453 m

T H E N EG RO
‘

R A C ES

A S o c i o lo gi c a l S t u dy

V OLU ME I
TH E NEGR ITO S co m , p r i si n
g T h e fi g m z es B u sh m’

en ,

ana H o tten tats of C en tr a l a n d S ou th Afr i ca

’

TH E NIGR ITIA NS co m r i si n j f M ’

p g the olo s a n dz nga s

H a a sa s A sh a n tzs D ah om
, , ,
'

, , an s e ta of the S u da n
, ,

a n d the T f r a D ese r t
'

z bbu s o the S aha a n d

TH E FEL L A TA H S qf C entr a l S a a a n ’

By J ER O ME D O W D

NEW YOR K

THE MA C MILLA N C O MPA NY

L ONDON MA C MILLA N 8: co .
, LTD .
 P R E FA C E

TH E a uth o r submits to the public this vo lume as one of

a series which he proposes to publish consisting of a socio

logica l study o f mankind from the standpoint of race U p .

to the present time sociologists in tracing the evolution of

,

soci ety have constructed theories based upon data selected

,

promiscuously from opposite quarters of the earth and from

many di fferent races This method w ould su ffice if the
.

races of men had lived in the same environment and had

undergo ne the same stages of development But it will
.

not su ffice if the races have appeared upon the earth in suc
cession and not simultaneously If they have inhabited
.

diflere nt zones and have been subj ect to difierent physical

surroundings it does not stand to reason that they could de
,

v elo p th e s a me institutions and pass through identical stages

’
of evoluti on The author s first obj ect therefore is to es
.
, ,

ta b lish the fact that each race has its distinctive institutions
and special evolution corresponding to the locality in which
it lives or has lived The second obj ect is to discover the
.

factors and laws which explain the mental and moral char
.

a c teristic s and particular institutions of each general racial

division to the end that the principles and laws discovered

,

may be applied to whatever is abnormal or retrogressive .

If the first few volumes of the series should seem to lay

stress upon the physical environment it is because that
,

factor is always predominant in the early stage of develop

ment and only diminishes gradually as man strengthens his
,

intellect and adds to his knowledge The environment first

.

c ontrols man after which man controls the environment and

, ,

in any system of sociology a consideration of the physica l

,
vi PR E FA C E

forces acting upon man must precede a correct understan d

ing Of the later mora l and psychologica l forces In the .

opinion of Ratzel a sociology from this point of view is

,
”
very much needed H e says in his Anthropogeographie
.
,

that most sociological systems and doctrines consi der man

as independent of the earth and that in modern sociology
,

the ground plays such a small rOle that the works that deal
seriously with it are exceptions .

The inability of modern civilizations to solve their per

p l ex i n g and threatening political industrial familial
,
and other ,

so ci al problems is due to a lack of application to those

problems of the scientific methods which have wrought such
marvels of progress in the domain of chemistry physics , ,

biology and medicine When men turn away from em

.

i ri c ismin the study of social problems and begin to under

p
stand that the phenomena of the social world are the prod
uct of forces O perating according to ascertainable laws ,

although of a kind different from those of the physical

world there will be strides forward in the social life as notable
,

and full of blessings to the human race as the progress which

has been made in any other domain The world is not .

without great moral teachers who stir up and sharpen the

conscience of the people but it needs a knowledge of the
causes and e ffects of human activities and institutions as re ,

vealed by science to enable the moral forces to expend

,

themselves in other than a blind and anarchic opposition .

“
In order to kno w how soci al actions operate as causes and
produce e fiec t says Small it is necessary to have de sc rip
”
, ,

tion a n d explanation of the social process and of the struc ,

tures and functions involved : for it is with reference to these

that our moral j udgments assume knowledge of cause and
” 2
effect .

The author does not wish to be understood as attempt

Vol 1 p 66
.
, . .

Th Si gnifica nce of Socio l ogy f Ethics C hicago 1 90 2 P 8

e or ,
"
, . ‘ .
 P R E FA C E vii

ing to write a history of the human races That would b e .

a task too ambitious for any one man to think of But since .
,

the sociologist accepts the facts and special laws established

by the historian ethnologist anthropologist and other s e ien
, ,

tists it is not impossible for him to embrace in his investiga

,

tions as Spencer has done a wide range of phenomena

, , .

The work of bringing together the general principles de

rived by speci alists i n their respective fields is an important ,

one and while seeming at first glance to be rather too com

,

prehensive and wide in scope is in fact very limited and defi

, , ,

nite and constitutes in itself a scientific specialty which re

quires a n equipment a grouping of data and a manner of
,

treatment unlike what is demanded of any other specialist .

Sociology di ffers from many other sciences in one i m

portant particular It is a science whose general conclusions
.

are to be practically and directly applied by the citizens who

vote and otherwise determine the destiny of States where a s ,

in most other sciences the general ideas are to be applied

only by speci al industrial or professional classes of men .

F or example it is not necessary for the medical specialist

,

to address himself to the public but only to practitioners , ,

because a sensible man instead of attempting to treat his

,

own case calls in a physician and submits to his discipline

, .

On the contrary in reference to social or politica l questions

, ,

every man wise or foolish is his own physician and bases

, ,

his action up on his own j udgment Sociology therefore .

should avoid the use of technical terminology which may

not be comprehended by the average man of intelligence ,

and should be treated in a style that is calculated to bring

the general principles of the science into as wide an a c
quaintance as possible .

The writer has begun his study with the Negro Races
simply because they represent the most primitive life and
not at all on account of any special interest in the so called -

Negro question or any desire to solve it upon preconceived

vi ii P R EFA C E

notions However it h a s seemed strange to the writer that

.
,

the people of the United States who have a large N egro ,

pop ulation should have attempted to deal with it through

, ,

all of these years without having a knowledge of the ,

sociological conditions of k i n dred populations in Africa In .

view of the need of a more accurate and c omprehensive

understanding of the Negro in Africa as a basis for dealing
with him in America the writer has gone more into the de ,

tails in his first a n d second volumes than he would other

w ise have done .

The first volume seeks to portray and interpret the life

of th e Negritos Nigritians and F ellatahs from the earliest
,

times to the present to show the conditions which existed or ,

still exist as an outcome of native surroundings and to note

, ,

the changes which have taken place in consequence of out

side influences .

The second volume (already written) deals with Slavery

a nd the Slave Trade in Africa and the M odern African Labor

Problem ; and attempts to show the general e flec ts of slav

ery and the slave trade upon the industrial social and moral ,

status of the natives .

The third volume will de al with the Galla type of

N egroes of East Africa the Bantus of Equatorial and ,

Southern Africa and the N egroes of America Other vol .

umes will deal with the American Indians the M ongolians , ,

japanese C hinese Semites and Aryan s

, ,
.

Among those to whom the author is especially indebte d

for help in the initial volume of this proposed series are ,

Prof W I Thomas from whose lectures in the field of the

. . .
,

natural races the author has received much inspiration and

,

many v aluable suggestio n s P rof J F ranklin jameson from . .

,

whose lectures upon Slavery in America and from whose

general methods the author has derived valuable and indis
,

pensable help ; Prof Al b ion W Small a nd P rof Fred . . .

erick Starr from whose lectures on Sociology and Anthro

,
 P R E FA C E ix

p o lo the author has derived also valuable and indispen

gy ,
sable help .

Among those to whom the author is indebted for help

of a difie rent but not less valuable and not less appreciated
kind are Dr john F C rowell Dr John C Kilgo Dr Richard
,
. .
, . .
, .

T Ely Prof P aul S Reinsch Rev P lato Durham M r R L

.
, . .
, .
, . . .

Durham Prof Edwin M ims M r

,
P
. C aldwell and , . .

M r james H Southgate
. . .

Whatever merits may be found in the first volume of

this work are to be attributed mostly to the fortunate cir
c umsta n c e which brought the author in contact with the
above named benefactors .

Ch a r lotte, IV C . .
,
My
a 1 , 1 907 .
 I N TR O D U C TI O N

THE ethnologists use the word N egro as a general term

to include all races having a more or less black skin and
woolly hair In Africa there are five subdivisions of the
.

N egro type .

F irst the Negritos including the dwarf races of the equa:

, ,

to ria l regions the Bushmen of the Kalahari desert and the

,

1
Hottentots of the southern steppe (Deniker used the term .

Negrito for the black people of the M alay peninsula ,

Andaman Islands P hilippines etc and the term Negrilloes , , .

,

for the Pygmies of Africa p Q uatrefages thinks that , .

the Pygmies Bushmen and H ottentots are of the same race

,

a nd constitute the aboriginal Negro type ; that they

developed in Southern Asia between the highlands and the
sea migrated eastward and once occupied a great portion
,

of Oceania and finally came into Africa by crossing the

,

2
Strait of Babel M andeb and the Gulf of Aden Within the .

historic period they have been undergoing gradual exter

mination by the larger and later developed types of the
N egro race and are now the mere remnant of a people that
,

at one time was dominant in India Oceania and Africa , .

Second the Nigritians including all of the natives with

, ,

dark skin and woolly hair occupying the territory of the

3
’

Sudan z e a broad area reaching across the continent from

, . .
,

east to west between the desert of Sahara and a line which

extends from the Gulf of Guinea to the foothills of Abyssinia .

Third the F ellatahs a race supposed to have sprung

, ,

1 Keane M an Past and P resent p 1 7

, , . .

9 Th P ygmies pp 1 86 1 8 7
e ,
”
.
, .

3
An A rab expression Belad es S udén — Land of the Blacks o .

X1
 INTR O DU C TION

from crossings of the B ERB ER S of the desert with the Nigriq

tians of the Sudan .

F ourth the Bantus including a vast population of some

, ,

what lighter color a n d less negroid features than the natives

of the Sudan occupying almost all of West Africa below th e
,

Sudan ; or more exactly speaking below the Rio del Rey

R iver a part of the equatorial regi on and a great part of
,

South and East A frica .

F ifth the Gallas including all of the lighter colored

, ,

people of East Africa from the Galla country to the Zambesi

River.

This volume has to do only with the first three types of

which fuller information as to their locality and physical
characteristics will be found in the text
.
 C O N TE N TS

PA RT I

TH E N EGRITOS

C H AP TER I
TH E PY GM I ES
Pygmies in A ncient L iterature — M odern Discovery f P ygmies — Their
o

C ountry— Description f the P eop l e — H unting L ife —A nimals of the

o

Forest— Small Groups of P eople L ive n V illages

1 .

C H A P TER II
THE P Y G MI ES ( Conti nued )
Implements and Weapons — M ethods Of H unt i ng and Trapp i ng— F i shing
— Food Dwellings— Industr i al A rts Tra d e — Transpor tation—Di
vision of Labor— NO Slave C lass — L ac k of Foresight .

C H A P TER III
THE P YG MI ES ( Co nti nued )
Family L ife — Political Life — E sthetic L ife— Religion— M ental and
M oral C haracter—Influence ofC ivilization Upon the Pygmies .

