The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 8 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 8 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
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 child-bed, 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
Colonel 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, of Albemarle. A sixth
instance is a women the property of a Mr. Butler, near Petersburg.
She is stout and robust, has issue a daughter, jet black,
by a black man. I am not informed as to her eye-sight. The
seventh instance is of a male belonging to a Mr. Lee of Cumberland.
His eyes are tremulous and weak. He is tall of stature,
and now advanced in years. He is the only male of the Albinos
which have come within my information. Whatever be the
cause of the disease in the skin, or in its coloring matter, which
produces this change, it seems more incident to the female than
male sex. To these I may add the mention of a negro man
within my own knowledge, born black, and of black parents;
on whose chin, when a boy, a white spot appeared. This continued
to increase till he became a man, by which time it had
extended over his chin, lips, one cheek, the under jaw, and neck
on that side. It is of the Albino white, without any mixture of
red, and has for several years been stationary. He is robust and
healthy, and the change of color was not accompanied with any
sensible disease, either general or topical.
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