C O M
- u! i»> travellers, to
I them in • 1 j also to miners, whom it guides in digging; end may be applied to various other purposes. 7b take the declination of a watt by the ■compass : — Apply that side of the instrument, on which the north is delineated, along the side of the wall; the nun. rees, over which the north end ot" the need] fixes, will be the declina- tion ot the wall on that side. For instance, if the north ot the □ point towards the north, the sua may shine on that wall at noon: it' it fix over 50 degrees, computed from the north towards the east, the declination will be so many de- grees towards the ea.-»t. But, as tiie needle itself, in Bri- tain, declines 13 legrees from the north towards the wot, the same number ot degrees should always be added to those pointed out by the needle, when the declination of the wall is towards die cast, in or- der to retrieve the irregularity : on the contrary, when the declination is towards the west, it will be ne- cessary to subtract the above-men- tioned declination of the needle. COMPLEXION, generally sig- nifies the temperament, habitude, and natural disposition of the body ; but more frequently the colour of the face and skiu. In the latter point of iew, it has in no small decree exercised the attention of naturalists, who have attempted in vain to reconcile the specific va- riations among mankind, which are supposed to arise from the differ- ence of colour, stature, or disposi- tion. The arguments drawn from such variations have been proved to be inconclusive, and are now generally exploded. It remains, neverdieless, a difficult matter to COM r 45 accoum for the remarkable dif- reren tur existing among different nations. Without entering into a minute ission of this subject, we observe, that colour and figure, like, other peculiarities, are created by continual, progressive, and almost imperceptible degrees. Nations are susceptible of habits, both mental and eorporeal, in the same manner as individuals ; which are transmitted to posterity, and augmented by inheritance. Na- tional features, i;ke national man- ners, though s! >v. ly, become fixed after a long succession of agesj and, if we can ascertain any effect, produced by a given slate of wea- ther, or of climate, it will require only repetition, during a sufficient length of time, to impress them with a permanent character. The principal colours observable among mankind, are the following: 1 . Black ; as in the Africans under the equinocfial line, the inhabitants of New Guinea, and of New Hol- land. 2. Swarthy ; as in the Moors of the north, and the Hot- tentots of the south of Africa. 3. Copper-coloured : as the East In- dians. 4. Red-coloured; as the Americans. 5. Brown-coloured; as the Tartars. Persians, Arabs, Chinese, and the Africans on die coast ot the Mediterranean, d. Brownish ; as die inhabitants of the southern parts of Europe, namely, die Sicilians, Spaniards, and Turks, and aiso die Samoiedes and Laplanders, who border on the Northern Pole ; and the Abys- sinians, who Jive in die middle and southern parts of Africa. 7- W'tiite; as most of the more northern na- tions of Europe are, namely, the English, Swedes. Danes, Germans, and Poles ; to whom may be added the