C H AP TER IV
TH E B US H M EN
Description of the D esert— C limate— V egetable Life—A nimal Life
Description of the People— H abitations — Utensils .

C H AP TER V
TH E B US H M EN ( Conti nued )
M ethod of Travel— Weapons and Implements — V egetable Food— M eth
ods f H unting— P reparing and Eating A n i mal Food— M ethods of
o

Obta i ning Water— In d ustrial A rts and Trade — Why the Bushmen are
C onfined to the Desert .

C H A P TER V I
TH E B US H M EN ( C o ntz n ued )
Fam i ly L i fe — Treatment of C hi ldren — C hildren A bandon Parents
Fee bl eness f Parental Influ nc — Th Dead Rarely Buried —Polit i cal
o e e e
L ife — C attle Raiding.
xvi C O NTENTS

C H A P TER V II
TH E B US H M EN ( C o nti nued )
[Esthet i c L i fe — D t
e co rai Dancing — M
o ny - usic — Instruments— P ainting
an d Dra w ing— A n i mal Legen ds — Reasons f Super i orit y f Bushmen or o

A t —
r Re li g i on — M enta l and M oral Temperament — fect f C ontact
Ef o

w ith the Wh i te M an .

C H A P TER V III
TH E H OTTEN TOTS
Descript i on fthe C ountr y— Namaqua L and— Animal Life — Description
o

of the P eop l e — C att l e Breeding an d H unting —Dwellings— Utens ils

Transportat i on— I du t i l A rts — Trade — Slavery
11 s r a .

C H A P TER IX
TH E H OTTENTOTS ( C o nti nued )
Fam ily L i fe — Inheritance in the M ale L ine — Pol i tical L i fe— [ Esthetic
L i fe — Rel i gion — M ental an d M oral Temperament— F uture o f the
H ottentots .

P A R T II
TH E N IGRITIANS AN D F ELLATAHS

C H A P TER I
GEN ER A L DES C R I PTI ON C OU N TR Y
OF TH E

Limits o f the Sudan — Elevations — Th e R ive rs —V ege tation—Rain fa ll

— Tornadoes —Temperature .

C H A P TER II
G EN ER A L DES C R I PTI ON or TH E C OU N TR Y ( C o nti nued )
Unhealth fulness of the C l i mate — A nimal L i fe— Insects .

C H A P TER III
E R A C ES O F TH E S U DA N
Th e Di fferent Ty pes — Th e F el l atahs — J l f— M and i ngos— Krumen o o s
A shant i s — Dahomans — Yoru b as — S ngh y — Kanuris — H ausas— Nile
o a s
P opu l at i ons—Orig i n fthe Difi nt Ty pes
o
’

e re .

C H AP TER IV
ECON OM I C LI F E I N TH E B A N A N A Z ON E
General Ch aracter f the Zone — C hie f M eans of Su b sistence— L ittle
o
A ttent i on to H unting— Domest i c A n i mals — F ish i ng— Th F ood P rob e
l em Eas y— But Scarc i ty f M eat L ead s to C ann i bal i sm— Industrial
o
A rts — Trade — M arkets — M one y— Transportat i on— Division f L abor o
—Slavery— C pi t l nd Transmiss i on fP p ty
a a
'

a o ro ei .
 C ONTENTS x v ii
C H A P TER V
ECON O M I C LI FE I N TH E MI LL ET Z ON E
C haracter f the Zone — Mill et the C hie f Means Of Subsistence — Other
o
Food P ro d ucts — C orn— R i ce — F ru i t— C otton— C otton C ultm — W i ld e
and Domes tic A n ml —Th Struggle for Existence H ard er Than in
I a s e
the Banana Zone— Th Improv i dent Borro w from the P rov i d ent
e

Industr i al A rts — Tools and Implements— Trade — M arkets and M oney

—Transportation — Divis i on of L abor — Slavery Inheritance f o

P roperty .

C H A PTER V I
N OMI C LI FE I N TH E C A TTL E Z O NE
C haracter f the Zone— C attle the C hie f Resource — H unting— A gn
o
culture— Industrial A rts—Implements— Trade— M arkets— Transpor
t ti on— Division of L abor— Slavery — Necessity for Thrift and Economy
a .

C H A P TER V II
ECON OM I C LI FE I N TH E C A M EL Z ON E
C haracter o fthe Zone — C amels Thr i ve upon Scant V egetation — M il k the
C hie fFood — H ard Struggle for Existence — C aravan Trade — NO Need
for Slaves — Back w ardness in the Industrial A rts— General C onsider
a ti ons Respecting the Four Zones .

C H AP TER V III
FA M I L YLI F E I N TH E B A N A N A Z ON E
M ethods of Ob ta i ning Wives— Polygamy— I d eas A bout C hastity— Family
D w ell i ngs — Th Women Sup port the Fami l y— Relations Between
e

H usban d s and Wives — Relations Bet w een P arents and C hildren

C h il dren Take the Name f the M other— M ourning C ustoms a s In
o

di c tiv of A f
a e fection— Inheritance .

C H A PTER IX
FA MI L Y LI FE I N TH E MI LL ET Z ON E
W i ves P urchased— P olygamy— Women M ore C haste Than in the
Banana Zone— Family Dwel l i ngs Better— M en H elp to Support the
Family— Fam i ly A ffecti on— M atriarchate and Inheritance i n the
Female L ine .

C H A P TER X
F
S AM ILY LI F E I N TH E C A TTL E Z
NE O

Women Bought by M eans of C att l e P rovided w ith a Dowry— H igh -

P rice of Women Leads to I l licit Un i on s— C hasti ty V aries in the

D i fferent Local i ties— M ohamme d an P o l ygamy— Intermarri age of
Nigritians and F ellatah s —Family D w ellings — M en help to Support
the Fam i ly— Women Enjoy C onsiderable L iberty—Family A ffection
Inherit ncea .

C H APTER XI
FA MIL Y LI FE IN TH E C A M EL Z ON E
Fe w M en A ble to Support M ore Than On Wi fe— Women Indepe ndent e

General C ons i dera tions — Transition from the M atriarchate to the

Patriarc h te a .
xviii C O NTENTS

C H A P TER X II
POL ITI C A L LI FE I N TH E B A N A N A Z ON E
Th A
e ncient and M odern K i ngdoms — Integrating Factors of the Di ffer
ent K i ngdoms ( ) Influence f Natura l Resources ( 5 ) Invasion f
: a o , o
Fore i gn Peoples ( ) M ot i ves and Fac 1 ty f De fense ( d ) M otives for
e 1 1 or

A ggression — A ggressive P o w er f D h m
, ,

( ) Influence f Natural
o a o i a o

Boun d ar i es as a Factor of Expans i on ( h) Size f the P opulat i on , o ,

conomic Resources d A b i li ty to C o operate ( ) M il itary Strength

()c E ( ) , , e ,

Resistance f Bor d er States — A gg w P o w er f A shant i

( f) o re ss e o :

( )
a Influence fNatura l
o Boundaries as a F actor f E xpansion ( 6) Size
, o ,

of the Populat i on ( ) Economic Resources ( d A b i li ty to C o operate

,
e , ,

()e M i l i tary Strength ( f ) Resistance , f Bor er States — A ggressive o

P o w er of the Smaller Kingdoms .

C H AP TER X III
POL I TI C A L LI F E I N THE B A N A N A Z ON E ( C o nti nued )
Po l i tical Organization of Da h omi— Di fferentiat i ng Factors — Th e F orm
of the Government : (a ) Facility fo r C ommunicat i on as a Factor (6) Dis ,

tri b utio n of Wealth , ( e) C haracter and Intelligence o f the P eople ,

d
( ) E x tent of Warfare — System o f Government :
(a
) L egislat i on ,

( é ) C ounc i l and Execut i ve Officers , ( e) L aws , Of fenses Tr i als and ,

P enalt i es ( d ) Revenue — Elements o f Stab ili ty : (a ) Intell i gence and

,

C haracter o f the Rulers an d P eople , ( h) C ommon Ties ; Economic ,

Rel i gious , etc , ( e) Status ofthe Family, ( d ) Order OfSuccession
. .

C H AP TER X IV
POLITI C A L LI F E I N THE B A N A N A Z ON E ( Conti nued )
P olitical Organizat i on fA shanti ; Form of Government ; Summary ofthe
o

Factors Involved— S y stem f Government ( ) L eg i slat i on ( 6) o : a ,

C ouncil and Execut i ve Officers ( ) L a w s P ena l t i es etc (d ) Revenue e

—Elements of Stability Summary fthe Factors Involved
, , , .
,

o .

C H A P TER X V
POLI TI C A L LI F E I N TH E B AN A N A Z ON E ( Conti nued )
Pol i t i cal Organization fthe Smaller Kingdoms ( ) Forms of Govern
o : a

ment h) Governmental Systems ( ) Secret Societies ( d ) Succession e

~

in the ml L i ne not Favorable to Stability ( ) C ommon Language

, , ,

e a e , e
Not a Strong Basis OfUnity .

C H AP TER XV I
P OLI TIC AL LI F E I N TH E MI LL ET Z ON E
Integrating Factors ( ) Influence of Natural Resources ( 6) Invasions
: a ,

From Outs i de ( ) Necess i t y an d Faci l it y f De fense ( ) M otives f

, e or ,
a or
A ggress i on — A ggress i ve P o w er fthe States Generally ( ) Influenceo : 0

f Natural Boun d aries ( 5 Size f the P opulation ( E conomic

o
) ,
) R o , e e
sources (d ) A b ili ty to C ooperate ( ) M i li t ry Strength— C omparative
, , e a
A ggress i ve P ower f the Several States T H ausas h
o
( ) h ( ) : a e
Man di ngos ( ) Yorubas — Th D fl nt F orms of Government
,
'

, e e i e re :

( ) Fac i lity f C ommun i cat i on as a factor ( h) D i stri but i on of Wealth

a or
,

and C haracter f the Peopl e ( ) Extent of Warfare —C omparison of

o ,
e

th Di fferent F orms of Government

e .
xx C O NTENTS

C H A P TER XX III
R EL I G I OU S LI FE I N TH E B A N A N A Z ON E
Defin i t i on f Religion — F un damental C onceptions— A ll P henomena
o

A n i mated by Spir i ts — I d ea f Double P ersonal i ty — Th

o Bod y Soul e
and the Dream So ul —Th Kra goes to Dea d Lan d but may Return
e

as a N w Born In fant— Notion f Double P ersonality among C i vilized

e o

People .

C H A P TER XX IV
R EL I G I OU S LI F E I N THE B A N A N A Z ON E ( C o nti nued )
Sp i ri ts Take Part i n Economic A ctivit i es — Spirits M eddle in Love and
Fam i ly A ffairs — Spir i t A ctivit i es in Political A ffa i rs— Sp i rits Take Part
in Ju di c i al P roceed i ngs — I D i plomat i c A ffa i rs — Sp i rits f the Dead
a o

C al l f Food and S
or i fi — Spir i ts as M i litary Strategists— Spirits
a cr c es
C ause Disease and Death — Deaths C aused by Bush Souls— Scope and
M ethods f the Witch Doctor— M edical Schools — Th Work f the
o e o

Witch Doctor Does not End W i th the Death of his P atient —Belief in
Signs Omens etc
, , .

