Page:The negro's origin.djvu/22

20 from himself; there is also a river in the country of the Moors which bears that name, whence it is that we may see the greatest part of the Grecian historiographers mention that river and the adjoining country by the appellation of Phut."

Pliny and Ptolemy mention places in North Africa called Phtemphu, Phtempti, Phtembute, which Calmet regards as originating in Phut. From such evidences, how could the world escape from the conclusion to which it has long since come, that Africa was peopled by Ham and his three sons, Cush, Mizraim, and Phut.

It is significant that not a trace of Canaan, neither in name nor ceremony, can be found on African soil. This is inexplicable, except upon the recognized hypothesis that he was never there. It is true that in the days of Athanasius, many of the peoples of North Africa claimed to have descended from the Canaanites, and their Punic tongue is said to have confirmed their assertion. But in that day Egypt had been greatly overrun by not a few of the Mediterranean nations. The native Hamites in that region, partook largely of the blood of the invaders. But these North Afri-