THE ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG NATURALIST. 327 



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

 Lucien of l'Eucuerado. 



"Of course, because of your white skin; what else 

 should it be ? They have never seen a human being of that 

 color before." 



"They think it so very ridiculous?" interposed Sumi- 

 chrast. 



" 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 Sumi- 

 chrast and me. L'Encuerado, who, we had imagined, en- 

 vied us our white skins, pitied us, in fact ; as no doubt he 

 would himself have been pitied by Nubians, because he was 

 only copper-colored. 



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

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

 the reason of it, M. Sumichrast ?" 



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

 less colors 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 produced 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 sufficient to blacken the pigment." 



* 



