estors 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
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