MAN 
Some have aflerted that the features of the Ne- 
groes are deformed by art ; but this pofition is un- 
doubtedly falfe, fince, in Negro children born in 
European countries, the fame deformities prevail, 
the, like flatnefs of the nofe, and the fame pro- 
minence of the lips. They are generally clumfy 
and ill-fhaped: the breafts of their women, after 
the bearing of one child, depend below their na- 
vels; and it is cuftomary with them to fuckle their 
infants at their backs, by throwing their breafts 
over their fhoulders. As their perfons are thus 
naturally deformed, according to our ideas, their 
minds are equally unfufceptible of noble or gene- 
rous paffions. The climate feems to relax their 
mental more than their bodily faculties; they are 
incapable of powerful exertions; and may be cha- 
rafterized as a ftupid, indolent, and mifchievous 
race. The Arabians themfelves, many colonies 
of whom have migrated fouthward into the inte- 
rior parts of Africa, feem to have degenerated from 
their anceftors; and every trace of their ancient 
learning and beauty being obliterated, they have 
become almoft imperceptible from the aborigines 
of the country. Nor is this remark inapplicable 
to the Portuguefe, who, about two centuries back, 
fettled along this coaft : they are become almoft 
as black as the Negroes ; and, according to fome 
authors, are more favage and barbarous. 
As the origin of black Men has at all times 
been an objed of enquiry, it may not be alto- 
gether unentertaining in this place to adduce the 
different opinions of mankind vv'ith refpedl to this 
curious fubjedt. The ancients, who knew only 
thofe of Nubia, regarded them as the laft or ter- 
minating fhade of the tawny colour; and con- 
founded them with the Ethiopians, and other 
African nations, who, though extremely brown, 
are yet far removed from perfec5l blacknefs. They 
thought that the differences of colour among the 
human fpecies proceeded folely from the varieties 
of climate, and that blacknefs was occafioned by 
a perpetual expollire to the fcorching rays of a tro- 
pical fun. But this opinion, though very fpe- 
cious, was much weakened after it was difcovered 
that the inhabitants of more foutherly climates, 
and even under the equator itfelf, as thofe of 
Melinda and Mofambique, were not black, but 
rather tawny; and when it was farther difcovered 
that blacks, when tranfported into more temperate 
climates, loft nothing of their original hue, but 
communicated it to their defcendants. However, 
if we attend to the migrations of different people, 
and to the time neceffary for effedling a change in 
their colour, we ihall perhaps find the opinion of 
the ancients to have been well founded. Many 
ages are probably necelTary to change the white 
colour into perfedl: blacknefs; but it is probable 
that, in a fucceffion of generations, white people 
tranfported from the north to the equator would 
undergo this change, efpecially if they adopted 
the manners, and accuflomed themfelves to the 
food, of the new country. 
Indeed, it is evident that the exiftence of Ne- 
groes is confined to thofe diftrids of the earth 
where all the neceffary circumftances concur in 
producing a conftant andexcelTive heat: this heat 
is fo effential, not only to the production, but 
even to the prefervation of Negroes, that it has 
been remarked in the Weft India iflands, where 
the heat, though great, is not equal to that of 
Senegal, that Negro infants are fo liable to be af- 
fedled by imprefTions from the air, that their pro- 
MAN 
prietors are obliged, for the firft nine days aftef 
birth, to keep them in clofe warm chambers; and* 
if thefe precautions are neglefted, the children thus 
expofed to the air immediately after birrh are 
commonly afFe£led with a tetanus, or locked jav/, 
which feldom fails to prove fatal, M. Littre, 
who diifeded a Negro, remarked, that the end of 
the glans, which was not covered with the pre- 
puce, was black; and that the part of it which was 
covered, was perfeftiy white. This obfervatioii 
demonftrates, t!iat air is neceftary to produce tlie 
blacknefs of Negroes. Their children are born 
white, or rather red, like thofe of other perfons: 
but, two or three days after birth, their colour 
changes into a yellowilh tawny, which becomes 
gradually darker till the feventh or eighth day, 
when they grow totally black. It is a well known 
fad, that all children , two or three days after birth, 
are afFedled with a kind of jaundice, which among 
white people foon pafTes off without leaving any 
imprelTion: but, on the contrary, in Negroes, it 
gives an indelible tinge to the {kin, which be- 
comes always more and more black. Kolbe re- 
marks, that he has feen Hottentot children, who 
came into the world as white as European, become 
olive-coloured in confequence of this jaundice, 
which fpreads over the ll<;in three or four days af- 
ter birth, and never goes off. This jaundice, and 
the imprefTion of the air, however, are only the 
lecondary, and not the primary caufes of black- 
nefs ; for it has been obferved, that the children of 
Negroes, as foon as born, have black genitals, 
and black fpots at the roots of their nails. The 
aftion of the air and the jaundice may perhaps 
help to expand this colour; but it is certain that 
the rudiments of blacknefs are communicated to 
them by their parents ; that in whatever quarter of 
the world a Negro is brought forth, he vv'ill be 
equally black as if he, had been born in his own 
country; and that if there be any difference in the 
firft generation, it is fo fmall as fcarcely to be per- 
ceptible. Elowever, this fa6l does not imply that 
the colour will continue the fame after many fuc- 
cefTive generations : on the contrary, there are 
many reafons for prefuming, that as this colour is 
originally the effe6l of a long continued heat, it 
will be gradually effaced by the temperature of a 
cold climate ; and confequently, that if a colony 
of Negroes were tranfplanted into a northern pro- 
vince, their defcendants of the tenth, eleventh, or 
even twelfth generation, would be much fairer, 
and perhaps as white as the aborigines of that cli- 
mate. 
Anatomifts have inveftigated the feat of this 
black colour. Some of them alledge, that it nei- 
ther refides in the fkin, nor the fcarf-fldn, but in 
the cellular mem^brane between them; that this 
membrane, after long maceration in hot water, re- 
tains it's original blacknefs; but that the fl<in and 
fcarf-fldn appear to be as white as thofe of other 
Men. Dr. Town, and fome others, have main- 
tained that the blood of Negroes is black, and that 
their blacknefs originates entirely from this cir- 
cumftance. Buffon feems inclined to believe this 
reafoning; having obferved that, among Eu- 
ropeans, the blood of thofe perfons who have 
tawny, yellowifh, or brown complexions, is blacker 
than that of fuch as are fairer. Barrere, who feems 
to have examined this fubjedl very minutely, tells 
us, and Winflow agrees with him, that the fcarf- 
fkin of negroes is black; and though it's extreme 
thinnefs and tranfparency may give it a white ap- 
pearaacsj 
