Chambers's Miscellany of Useful and Entertaining Tracts (Volume 7-8)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1845 Excerpt: ... INTELLIGENT NEGROES. MONG the large body of negroes held in a state of ) bondage, or otherwise living in a condition unfavourable to mental development, there have at various ' Jr times occurred instances of intelligence far beyond fwhat could have been expected in this unhappy and abused, or at least neglected race. In the United States of America an instance occurred during last century of a coloured man showing a remarkable skill in mathematical science. His name was Richard Banneker, and he belonged to Maryland. He was altogether self-taught, and having directed his attention to the study of astronomy, his calculations were so thorough and 'i.'!, as to excite the approbation of such men as Pitt, Fox, Wilberforce, and other eminent persons; and an almanac which be composed was produced in the House of Commons as an argument in favour of the mental cultivation of the coloured people, and of their liberation from their wretched thraldom. Elsewhere, we have presented the history of the gallant and unfortunate Toussaint L'Ouverture, a negro of St Domingo, whoso name will ever be cherished by the friends of suffering humanity, and we now lay before our readers a few sketches of the lives of coloured individuals, who, though less celebrated than Toussaint, are equally worthy of remembrance, and of being placed along with Richard Banneker. We begin with a notice of THOMAS JENKINS. Thomas Jexkixs was the son of an African king, and bore externally all the usual features of the uegro. His father reigned No. 81 I over a considerable tract of country to the east of, and, we believe, including Little Cape Mount, a part of the wide'coast of Guinea, which used to be much resorted to by British vessels for the purchase of slaves. The' negro sovereign, whom the British ...