C H A P TER X X V
R EL I G I OUS
LI F E I N TH E B A N A N A Z ON E ( Co nti nued )
Origin f Gods and P riests — D i fferent Kinds f Gods — General or Nature
o o

Gods — A nimal De i ties— S i fi — Idols and Temples — Th P r i ests

a cr ces e
and their P ractices — Ideas fA nother World o .

C H AP TER XXV I
R EL I G I OU S LI F E I N TH E MI LL ET Z ON E
Spir i t Be l ie f —Spirits in the Economic Life — In the Fam i ly Li fe— In
s

Pol i t i ca l A ffa i rs — Fest i vals Feasts t Spir i ts C ause Disease and

, , e a -

Death — Dut i es and Respons ibi l i t i es fthe W i tch Doctor and the Rain o

Doctor— Reincarnation— S i gns O mens and Divination , .

C H AP TER XXV II
LI FE I N TH E MI LL ET Z ON E ( C o nti nued )
R EL I G I OU S
General and Nature Go d —A n i mal De i ties— H ousehold Gods — Sacri
s
fi — Idols— P riests— Notion of the A fter L i fe — M ore Rat i onal Ideas
ce s

than in the Banana Zone— Influ n of the M ohammedan Rel i gion e ce

Origi n of M ythology .

C H A P TER XXV III

R EL I G I O US
LI F E I N TH E C ATTL E Z O N E
M ohammedanism the P redom i nant Faith — F etichism among the Un n co
verte d— Th W i tch Doctors— F ew Genera l Gods—Reverence for
e

Serpents — F ew Sacrifices I d ols or H eathen P riests

, .

C H APTER XX I X
REL I G I OU SLI F E I N TH E C A M EL Z ON E
Belie fs of the Ti bbus—General C onsiderations—Relation f Re l igion o
to M oral i t y— Re li g i on and M orality Insepara bl e— M orality C annot
 C ONTENTS xxi
D evelop From M ere A b stract C onsi d erations— Th Brutal and Li en e c
tious Element i n Relig i ous Rites not the Outcome of Re l igion b ut f o
M an s Ignorance and the Survival f H i A nimal Nature A fter the
’
o s

Da w n f Relig i on
o .

C H AP TER XXX
E S TH ETI C LI FE I N TH E B A N A N A Z ON E
L ove of Beaut y and A ppreciation of A t Universal — M utilations and
r

Tattoo i ng— Bod y P ainting — H air Dressing— Ornamental C loth i ng ,

Je w elry etc — Dancing— Th Drama— M us i c — Painting Dra w ing

, . e ,

and Sculpture— Love fNature o .

C H A P TER XXX I
E STH ETI C L I F E I N TH E MI LL ET Z ON E
M utilations f Sk i n L i ps and Teeth — Body Paint i ng and H air Dress
o ,

ing— Jewe l ry an d C lothing— Dancing— Drama— M usic— P ainting and

Sculpture — A rchitecture— Folk L ore .

C H A P TER XXX II
E S THETI C LI F E I N TH E C A TTL E Z ONE
M u tilations Bo d y Pa i nt i ng Jewelry— H air Dressing— C lothing
Dancing and Drama— M usic P aint i ng and Scu l pture
,
.

C H A PTER XXX III

ZES TH ETIC LI F E I N TH E C A M EL Z ON E
Tattooing , Dress , etc —General C onsiderations - Genesis Of[Esthetics
.

Re l at i on o f Beauty to A rt— De fini tion of A rt— C ontribution of A rt to

P rogress— A rt A mong the Negroes is Rudimentary— Lac k of A p
prec i ation of Nature and Lack Of Sense of the Sublime .

C H AP TER XXX IV
P S YC H OL OG I C A L C H A R A C TER I S TI CS I N TH E B A N A N A Z ON E
Relation o fthe Size o fthe Brain to Its A ctivity— P erceptive P o w er— C o n
cep ti ve P o w er — P ower o f A ttention— C onnection Bet w een M ental
and Physical Energy— M emory— Imagination is Rem i n i scent — Unde
velo pe d C onstructive Imagination— C onnection Bet w een the Imag i na
tion and M orals— Imitation and Lack o f Invention — De fici ent Reason
ing Power— Th e P ecul i arity o f the Reason i ng of the C i v i lize d M an
Ho w Reason Begins — C onnection Bet w een the Deve l opment f Rea o

son and M orals — L ac k Of F oresight — Lack of Wit— Keen Sense of

H umor .

C H A P TER XX XV
PS YCHOLOG IC A L C H A R ACTER I S TI C S I N TH E B A N A N A Z O N E ( Con
ti nued
Feelings Relati vely F ew Insensitive and Simple — Feeli ngs Over w helm
,

Reason and Will— Lack f Inh ibi tion — Temper Ro l l i ck i ng and

o
Unstable — Se x ual Impu l ses and Fam i ly A ffection — F ell o w Fee l ing
Relish f H uman Su ffer i ng— C ruelty to A nimals— A ltruism the Result
or
OfC onstructive A ctivities .
xx ii C O NTENTS

C H A P TER XXX V I
PS YC HOL OG I C A L C H A R A CTER I S TI C S I N TH E B A N A N A Z ON E ( C o n
ti n ued
P ropensity for Lying and Deception— P ropensit y for Stealing— Vanity
Lack o f C ourage -L - L ack o f Revenge — L ack of Self-respect—
Lac k
of Ideal i sm .

C H A PTER XX XV II
PS YC HOL OG I C A L C H A RA CTER I S TI CS I N TH E MI LL ET Z ON E
Better Develope d Brain and M ore Intelligence than in the Banana Zone
Greater Po w er f C onception — M ore M ental an d Physical Energy
o

M ore Foresight— Feelings M aster the M i nd— Family A ffections — Fel

l o w F ee l i ng— Some F eeling f A nimals — C ourage and Revenge or
Lying and Stealing .

C H A PTER XXXV III

PS Y CH OL OG ICA L C H A R A CTER I S TI C S I N TH E C A TTL E Z ON E
B rain Development— P ower of C oncept i on— M ental Energy
—
s i ght F eel i ngs not so Supreme as i n the Other Zones — Familial
Af fection M ore M arke d— P il fering H abit — C ourage an d Revenge
M ental an d M ora l Su periority due to M ore Favorable C onditions
Peculiarities f the Pastoral Nomads
o .

C H AP TER XXX I X
PS Y CHOLOG I CA L C H A R A C TER I STI C S I N TH E C A M EL Z ON E A ND GEN
ER A L C ON S I D ER A TI ON S R ES P EC TI NG A LL Z ON ES
Trait s Of the Ti bbus — General C ons id erations — Gradual A scent of the
M ind — M enta l an d M oral C haracter Varies in the Different Zones
Infl uence f Environment and Race M ixture— Rel tion f Economic
o a o

P rogress to M oral P rogress Effect Upon the Negro of European

-

C i vdi ti n — I flu
za o fthe Slave Tra d ers — Influ n of M is ionaries
n e n ce O e ce s :

Ind i vi d ual Examples f Upl i ft— Impotence f L eaders Developed

o O

A ti fi i lly by a Race f a D i f
r c a ferent Stage f C ulture — They are not
o o
i n S ympath y W i th The i r Ow n Race — They L eave the M asses Un
touche d— Effective Lea d ers M ust A rise Spontaneousl y —M istake f o
M issionaries in A ttack i ng First the Ps y chological Li fe f the People o

With Resu l ting M ora l Degeneracy— Literary Ed ucation not G w en

i n its P roper Ord er f Ti me — Rel i g i ous Teachers L y too M uch
o a

Emphas i s Upon C reeds an d C eremonials — A nd Destro y Nat i ve Fa i th

and Belie f— A nd Ignore Social L a w s— Error fTeach i ng F alse Soci a l o
an d Polit i cal Doctri nes and Insp i ri ng Fa l se H ope — M i stakes i n s
C olonia l P o li c i es ( ) Ruthless Destruct i on f Nat i ve Institut i on ( 6)
a o ,

Th A frican C annot b e A d vance d A l ong the L ines f European C ul

e o
ture ( ) Both Soc i olog i cal an d A natom i cal Ob stac l es (d ) Test i mon y
, e ,

o f Sir Samuel Baker Respect i ng the Influence of C ontact With

C i v ili zat i on Test i mon y M i ss K i ngsley — Testimony f Dr Ratzel
) f
—Unf v b(e Resu l ts M ay b e Due to Temporary Reaction Except
, e o o .

a 01 a

as to the Negroes f the Banana Zone o .

 C ONTENTS x xii i
C H A P TER XL
SOLUTION OF THE NEGR O P R OB L EM I N TH E S U D A N
Political S tability the F irst Essent i al — Economic Renovation —Educa
ti n l Needs— C hanges Should b e Gradual and A ccomplished Through
o a

Native Leaders— Suggestions to M issionaries — Need f Rac i al P r i de

o

and Solidarity El i mination of Polit i cal and Racial C on flict by Native

-

Representation in L egislation— A Final Word .

LI ST OF TH E P R I N CI PA L B OOKS R EFERR ED To IN TH E TEX T

Brief A ccount f the Discovery of A frica With Biographical S k etches
o

of the P rincipal Explorers M entione d in This Book

INDEx
 C HA PTER I

THE PY G MIES

Pyg mi
L ite ra tur
es i n A n c i en t
References to pygmy e —

peoples are found in the literature of the Greeks Romans and ,

Egyptians H omer in the third C hant of the Iliad speaks

.
, ,

of storks that fly over the ocean and bear carnage and death
to the men called pygmies H e knew that th e storks passed .

each year from Europe to Africa and it is presumed that he

th ought of these little men as inhabiting some part of the
dark continent Aristotle in his History of Animals refers
.
, ,

to pygmies as dwelling somewhere near the sources of the

Nile 1
P liny mentions them as not only inhabiting Africa ,

Po m
.

2
but also Thrace Asia M inor and India p o n i,
u s M ela a .
,

contemporary of P liny also speaks of pygmies as living ,

somewhere in Africa but is very vague as to the precise ,

locality ? Egyptian records refer to pygmies as far back as

”
the Sixth Dynasty Like the dwarfs in medi aeval times .
,

“
says Keane they were in high request at the courts of the
,

P haraohs who sent expeditions to fetch these Danga (Tank)

,

from the Island of the Double that is the fabulous region of , ,

Shade Land beyond P unt where they dwelt The first of , .

whom there is authentic record was brought from this

region apparently the White Nile to King Assa 3 3 00 B C
, , , . .

by his o fficer B a urtet Some seventy years later H eru Khuf .

