182 



A HISTORY OP 



two that I have seen, I could not perceive the 

 smallest difference. Each of the negro nati- 

 ons, it must be owned, differ from each other; 

 they have their peculiar countries for beauty, 

 like us ; and different nations, as in Europe, 

 pride themselves upon the regularity of their 

 features. Those of Guinea, for instance, are 

 extremely ugly, and have an insupportable 

 scent ; those of Mosambique are reckoned 

 beautiful, and have no ill smell whatsoever. 

 The negroes, in general, are of a black colour, 

 with a smooth soft skin. This smoothness 

 proceeds from the downy softness of the hair 

 which grows upon it; the strength of which 

 gives aroughnessto the feel, in those of a white 

 complexion. Their skins, therefore, have a 

 velvet smoothness, and seem less braced up- 

 on the muscles than ours. The hair of their 

 h; ads differs entirely from what we are ac- 

 customed to, being soft, woolly, and short. The 

 beard also, partakes of the same qualities ; 

 but in this it differs, that it soon turns gray, 

 which the hair is seldom found to do ; so that 

 several are seen with white beards, and black 

 hair, at the same time. Their eyes are gene- 

 rally of a deep hazel ; their noses flat and 

 short; their lips thick and tumid; and their 

 teeth of an ivory whiteness. This, their only 

 beauty, however, is set off by the colour of 

 their skin ; the contrast between the black 

 and white being the more observable. It is 

 false to say that their features are deformed 

 by art ; since, in the negro children born in 

 European countries, the same deformities are 

 seen to prevail ; the same flatness in the nose; 

 and the same prominence in the lips. They 

 are, in general, said to be well shaped ; but 

 of such as I have seen, I never found one that 

 might be justly called so; their legs being 

 mostly ill formed, and commonly bending out- 

 ward on the shin-bone. But it is not only in 

 those parts of their bodies that are obvious, 

 that they are disproportioned ; those parts 

 which among us are usually concealed by 

 dress, with them are large an*languid. a The 

 women's breasts, after bearing one child, hang 

 down below the navel ; and it is customary 

 with them to suckle the child at their backs, 

 by throwing the breasts over the shoulder. 



a LiniHEiis, in prinia lines sna, faeminas Af'ricanas de- 

 pingit sicut aliquid defomie in parte genital! gestaiites, 

 quod sinum pudoris nuncupat. Attamen nihil differunt a 



As their persons are thus naturally deformed, 

 at least to our imaginations, their minds are 

 equally incapable of strong exertions. The 

 climate seems to relax their mental powers 

 still more than those of the body ; they are, 

 therefore, in general, found to be stupid, in- 

 dolent, and mischievous. The Arabians them- 

 selves, many colonies of whom have migrated 

 southward into the most inland parts of Africa, 

 seem to have degenerated from their ances- 

 tors ; forgetting their ancient learning, and 

 losing their beauty, they have become a race 

 scarcely any way distinguishable from the 

 original natives. Nor does it seem to have 

 fared otherwise with the Portuguese, who 

 about two centuries ago, settled along this 

 coast. They also are become almost as black 

 as the negroes, and are said by some to be 

 even more barbarous. 



The inhabitants of America make a fifth 

 race, as different from all the rest in colour, 

 as they are distinct in habitation. The natives 

 of America (except in the northern extremity, 

 where they resemble the Laplanders) are of 

 a red or copper colour; and although, in the 

 old world, different climates produce a variety 

 of complexions and customs, the natives of 

 the new continent seem to resemble each other 

 in almost every respect. They are all nearly 

 of one colour; all have black thick straight 

 hair, and thin black beards ; which, however, 

 they take care to pluck out by the roots. 

 They have, in general, flat noses, with high 

 cheek-bones, and small eyes ; and these de- 

 formities of nature they endeavour to increase 

 by art : they flatten the nose, and often the 

 whole head of their children, while the bones 

 are yet susceptible of every impression. They 

 paint the body and face of various colours, 

 and consider the hair upon any part of it, ex- 

 cept the head, as a deformity which they are 

 careful to eradicate. Their limbs are gene- 

 rally slighter made than those of the Euro- 

 peans ; and, I am assured, they are far from 

 being so strong. All these savages seem to 

 be cowardly; they seldom are known to face 

 their enemies in the field, but fall upon them 

 at an advantage ; and the greatness of their 

 fears serves to increase the rigours of their 



nostratibus in hac parte nisi quod labia pudendae sint ali- 

 qriantulum tuniidiora. In hominibus etiam penis est lon- 

 gior et multo laxior. 



