Isaac Costa letter to Karl Pearson, about race mixing in Jamaica with reference to mulatto "just under your nose" (10/3/1908) (4)

Isaac Costa letter to Karl Pearson, about race mixing in Jamaica with reference to mulatto "just under your nose" (10/3/1908) (4)

1952. [handwritten letter continued] you must excuse its defects. If I can give you any further information, I shall be very pleased, if it lies in my power. I am busy, but I have a profound respect for hard dry facts; the only trouble being that with regard to this subject the collection of the facts is an extremely delicate & difficult matter. You will see that I cajoled a nigger constable to collect some for me; they would have fought very shy of "Doctor". With kind regards, I am Yours very truly, Isaac Costa. Confidential P.S. I write this with some hesitation, & you [underscore]must[end underscore] respect my confidence, please. Just under your nose, there is a man with a distinct dash of the negro race in him. I do not know if he is a friend of yours; he was once kind to me & I am not ungrateful. His father was a doctor of Laws of an American University, he himself is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, and an F.R.S. has much made his mark in the pathological world. You will notice the coarse thick negroid lips, the straight hard eyebrows, the incisive manner, and the presumptive temper, with the short stiff moustache which twitches at the ends when he wants to be cynical. I presume that he poses as an Englishman. Find him out, you can see him twice a week at U.C.L. but [underscore]don't[end underscore] give me away, or you may do me harm. Study him. [end]

  • ID: 11867
  • Source: DNALC.EA