Portugalls _which dwell in the Kingdome of_ Longo _have sometimes Children by the_ Negroe_-women, and many times the Fathers are deceived, thinking, when the Child is Born, that it is theirs, and within two dayes it proves the Son or Daughter of a_ Negroe,_ which the_ Portugalls _greatly grieve at_; And the same person has elsewhere a Relation, which, if he have made no use at all of the liberty of a Traveller, is very well worth our Notice, since this, together with that we have formerly mention'd of Seminal Impressions, shews a possibility, that a Race of _Negroes_ might be begun, though none of the Sons of _Adam_, for many Precedent Generations were of that Complexion. For I see not why it should not be at least as possible, that White Parents may sometimes have Black Children, as that _African Negroes_ should sometimes have lastingly White ones, especially since concurrent causes may easily more befriend the Productions of the Former kind, than under the scorching Heat of _Africa_ those of the Latter. And I remember on the occasion of what he delivers, that of the White Raven formerly mention'd, the Possessor affirm'd to me, that in the Nest out of which he was taken White, they found with him but one other Young one, and that he was of as Jetty a Black as any common Raven. But let us hear our Author himself[13]; _Here are_ (sayes he, speaking of the formerly mention'd Regions) _Born in this Countrey White Children, which is very rare among them, for their Parents are_ Negroes; _And when any of them are Born, they are presented to the King, and are call'd_ Dondos; _these are as White as any White Men. These are the Kings Witches, and are brought up in Witchcraft, and alwayes wait on the King: There is no man that dare meddle with these_ Dondos, _if they go to the Market they may take what they lift, for all Men stand in awe of them. The King of_ Longo _hath four of them_. And yet this Countrey in our Globes is plac'd almost in the midst of the Torrid Zone (four or five Degrees Southward of the Line.) And our Author elsewhere tells us of the Inhabitants, that they are so fond of their Blackness, that they will not suffer any that is not of that Colour (as the _Portugalls_ that come to Trade thither) to be so much as Buri'd in their Land, of which he annexes a particular example,[14] that may be seen in his Voyage preserv'd by our Industrious Countreyman Mr. _Purchas_. But it is high time for me to dismiss Observations, and go on with Experiments. [11] _Piso_ Nat. & Med. Hist. _Brasil. lib_ 1. in fine. [12] _Purchas_ Pilgrim. Second part, Seventh Book 3. Chap. Sect 5. [13] _Purchas_. Ibid. [14] _Purchas_ Ibid. in fin _EXPERIMENT XII._