c k a f .’ flaves are brought to this market, and o f the man**
,, n^r in' which thé»y»'-a#e treated-^Bui I ffeel that I have-
not been fuffieientiy full upon this- fubjéCI; and I
am the more difpofed t&' bfiftg forward all the infer*»
ma tionthatl have gained co&eérötng the negroëS,be-*
caufe I flatter myfelf that I fhall be able to bring fortte-
truths to light, that have Wtheko been niïöbferved dr iot-
perfeCMy related, at leaft to the generality <?f Europeans.
In the fii# placé, as-to the eompJixiatt o f a negro*
this, as 1 have ©bferved before, is. T am peffuadedr in -
tirely owing to the burning climate in which Ke lives-»
and an atmofphere fHH more heated by the fandy defarts»
over which the trade winds pafs, Before they Teach, the
habitable parts*, The Indians o f America, on thpLOsp^ary»
whb indeed live under the fame degree eif h iv e
this wind Tefretbed by the Atlantic Ocean,, and are'eeip-
per-coloured 5 and the inhabitants off Aby®ni% who Té*>
qeive it cooled, by the Arabian and the ! Indian ftemf -we
entirely olive. Thus north of the great RiverSmegaf th e
complexion changes from black to brown, atttohgft th©
Moors, as it does toward the fouth amortgft the CaJSrarians.
and, the Hottentots ; and I am o f opinio®, that the woohy
texture o f their hair, is an effect proceeding from, thes
fame caufe. The epidermis or cuticle off the negroes I
have feen diffeCted more than ©nee ^ it is clear and trarff-
parent, but between this and the real fkin Més- a thin follicle
» which is perfectly black, which being removed b y
fevere flagellation, or by fcalding, expofes a complexion«
not inferior to that of an European...
m On
On, the eftate Vqffenbergb, in Surinam,-were horn two
white itegrpess whofe parents were both perfectly black j
the one was a female, fent to Paris in 1734; the other a
boy, horn in March 173S. And in 1794, a fimilar woman,
JLme-Ua Lewfam, was exhibited in England, whole children
(though fliei$. married to an European) are all mulattoes.
The fkin of thefp people is not o f the European white, but
more refcmbles chalk ; their hair the fame; their eyes
are often reid %, and they fee very little in the funrfhine,
peither are they fit for any kind of labour; while their
mentll faculties, I have, been told, ufuafly eOrrefpond with
the debility o f their.bodies. |
;rV£ith refpeCt to, the Jhape of the African negtoesj it is
from head to foot certainly different from the European
mpuld, though not, in , my ppiniop, in any dCgre^ in ferior,
prejudice.being laid aflde* Their ftrong features,
flat nofes, thick lips, and high cheek bones, may appear
deformities to us* and;yet amongft themfelyesmay be e£*
teemed the rev&rfe; their height-black e y^ . and fine
white,.teeth,.We. are Kforeed to* admire; and one decided
advantage in a black complexion is, that all. thofe languid
pale, fickly-looking countenances,* fouom.mon in Europe,
are never exhibited among them, nor are the wrinkles
and ravages, of age equally confpicuOus ; though I mult
canfe^ that when a, negro is; very ill, his, black change*
to a very difagreeable fallow olive. .
CHAP.
X X V L
i i t l !
■ * This is weÜ known t» be tt?e cafe &c. that ate perféMywhiie»'io have their
with many othef animals, as rabbits, mice, eyes Hiod-tvUured, ■
K k 2 Fox*
a a m a a a m y /