,

another officer was sent by P epi I I to bring back a pygmy alive

,

and in good health from the land of great trees away to the
’ 4
south .

Mo de rn D i sc o v ery o f P y gm i e s —These references to .

pygmies were regarded as mere fictions by modern e th n o lo

l Quatre fages , Pygm i es p , . 2 .
2
H id , p .
4 .

3 Ib d p I I M an Past and Present p ”

'

i 4 a
1 1 7.
. . : , .
,
4 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

gists and historians down to the middle of the nineteenth

century Gibbon thought that they were altogether fabu
.

ll
lo us .Some P ortuguese explorers as early as the sixteenth ,

century reported the existence of pygmies on the West C oast

,

2
near the Loango River Describing some P ygmies seen at .

the court of the king of Lo va ngo O gilb y s book on Africa ,

’
,

written in 1 6 7 0 says
’
Before the King s C loth sit some D warfs with their ,

backs towards him P igmies indeed in Stature but with , ,

Heads of a prodigious bigness ; for the more exact deform

ing whereof they wear the Skin of some Beast tied round
,

about them The Blacks say there is a Wilderness where

.
,

reside none but M en of such a Stature who shoot the Gigan

” 3
tick C reatures the Elephants In 1 6 2 5 Andrew Battel an .
,

English sailor who had been ma de a p riso ner b y the P ortuguese ,

and had remained for eighteen years in th e C ongo region re ,

ported hav ing seen a pygmy nation called M atimbas who , ,

4
were about the h eight of a boy of twelve years This report .

attracted only attention enough to be discredited H ow .

ever i n the latter part of the nineteenth century the exist

, ,

ence of real pygmies in this region was abundantly demon

stra te d by the discover ies of Schweinfurth Stanley D u , ,

C ha illu and numerous other explore rs Schweinfurth con .

firmed the statements Oi H omer Aristotle and Pliny that ,

5
pygmies lived near the head waters of the Nile H e dis - .

covered in the M onbuttu country whose waters fl ow into the ,

6
N ile the dwarf race of Akkas
,
It is now known that pygmy .

populations exist over a wide area in the equatorial forest

region They live in widely isolated groups all over the
.

7
Welle Semliki C ongo and O go w a i woodlands
, ,
.

Th eir C o un t ry The home of the P ygmies is in the rela

-

H is Decline and F all of the Roman Empire Vo l 2 p 5 7 5 N Y ,

”
.
, .
, . .
, 18
59 .

9 S tuhlm nn p 437
a , . P 5 8. Q uatre fages p
3
. 0 .
4
, . 1 64 .

5 S tuh lmnn p 4 37
a , . .
Sch w ein furth Vol p 6
, . 2, . 1 27 .

K ean M an Past an d P resent p

7
e, : ,
”
. 12 1 .
 TH E PYG M I ES 5

tively low equatorial regions of C entral Africa where the a l ,

most incessant rains produce a luxuriant vegetation The .

trees are thickly studde d and the undergrowth is almost i m

p enetrable The wealth of vines and moss that envelop
.

and interlace the branches of the trees sometimes gives the ,

o pen spaces beneath the appearance of interminable

lab yrinths and tunnels This natural canopy of interwoven .

foliage almost obscures the sunlight Lloyd states that in .

some places at midday he could not read a newspaper nor

1
take a photograph even with time exposure - .

D es c ri pti o n ofth e P e o p l e —The P ygmies average about .

four and one half feet in h ei gh tfa nd have rather long and
-

?
heavy bodies in proportion to their limbs They have a
4
conspicuous proj ection of the buttocks steatopygy but this , ,

peculiarity is c c o n fin e d mostly to the women and is

not so common as among their kinsmen th e Bush ,
5
men and H ottentots Their heads are not so long and .

narrow (dolichocephalic) as those of the taller and more

typical N egroes of West Africa (Deniker says that their
heads are sub dolichocephalic or mesocephalic p -
but , .

are rounded and somewhat four cornered with a high and -

6
almost vertical forehead Their hands are small and elegantly .

formed and have beautiful nails Their feet are also small and
, .

7
well formed but turned inward or parallel to each other
, .

Their j aws are very pro gna th us i e proj ecting 8

Their , . .
, .

skin is described as c o fle e brown and light yellow with

9
brown shading or chocolate but is somewhat lighter than, ,

that of the West African N egro According to some a u .

1
Journey A cross the P ygmy F orest N ti n l G g ph i M g i n ,
”
a o a eo r a c a az e,

Vol 1 0 p 2 8
.
, . .

S tuhlmnn p 442 ; Wissmann p 1 30 ; D u C h illu Eq u t i l A frica and

9 a , .
, . a ,
“ a or a

C ountry fthe D w arfs

o p 446 ; Geil p 2 08 ,
”
.
, . .

S tuhlmn n p 44 1
3 a Ratzel H istory of M an k ind Vol 2 p 303
, . .
4
, ,
”
.
, . .

S tuh lmnn p 444 a , Ibi d p 444

. I h d p 444
.
6
, . . z , . .

Sch w ein furth V ol 2 p 2 9 ; S tuhlmnn p 443

3
, .
, . a , . .

Deniker p 445 S tuhlmnn p 44 1

9
, . a , . .
6 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

th o ri ti es
their light skin is the result of living in the shade of
1
the forest They have large ears a n d large intelligent dark
.
,

?
brown eyes Their hair is scan t and woolly and accord , ,

“
ing to Schweinfurth is the color of waste tow from old cord ,

”
age Their lips are reddish a nd ve ry little swollen but stick
.
,

?
out giving the mouth a snout like formation
, Their bodies -

4
are covered with a thick fine pale down They impressed , .

6
Wissmann as much like the Bushmen of the Kalahari desert .

While they do not answer the demands of the missing link ,

they have a general expression and appearance which re

mind one o i the anthropoid apes Stanley was struck with .

their simian appearance and characterized them as mon

” 6
key eyed-
Lloyd who j ourneyed through the Pygmy
.
,

forest said that they lived much in trees and that their eyes
,

” 7
were constantly S hifting as in the case of monkeys In .

their dancing Geil sai d that they made grimaces which at

,

times suggested the facial expressions of apes orang—outangs ,

” 8 “
and monkeys Du C h a illu remarked that their eyes had
.

an untamable wildness in them that struck me as re m a rka

” 9
ble . In the movement of their bodies and limbs they are
quick but awkward Their gait is described by Schwein .

10 “
furth as waddling and lurching It is in the highest de .

gree probable says S tuh lma nn that we have in the Py g

”
, ,

mies an original race which in prehistoric times inhabited ,

the tropical districts of Africa and South Asia before the ,

”
present races had penetrated those regions .

H u n ti n g L i fe A n im a l s o ft h e F o re st —The Pygmies are a .

typical hunting people In the forest re gi on proper agri .

culture is impossible The great amount o i rainfall causes .

1
Ratzel , nthropogeographie V ol 1 p 47 9
A ,
”
.
, . .

2
S t h lm nn p 44 5 ; Wissmann p 1 9
u a , .
, . 2 . St uh l mnn a , p 0
44 44
-
5
4
Den i ker p 45 6 ; S tuhlmnn p 440
, . a , . .
5 P 129

In Darkest A frica V ol 1 p 3 74 ,
”
.
,
. .

7 N ti
a on al G g ph i M g i Vol 1 p 2 9
eo r a c a a z n e, . 0, . . P 207 3 . .

9
fu
o l f Am i n G
rn o h i l n d S t ti ti l S oci ety , Vol 2 p 1 09
o
g p er ca eo ra ca a a s ca . , . .

10 Vol p 2 9
. 2, . . P 47 217 . .
 TH E PYG M I ES 7

a rapid growth of weeds that would choke to death any cul

ti va te d plant The pastoral life is also impossible partly
.
,

because of the superabundance of rank natural vegetation

which prevents the growth of grass and partly because of ,

the existence of the tse tse fly whose poisonous bite is fatal -

alike to cattle and horses F ishing is only a supplementary .

resource the streams not being sufli c ie ntly prolific to enable

,

the people to live alone by fishing In the more elevated .

and open places in the equatorial region there are great ,

quantities of banana and plantain trees but alas these fa , ,

vo re d places are occupied by the larger and more powerful

Negro races who do not allow the little people to invade

,

their territory H ence the P ygmies are condemned to live

.
,

as prisoners in the forest and to o b tain their subsistence

chiefly by hunting The l arger animals such as the elephant
.
,

b ufla lo and antelope cannot easily penetrate this dense for,

est and are found in large numbers only in the more open
,

and elevated parts of the country Small game however .

, ,

is abundant such as the gazelle monkey baboon leopard

, , , , ,

wild boar rat etc A variety of birds are found along the
, , .

water courses the chief of which is the guinea fowl a bird

, ,

much relied on by the natives and explorers .

S m a l l G ro u p s o f P e o p l e L iv e i n V i ll a ge s — Ir is said that .

“ ” 1
the Pygmies never go out of the forest They live in .

small groups and are constantly on the move to keep up

?
with the game They nowhere have permanent settlements
.

Guy Burrows who lived among them says that they are
, ,

“
seldom to be found in the same spot for any length of
” 3
time . Owing to the limited supply of game the people ,

are obliged to scatter and their temporary villages are made ,

U p of a small number of huts Stanley counted as many as .

l Lloyd, N a ti on a l Geogr aph i c Maga z i ne V o l

, . 1 0, p . 28 .

9 m p
S tuh l a nn, 448 . .

3 Native Tribes of the Upper Welle ,

”
y ou r n a l f
o th e A n thr opologi ca l In sti
tute, Vol 2 8 p 35
.
, . .
8 TH E N EG RO RA C ES

ninety two huts in one village but the usual number is much
-
,

1
less In some places the number per village is about thirty
.
,

?
and in others not more than twelve In some localities they
do not even form villages but live scattered in individual ,

?
huts in the forest and over the hills The villages are usually
4
built at the end of a long clearing .

1
Native Tribes of the Upper Welle ,
”
y f the A n thr opologi ca l Insti
ou r n a l o

tute, Vol 2 8 p 2 8
.
, . .

2
Du C h illu y u n l f A m i n G g
a , o r a o er ca eo r a phi ca l a n d S ta tisti ca l S ociety , V ol . 2 ,

p . 1 06 .

3 Casati Vol 1 p 1 5 7
, .
, . .

4 Stanley In Darkest A frica Vol

, ,
”
. 1, p . 2 7 8.
10 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

fishing they sometimes make nets 1 00

Fi sh i n g .
—F or “

” 1
ya rds long of grass and bark fibres Without hook they .

“ ”
tie mea t to a string and land heavy fi sh .

F o o d — The food of these people besides the big game ,

and fish consists of swine monkeys caterpillars maggots ?

, , , ,
” 3
snakes ants and mice ,
Those observed by Schwein .

