andthenhefilledupthehole,andraisedoveritasmallmoundwiththeearthwhichhadbeenremoved.Heretheceremonyended,unaccompaniedbyanyinvocationtoasuperiorbeing,oranyattendantcircumstancewhenceaninferenceoftheirreligiousopinionscouldbededuced.
[*NosolutionofthisdifficultyhadbeengivenwhenIleftthecountry,inDecember,1791.Ican,therefore,onlyproposequeriesfortheingenuityofotherstoexerciseitselfupon:isitadiseaseindigenoustothecountry?
DidtheFrenchshipsunderMonsieurdePeyrouseintroduceit?Letitberememberedthattheyhadnowbeendepartedmorethanayear;andwehadneverheardofitsexistenceonboardofthem.Hadittravelledacrossthecontinentfromitswesternshore,whereDampierandotherEuropeanvoyagershadformerlylanded?WasitintroducedbyMr.Cook?Didwegiveitbirthhere?NopersonamongushadbeenafflictedwiththedisordersincewehadquittedtheCapeofGoodHope,seventeenmonthsbefore.
Itistrue,thatoursurgeonshadbroughtoutvariolousmatterinbottles;
buttoinferthatitwasproducedfromthiscausewereasuppositionsowildastobeunworthyofconsideration.]