Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-08-11
afltstellanp.
An Amusing Tradition.

ILL G4AAOAA0 - ASNAbAOns
The unity of the human race has ever been
question of multiplied discussion for the last
three centuries, and many books have been
published upon it, mainly by that class that
have been trained to believe it, and are tena-
cious in believing, that all the races of men
are sprung from single pair. These gene
rally labor to show that the black and copper
color of races have gradually acquired their
hue from climate causes, and from peculiar
habits, operating through great length Of
time, thus assuming that the original race was
white. have recently learned that the Afri-
can view Of the question is quite different, and
the negro version of Genesis makes Adam and
Eve, at birth, black. AS an important link in
the concatenation of conjectursl scientifcs,
furnish the item.
A paper just received from Paris, printed on
the 37th of December, 1852, contains the ac-
count of visit made by traveller to one OF
the voluntary associations or clubs of the Af-
rican race in Peru, called cOnfradius, where
the negroes enjoy themselves on Sunday, in
contemplation of their natural and traditional
ideas, which they preserve in their literal in
tegrity.
On one Of these occasions Mandingo sage
thus recounted the dispersion of the sons Of
Noah, whom he depicted as black man, and
the father of the human race
"Know, then, that the first man was black
His sons were three in number, and they were
black like their father"
The patriarch drawing towards his end, as
sembled his progeny, and said to them
Children, my life is drawing to a close
and we shall soon be separated. The hour is
come for me to reveal to you the wonderful
power of cistern, which am going to oper
to you. He of you that will plunge into it
may come forth with complete transforms
ton. You are free, from this moment, tC
make the trial of it,
The three brothers consulted together, and
the eldest, probably Ham, decided on living
under the same form, and with the same robe
as his father.
Shem initiated the example of his eldest
brother, but Japhet, who already seemed tc
feel in his bosom that rising boldness which
he has transmitted to his descendants, plunged
resolutely into the miraculous cistern.
The metamorphose was immediate, and he
reappeared to the astOnished eyes of his elder
sian youth.
A duet of recriminaton was immediately
raised against Noah, during which the wate
in the cistern began to decrease with quite a
strange rapidity.
Shem then changed his mind, and leaving
Ham to choose his own part, he descended in
his turn to the nearly dried up water, took 9
handful Of the soft mud and rubbed his body
This simple lotion sufficed to change the dark
ebony of his skin to yellow color.
At the sight of this, Ham precipitated him
self at one bound to the bottom of the cistern,
alighting on his hands and feet, and there ex-
hausted himself in efforts to drink one drop Of
the miraculous water.
But, alas the earth dried up in his grasp,
and only the soles of his feet, the palms of his
hands and his thick lips retained the envied
color of Japhet.
" Barberous father - cried he, in his usual
pathos, " could you not tell meme your eld-
est born, what virtue these waters concealed,
and what advantage would result to me from
their contact! How shall live now, by the
side of my brothers, for whom am to be an
object of disdain.''
Thus did Ham pour forth his grief, which
seemed to take new recrudescence Of tone,
his piteous looks fell on the surface which the
moistened earth had whitened.
The paternal bowels were moved, and he
said
+" You are going once more to be the arbi-
ter of your own destiny God has given me
the power of distribution among you three
gifts, namely-riches, independence and ge-
MUS. leave you the first choice as my first
born"
Alas ! who was it that erred again 1t
was poor Ham. He chose gold, Shem inde-
pendence, and Japhet joined to his beautiful
form, genius, which enabled him to rule all of
his elders.-N. Church Messenger.