426 AN ACCOUNT OF, &c. 



Hannah West, the subject of this account, 

 was born in a village in Sussex, about three 

 miles distant from the sea, and is now in the 

 twenty-thirfl year of her age. Both of her 

 parents were natives of the same county. Her 

 father was a footman in a gentleman's family, 

 and died while she was very young. She can- 

 not, therefore, remember his appearance ; but 

 she has never heard, that it was in any way ex- 

 traordinary. Her mother is still alive, and has 

 black hair and hazel eyes, but a fair skin, with- 

 out any stain or mark upon it. West was the 

 only child of her father ; but her mother, having 

 married a second time, has had eleven other 

 children. Nine of these are living, all of whom 

 are without any blackness of the skin. Her 

 mother, she says, received a fright, while preg- 

 nant with her, by accidentally treading on a live 

 lobster ; and to this was attributed the blackness 

 of part of her skin, which was observed at her 

 birth. 



West is somewhat above the middle size, is 

 rather of a full habit, and till she came to Lon- 

 don from Sussex, which was about four months 

 ago, always enjoyed very good health. The 

 hair of her head is of a light brown colour, and 

 is very soft ; her eyes of a faint blue ; her nose 

 prominent and a little aquiline ; her lips thin ; 

 the skin of the greater portion of the uncovered 



