10
A SCHOOL HISTORY OF THE
lian, descended from Shem and settled in Southern
and Eastern Asia ; the Caucasian, descended from
Japheth and settled in Europe ; the Ethiopian, de¬
scended from Ham and settled in Africa and adja¬
cent countries. From Ham undoubtedly sprung the-
Egyptians who, in honor of Ham, their great head,
named their principal god Mammon or Ammon.
Ham was the father of Canaan, from whom de¬
scended the powerful Canaanites so troublesome to
the Jews. Cush, the oldest son of Ham, was the
father of Nimrod, " the mighty one in the earth "
and founder of the Babylonian Empire. Nimrod's
son built the unrivalled City of Nineveh in the pic¬
turesque valley of the Tigris. Unless the Bible
statement be false that " God created of one blood
all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth"
and the best historians have erred, then the origin
of the Negro is high enough to merit his proudest
boasts of the past, and arouse his grandest hopes
for the future.
The Present Condition of the African is the re¬
sult of the fall of the Egyptian empire, which was in
accord with the Bible prophecy of all nations who
forgot God and worshipped idols. That the Afri¬
cans were once a great people is shown by their
natural love for the fine arts. They are poetic by
nature, and national airs sung long ago by exploring
parties in Central Africa are still held by them, and
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