in

ON THÉ CORNLAWS 245

confuming 2: Ibs. of butcher méat per day; but the famenum- LETT. 11.

ber of acres would fupport a population of 165,021,725 indi- È viduals of all ages, if the inhabitants lived on the fame por-

ions of vegetable food, which at prefent fubfft the common labourers in Scotland.

T have calculated thefe two extremes of the produce of land under the plough, or in pafture merely for fattening cattlé, without including a dairy in either cafe, in order to place

this objet in a ftrong point of veiw, and to fhow the different

effets which living on vegetable or animal food will have,

1n fupporüng an increafed population, or in rendering fuften-

ance plentiful or fcarce in a country. Hence it may be inferred,

that it was to encourage or preferve the immenfe population of the eaftern nations, the original lawgivers of India difcharged

the eating of animal food, and ingrafted this political maxim

upon the ancient ftock of fuperftition in the country. The ab-

ftaining from animal food, however, feems beft fuited to thefe

countries, fituated under a burning fun, where water alone renders the foil perpetually fertilé, in producing vegetable food

for fupporting the inhabitants. In more temperate climates, the foil cannot be kept in a conftant ftate of producing bread for man, without materially injuring its fertility.‘The beafts of the field are alfo the children ofsnature; fhe wills to fupport them, and the land muft be allowed to afford grafs for their faftenance, which reftores, at the fame time, its fertility for raifing corn; and man being formed to live on a mixture of animal and vegetable food, avails himfelf of this œconomy of nature, to add to h1s enjoyment.