to diminiih. The upper lid o f this organ, as in that of the
Chinefe, is rounded into the lower on the fide next the nofe,
and forms not an angle, as is the cafe in the eye of an European.
It is perhaps from this circumftance that they are
known in the colony under the name of Cineeze, or Chinefe
Hottentots. Their bellies are uncommonly protuberant, and
their backs hollow; but their limbs feem to be in general well
turned and proportioned. Their activity is incredibly great.
The klip-fpringing antelope can fcarcely excel them in leaping
from rock to rock ; and they are faid to be fo fwift, that on
rough ground, or up the fides of mountains, horfemen have no
chance with them. And, as the means of increafing their
fpeed in the chace, or when purfued by an enemy, the men
had adopted a cuftom, which was fufficiently remarkable, of
pufhing the tefticles to the upper part of the root o f the penis,
where they feemed to remain as firmly and conveniently as if
placed there by nature. It is unneceffary to add, that fuch an
operation muft neceffarily be performed at an early period of
life.
Curious as this cuftom appeared: to be; it was lefs a fubjedt
of remark than an extraordinary charadter that diftinguiihed
the other fex from the women of molt nations. • The well-
known ftory of the Hottentot women poffefling an unufual
appendage .to thofe parts that are feldom expofed .to view
which belonged not to the fex in general, is perfedtly true with
regard to the Bosjefmans. The horde we had met with pof-
feffed it to a woman ; and, without , the leaft offence to mode-
fty, there was no difficulty in fatisfying curiofity. It appeared
on
on'examination to be an elongation of the nymphae, or interior
labia, more or lefs extended according to the age or habit of the
perfon. In infancy it is juft apparent, and in general may be
faid to increafe in length with age. The longeft that was mea-
I ured fomewhat exceeded five inches, which was in a fubjedl o f
a middle age. Many were faid to have them much longer.
Thefe protruded nymphas, collapfed and pendent, appear at
firft’ view to belong to the other fex. Their color is that of
livid blue, inclining to a reddilh tint, not unlike the excrefcence
on the beak of a turkey, which indeed may ferve to convey a
tolerable good idea of the whole appearance both as to color,
ihape, and fize. The interior lips or nymph* in European
fubjedts which are corrugated or plaited, lofe entirely that part
of their charadter when brought out in the Hottentot, and become
perfedtly finooth. Though in, the latter ftate they may
poffefs none of thofe ftimulating qualities for which fome ana-
tomifts have fuppofed Nature to have formed them, they have
at leaft the advantage o f ferving as a protection againft violence
from the other fex, it feeming next to impoffible for a man to
cohabit with one of thefe women without her confent, or even
affiftance.
Nature feems to have ftudied how to make this pigmy race
difgufting ; though a certain French traveller has thought fit
to exculpate Nature on this point, by afferting the above-mentioned
conformation'to be entirely the efledt of art. The tefti-
mony of the people themfelves, who have no other idea but
that the whole human race is fo formed, is fufficient to contradict
fuch a fuppofition; but many other proofs might be
adduced