Page:Books from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (IA mobot31753000820123).pdf/67

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Their little ones are not black, but reddish brown when first born. From several Countries they are of a deeper or paler colour, when the same persons are paler than ordinary 'tis a sign of sickness. Their colour is heightened by anointing with Palm, or any other Oil. When a Guinea Ship comes near Jamaica with Blacks to sell, there is great care taken that the Negros should be shav'd, trim'd, and their Bodies and Hair anointed all over with Palm-Oil, which adds a great beauty to them. The Planters choose their Negros by the Country from whence they come, and their look. The Blacks from the East-Indies are fed on Flesh and Fish at Home, and therefore are not coveted, because troublesome to nourish, and those from Angola run away from their Masters, and fancy on their deaths they are going Home again, which is no lucriferous Experiment, for on hard usage they kill themselves.

When I was at Liguanee I was told that at the Plantation of Captain Hudson there was a young Woman white all over, born of a black Mother. I had the Curiosity to go and see her, and Mrs. Hudson did me the favour to send for her. She was twelve years old, and perfectly white all over, middle siz'd, broad fac'd, flat nos'd, ill favour'd, and countenanc'd like a Black. Her Hair was fair and white, but not lank like ours, or half lank, half woolly like those of Mulattos, but short, woolly, and curled like those of the Blacks in Guinea. Her Mother had been bought by Captain Hudson, on her landing in Jamaica, about eleven weeks before her delivery of this Daughter. Her Mother was perfectly black, and related that once before in Guinea, her own Country, she had been brought to Bed of a white Boy, by a black Father. 'Tis very likely the Mother might have been sold on this occasion, for as Juan dos Santos tells us that these white Children, born of black Parents, are worshipped in those parts of Ethiopia he lived in, as the Off-spring of the Gods, so in others, if my memory does not fail me, they are put to death for being reputed the Children of the Devil. I was told that in Nieves two such were born, and saw my self in England a Black, a Servant of Mr. Birds, which was mottel'd or spotted with white spots in several parts of his Body and Penis. The Skins of such are whiter than ours, and their Hair is also whiter. This is common to almost all Creatures, that the colour of the Hair is black or white as the Skin is on which it grows.

Their Physick consists for the most part in Cupping with Calabashes on the pain'd place. They first apply the Calabash with some Chips or Combustible matter burning in it, when that is pull'd off they cut the place with Scarifications, and then apply the Cupping