354 
in 1792, at about the age of 38 years, 
began to change from a black to white 
complexion. I think the Yaéts are fo 
extraordinary, as to merit prefervation ; 
and that this purpofe will be no’ where 
better anfwered, than by giving an 
abridged fiate of them a place in your 
ufeful Repofitory. They are as follow : 
In July, 1796, Henry Moss came 
to Philadelphia, and oe to Virgi- 
ma in November following. He pro- 
duced a certificate, ‘of which the follow- 
ing is a copy : 
“<I do hereby certify, that I have 
«© been well acquainted with HENRY 
« Mo aS who is the bearer hereof, up- 
« wards of thirty years ; the whole of 
& which time, he has fupported an ho- 
“ net character. In the late war, he 
& enlifted Sane me in the continental 
<¢ army, as a Le and nabaree him- 
«: felf very well as fuch. From the firft 
Oot tay eee aha niaeee with him, till 
s within two ort ears paft, he was 
“<of as dark a con eee as any Afri- 
‘¢ can; an d, without any known caufe, 
6 it has changed to what it is at prefent. 
a He was iree-born, and ferved his 
<¢ time with major Te Brint, late of 
« Charlotte county. Given under my 
«¢ hand, the 2d of Seprember, 1794. 
ts JosePu Hott, Bédiord county.” 
ily 
Efe was alfo perfonal 
ral of the other officers of fe regiment 
in which he ferved, who safierted, that 
he was then black, and that there was no 
reafon to queftion his veracity. When 
at Philadelphia, the prefident (W afaing- 
ton) faw ban: as weil as many erhers, 
whofe notice of him was attraGed iy the 
fingulerity of the cafe. He appeared to 
be a modef, well-behaved man, and the 
clear pertinent manner in which he 
anfwered their various queftions, left 
them in no dcubi of the truth of fuch 
arts of his {tory as refted on his own 
oe Being atked a great many, tend= 
to difcover whether the change had 
es effected by any alteration in his 
mode of life or dict, of his health, of 
cutaneous diforders, or remedies ufed for 
their removal, or any othér phyfical 
caufe ? ncthingappeared to account for it. 
He has all the features common to the 
African, though not fo ftrongly marked. 
His fiature is about five feet fix inches; 
his age 42 years. On his face, from the 
roots of his hair, on the finciput, about 
one inch in breadth, extending by his 
right ear, with increafe of breadth under 
his chin, and upwards, to within two 
Remarkable Change of an African’ s Complexisite 
* 
[ May, 
inches of the left ear, is perfeétly fair 
as any European. From the eye-lids, 
above both eyes, the African complexion 
has entirely difappeared. For nearly 
one inch in latitude, under the right eye; 
there is a {mall white ftreak ; and under 
the leit eye, a broader one. "Around his 
mouth, is a fireak of white, fhaded by 
another remaining ftreak of black, reach- 
ing nearly to the “chin, under which, all 
ound his neck, he ey a very fair Euyo- 
pean complexion. e lines dividing 
the black from the whee. are not regu- 
larly defined, but indented and infulated, 
the borders appearing as iflands and pe- 
niniulas, as are Fepre on the chart 
of a fea coaft. The whole of his breaft, 
arms, and legs, fi far as it was decent to 
expofe them to a mixed company, were 
of a clear Enropess cOmpLaIae inter- 
fperfed with {mall fpecks» of hisoriginal 
pea as freckles on the fkin ofa fair 
yoman appear in fummer. The backs 
i palms of bis hands are alfo pertectly 
fair; but on their fides, from. the wrifts 
to the ends of his thumbs and hogers, 
there are ftripes of black ; and on the 
cutfides of his thumbs and fingers, there 
are {pots of it. But, generally. berween 
the limbs, and poeaee {kin meets fkin, 
and is covered by cloth: Ags the change 
is perfect from the colour of an African, 
to that of a fair European; and it was 
believed, that the whole of the former, 
then remaining, if accurately meafured, 
would not amount to ove (quare foo. His 
haix is undergoing a fimilar change, from 
the black crifpy wool -of the African, te 
the foft curly hair of an European, where~ 
ever the colour of the fkin is altered; 
and in the white parts, it is become foft 
and long, inftead of harth and fhort— 
Upon prefling his fkin with a finger, the 
pate preffed appeared white; and’on re- 
moval of the preffure, the difplaced blood 
mifhed back, fuffufing the part with red, 
exactly as in the care of an European, in 
like circumftances; and his veins, and 
their ramifications, had the fame appear- 
ance. Inthe borders ot the two colours, 
there appeared no difcontinuity, or fiffure, 
in the external furface of the fkin; and 
it feemed evident, that the change was 
not occafioned by the cafting off the epi- 
dermis, but by the diffolution of the rere 
mucofum, between the dermis and ¢pi- 
dermis: {othat he was not fenfible of the 
leaft obftru€tion, on the paflage of a ra- 
zor from the black to the white, or 
from the white to the black parts of his 
face. | 
He 
