before the Babylonish captivity," If ye can "find a man, if there be any who executeth "judgement, that feeketh the truth, vandul "will pardon it." Jer. v. The prospect of a road lying open to the fame degeneracy, in fome parts of this newly-fettled land of Ame rica, in respect to our conduct toward the negroes, deeply bowed my mind in this journey; and, though, to briefly relate how the fe people are treated is no agreeable work; yet, after often reading over the notes I made as I travelled, I find my mind engaged to preserve them. Many of the white people in thofe provinces take little or no care of negro marriages; and, when negroes marry after. their own way, fome make fo little account of those marriages, that, with views of outward interest, they often part men from their wives by felling them far afunder; which is common when eftates are fold by executors at vendue, Many, whofe labour is heavy, being followed, at their business in the field, by a man with a whip, hired for that pur pofe, have, in common, little elfe allowed but one peck of Indian corn and fome falt for one week, with a few potatoes; the potatoes they commonly raife by their labour on the first day of the week. The correction, enfuing on their disobedience to overfeers, or flothfulness in business, is often very fevere, and sometimes defperate. The men and women have many times fcarce clothes enough to hide their nakedness, and boys and girls, ten and twelve years old, are often . reply to what I faid; but the query was admitted as they had altered it. As fome of their members have heretofore traded in negroes, as in other merchandize, this query, being admitted, will be one step farther than they have hitherto gone and I did not fee it my duty to press for an alteration; but felt eafy to leave it all to him, who alone is able to turn the hearts of the mighty, and make way for the fpreading of truth on the earth, by means agreeable to his infinite wisdom. But, in regard to thofe they already had, I felt my mind engaged to labour with them; and faid, that, as we believe the fcriptures: were given forth by holy men, as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft, and many of usw know by experience that they are often helpful and comfortable, and believe ourselves bound in duty to teach our children to read them, I believe that, if we were divefted of all selfish views, the fame good fpirit, that gave them forth, would engage us to teach the negroes to read, that they might have the benefit of them: fome, amongst them, at this time, manifested a concern in regard to taking more care in the education of their ne groes. On the twenty-ninth day of the fifth month, at the house where I lodged, was a meeting of minifters and elders, at the ninth hour in the morning; at which time I found an engagement to fpeak freely and plainly to them concerning their flaves; mentioning, how they, as the first rank in the fociety, whose whofe conduct in that cafe was much noticed by others, were under the ftronger obligations to look carefully to themfelves: expreffing how needful it was for them, in that fituation, to be thoroughly divested of all felfith views; that living in the pure truth, and acting confcientiously toward those people in their education and otherwife, they might be inftrumental in helping forward a work fo neceffary, and so much neglected amongst them. At the twelfth hour the meeting of worship began, which was a folid meeting. 4 On the thirtieth day, about the tenth hour, friends met to finish their business, and then the meeting for worship enfued, which to me was a laborious time; but, through the goodness of the Lord, truth, I believe, gained fome ground; and it was a ftrengthening op portunity to the honeft-hearted. About this time I wrote an epistle to friends in the back-fettlements of North Carolina, as follows: To friends at their monthly-meeting at NewGarden and Cane-Creek, in North-Caroli na. I Dear friends, T having pleased the Lord to draw me forth on a vifit to fome parts of Virginia and Carolina, you have often been in my mind; and though my way is not clear to F 2 come reply to what I faid; but the query was admitted as they had altered it. As fome of their members have heretofore traded in negroes, as in other merchandize, this query, being admitted, will be one step farther than they have hitherto gone and I did not fee it my duty to prefs for an alteration; but felt easy to leave it all to him, who alone is able to turn the hearts of the mighty, and make way for the fpreading of truth on the earth, by means agreeable to his infinite wifdom. But, in regard to those they already had, I felt my mind engaged to labour with them; and faid, that, as we believe the fcriptures: were given forth by holy men, as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft, and many of us know by experience that they are often helpful and comfortable, and believe ourselves bound in duty to teach our children to read them, I believe that, if we were divefted of all selfish views, the fame good spirit, that gave them forth, would engage us to teach the negroes to read, that they might have the benefit of them: fome, amongst them, at this time, manifefted a concern in regard to taking more care in the education of their negroes. On the twenty-ninth day of the fifth month, at the house where I lodged, was a meeting of minifters and elders, at the ninth hour in the morning; at which time I found an engagement to fpeak freely and plainly to them concerning their flaves; mentioning, how they, as the first rank in the fociety, whose whose conduct in that cafe was much noticed by others, were under the ftronger obligations to look carefully to themfelves: expreffing how needful it was for them, in that fituation, to be thoroughly divested of all selfish ith views; that living in the pure truth, and acting confcientiously toward those people in their education and otherwife, they might be inftrumental in helping forward a work fo neceffary, and fo much neglected amongst them. At the twelfth hour the meeting of worship began, which was a folid meeting. On the thirtieth day, about the tenth hour, friends met to finish their business, and then the meeting for worship enfued, which to me was a laborious time; but, through the goodness of the Lord, truth, I believe, gained fome ground; and it was a ftrengthening opportunity to the honeft-hearted. About this time I wrote an epistle to friends in the back-fettlements of North Carolina, as follows: To friends at their monthly-meeting at NewGarden and Cane-Creek, in North-Caroli na. Dear friends, IT having pleafed the L T having pleafed the Lord to draw me parts of Virginia and Carolina, you have often been in my mind; and though my way is not clear to |