The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United StatesDelany, Martin Robison
History
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States
Delany, Martin Robison
African Americans
It is notorious, that in the planting States, the blacks themselves are
the only skillful cultivators--the proprietor knowing little or nothing
about the art, save that which he learns from the African husbandman,
while his ignorant white overseer, who is merely there to see that the
work is attended to, knows a great deal less. Tobacco, cotton, rice,
hemp, indigo, the improvement in Indian corn, and many other important
products, are all the result of African skill and labor in this country.
And the introduction of the zigzag, or "Virginia Worm Fence," is purely
of African origin. Nor was their skill as herdsmen inferior to their
other attainments, being among the most accomplished trainers and
horsemen in the world. Indeed, to this class of men may be indebted the
entire country for the improvement South in the breed of horses. And any
one who has travelled South, could not fail to have observed, that all
of the leading trainers, jockies, and judges of horses, as well as
riders, are men of African descent.
In speaking of the Bornouese, a people from among whom a great many
natives have been enslaved by Arabian traders, and sold into foreign
bondage, and of course many into this country, "It is said that Bornou
can muster 15,000 Shonaas in the field mounted. They are the greatest
breeders of cattle in the country, and annually supply Soudan with from
two to three thousand horses."... "Our road lying along one of them,
gave me an excellent view of beautiful villages all round, and herds of
cattle grazing in the open country."... "Plantations of cotton or indigo
now occupy the place where the houses formerly stood."... "The Souga
market is well supplied with every necessary and luxury in request among
the people of the interior." "The country still open and well
cultivated, and the villages numerous. We met crowds of people coming
from Karro with goods. Some carried them on their heads, others had
asses or bullocks, according to their wealth."... "The country still
highly cultivated."... "We also passed several walled towns, quite
deserted, the inhabitants having been sold by their conquerors, the
Felatohs." "Women sat spinning cotton by the road side, offering for
sale to the passing caravans, gussub water, roast-meat, sweet potatoes,
coshen nuts," &c. (_Dunham and Clapperton's Travels and Discoveries in
North and Central Africa_, vol. 2, pp. 140, 230, 332, 333, 353.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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