A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade: Addressed to the freeholders and other inhabitants of YorkshireWilberforce, William
History
A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade: Addressed to the freeholders and other inhabitants of Yorkshire
Wilberforce, William
Antislavery movements -- Great Britain; Slave trade -- Great Britain
Although some of them be surly and proud, yet in general they carry
themselves very friendly towards strangers; being of a mild
conversation, courteous, affable, and easy to be overcome with reason,
yet inclined to drink, especially Spanish wine and brandy. In
conversation, they discover great quickness of parts and understanding,
delivering themselves with so much sense and humour, that the most
knowing persons take delight in hearing them.—(p. 247.)
The Negroes at Whidah are so industrious, that no spot of land, except
what is naturally barren, escapes planting, though even within the
inclosures of their villages and houses.—(p. 8.)
The soil is so fruitful, that as soon as one harvest is over, the ground
is sowed with some other grain, so that they have two or three crops in
a year. (p. 8.)
Captain Stibbs, about 1724.—The Foleys are a cleanly, decent,
industrious people, very affable.—(p. 199.)
Moore’s Travels.—Their form of government goes on easily, because the
people are of a quiet, good disposition, and so well instructed in what
is just and right, that a man who does ill is the abomination of all.
Their humanity extends to all, but they are doubly kind to their own
race; so that if one of them be made a Slave, all the Fûli will join to
redeem him. And as they have plenty of food, they never suffer any of
their own nation to want, but support the old, the blind, and the lame;
and, as far as their ability goes, supply the wants of the Mandingoes,
great numbers of whom they have maintained in famines. They rarely are
angry; yet this mildness does not proceed from want of courage, for they
are as brave a people as any in Africa.
Winterbottom’s Travels, about 1796, &c. &c.—The Foolas impart to leather
a red colour, equal to that of morocco in beauty; and by steeping it,
they obtain a beautiful shining black. Another class of men are equally
celebrated as blacksmiths; besides making every kind of necessary
utensil, they inlay the handles, and chase the blades of swords, &c.
with great neatness, and they make a variety of elegant fancy ornaments
for the women, out of pieces of gold and silver dollars. A considerable
degree of ingenuity in the arts with which they are acquainted must be
allowed to all these nations, and is evident in the construction of
their houses, and the formation of a variety of domestic and
agricultural utensils. With the rudest instruments, they form canoes
from a single tree, capable of carrying eight or ten tons; their mats
shew much neatness and ingenuity, &c. &c.—(p. 91, 92.)
They have various substitutes for hemp and flax, of which they make
fishing-lines and nets, equal in strength and durability to those of
Europeans.—(p. 93.)
They make earthen pots fit for every domestic use. (p. 94.)
I have been often gratified by observing the strength and tenderness of
the attachment subsisting between mothers and sons.—(p. 152.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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