ago On the BLACK COLOR 



One of them, viz. the fecond, is called the ilack alharas 

 of the Arabians. The fkin becomes black, thick and 

 greafey. — There are neither puftules, nor turbercles, nor 

 fcales, nor any thing out of the way on the fkin. The 

 body is not in the lead emaciated. The breathing is a 

 little difficult, and the countenance has fome fiercenefs in 

 it. They exhale perpetually a peculiar and difagreeable 

 fmell, which I can compare to nothing but the Imell of 

 a mortified limb."* This fmell mentioned by Dr. Theiry 

 continues with a fmall modification in the native African 

 to this day. 



2. The leprofy is defcribed in the Old Tefiament, and 

 by many ancient writers as imparting a preternatural white- 

 nefs to the fkin. Perfons thus marked, have lately re- 

 ceived the name of albanos. Solitary inftances of this 

 difeafe are often met with it upon the Alps, but travellers 

 tell us that it is one of the endemics of Java, Guinea and 

 Panama where it is perpetuated through many generations. 

 Mr. Hawkins in his travels into the interior parts of Africa 

 has defcribed the perfons afflidted with this difeafe in the 

 following words. " They go entirely naked ; their fkin 

 is white, but has not that animated appearance fo percep- 

 tible in Europeans. It has a dull deathlike whitifli caft. 

 that conveys an idea more of ficknefs, than of health. 

 Their hair is red, or afhes-coloured, yellowifh wool, 

 and their eyes are uniformly white, in that part by which 

 others are diflinguifhed into the black, grey and blue 

 eyes. They are fet deep in the head, and very common- 

 ly fquint, for as their fkin is deprived of the black muc- 

 ous web, the diftinguifhing charadteriflic of thefe Afri- 

 cans, fo their eyes are deftitute of that black matter re- 

 fembling a pigment, fo univerfally found in people of all 



* Obfervations de Phyfique et de Medecine fakes en dlfferens lieux dc 

 I'Efpagne. Vol. ii. p, 130. 



coun- 