4
furth in the M onbuttu coun try kept some domesticated fowls ,

and Stanley says that some have domesticated dogs and

5
goats Their vegetable diet consists of bananas plantains
.
, ,

“
mushrooms and numerous roots and berries Bananas are .

”
their chief delight says Burrows A P igmy I have no ,
.
,

hesitation in saying eats as a rule twice as much as will suf ,

fice a full grown man H e will take a stalk containing about

-
.

sixty bananas seat himself and eat them all at a meal b e —

,

sides other food Then he will lie and groan throughout the .

night until morning comes when he is ready to repeat the

, ,

” 6
operation Geil however denies that P ygmies eat sixty
.
, ,

7
bananas at one sitt ing They usually cook their meat and .
,

for this purpose keep a smouldering fire in some old tree .

As they have no knowledge of making fire by friction they ,

8
car ry the fire about with them from camp to camp When .

they cook an anim al they eat not only the flesh but the , ,

bowels and even the bones after the latter have been re
, ,

?
heated and pounded If they catch a good quantity of
game they gorge themselves and stick out in front as if
,

10
ready to burst They are fond of smoking tobacco although
.
,

this is a rare article with them and in order to get the full ,

benefit of the limited supply they inhale deeply each draught ,

and hold it in their lungs as long as possible — a practice ,

1
enry Schlichter Th P y gmy Tri b es of A frica S tti h G g ph i l
Dr . H , e ,
co s eo ra ca

M g i V ol 8 p 2 96
a a z n e, .
,S tuh lm n n p 45 5
. .
2 a , . .

John Gillespie Th Py gmies fA fr i ca Mi i y R vi w f th W ld

3
, e o ,
ss on a r e e o e or ,

Vol 1 n p 5 7 4 ; Wissmann p 1 3 2
. 0, . s .
, . V L2 P ”7 , . . O , o °

In Darkest A frica V ol p 1 0
5 “
P 93 P ,
”
. 2 , . 1 .
5 . 1 .
7

S tuhlmnn p 45 2
3
S tuh lmnn p 45 6 ; Far i ni p 2 1 5
a , . .
9 a , .
, . .

Farin i p 2 1 5 1°
, . .
 TH E PYG M IES I1

w hich produces violent coughing l The Eskimo by the .

,

way smokes in the same m a n ner

,
.

D w e ll i ngs —The Pygmies live generally in small oval

.

shaped huts made of stems leaves and dirt raised only

, , ,

about four feet from the ground and arranged in a circle ,

with the hut of the chief in the centre The huts are easily .

?
made an hour being quite su fficient to build one
, They
resemble large mushrooms and are so unobtrusive that they ,

easily elude the eye of the stranger The furniture consists .

of a bed or kind of mattress of sticks supported upon stilts , .

Some families have no huts but live without shelter on the ,

?
S ide of a stream or in the thickets of the forest The Py g
mies that live near the Kalahari desert usually ward o ff the
wild beasts by a line of fire near which on cold nights they ,

often sleep in a sitting posture with their chins resting upon

their knees In this unbalanced position they sometimes
.

?
nod and fall upon the embers
I n dust ri a l A rts — The art of manufacturin g among the .

Pygmies is limited to making their S imple hunting and fish

ing outfit a n d a few articles of clo thing They know nothin g .

of pottery but some of them seem to know how to make

,

bark cloth and also fibre baskets which they carry by means ,

?
of straps reaching around over the tops of their heads
As they make no iron or stone implements they are still liv ,

?
I ng In the Age of Woo d
Tr a de — Trade is carried on to a very limited extent .

They exchange their surplus game fish ivory feathers , , , ,

honey poison etc for bananas plantains (a large kind of

, , .
, ,

b anana) arrow points knives axes cooking utensils and -

, , , ,

water j ars of their neighbors 7

.

1
S tuhl mnn p
a , .
45 0 .

Du C h you r n a l of A mer i ca n Vol

9 a i llu, Geogr a p hi ca l a nd S ta ti sti ca l S oci ety , . 2

p . 1 06 .
3 C asati V ol , . 1, p . 1 58 .
4 Far i ni p, . 2 15 .

5 mnn p 439
S tuhl a , . .
6t d p , .
45 3 .

Stan l ey I Darkest A frica Vol 2 p 1

7
, ii ,
”
.
, . 0
3; Du C h a i llu, your n a l of A mer
n G g ph i l n d S t t i t i l S
eo r a caV ol p a a s ca oc, . . 2, . 1 10 .
12 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

Tr a n s po rt a ti o n — The P ygmies have no mean s of trans

p o rta ti o n
except by fo ot Their highways consist of narrow
.

paths whi c h wind through the forest and are usually so over
grown with weeds and brush as to be almost indiscernible .

D i vi si o n o fL a b o r — The simplicity of the forest life does

.

not permit of much division of labor The women a c c o m .

pany the men in bo th hunting and fighting cook gather , ,

fuel and act as pack mule or freight car H owever the .

,

burden of transportation is light since the worldly posses ,

sions of the people comprise only a fe w weapons and trinkets .

When ready for a change of camp it is only necessary to ,

gather up the babies and whistle for the dogs The entire .

household and kitchen furniture of a P ygmy family could

have been lost in Lady W o uter V an Tw ille r s skirt pocket
’
.

NO S l a v e C l a s s The Pygmies have no slaves for the

-

reason that th e conditions of the hunting life render the

maintenance of slaves impossible In the desperate daily .

battle for existence it is necessary that every man exert his

,

faculties to their utmost extent and wherever this is the case

, ,

slave labor is not possible because other motives than com

pulsion are necessary to induce man to put forth his utmost
e ffort Each man can produce barely enough for himself
.

and family and hence if slaves existed they could not main
, ,

tain themselves and at the same time produce a surplus for

their master But if slaves were ever so profitable it would
. ,

be impossible to keep them in subj ection The hunting .

slave says Nieb o er will be much more inclined to run away

, ,

than a soil tilling slave : for the latter during his flight has
-
, ,

” 1
always done his flight has not the character of flight
,
If .

an agricultural slave runs away he can live only by jo i n ,

ing another community where he is liable to be returned ot

1 P . 1 91 .
 TH E PYG M I ES 13

his master or reenslaved but if a hunting slave runs away ,

he can support himself as w ell as any other hunter and so ,

he has no need to call upon any one for help and no one has
a motive for reénsla vin g him In the next place it is to be
.
,

observed that slaves cannot be used in the place of the

labor of the women because all of the men are needed in
,

hunting and fighting F inally the great man among hunting

.

people is not one who has acquired great wealth or has

noble blood in his veins but one who has strength courage
, , ,

and can overcome the great beast and slay the enemy in
battle Success in this line brings honor and glory and wins
.
,

the choicest women To admit slaves to hunt and fight

.

(and that is the only occupation open to them ) is at once to

place them on a level with the freemen and public opinion
could not consider as slaves those who engaged in the noble
occupation of hunting and fighting H ence slavery among .

1
a hunting people is impossible and absurd .

L a ck o f F o r e si gh t — The P ygmies have no need of store

houses or granaries There is no winter season to provide
.

’ ’
against and each day s labor su ffices for each day s need
,
.

They have no bank accounts and they experience no miser

able nights over the problem of accumulating and holding
property They receive nothing from their ancestors and
.

bequeath nothing to posterity .

1 Nieb o er, p . 191 .

 C HA P TER I II

THE PY G MI E S (Con ti nued )

Fa mi ly
L i fe — The family life of the P ygmies is very
simple M arriages are mostly monogamous ? They take
.

place early and generally accordi n g to the inclination of the

,

?
parties concerned b ut in some cases by purchase If any
,

marriage ceremony takes place it has not yet been described

by any explorer Owing to the wide distribution of the .

population and the di fficulties of commu n ication there is ,

much inter marrying of blood relations It is not uncommon

- -
.

?
for marriages to take place between brothers and S isters
?
It is unusual to find as many as three C hildren in one family
Each family lives independently of the other and cooks and
?
eats separately There does not seem to be much affection
“
between members of a family Geil says The mother is .
,

fond of her children to the age of three years but after they
” 6
leave the breast it is finished The playthings of the .

young Pygmies are bows and arrows and the bones of ‘

7
monkeys antelopes and elephants
,
A striking instance of
”
this disregard for home and its memories says Burrows , ,

was a flo rded when I had occasion to revisit the birthplace of

my P igmy boy as I returned through the Ma b o dé country .

H e was with me at the time but as we approached the village

they (his people) were still on the same encampment ground
or very near i t— h e showed not the least pleasure at the sight
of the place It might have been his first visit to the district
.

1Ge i l p 1 84
, . .
7 J Z id , p . 2 25 .

3
Du C h i ll 7 u ml f A m i n G g ph i
a u, o r z o er ca eo r a ca l a nd S ta tist i ca l S oci ety , Vo l . 2,

p 1 09 ; Ratze l H istory f M ank ind V ol 2 p 3

.
, o ,
”
.
, . 04 ; P reville P 2 1 3
,
0

Gei l p 1 84
, . .
5 C asati V ol 1 p
, .
, . 1 58 .

P 2 5
. 2 .
Gei l p7
, . 2 12.
 TH E PYG M IES 5

to j udge by the absence of any display of emotion or out ,

ward S ign that the settlement had once been the scene of his
daily life H owever as he had served me very well apart
.
, ,

from the natural laziness of his kind I thought I might do him ,

a good turn by o ffering him freedom to return to his people .

To my surprise he besought me to tell him what wrong

he had done to be discharged like thi s I explained that so .

far from having done wrong he had pleased me so well that ,

if he liked he might go back to his own people H e looked .

at me for a moment in bewilderment then he thre w up his

head with a proud gesture and walked away thus intim at ,

ing that he had not a very high opinion of the manner in

” 1
which I proposed to reward faithful service .

The P ygmies bury their dead near the hut where they died
and sing and weep over them for three days but without ,

?
dancing and then go away and buil d a n e w camp
,

P o l i t i c a l L i fe — The people have no definite political o r

a n i z a ti o n The groups are small since on account of the
g .
, ,

scarcity of food it is in the nature of all original forest districts

,

?
to be thinly populated F urthermore it is necessary for the ,

people to scatter so as to be unobserved and free from attack

from outside As a rule feeble people protect themselves by
.

scattering and strong people by uniting Each group has a .

4
sort of chief who is leader in war and hunting Sometimes .

public matters are discussed in council Schlichter refers to .

“
certain tribes as discussing the interests of the community
” 6
in long palavers P olitically the Pygmies are organized
.
,

bands for pillage They make frequent rai ds upon neigh .

boring tribes carrying o fl corn bananas sweet pota toes

, , ,
-
,

manioc etc? They are excellent fighters greatly prized as

, ,

1 P . 1 90 .
9 Geil p
, . 21
5 .

3 Ratzel A nthropogeograph i e Vol 1 p 47 6

, ,
”
.
, . .

