AN ACCOUNT OF, &c. 429 



narrow and slightly elevated folds of the true 

 skin, nearly contiguous to one another, which 

 held the direction mentioned. 



A great part of the black shoulder exhibits 

 a singular appearance; for, near to the back 

 bone, the skin, over an extent of six inches in 

 length and two in breadth, resembles a thick 

 coat of pitch, or black paint, which by drying 

 had split into a great number of small square 

 portions. The fissures in the skin are about a 

 line in depth. Mr. James Wilson, teacher of 

 anatomy, and fellow of the Royal Society, who 

 saw this person once along with me, pulled 

 away a little of this black matter, upon which 

 several narrow processes of the skin, perpendi- 

 cular to the plane of the part, became visible. 



Winslow says, that the cuticle of a negro is 

 black, and that the contrary supposition arose 

 from its tenuity and transparency, in like man- 

 ner as a thin film of black horn appears almost 

 colourless. I have found by my own observa- 

 tions, that this opinion of Winslow is just; 

 and I found also, that the cuticle of West's 

 black skin is likewise dark. I may add, that 

 the nails of her black fingers are darker than 

 those of the white, and darker also than those 

 of a negro's hand. 



Sir Everard Home, who likewise saw this 

 person once along with me, thought that the 



