THE MASCARENES 
177 
amount of Negro blood. There are Mulatto girls of 
startling fairness and great beauty, who are, however, 
easily recognized as half-castes by the crinkled hair and 
the shape of the head. 
The Mulatto is gifted, and takes revenge for his slights 
by putting himself forward on all occasions, by manifesting 
praiseworthy zeal for learning when at school, and by 
striving to attain wealth. Having succeeded in this, he 
displays an obtrusive luxury; Mulatto women strut proudly 
about in the finest Parisian toilettes, and frequent the 
streets of the cities in the most costly gold ornaments 
in order to vex the poorer Creole women. 
Boundless vanity, boasting and ambition form the lead¬ 
ing traits of these half-castes, though there are not 
wanting individuals of good and really cultured character. 
Like all immature minds they are inclined to extremes, 
and in their view the mother country would long ago 
have been ruined if it had not been kept up by the 
Mulattoes. Laxity of morals is strongly stamped upon 
them, but, in spite of this, their physical appearance is 
strikingly vigorous. 