4 C asati V ol 1 p 1 5 8
, .
, . .

5 S tti h G g ph i M g i
co s eo V ol 8 p 2 98
ra c a a z n e, .
, . .

6 C asati V ol I p 1 5 9
, .
, . .
16 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

al lies and greatly feared as enemies Wherever they live in .

proximity to the taller Negroes a sort of alliance or inter ,

national e n ten te prevails whereby the Pygmies hunt and fight

for their neighbors in exchange for the privilege of free access
1
to the banana groves The villages of the people are not
.

fortified for the reason that the forest itself is a su fficient

barrier They are accessible only by means of narrow paths
.

in each of which is a house where in times of danger some

?
one stands guard H ere and there in the paths leading to
the village are traps having sharp poisoned points to catch
?
the feet of the unwary stranger The Pygmies are very
shy ever on the alert and upon the slightest signal of dan
, ,

ger they gather up their effects and scamper for the j ungle .

But for the di fficulties of penetrating the forest these people ,

would long since have been exterminated D ense forests .

even more than mountains hinder invasion as the history of ,

?
the settlement of North America fully illustrates It would
be a remarkable fact if having been the first people to enter ,

Africa the Pygmies should be the last to surv i ve

, .

IE sth e ti c L i fe — The aesthetic life of the people is remark

ably undeveloped Their dress is rather scant whether .

viewed in the light of clothing or ornament The men w ear .

only a strip of cloth about their loins and the women a ,

bunch of leaves N one of the Pygmies seen by S tuhlma n n

.

6
wore articles of ornament but Stanley saw a dwarf queen , ,

however who wore iron rings in her ears iron armlets above
, ,

her elbows and an iron band curled around her neck .

Danci ng is much in favor and consists of an individualistic

j umping and swingn of arms and legs and is conducted ,

without any sweeter sound than the r h ythmical tapping of a

” 6
bow with an a rrow Schweinfurth seeing a P ygmy dance
.
, ,

1
Stanle y In Darkest A fr i ca Vol
, ,
”
. 2, p . 1 03 ; P reville p , . 2 12 .

1 l b i i Vol 2 p 1 0 3 Ib zafi Vo l p
’

a 3 1,
, .
, . .
, . .
37 4 .

4
Ratzel A nthropogeographie Vo l
, ,
”
. 1, p . 1 27 .

6 P 442
. .
5
Burro w s , p . 1 83 .
18 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

religion which one would exp ect to find among a p eople so

low in the scale of culture is fetichism that is the b elief that , ,

all phenomena are governed by indwelling spirits and when ,

the facts are known this kind of religion will no doubt be , ,

found to prevail Geil the latest explorer of the Pygmy .

,

forest says that the people believe in charms and that a chief
,

once said to him When we bury a man the body of that ,

man will become a big serpent and that serpent will come ,

and see us It will come near to us and coil up but will not
.

” 1
bite us H owever owing to their more strenuous life the
.
, ,

P ygmies are probably much less superstitious than the Ne

groes generally When people have to put forth great effort
.

to live and are accustomed to overcoming nature their minds ,

are less inflamed by terror and their imaginations do not ,

weave so many strange fictions .

Me nt a l a n d Mo ra l C h a r a c t er —The Pygmies are bright .

,

quick witted and no doubt very learned in all that pertains

-
, , ,

to the animal and plant life of the forest They reckon their .

ages by so many moons ? They have few abstract ideas .

F or example they have no term to express the idea of

,

?
w or ds One would suppose that they would be somewhat
stolid and morose since it is in the nature of forest people ,

4
generally to have a gloomy cast of mind but according to , ,

Geil they are quite cheerful H e says P igmy land is the

, .
,

” 6
Land of Laughter However they are probably not quite
.
,

m
so gay and light hearted as the N egroes of West Africa -
.

6
They are prou d and independent but extre ely suspicious ,

7
shy cunning and addicted to lying and stealing
, ,
They .

are very fond of animals and do not hesitate to associate ,

with them on terms of equality S tuh lma nn informs us that .

he once saw a Pygmy a n d a do g eati n g out of the same

?
dish The P ygmies are unmerciful to their enemies but ,

1 P . 2 1
5 .
7 Gei l p 2 1 4 , . .

4
Ratze l , A n tli ro po geo gra ph i e, V o l 1 p 47 9
”
.
, . .

5
Ge i l p , . 2 47 .
7
S tuh lm pp 447 8
a nn, .
- .
 TH E PYG M I ES 19

loyal to their friends and devoted to those who S how them a

,

kindness A striking instance of Pygmy fi delity is related

.

by F arini in his book Eight months in the Kalahari .

O ne day when he was reconnoitring with two members of

his caravan his attention was suddenly called to a strange
,

looking obj ect approaching at a distance of about

metres and now and then being hidden from view by the
,

tall grass Upon its approaching nearer it appeared to be

.

a small boy who was making signs of friendship F arini .

,

full of wonder at this lone wanderer of the desert beckoned ,

him to approach The little fello w hastened his steps and

.
,

a closer view revealed the fact that instead of being a boy , ,

he was an old and wrinkled man— but a Pygmy How .

could a forest Pygmy fin d his way here into the midst of the
Kalahari desert ? But wait As the little man coul d not .

make his language intelligible to Farini he made signs by ,

tossing his head like a man in agony and touching at the

’
same time Farini s hand This sign language was translated
.

to mean that a white man was somewhere sick in the desert

and needed succor The Pygmy made appealing gestures
.

for the men to follo w him in haste a n d as they mounted ,

their horses to do so he was frantic with delight and

, ,

bounded o fl leading the way and keeping well in advance of

the horses After traveling a consi derab le distance not
.
,

without apprehensions of being the victims of some savage

plot the party halted near a thicket dismounted and were
, , ,

led by the P ygmy into the midst of some prickly bushes .

What was their astonishment to behol d lying upon the

ground a terribly emaciate d and blood clotte d white man ! -

It seems that a German trader who had exchange d some

powder knives beads etc for two hundred head of cattle
, , ,
.
,

from a pastoral people of the west side of the desert and ,

who was making his way south ward towards th e coast was ,

obliged to flee into the desert on account of hostilities b e

twee n the Damaras and H ottentots Unfortunately he had .
,
20 TH E N EGRO R A C ES

in his employment about ten H ottentots who proved to be

traitors They led him to a desolate spot in the desert and
.
,

at an unsuspected moment looted his camp made way with , ,

the cattle and inflicted a wound upon him which left him ly
,

ing insensible upon the ground H owever one member of .

,

his caravan rem a ined true to him It was a Pygmy known .

,

as Korap who had been following the German trader for two
,

years H e had been captured by a band of O va mp o es and

.

carried away from his country near Lake N gami His cap .

tors had treated him like a dog and when the German came ,

along and saw his miserable plight he took pity upon him ,

and purchased him .

m
Well Korap had made an improvised hospital for his
,

wounded aster in the thicket which at least pr otected him ,

from the wild beasts F or days the little slave nursed his
.

delirious and fever stricken master and only saved him ,

from starvation by procuring some wild melons roots , ,

larv ae of insects and a small burrowing animal about the

size of a rat P erhaps it should be mentioned in conclusion
.

’
that this Pygmy who thus saved his master s life was pur
chased with one bandanna handkerchief and twenty five -

’ 1
cents worth of beads .

The Pygmies never had a white missionary among them

until lately and they have been so little in contact with the
whites that it is impossible as yet to speak of the influence
of the whites upon them An administrative o fficer of C e n.

“
tral Africa said to the adventurer Geil We have no plans ,

about the Pi gmies and I have thought of nothing for them .

They are very good hunters but that is all There is noth ,
.

” 2
ing to do for the P igmies Geil seems to fear the effects .

”
of civilization upon them I am convinced he says that.
, , ,

whether P igmy or Giant N egro or Bantu N ubian A z a nda s , ,

or Ma mb utti to wash a black is to lose one s soap to att empt

,
’
,

1
F rin i pp
a , . 1 42 , 1 48 , 1 1 , 1
5 5 2 .
1 P . 2 2 4.
 TH E P YG M I ES 2 1

to make a white man of him is to waste time H e should

.

not have with C hristianity our expensive civilization forced

, ,

” 1
upon him . But whatever might be the e ffect of civiliza
tion upon the Pygmy it will be a long time before it reaches
,

hi m
.

1 P . 227 .
 C HA PTER IV

THE B US H ME N
D e s c ri pti o n o f th e D e s e rt — The bushmen inhabit th e
.

Kalahari desert and its borders This desert extends from .

the Orange River in the south to Lake N gam i i n the north ,

and from about twenty four degrees east longitude to the

-

slopes of the west coast The amount of rainfall in Africa

.

diminishes as one proceeds southward from the equator .

The desert is a kind of elevated basin surrounded at a con

side ra b le distance by a part of that mountainous ridge which

almost completely encircles the African coast and which ,

drains the clouds of their moisture before they reach the in

te ri o r . Hence so little rain falls in the Kalahari region as to
give it the character of a real desert It contains no running .

water .

C l i ma t e — The climate is dry and daily alternates b e ,

tween hot and cold In the middle of the day the tempera
.

ture often rises above 1 00 F and at night descends almost

0
.

to the freezing point The rocks crumble under the influence

.

of the burning rays of the sun and are reduced to a fine

powder or sand which is heaped up in ridges by the first
,

gust of wind capable of S cooping up a hollow in the surface .

Gradually the ridge advances like the waves of the sea with
its steepest si de leeward while the sand flying from its crest
,

seems so like the ocean spray that the similarity is almost

1
complete and the movement of a wagon crossing the dunes
,

?
looks like a ship riding the waves of the sea The feet of
the traveler or the wheels of a vehicle sink deep into the
sand making a j ourney through the desert te dious and
,

painful to both man and beast The mirage sometimes .

1 Baines p, .
5 .
1 Farini p
, . 1 47 .
 TH E BUSH M EN 23

gives the illusion of beautiful green fields lakes rivers , , ,

glistening pools and groves of trees reflecting their rich

,

foliage in the water The likeness to nature is sometimes so

.

vivid and distinct that cattle and dogs run o il to the deceitful
pools ? The moisture of the country is not su fficient any
where for agriculture and thousands o fsquare miles are too ,

2
stony for pasturage .

V g
e et a b l e L i fe — N evertheless the desert is by no means ,

destitute of vegetable life While thousands of acres are .

3
absolutely bare where there is nothing but sand and no ,

w here a living creature visible except perhaps an ostrich

4
which can live w ithout drinking where the traveler passes ,

over dune after dune and ravine after ravine in almost inter
—
minable succession there are other districts where the bar
,

?
re nn ess is relieved by o a ses of trees and grass The desert ,

“
says Livingstone has a great variety of creeping plants
,

besides there are large patches of bushes and even trees It .

is remarkably flat but interspersed in di fferent parts by the

,

” “
beds of ancient rivers The dry ri ver beds con
.

tain much alluvial soil : and as that is baked hard by the

burning sun rain water stands in pools in some of them for
,

several months in the year The quantity of grass which .

grows in this remarkable region is astonishing even to those

who are familiar with India It usually rises in tufts with .

bare spaces between or the intervals are occupied by creep ,

ing pl a nts which having their roots buried far beneath the
soil feel little the e ffects of the scorching sun The number
, .

of these which have tuberous roots is very great and their ,

”
structure is intended to supply nutriment and moisture .

