The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1863-10-23


ca, where they built many cities. and spread
themselves over those vast regions which
reach to the strait" s"-of Gibraltar. 1t is
manifest from this "quotation," and from
those authors, that those fugitive Canaanites
settled on the northern coast of Africa, bor-
dering on the Mediterranean Sea,-called the
I-Barbary coast But this whole district Of
country had been before that time peopled by
the descendants of Phut, son of Ham.
The 'Elder," suppose, would have us in
fer, that these fugitive Canaanites penetrated,
from the northern sea coast of Africa, into the
interior of that continent; and that the various
tribes of negroes-peopled with black skins
and woolly heads"-who inhabit those ar
dent regions, are the descendants Of the
Oanaanites." 1t was necessary to his posi-
tion-to assure, and infer this-as those
regions alone, are the proper habitations of
the negroes. But his assumption is not proc
ed and the Inference (that the interior of
Africa was peopled by /" fugitive Canaanites"
from the northern shores of that continent) is
of so violent a character, as to render its ab-
Surdity quite apparent. .
There is belt of fertile land, stretching
from Egypt on the east to the Straits of Glib
ralter on the west, lin which are situated
Barca, Tripoli, Tunis, Algeria &C., and
bounded on the north by the Mediterranean,
and on the south by vast ocean of sand called
the Great DeSert-one thousand miles wide
| ond +brao 4bousond ,,,;Iae Ionm ax+opd;n r
from Egypt entirely across the Continent to
the Atlantic Ocean. 1t is not probable that
the interior Of Africa was peopled from those
Northern Coasts by the way of or across this
fiery desert, whose loose and burning sands
are said to be driven about by the winds like
the waves of the ocean. The natural approach
into the interior of Africa is through Egypt.
And the descendants of Noah, in their emil
grations ,cesta0ard from the "plain of Shinar,"
into Africa, came first into Egypt and thence
up the Nile into the interior of that Cont
nent, to avoid the Great Libyan Desert.
Long before had seen the "Letter" of the
Glider had read the account of those fugi-
tive Canaanites settling on the northern
shores of Africa, with the addition that bricks
or tiles had been discovered in those regions,
with ancient characters upon them, which,
when translated stated, in substance, that they
were the people who fed from the Land of
Canaan upon the invasion thereof by Joshua.
But the account l read did not 60 quite SO far
as to say that those fugitives were negroes, or
the ancestors of negroes-men with "black
skins and woolly heads"
Heroditus, in his second book-Euterpe-
Sec. xxxII, relates an account which he re-
ceived from certain Cyran@ans, Of certain
Nassamonians, ia people of Africa, who in
habited the Syrtes,) having signalized them
selves by the extraordinary conduct of ex-
ploring the latitudes of the Libyan Desert.
He informs us that The young men left their
companions, being well provided with water
and with food, and first proceeded through
the region which was inhabited they next
came to that which was infested with wild
beasts, leaving which they directed their
course westward, through the desert. After
a journey of many days, over barren and
sandy soil, they at length discovered some
trees growing in plain; these they approach
ed, and seeing fruit uponthem, they gathered
it, Whilst they were thus employed, some
men of dwarfsh stature came where they
were, seized their persons, and carried them
away. They were mutually ignorant of each
others language; but the Nassamonians were
conducted over many marshy grounds to
city in which all the inhabitants were of the
same diminutive appearance, and ''of a black
color !" and that ''the men whom they had
met were all magicaas.
Now, if this story be true, it proves t,oo
things-frst that the Nassdmonidns-inha
iting a country in Africa to the west of Tri-
poll, on the shores of the Mediterranean, were
not black; and secondly, that the people who
inhabited the interior of Africa, beyond the
great desert, lcere black.
We have not often heard of emigrations
from the shores of the Mediterranean across
the great desert, into the interior of Africa
and yet we are to infer all this before we can
convert the descendants of these fugitive Ca
naanites into negroes, with ''woolly heads" !"
But what became of those Canaanites who
emigrated into Europe and who remained in
the land of Canaan-and whom the Israelites
did not, and Z" could not drive out?" Did
those Canaanites become negroes-having
"black skins and woolly hcadsg" If FIVE look
at the present inhabitantS of the land of
Canaan-many of whom are probably descen-
dants of the Canaanites-and doubtless of
the same color, and of the same generick
character as the ancient inhabitants, a solu-
ton may be had of this question. And if the
descendants of the Canaanites" inhabit
Europe-and yet inhabit the land of Canaan
it may be asked which of the sons of Ca
manor families of the Canaanites have had
the miraculous ''attestation" of the Divine
curse--by being changed" into negroes
with "black skins and woolly heads ?" And
are only those descendants of Canaan" who
are negroes-with ''black skins and woolly
heads" to be enslaved, or held in bondage
forever and ever?" And would ask, in
n