The villages, towns, and cities, many of them, being a credit to the
people. Their cities were well laid out, and presented evidence of
educated minds and mechanical ingenuity. In many of the workshops in
which they went, they found skillful workmen, in iron, copper, brass,
steel, and gold; and their implements of husbandry and war, were as well
manufactured by African sons of toil, as any in the English
manufactories, save that they had not quite so fine a finish, garnish
and embellishment. This is a description, given of the industry and
adaptedness of the people of Africa, to labor and toil of every kind. As
it was very evident, that where there were manufactories of various
metals, the people must of necessity be inured to mining operations, so
it was also very evident, that this people must be a very hardy and
enduring people.

In 1442, fifty years previous to the sailing of Columbus in search of a
new world, Anthony Gonzales, Portuguese, took from the gold coast of
Guinea, ten Africans and a quantity of gold dust, which he carried back
to Lisbon with him. These Africans were set immediately to work in the
gardens of the emperor, which so pleased his queen, that the number were
much augmented, all of whom were found to be skillful and industrious in
agriculture.

In 1481, eleven years prior to the discovery by Columbus, the Portuguese
built a fort on the Gold Coast, and there commenced mining in search of
gold. During this time until the year 1502, a period of ten years, had
there been no other evidence, there was sufficient time and opportunity,
to give full practical demonstrations of the capacity of this people to
endure toil, especially in the mining operations, and for this cause and
this alone, were they selected in preference to any other race of men,
to do the labor of the New World. They had proven themselves physically