Here indeed it may be truly said that many

, ,

a flower is born to blush unseen and waste its fra

gran e e upon the desert air but unfortunately some of these ,

blooming S pecies are very poisonous especially a kind ,

1
L i v i ngstone p
, .
78 .
2 Ratzel , H istory of M ankin d Vol
,
”
. 2, p . 2
5 8 .

9 Farini p , . 88 .
4 Ibi i p
a , . 1 04 .
5H i d pp 1 04
,
.
,
1 07 , 1 0 8 .
24 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

of lily which antelopes sometimes nibble by m i stake and i n a

, ,

few minutes become frantic with pain and die in convulsions ?

A n im a l L i fe The amount of anim a l life in the desert is
-

no less surpri sing P rodigious herds of antelopes which .

,

require little or no water roam over the plains Great droves ,

.

of zebras are seen grazing among the patches of grass or

moving along in their migrations between the ridges of sand .

A number of rhinoceroses dwell in the neighborhood of the

pools roaming over a wide territory during the day and at
,

sunset seeking repose and shelter under some friendly mimosa

or proj ecting rock Sometimes one of them when seen at a
.

?
distance is in fact mistaken for a rock There is a species
of rhinoceros in this dese rt which scarcely ever drinks water ,

?
but lives on roots and melons Lions lurk in ambush near
the feeding grounds of the antelopes and zebras and often ,

prowl about the camps of the travelers and the huts of the
natives Jackals or wild dogs hunt in packs and strike ter
.

ror among numerous species of quadru peds They even .

?
bay and whip tigers Sometimes however when they are , ,

busy over their booty the hyena makes them an unexpected ,

social call They growl and ask the visitor to wait a bit ;
.

the bones are not quite ready ; please be seated until we

finish them But the hyena wishes to eat at the first table
. ,

and comes forward without ceremony Thereupon the j ack .

als declare that they are opposed to social equality anyway ,

and not wishing to dine with a citizen of such odious reputa

tion withdraw into the bushes where they watch the intruder
,

in silent contempt P retty soon several lions catching a .

, ,

whi ff of the banquet table approach with cautious steps and , ,

deploy near the booty to prevent its escape F inding how .

,

ever the meal already prepared they dismiss the host and
, ,

S it down and enj oy themselves When they have had .

enough the j ackals return to clear the tab le by gnawing the

,

fragments that the kings of the desert have been kind enough
Farini p 1 5 3
1
Baines p 308
, . I b id p 1 5 3
.
7 Ib d p 1 68
, . .
3
, . .
4 i , . .
26 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

varie d physical activities of the Bushme n give them great

suppleness a n d a certain natural grace a n d elegance of car
ria ge ? The extreme mobility of their lum b ar region enables
them to curl up i n a very small knot Their skin is some .

what lighter than that o i the P ygmies and is described as ,

” 2
yellow or faw n yellow
“
Fritsch thinks that the Bushmen .

?
belong to the aboriginal inhabitants of Africa The neigh
bors of the Bushmen on the east of the desert a re the Kaf , ,

firS Bechuanas and other branches of the Bantu race and

,

on the west the Damaras Na ma q ua s Ovampos and other

, , ,

branches of the Koi —Koin South of the desert are the .

H ottentots The Bushmen wear leather aprons about their

.

loins and leather straps around their legs as protection

,

?
against the thorns They sometimes carry animal skins on
?
their shoulders and S leep in them at night O n cold nights
they sit around a fire tur n ing first one side and then the ,

” 6
other until overdone on both sides .

H a b it a ti o n s — The Bushmen homes are sometimes huts .

of sticks and grass sometimes nests in the bushes and , ,

sometimes rock caves sometimes only holes dug in the sand -

with the excavated earth thrown up to wi n dward ; and again

only shelters made by fixing a few sticks in the ground and
covering them with mats plaited by the women or pieces of , ,

”
hides ?
In a bushy country says M o ffat they will form , ,

a hollow in a ce n tral position and bring the branches to

gether over the head H ere the man his wife and probably .
,

a child or two lie hu ddled in a heap on a little grass in a , , ,

’
hollo w spot not larger than an ostrich s nest Where
,
.

brushes are scarce they form a hollo w under the edge of a ,

rock covering it partly with reeds or grass and they are

, ,

F ritsch p 4 1
1
, . 0 .

Den i ker p 4 5 5 Reclus Vol 4 p 1 1 0 ; Ratzel H istory f M ankind

2
, .
, .
. .
,
o ,

V ol pp 66 2 67
,
2, . 2 P 466
, Grosse p 0 1
.
3 . .
4
, . 1 .

Ratzel H i story fM ank i n d V ol p 69

5
, M c K n i p 1 38 o ,
”
. 2, . 2 .
5 a e z e, .

Ratzel H istory f M ank i n d V o l p 7 1 Wo d p 2 74

7
, o ,
”
. 2, . 2 o , . .
 TH E BUSH M EN 2 7

often to be found in the fissures and caves of the moun

” 1
tains . Here and there are thickets which form natural
forts in which the natives may hide in perfect security from
?
the wild beasts
U t e n si l s — The utensils consist of egg shells and gourds
.
-

for storin g water mortars for grinding spoons made from

, ,

calabashes cut in two ? and an antelope horn worn around ,

the neck which serves as a pocket for tobacco and O intment

, .

1
P .
56 .
1 Fari ni p
, . 1 47 .
3 Decle, p , 5 2.
 C H APTER V

THE B USH ME N (Conti nued )

Meth o d of Tr a v e 1
When a family migrates the man
.
-

takes his spear and suspends his bow and quiver on his
shoulder while the woman frequently in addition to the
, ,

burden of a helpless infant carries a mat an earthen pot a , , ,

number of ostrich egg shells and a few ragged skins -

bundle d on her head and shoulder ” 1

Having no boats they .

?
cross the large streams by floating upon logs Before the
arrival of the European in South Africa n either the Bush
men nor H ottentots knew anything of navigation and used ,
?
water only to quench their thirst
W e a p on s a nd Im p l e m ents — The weapons and i m p le .

ments of the Bushmen are the bow and arrow club a dig , ,

ging stick for roots and rodents a knob kerry or throw ,

-

stick for small animals and birds and sometimes a spear five ,

?
or six feet long The bow is generally taller than its owner .

The b o w string is made of the twisted sinews of animals ,

and the arro w points are made of the shin bone of the ante
- -

lope o r leg bone of the ostrich and are poisoned with various
-
,

vegetable and anim al substances ?

W hen concocting their
secret poison they assemble around a pot throwing into it
bits of venom and dancing gesticulating and singing like
, ,

the witches in M acbeth In this dance they imitate so per .

fec tly the capers of wild beasts when poisoned that the
?
onlooker can recognize each animal represented
V ege t a b l e F o o d — The Bushmen live entirely by hunting
and gathering from the scant vegetation of the desert .

1 M o ffat , p .
53 .

3 Ratzel , Anthropogeog aphie V L 1r ,

"
O 1 P 3 7 2

5
Ratzel , H i story of M ankind V o l 2 ,
”
.
, P 2 7°

28
 TH E BUS H M EN 29

Among the tuberous roots already mentioned is one called ,

’
lerosh u a which is a very important article of the people s
,

“ ” “
bill o i fare
- - We see says Livingstone a small plant
.
, ,

’
with linear leaves and a stalk not thicker than a crow s
quill on digging down a foot or eighteen inches we come ,

to a tuber often as large as the head of a young child when

,

the rind is remove d we find it to be a mass of cellular tissue

,

filled with fluid much like that in a young turnip Owing .

to the depth beneath the soil at which it is found it is ,

generally deliciously cool and refreshing But the .

most surprising plant of the desert is the keme the water ,

melon In years when more than the usual quantity of

.

rain falls vast tracts of the country are literally covered

,

with these melons Then animals of every sort and

.

name including man rej oice in the rich supply The ele
, , .

phant true lord of the forest revels in this fruit and so do

, ,

the di fferent species of rhinoceros The various .

kinds of antelope feed on them with equal avidity and the ,

lions hyenas jackals and mice all seem to know and a ppre
, ,

” 1 ”
ciate the common blessing The Bushmen says Farini .
, ,
“
live almost exclusively from the oleaginous seed of the
soma (melon) and in the seasons of plenty fatten like hogs ,

in the pasture Why gi ve themselves trouble to run after

.

antelopes when it is only necessa ry to stoop down and

” 2
gather the seeds of the melon ? This melon by the way , ,

?
remains u pon the ground an entire year without rotting
The Bushmen eat numerous roots and drink a kind of ,

?
liquor made from berries fermented in water
Meth o ds o f H un ti ng— But the vegetable resources of the
desert are too poor in some districts and seasons to supply a
su fficient amount of nourishment and the people are ,

obliged to have recourse to the animal world They must .

wage war with the wild b easts and either conquer them or

7 P . 1 30 .
3 Iéi d ,
. p . 1 36.
4 Ba i nes p , .
94 .
30 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

be conquered by them It is a royal battle and the victory .

is almost as often on the one side as th e other In this con .

1
test it is rare that the Bushmen have the help of the dog ,

whose share of the booty is too often nee ded by his master .

H ence the dog finds his best companions among his wild
congeners of the desert It is not every day that the natives .

encounter the big animals such as the elephant and bu ffalo ,

but when they do it is their custom to shoot them with,

poisoned arrows and follow them until they succumb from

exhaustion The Bushmen display extraordinary boldness
.

and do not hesitate to attack the most formidable of beasts .

The l ion even falls a victim to their superior cunning and

courage They sometimes kill this king of the desert in the
.

following manner After watching him make a full meal of

.

“
some prey two Bushmen hunters creep up to the spot
,

where the animal is reposing according to his custom and , ,

approach so silently that not a cracked stick announces the

presence of the enemy O ne of them takes o ff his kaross .

(a S kin cloak ) and holds it with both hands while the other ,

prepares his weapons When all is ready a poisoned arrow .

