IN THE HUMAN SPECIES. 257 



diencia) to have it declared that they belong to the whites. 

 These declarations are not always corroborated by the judg- 

 ment of the senses. We see very swarthy Mulattoes, who 

 have had the address to get themselves whitened (this is the 

 valgar expression) . When the colour of the skin is too re- 

 pugnant to the judgment demanded, the petitioner is con- 

 tented with an expression somewhat problematical. The 

 sentence then simply bears, ' that such individuals may con- 

 sider themselves as whites (que se tengan por blancos)*." 



Where several races are brought together, as in some 

 parts of Spanish America, and in some European-Asiatic 

 settlements, their mixtures with each other, and the several 

 crossings betv/een the original races and their various de- 

 scendants, give rise to a vast number of mixed breeds, and 

 every possible variety of colour. The dark races, and all 

 who are contaminated by any visible mixture of dark blood, 

 are comprised under the general denomination of people of 

 colour. It is not, however, merely by this superficial cha- 

 racter that they are distinguished ; all other physical and 

 moral qualities are equally influenced by those of the parents. 

 The intellectual and moral character of the Europeans is de- 

 teriorated by the mixture of black or red blood ; while, on the 

 other hand, an infusion of white blood tends in an equal de- 

 gree to improve and ennoble the qualities of the dark varieties. 



The general law, that animals produce their like, by which 



Parents. Offspring. Degree of Mixture. 



Negro and European Mulatto 4- white i- black. 



European and Mulatto Terceion 4- ^ 



Negro and Mulatto Griffo, or Zambo... 4 black -^ white. 



European and Terceron... Quarteron -|- white ^ black. 



Negro and Terceron 1^ black ^ white. 



European and Quarteron. ..Quinteron 4.4 \^hite -^l^ black. 



Negro and Quarteron 44 black -rV^vhite, 



The two latter are respectively white and black; and of these the first 

 are white by law, and consequently free in our West India islands. All 

 remains of colour are so completely banished, that they arc not distinguishable 

 from whites in any respect. 



* Humboldt, PoUt, Essay; i. 246, 247. 



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