16 The Natural Hiftory of the Book I. 
not only fafcinate them, but cure them when they are bewitched by ren 
Their Su- And if once a Negro believes, that he is bewitched, the Notion is foftrongly 
rftition, ay Pa 2 cae ine : 
m" tiveted in his Mind, that, Medicines {eldom availing, he ufually lingers 
till (21) Death puts an End to his Fears, : 
The Capacities of their Minds in the common Affairs of Life are but 
little inferior, if at all, to thofe of the Europeans. If they fail in fome 
Arts, it may be owing more to their Want of Education, and the De- 
preflion of their Spirits by Slavery, than to. any Want of natural Abili- 
ties; for an higher Degree of improved Knowlege in any Occupation 
would not much alter their Condition for the better. 
That Slavery not only deprefles, but almoft brutalizes human Nature, 
is evident from the low and abje@ State of the prefent Grecians, when 
compared with their learned and glorious Anceftors. 
Our Slaves, in their Mirth and Diverfions, differ according to the feve- 
ral Cuftoms of fo many Nations intermixed : However, all agree in this 
Their Cu- One univerfal Cuftom of adorning their Bodies, by wearing Strings of 
ftom of — Beads of various Colours, intermixed fometimes by the richer fort of 
wearing 5 : ot ee 
Strings of Houfe Negroes with Pieces of Money. Thefe Beads are in great Num- 
pee Se bers twined round their Arms, Necks, and Legs. This Cuftom is not 
and Arms. peculiar to the Inhabitants of Africa ; for we find it by the moft antient 
Account to be common in all Eaftern Nations, efpecially among the 
Fewifb Women, as early as the Patriarchal Age: And their Fondnefs for 
thefe Ornaments came at laft to fo great Excels, that we find it among 
the Crimes reproved by the Prophet L/aiah. 
That they were likewife in Ufe among the Greeks, is evident from a 
Piece of Painting of above Seventeen hundred Years old, now in the 
curious Collection of Dr. Mead, where the Graces are reprefented in a 
Dance, having their Legs adorned with Bracelets, : iti 
Thefe Slaves, in fome of their rude Dances to (22) Mufic ftill ruder, 
ufe Gefticulations very unfeemly and wanton ; at. other times, they have 
eu -a. fort 
Water, they drink it, imprecating the divine Vengenace to infi@ an immediate Punifhment upon them ; 
but in particular, that the Water and mingled Grave-duft which they have drank (if they are guilty of 
the Crime) may caufe them to fwell, and their Bellies to burft. Mott of them are fo firmly perfuaded that 
it will-have this Effect upon the Guilty, that few, if any (provided they are confcious of the imputed 
Crime), will put the Proof of their Innocency upon the Experiment. This Cuftom, with the Ufe of Brace- 
lets, and the Circumcifion of fome Nations of Negroes, are the almoft only Inftances of this kind, wherein 
T find that thefe Inhabitants of Africa agree with the former ews, except that they likewife, in faluting their 
Friends and Acquaintance, often call them bythe Name of Brothers: This feems to be analogous -to the 
Cuftom of the antient Fews, who included Confanguinity, as well as Fraternity, in that Relation, We are 
Brethren, fays Abraham.to Lot ; whereas he was only his Nephew. So Facob told Rachel, that he was her 
Father’s Brcther. ‘The wearing of Ear-rings among the richeft of the Negroes, is likewife agreeable 
to the Cuftoms of fome of the antient Fews and Carthaginians : The former we find breaking their Far 
rings to make the molten Calf: and Plautus, in his Play called Penulum, taking notice of fome Ge 
thaginian Slaves, fays, that their Hands fhould be without Fingers ; one would think, becaufe they wore their 
Rings, in their Ears Re ep a O 
(21), When thefe Negroes die a natural Death, or efpecially when they deftroy themfel i 
that they fhall return to their own Country. It would be too grofs to patie Ghee they bee i Beal 
and to live there in their mortal Bodies : Therefore. we muft conclude, that they have fome Notion of th 
Immortality of the Soul ; and what they mean by their own Country is, that they fhall, after this Lif . 
enjoy the Company of their Friends and Relations in another World. rae “Ke, 
(22) The Inftruments they generally make ufe of in their Dances, are a Banjau, a Gambay,.and a 
Drum, which they likewife call a Pump. ‘The latter is made of an hollow Trunk of 
Feet high, and about a Foot in Diameter, the Dimenfions of the Whole, more or et ees phon Np 
over 
