Question

"Such is the Old Town of Manchester, and on re-reading my description, I am forced to admit that instead of being exaggerated, it is far from black enough to convey a true impression of the filth, ruin, and uninhabitableness, the defiance of all considerations of cleanliness, ventilation, and health which characterise the construction of this single district, containing at least twenty to thirty thousand inhabitants."

How does Engels characterize his description of the city? I don't understand what he means when he says "far from black"

Answer 1

The word "black" in this context refers to the soot from the factories' chimneys, which coated the streets and buildings so that what may have been red (brick) to start with, slowly turns black because of the soot.