B O O K ir. C H A P. VII. 49 



The aftroites, or ftar-flones and brontii£, hedge-hog and echini 

 Rones, are found in great abyndance on the coaft. Tiie hr{t-mc!-i- 

 tioned, as well as tlic coral rocks, which extend from Salt-pond hill 

 to Old Haibour, near the fiiore, when calcined, make an excellent 

 lime for builJing. 



It fecms now to be the eftabliflied opinion, founded upon ana- 

 tomical obfervations, that the black complexion of Negroes pro- 

 ceeds entirely from a reticulum miicofian, or dark-coloured net-work, 

 fpread immediately beneath the cuticle of their bodies. It is like- 

 wife prefumed, upon realbnable grounds, that the different calls of 

 complexion, obfervable among the diflerent fpecies of men, derive 

 their various tints principally, if not entirely, from the colour of 

 their reticula. The offspring of two Ncgroe-parents, if born with 

 a white or light-coloured reticulum, is called an Albinoe. A male 

 child of this fpecies was born, a few years fince, at a polinck, in 

 the hills between St. Catharine and this parifli, and is probably flili 

 living. The complexion of it was a dead, dull white, refembling 

 that of a corpfe ; its hair, or rather wool, a light-flaxen colour, 

 ftrong, coarfe, and curling, like that of a Negroe ; the features 

 were truly of the Negroe caft ; the noftrils wide, and lips thick 

 and prominent; the eyes were alight-grey, large and full, and, 

 when brought into a ftrong lig'it, were in a continual, rolling mo- 

 tion, which gave the child the foolifli look of an idiot. If he' fliould 

 attain to manhood, and beget children, the attention of the cu- 

 rious will be excited to remark the colour of his progeny. A na- 

 tion of thefe Albinoes are laid to inhabit fomewhere in the central 

 parts of Africa; who are weak and of low Ifature, and do not mix 

 with the Bhicks. They are called Dondos, or Mokiffes, by the 

 natives; and are laid to have fcarcely any fight, except by moon 

 or owl-light, and to be at continual war with the Blacks, who at- 

 tack them in the day-time, when their fight is at the worft ; and 

 they take their revenge in the night, when it is belL They are 

 likewife laid to be educated in the Icience of prieftcraft, or witch- 

 craft, and to fill the chief offices at Loango in all religious affairs 

 and fuperftitious ceremonies. Some of the Negroes in Guiney arc 

 of opinion, that, although they have their males and females, like 

 the reft of mankind, they are incapable of procreating, if not of 



Vol. II. ■ H coitioi. 



