has disingenuously concealed their author.
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