214 THE ADVENTURES OF 



had watched him undress with evident curiosity, burst out laugh- 

 ing, and chattered together like so many young paroquets. 



" Why do they laugh so when they look at me?" asked Lucien 

 of I'Encuerado. 



" Of course ! because of your white skin ; what else should it 

 be ? They have never seen a human being of that colour before." 



" They think it so very ridiculous ? " interposed Sumichrast. 



" Yes, rather," replied the Indian ; " but you must not mind it, 

 Chanito ; for, after all, it is not your fault." 



We and the young Indians now laughed in concert; and 

 this incident led on to a long conversation between Sumichrast 

 and me. L'Encuerado, who, we had imagined, envied us our 

 white skins, pitied us, in fact ; as no doubt he would himself 

 have been pitied by Nubians, because he was only copper- 

 coloured. 



" Why," said Lucien, who came up to us just as the dis- 

 cussion began, "are not all men the same colour? What is 

 the reason of it, M. Sumichrast?" 



" It is owing to the influence of the sun, which more or less 

 colours the pigment of the skin." 



"The pigment?" 



" Yes ; a brown matter which exists under the skin, and gives 

 to it a shade more or less dark.'' 



" Then Europeans have no pigment ?" 



" Yes, they have, just like all other races of men ; only this 

 matter does not affect the whole of their bodies. The brown 

 spots which cover the face and hands of some people are pro- 

 duced by the pigment making its way through the epidermis." 



" Then," replied Lucien, " negroes would become white if they 

 lived in Europe." 



" No," I answered,' smiling ; " the sun shines in Europe as well 

 as in America, and however weak its action may be, it is suffi- 

 cient to blacken the pigment." 



" But if they always lived in the shade ? " cried I'Encuerado. 



"It would have to be perfect darkness, a thing which it is 

 quite impossible to procure." 



At this moment our host called us. On a rickety table. 



