Some Memoirs of the Life of Job

Section I

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SECT. I.

An Account of the Family of  Job;

his Education; and the more remarkable

before he was taken Captive.

JOB's Countrymen, like the Eaſtern People and ſome others, uſe to deſign themſelves by the Names of their Anceſtors, and in their Appellations mention their Progenitors ſeveral Degrees backward; tho' they alſo have Sirnames for diſtinguiſhing their particular Families, much after the ſame Manner as in England. Job's Name, in his own Country, is Hyuba, Boon Salumena, Boon Hibrahema; i.e. Job, the Son of Solomon, the Son of Abraham. The Sirname of his Family is Jallo.

Job, who is now about 31 or 32 Years of age, was born at a Town called Boonda (13) in the County of Galumbo (in our Maps Catumbo) in the Kingdom of Futa in Africa; which lies on both Sides the River Senegal, and on the ſouth Side reaches as far as, the River Gambia. Theſe two Rivers, Job aſſured me, run pretty near parallel to one another, and never meet, contrary to the Poſition they have in moſt of our Maps. The Eaſtern Boundary of the Kingdom of Futa or Senega is the great Lake, called in our Maps Lacus Guarde. The Extent of it, towards the North, is not ſo certain. The chief City or Town of it is Tombut; over againſt which, on the other ſide of the River, is Boonda, the Place of Job's Nativity.

About fifty Years ago Hibrahim, the Grandfather of Job, founded the Town of Boonda, in the Reign of Bubaker, then King of Futa, and was, by his Permiſſion, ſole Lord Proprietor and Governor of it, and at the ſame Time High (14) Prieſt, or Alpha; ſo that he had a Power to make what Laws and Regulations he thought proper for the Increaſe and good Government of his new City. Among other Inſtitutions, one was, that no Perſon who flies thither for Protection ſhall be made a Slave. This Privilege is in force there to this Day, and is extended to all in general, that can read and know God, as they expreſs it; and it has contributed much to the Peopling of the Place, which is now very large and flouriſhing. Some time after the Settlement of this Town Hibrahim died; and, as the Prieſthood is hereditary there, Salumen his Son, the Father of Job, became High Prieſt. About the ſame Time Bubaker the King dying, his Brother Gelazi, who was next Heir, ſucceeded him. Gelazi had a Son, named Sambo, whom he put under the Care of Salumen, Job's Father, to learn the Koran and Arabick Language. Job was at this Time alſo with his Father, was Companion to Sambo, and ſtudied (15) along with him. Sambo, upon the Death of Gelazi, was made King of Futa, and reigns there at preſent. When Job was fifteen Years old, he aſſiſted his Father as Emaum, or Sub-prieſt. About this Age he married the Daughter of the Alpha of Tombut, who was then only eleven Years old. By her he had a Son (when ſhe was thirteen Years old) called Abdolah; and after that two more Sons, called Hibrahim and Sambo. About two Years before his Captivity he married a ſecond Wife, Daughter of the Alpha of Tomga; by whom he has a Daughter named Fatima, after the Daughter of their Prophet Mahommed. Both theſe Wives, with their Children, were alive when he came from Home.