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r patriarchs. The law of
retaliation obtained almost universally with us as with them: and even
their religion appeared to have shed upon us a ray of its glory,
though broken and spent in its passage, or eclipsed by the cloud with
which time, tradition, and ignorance might have enveloped it; for we
had our circumcision (a rule I believe peculiar to that people:) we
had also our sacrifices and burnt-offerings, our washings and
purifications, on the same occasions as they had.

As to the difference of colour between the Eboan Africans and the
modern Jews, I shall not presume to account for it. It is a subject
which has engaged the pens of men of both genius and learning, and is
far above my strength. The most able and Reverend Mr. T. Clarkson,
however, in his much admired Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the
Human Species, has ascertained the cause, in a manner that at once
solves every objection on that account, and, on my mind at least, has
produced the fullest conviction. I shall therefore refer to that
performance for the theory[H], contenting myself with extracting a
fact as related by Dr. Mitchel[I]. "The Spaniards, who have inhabited
America, under the torrid zone, for any time, are become as dark
coloured as our native Indians of Virginia; of which _I myself have
been a witness_." There is also another instance[J] of a Portuguese
settlement at Mitomba, a river in Sierra Leona; where the inhabitants
are bred from a mixture of the first Portuguese discoverers with the
natives, and are now become in their complexion, and in the woolly
quality of their hair, _perfect negroes_, retaining however a
smattering of the Portuguese language.

These instances, and a great many more which might be adduced, while
they shew how the complexions of the same persons vary in different
climates, it is hoped may tend also to remove the prejudice that some
conceive against the natives of Africa on account of their colour.
Surely the minds of the Spaniards did not change with their
complexions! Are there not causes enough to which the apparent
inferiority of an African may be ascribed, without limiting the
goodness of God, and supposing he forbore to stamp understanding on
certainly his own image, because "carved in ebony." Might it not
naturally be ascribed to their situation? When they come among
Europeans, they are ignorant of their language, religion, manners, and
customs. Are any pains taken to teach them these? Are they treated as
men? Does not slavery itself depress the mind, and extinguish all its
fire and every noble sentiment? But, above all, what advantages do not
a refined people possess over those who are rude and uncultivated. Let
the polished and haughty European recollect that his ancestors were
once, like the Africans, uncivilized, and even barbarous. Did Nature
make _them_ inferior to their sons? and should _they too_ have been
made slaves? Every rational mind answers, No. Let such reflections as
these melt the pride of their superiority into sympathy for the wants
and miseries of their sable brethren, and compel them to acknowledge,
that understanding is not confined to feature or colour. If, when they
look round the world, they feel exultation, let it be tempered with
benevolence to others, and gratitude to God, "who hath made of one
blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth[K];
and whose wisdom is not our wisdom, neither are our ways his ways."

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote A: See Benezet's "Account of Guinea" throughout.]

[Footnote B: When I was in Smyrna I have frequently seen the Greeks
dance after this manner.]

[Footnote C: The bowl is earthen, curiously figured, to which a long
reed is fixed as a tube. This tube is sometimes so long as to be born
by one, and frequently out of grandeur by two boys.]

[Footnote D: When I was in Smyrna I saw the same kind of earth, and
brought some of it with me to England; it resembles musk in strength,
but is more delicious in scent, and is not unlike the smell of a
rose.]

[Footnote E: See Benezet's Account of Africa throughout.]

[Footnote F: See also Leut. Matthew's Voyage, p. 123.]

[Footnote G: An instance of this kind happened at Montserrat in the
West Indies in the year 1763. I then belonged to the Charming Sally,
Capt. Doran.--The chief mate, Mr. Mansfield, and some of the crew
being one day on shore, were present at the burying of a poisoned
negro girl. Though they had often heard of the circumstance of the
running in such cases, and had even seen it, they imagined it to be a
trick of the corpse-bearers. The mate therefore desired two of the
sailors to take up the coffin, and carry it to the grave. The sailors,
who were all of the same opinion, readily obeyed; but they had
scarcely raised it to their shoulders, before they began to run
furiously about, quite unable to direct themselves, till, at last,
without intention, they came to the hut of him who had poisoned the
girl. The coffin then immediately fell from their shoulders against
the hut, and damaged part of the wall. The owner of the hut was taken
into custody on this, and confessed the poisoning.--I give this story
as it was related by the mate and crew on their return to the ship.
The credit which is due to it I leave with the reader.]

[Footnote H: Page 178 to 216.]

[Footnote I: Philos. Trans. Nº 476, Sect. 4, cited by Mr. Clarkson, p.
205.]

[Footnote J: Same page.]

[Footnote K: Acts, c. xvii. v. 26.]

CHAP. II.

 _The author's birth and parentage--His being kidnapped with
 his sister--Their separation--Surprise at meeting again--Are
 finally separated--Account of the different places and
 incidents the author met with till his arrival on the
 coast--The effect the sight of a slave ship had on him--He
 sails for the West Indies--Horrors of a slave ship--Arrives
 at Barbadoes, where the cargo is sold and dispersed._

I hope the reader will not think I have trespassed on his
patience in introducing myself to him with some account of the manners
and customs of my country. They had been implanted in me with great
care, and made an impression on my mind, which time could not erase,
and which all the adversity and variety of fortune I have since
experienced served only to rivet and record; for, whether the love of
one's country be real or imaginary, or a lesson of reason, or an
instinct of nature, I still look back with pleasure on the first
scenes of my life, though that pleasure has been for the most part
mingled with sorrow.

I have already acquainted the reader with the time and place of my
birth. My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which
seven lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the
only daughter. As I was the youngest of the sons, I became, of course,
the greatest favourite with my mother, and was always with her; and
she used to take particular pains to form my mind. I was trained up
from my earliest years in the art of war; my daily exercise was
shooting and throwing javelins; and my mot

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