His history is romantic. Born in
Central Africa, he was captured when
a boy of fourteen by the Bedouins
and carried to Tripoli, lhet.ee ho
came to Constantinople, where he
became pipe cleaner to tho I urkisb
Minister of Foreign affairs by whom
he was in some way transferred to
the Russian Embassador. Alter trav
eling with the Embassador and his
sonover all the Countries of Europe
he camo to America in 1859. He
subsequently wont to Hayti, but re
turned to this country in 1668 to on*
list in tho fitly'fifth Massachusetts
Regiment. After tho war, being
without employment, ho was forced
to hire himself out as a ] uu.ation
hand. In this condition he was
found by one Dr. Sim, who establish
ed him in a small colored school on
St. Andrews Island, which he is now
teaching. He has also been annoint
od by General Sickles to a position on
tho board of registration in tho parish
to which he belongs. He knows, in
addition to English and his native
tongue, Arabic, Turkish, Russian.
Hebrew, Greek, German, French ami
Italian—some more perfectly than
others, but in most cases, so that he
can read and write and speak them
with ease and accuracy. Nor is it
merely a parrot-like faculty of iin nu
tation, for he has deep perception of'
their genius and affinities, and in
some instances a fair, iu others a pros
found acquaintance w’th their litera
ture.
He is a firm believer in the doc
trines of the Swedenborgiuiis. ai.u
holds the religious expeiivncs of bis
broth?r Africans in profound con
tempt. When a'kvd what in ui
gro religion meant, be replied that, t-o
far as he could see, “lhe.rjs nothing
spiritual about it —it : h mainly am.
