Originally published in 1867

This book is a collection of songs of African-American slaves. A few of the songs were written after the emancipation, but all were inspired by slavery.

The wild, sad songs capture the feelings of their creators perfectly; of crushed hopes, keen sorrow and a dull daily misery, which covered them as hopelessly as the fog from the rice swamps.

On the other hand the words breathe a trusting faith in the life after to which their eyes seem constantly turned.