Page:Notes on the State of Virginia (1802).djvu/111

To this catalogue of our indigenous animals, I will add a ſhort account of an anomaly of nature, taking place ſometimes in the race of negroes brought from Africa, who, though black themſelves, have, in rare inſtances, white children, called Albinos. I have known four of theſe myſelf, and have faithful accounts of three others. The circumſtances in which all the individuals agree are theſe. They are of a pallid cadaverous white, untinged with red, without any colored ſpots or ſeams; their hair of the ſame kind of white, ſhort, coarſe, and curled as is that of the negro; all of them well formed, ſtrong, healthy, perfect in their ſenſes, except that of ſight, and born of parents who had no mixture of white blood. Three of theſe Albinos were ſiſters, having two other full ſiſters, who were black. The youngeſt of the three was killed by lightning, at twelve years of age. The eldeſt died at about 27 years of age, in childbed, with her ſecond child. The middle one is now alive in health, and has iſſue, as the eldeſt had, by a black man, which iſſue was black. They are uncommonly ſhrewd, quick in their apprehenſions and in reply. Their eyes are in a perpetual tremulous vibration, very weak, and much affected by the ſun: but they ſee much better in the night than we do. They are of the property of Col. Skipwith, of Cumberland. The fourth is a negro woman, whoſe parents came from Guinea, and had three other children, who were of their own color. She is freckled, her eye-ſight ſo weak that ſhe is obliged to wear a bonnet in the ſummer; but it is better in the night than day. She had an Albino child by a black man. It died at the age of a few weeks. Theſe were the property of Col. Carter,