ANIMALS. 85 



The fourth striking variety in the human spe- 

 cies, is to be found among the Negroes of Africa. 

 This gloomy race of mankind is found to blacken 

 all the southern parts of Africa, from eighteen 

 degrees north of the Line, to its extreme termina- 

 tion at the Cape of Good Hope. I know it is 

 said, that the Caffres, who inhabit the southern 

 extremity of that large continent, are not to be 

 ranked among the Negro race; however, the 

 difference between them, in point of colour and 

 features, is so small, that they may very easily be 

 grouped in this general picture ; and in the one 

 or two that I have seen, I could not perceive the 

 smallest difference. Each of the Negro nations, 

 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 soft- 

 ness of the hair which grows upon it ; the strength 

 of which gives a roughness to the feel in those 

 of a white complexion. Their skins, therefore, 

 have a velvet smoothness, and seem less braced 

 upon the muscles than ours. The hair of their 

 heads differs entirely from what we are accustom- 

 ed to, being soft, woolly, and short. The beard 

 also partakes of the same qualities ; but in this it 

 differs, that it soon turns grey, which the hair is 



