occasion of blushing, if we are not hardened to every sense of shame, rather than a palliation of our iniquitous conduct; as it will appear that the slavery endured in Guinea, and other parts of Africa, and in Asia,[A] is by no means so grievous as that in our colonies.  William Moor, speaking of the natives living on the river Gambia,[B] says, “Tho’ some of the Negroes have many house slaves, which are their greatest glory; that those slaves live so well and easy, that it is sometimes a hard matter to know the slaves from their masters or mistresses.  And that though in some parts of Africa they sell their slaves born in the family, yet on the river Gambia they think it a very wicked thing.”  The author adds, “He never heard of but one that ever sold a family slave, except for such crimes as they would have been sold for if they had been free.”  And in Astley’s collection, speaking of the customs of the Negroes in that large extent of country further down the coast, particularly denominated the coast of Guinea, it is said,[C] “They have not many slaves on the coast; none but the King or nobles are permitted to buy or sell any; so that they are allowed only what are necessary for their families, or tilling the ground.”  The same author adds, “That they generally use their slaves well, and seldom correct them.”

[Footnote A:  In the history of the piratical states of Barbary, printed in 1750, said to be wrote by a person who resided at Algiers, in a public character, at page 265 the author says, “The world exclaims against the Algerines for their cruel treatment of their slaves, and their employing even tortures to convert them to mahometism:  but this is a vulgar error, artfully propagated for selfish views.  So far are their slaves from being ill used, that they must have committed some very great fault to suffer any punishment.  Neither are they forced to work beyond their strength, but rather spared, lest they should fall sick.  Some are so pleased with their situation, that they will not purchase their ransom, though they are able.”  It is the same generally through the Mahometan countries, except in some particular instances, as that of Muley Ishmael, late Emperor of Morocco, who being naturally barbarous, frequently used both his subjects and slaves with cruelty.  Yet even under him the usage the slaves met with was, in general, much more tolerable than that of the Negroe slaves in the West Indies.  Captain Braithwaite, an author of credit, who accompanied consul general Russel in a congratulatory ambassy to Muley Ishmael’s successor, upon his accession to the throne, says, “The situation of the christian slaves in Morocco was not near so bad as represented.—­That it was true they were kept at labour by the late Emperor, but not harder than our daily labourers go through.—­Masters of ships were never obliged to work, nor such as had but a small matter of money to give the Alcaide.—­When sick, they had a religious house appointed for them