RETURNING to his lodgings, he could not
help reflecting by the way, that probably poor
Teague, mortified by repeated disappointments, in
going to Congress, being suffered to preach, or be a
member of the Philosophical society; and what might
afflict him still more, the not marrying the rich hostess,
who had made him overtures, might, in his
despair of ever coming forward in any respectable
capacity in life, have suspended himself from a
beam, or plunged into the river, and have put an end
to his existence, which, should it be the case, being
in some measure accessary to this catastrophe of the
bog-trotter, by dissuading from these several pretensions,
he could not acquit himself of guilt; at all
events, he would feel great pain and sorrow.

Such were his reflections for a great part of this
day, and he had thought of putting an advertisement
in the paper, to know if any dead body had been

[figure description] Page 149.[end figure description]

lately discovered, or inquisition held on a young
man with red hair, and a long leg, who had been
missing some days, and was supposed to have hung
or drowned himself. But in the evening, meditating
thus, mention being made by some of the lodgers,
of going to hear the annual oration, delivered
before the Philosophical Society, by a member, it
struck his mind, that possibly Teague, falling in
with some of this body, had been induced by them
to take a seat, and might be present on that occasion.
Not hesitating, therefore, he seconded the proposal
of going, and offered to be of the party.

Coming to the hall, the philosophers were seated,
but a black member sat with a taper before him,
who, it seems, was to deliver the oration.

The fact was this: A gentleman of Maryland, of
the name of Gorum, had sent to the society, some
time before, a curiosity, found by one of his negroes
in the mud of Wye river, on the banks of which his
seat was. It appeared to be a stone, with a cavity
sufficient to receive a man's foot, and was adjudged
by the society to be an Indian's petrified moccasin.
The singularity of the discovery, well intitling the
gentleman to a seat, he was invited; but sending his
compliments, he gave them to understand, that Cuff,
(for that was the name of the negro) was more intitled
to that honour than he was, being the person
who had found the curiosity; and as he made it a
point to do his slaves justice in any perquisite of their
own, he could not think of robbing one, on this occasion
of any honour, to which he might be introduced
by this discovery.

The society approved his honesty and fair dealing,
and by unanimous ballot, admitted the negro, who,
having been a member some time, had been appointed
to pronounce the annual oration. Cuff, a good

[figure description] Page 150.[end figure description]

deal disconcerted in hearing of the task imposed upon
him, had applied to his master to know what to
say. Colonel Gorum attending a good deal to literary
matters, had heard of an oration delivered before
the society, the object of which was, to prove
that the Africans had been once white, had sharp
noses, and long hair; but that by living in sun-burnt
climates, the skin had changed colour, the hair become
frizzled, and in the course of generation, the
imagination of the mother, presenting obtruse objects,
had produced an offspring with flat noses. He
therefore gave Cuff to understand, that it would be
doing no more than justice to his countrymen, for he
was a Guinea negro if he should avail himself of this
occasion, to prove that men were all once black, and
that by living in snowy countries, and being bleached
by the weather, the skin had gradually become
white, and the hair moist and long, and the imagination
presenting prominent objects to the mothers,
or the fathers differing among themselves, and pulling
one another by this part, had given the long and
pointed nose.

Cuff, thus prepared, set out: having arrived, and
being on this occasion to harangue, began as follows:....

Massa shentiman; I be cash crab in de Wye
river: found ting in de mud; tone, big a man's foot:
holes like to he; fetch Massa: Massa say, it be de
Indian moccason.....O! fat de call it; all tone. He
say, you be a filasafa, Cuff: I say, O no, Massa,
you be de filasafa. Wel; two tree monts afta, Massa
call me, and say, You be a filasafa, Cuff, fo'

[figure description] Page 151.[end figure description]

sartan: Getta ready, and go dis city, and make grate
peech for shentima filasafa. I say, fat say, Massa?
Massa say, sombody say, dat de first man was de
fite man; but you say, dat de first man was de black
a-man. Vel, I set out: came along: Massa gi
me pass. Some say, where you go Cuff? I say, dis
city, be a filasafa. O no Cuff, you be no filasafa:
call me fool, gi me kick i'de backside; fall down,
get up again, and come to dis city.

Now, shentima, I say, dat de first man was de
black a-man, and de first woman was de black a-woman;
an get two tree children; de rain vasha dese,
an de snow pleach, an de coula come brown, yella,
coppa coula, and, at de last, quite fite; an de hair
long; an da fal out vid van anoda; and van cash by
de nose, an pull; so de nose come lang, sharp nose.

Now I go home, Massa shentima; an tel grate
Massa, dat make peech, an ibedy body vas da; an
den Cuff fin a more tings.....cabs, oysta, cat-fish,
bones, tones, ibedy ting....sen to you, shentima.

The oration being ended, the society could do no
less than appoint a committee to wait on Mr. Cuff,
and request a copy of his oration, that it might be
published.

But the Captain, in the mean time, had examined,
with great attention, the whole audience, but could
not discover Teague. Departing, therefore, with
the rest, his thoughts recurred to his first idea, viz.
that the unfortunate creature had committed suicide.
Drawing up, therefore, an advertisement, he sent it
to a daily paper: but, though it appeared next morning,
and the day elapsed, there was no word of
Teague.

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