Job’s knowledge of Arabic rendered him serviceable to Sir Hans Sloane, who often employed him in translating Arabic manuscripts, and inscriptions upon medals.  To bring him into due notice, Sir Hans had him dressed in the costume of his country, and presented to the king and royal family; by whom he was graciously received; and her majesty gave him a beautiful gold watch.  The same day he dined with the Duke of Montague; who afterwards took him to his country seat, where he was shewn, and taught the use of, the tools employed in agriculture and gardening.  The same nobleman procured for him a great number of these implements, which were put into cases, and carried aboard the vessel in which he was to return to his native country.  He received various other presents from many persons; some of these, according to Mr. Moore, were their Royal Highnesses, the Earl of Pembroke, several ladies of distinction, Mr. Holden, and members of the Royal African Company.

In the reference to him in NICHOLS’S Literary Anecdotes, vi. p. 91, it is said “he returned home loaded with presents to the amount of five hundred pounds.”  After having passed fourteen months in England, he embarked, in the month of July, 1734, on board a vessel belonging to the Royal African Company, which was bound for the river Gambia, and carried out Thomas Moore to accomplish some business at a Factory of the Company’s at Joar, to whose particular care Job was committed.

While in England, his friend Bluet, collected from Job the history of his life, which he published,[1] and from which some of the preceding, and several of the following particulars are extracted.

[Footnote 1:  Memoirs of the Life of Job, the son of Solomon, the High Priest of Bimda, in Africa.  By Thomas Bluet.  London, 1734; 8vo., dedicated to the Duke of Montague.]

The name of this extraordinary man was Ayoub Ibn Soliman Ibrahim, that is, Job the son of Solomon the son of Abraham.  His nation was that of the Jalofs; his tribe, or cast, the Pholey, or Foulah; and his native place Bunda, a city of Galumbo, in the kingdom of Futa, in Central Africa, opposite Tombuto.[1]

[Footnote 1:  The affix to his name is sometimes spelt JALLA, JALOF, and DGIALLA.  These indicate the name of the tribe, or nation, to which he belonged; which was that of the JALOFS, on the river Sanaga, and along the Gambia.]

Ibrahim, the grandfather of Job, was the founder of the city of Bunda, during the reign of Abubeker, then king of Futa; who gave him the proprietorship and government of it, with the title of Alfa or High Priest.  After his death, the dignity, which was hereditary in the family, passed to the father of Job.  On the decease of Abubeker, his brother, the Prince of Jelazi, succeeded to the royalty; he, being already the father of a son, entrusted him to the care of Soliman, the father of Job, to have him taught the Arabic language, and the Alcoran.  Job became, in this way, the fellow student and companion of this young prince.  Jelazi lived but a short time, and was succeeded by his son.