,

is sent into the lion s body a nd simultaneously with the ’

, ,

’
twang of the bow string the kaross is flung over the animal s
-
,

head so as to bewilder him when he is so unceremoniously

aroused and to give the bold hunters time to conceal them
,

selves The lion S hakes o ff the blinding cloak and bounds

.

off in terror w hich soon gives way to pain and in a short

” 2
time the animal dies in convulsive agonies In pursuing .

the game the Bushmen rival the dog They follow a tra c k .

at a rapid pace over ground rather thickly co vered with

vegetation hardly seeming to give it any attention and only
, ,

when it makes a sudden turn do they betray by gesture the ,

close observation which they give to the mo st in c o nspic uo us

” 3
obj ects .They seem to have a cat s sense of direction a n d ’
,

1
Ratze l , Hi sto y r Of M a nk i n d V ol ,
”
. 2, p . 271 .

9 Woo d p , . 2 87 .
11 Fr i tsch p, .
42 5 .
 TH E BUSH M EN 3 :

never have any trouble in going in a straight line to any

place or finding their way home Theal says that even a .

child of nine or ten yea rs of age remove d from its parents ,

to a distan ce of over a hundred miles a n d without o p p o r

tun ity of observing the features of the country traversed ,

could months later return unerringly One of the favorite

methods of capturing ostriches is for the Bushman to conceal
himself in one of their nests and when the birds return after
,

sundown to shoot one or more of them with his arrows It

,
.

is to be remembered that sever al birds deposit their eggs in

?
the same nest According to another method the Bushman ,

places the upper part of his body in the skin of an os trich ,

chalks his legs white and saunters among the b irds artfully
, ,

imi tating their movements and manner of feeding When .

near enough he draws his b o w lets fly his arrows and

, ,

?
brings down four or five birds H e plucks out the feathers
carefully and preserves them in hollow reeds until he has a
?
C hance to exchange them for tobacco or other article The
Bushman catches many animals in pits and traps and ,

imitates the cry of birds in order to get within bow shot of -

them .

P r e p a ri ng a n d E a tin g A nim a l F o o d — The animal d iet of

the Bushmen includes numerous rodentia and small species
6
of the feline race also locusts mixed with honey which the
,

Boers call Bushman pudding Usually the Bushmen cook .

their meat by placing it in a hole under the fire and cover

ing it with ashes ? Farini says I have seen two Bushmen
“
,

at sunset kill an antelope and not rise from the feast until
,

”7
next day at noon when nothing remained but the bones .

Often after eating the meat from a c a rcass they reheat the
8
bones crush them and suck out the marrow ; and sometimes
,

?
they eat skin head and entrails
,
On one occasion some
2
Woo d p
, . 2 76 .

5 Li vi ngsto n e , p 5 3 . .

3 Woo d p
,
2 68
. .
3 2 T H E N EGR O RA C ES

Bushmen were seen eating a python and also a small gaz elle
which the reptile had swallowed ? Q uite a delicacy among
the Bushmen are the larvae of ants which the Boers call
Bushman rice ? The Bushmen do not hesitate to eat lice or
an embryo bird which they may find in an ostrich egg .

Sometimes in the midst of the desert when there is no sign

of water anywhere they are charmed by the cro a king of
,

frogs The question arises how came these amphibians in

.
,

the desert and how can they live there ? It seems that frogs
can live wherever there is moisture enough for any kind of
vegetation D uring seasons of rain they revel in th e desert
.

pools and when the water dries up they make holes at the
, ,

roots of certain bushes and there ensconce themselves dur

ing the months of drought As they seldom emerge a
.
,

large variety of spider builds a web across the hole and ,

thus the frogs are furnished with a window and screen gratis .

NO one ,
”
says Livingstone but a B ushman w ould think
,

of searching beneath a spider s web for a frog ” The Bush

’ 6

man method o i cleaning a frog is to apply his lips to its

?
antipodes and blow out the intestines through its mouth
Some of these desert frogs are enormous and when cooked
?
look like chickens Sometimes when the Bushman is in
distress the honey bird comes to his rescue It whistles .

until it has attracted his attention and then fl utters from

branch to branch waiting for its two legged partner
to advance and in this way leads him to the hive which is
, ,

u sually in the trunk of a dead tree ? The Bushman eats

?
the honey wax and larv ae
,

Me th o ds o f Ob ta i ni ng W a ter The Bushmen su ffer from

.
-

thirst no less than from hunger In following the game over

.

miles of country they often go without water for several days .

If they come to the dried bed of a river or po n d they take ,

1
Ratzel , H istory of M ankind Vol 2 p 2 7 1
,
”
. . .

4 Baines p
, . 2 39 . L i v i ngstone p 4 8
5
, . .

Fari n i p 9 3
7
, . 2 .
34 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

dren in their fondness for capturing and killing birds and in

many of their games such as hide and seek base tat etc ; , , , .

and it is S hown a mong a dults in their hunting recreations ,

and even also in their love of games of chance stock gam ,

bling and scientific research in each of which employments ,

there are certain j oys sensations of surprise of overtaking

, , ,

of combat and victory for which the hunting life has created
a craving ? M oreover the occupation of hunting develops,

certain instincts and temperaments which are almost i m

possible to outgrow F or example the propensity to destroy
.
,

life which is so strong in the Bushmen that when they steal

’
their neighbor s cattle they immediately kill them M ission .

aries have rep eatedly tried the experiment of supplying

cattle to Bushmen families with the hope of weaning them
from their wild life but in vain Their instinct is to destroy
, .

and not to foster In a similar manner the e ffort of the

.

United States Government to transform the Indians from a

hunting to a pastoral people has been a S ignal failure The .

hunting life may have its hardships and privations but it ,

also has its glory its fascinating and intoxicating excite

,

ments its feeling of independence its grand victories and

, ,

exaltations of j oy and the Bushmen love it

,
.

1
Thomas , A mi
er ca n 7 ou r n a l f
o S oci ology , Vol . 6, p .
75 0, Th e Gaming I ii
”
sti n ct .
 C HA P TER VI

THE B USH MEN (Conti nued )

Fa mi l y
L i fe — C ontrary to the general rule in Africa the ,

Bushmen do not purchase their wives This is because .

weal th does not exist among them and would be an e nc um

brance The capital of a Bushman is his skill and daring
. ,

and these are the qu alities that win the belles of the desert .

When a Bushman desires a wife he must give proof of his ,

expertness in shooting a n d hunting If the girl consents he .

sends some presents to her parents and the marriage is ,

celebrated by a carouse ? P olygamy though permitted is , ,

exceptional as the scarcity of provisions does not enable a

,

man to support more than one wife or set of children .

M arriages do not take place between parents and children or

brothers and sisters as among the Pygmies ?
The p o pula
tion is divided i n to small scattered groups and the girls ,

marry at the age of puberty and j oin the groups of their

husbands There are no reasons whatever for delaying
.

marriages All of the worldly goods necessary for establish

.

ing a home can be acquired in a few hours All that the boy .

needs is a bow and arro w and knob kerry and all that the -
,

girl needs is an antelope horn for carry n her face powder -

and an egg shell for carrying water The Bushmen are not
-
.

so much absorbed in materi al possessions as the Ka ffi rs and ,

hence have a place in their hearts for their wives and chil
dren The women generally are not valued as among the
.
,

Ka ffirs like heads of cattle but are relatively respected and

, , ,

are the companions of the men rather than their beasts of

burden ?
1
Ratzel , H istory of M ank i n d Vol
,
”
. 2, p . 27
5 .

7 F ritsch p , , 445 .
3 Mi d p
, .
444 .
36 TH E N EGR O RAC ES

Tr e a tm e nt O f C h i l dr e n — As
a rule children receive littl e
attention from their mothers except during a short p eriod of
infancy When a fe w days old they eat meat roots and
.
,

what not and grow up largely without cleaning watching

, ,

or tending? At the age of a few months they crawl upon

the sand and when a year old they run about freely and
, ,

even before this time they learn to search for water bulbs
,
-

which lie hidden under the sand and to scrape them up with
”
a short stick? In general says M o ffat children cease , ,
’
to be the obj ect of a mother s care as soon as they are able
to crawl about in the field Bushmen will kill their
.

children wi t hout remorse on various occasions as when they ,

a re ill shaped when in want of food when the father of the

-
, ,

c hild has forsaken its mother or when obliged to flee from

the farmers (Boers) or others in which case they will

strangle them smother them cast them away in the desert
, ,
” 3
or bury them alive If a mother dies her infant child is
.

buried alive with her ? Decle mentions the case of a Bush

man who O ffered to sell his boy for a cup of grain and , ,

thinking th e bargain concluded got up to go away without ,

a word of adieu ?

C h i l dre n A b a n do n P a r e nts — As the Bushmen parents b e .

stow little thought upon their children i t naturally follows that ,

the children bestow little thought upon their parents O w .

ing to the early age of marriages parents and children soon ,

part company They live together only for a S hort time and
.
,

when once separated seldom if ever see each other after

,

wards H ence when the old people are feeble and unable to
.

endure the fatigues of the chase they have no one to help ,

them and are left by the wayside in the desert to die

naturally or be devoured by a hyena or lion In mitiga .
~

tion of this practice it must be said that it is impossible for

the natives to live without rapid and long migrations and ,

1
Ratzel , H istory of M ank i n d Vo l
,
”
. 2, p . 27
5 .
9 WOOd P 2 72
3 P 58
. ,
4 n ot , p .
57 .
5 P
53
 TH E BUSH M EN 37

that old people are not able to keep the pace It is there .

fore necessity rather than indi fference which causes the aged
to be abandoned .

F e eb l e n es s o f P a r e n t a l Influ e n c e — NO race can make

.

much progress unless the parents and children live a long

time together so that the mutual sacrifices may kindle a ffe c
tion and so that th e moral precepts and wisdom of t h e
,

parents may be handed down to the o ffspring Yea the in .

,

flue n c e of grandparents is n ecessary But the children of

.

the desert have neither the influence of the parent nor of the
grandparent In this respect there is a sharp contras t b e
.

tween the savage and civilized C hild To illustrate an old .

,

woman in New J ersey as reported in the N ew York Ti mes

, ,

sold her gray hair at $ 2 5 per ounce in order that her

granddaughter might complete her education The wig .

dealer who cut the hair said She wrote to us telling of the
,

length of her hair and of the price she had been told it
,

would bring As it happened at the time we had two

.
,

orders for real white h ai r and had searched in vain for the
,

proper length and quality .

“
I wrote that I would come to see her on the following
day In the meantime as I learned later S h e sent for her
.
, ,

physician She told him of her purpose Of course he tried

. .

to dissuade her and finding that useless consented to tell

, ,

’
the girl that her grandmother s hair must be cut o ff as it ,

was too great a burden for her to bear in her enfeebled con
dition .

“
There were tears e ritrea ties and protests on the part
,

of the young girl but the Old grandmother managed to per

,

suade her that it must be I came the next day The . .

doctor was there— a ste mfaced middle aged man who -

,
-
,

scowled at me I was really very uncomforta ble The girl

. .
,

’
who co uld not witness the cutting of her grandmother s
’
crowning glory had gone away to weep alone The old
, .

woman was sittin g up in her bed running her fin gers

3 8 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

through the beautiful white waves of her hair that stream ed

O fl to the carpet .

“
I had never seen such a head of hair M y business .

heart j umped with greed a n d then as she looked up at me , ,

’
with her angel s face and her great big pitiful eyes the greed
was gone and I started crying It was very unprofessional . .

’
Sit down madame said she in the gentlest sort of voice
, , ,

and then she tol d me why S h e was willing to sacrifice it .

You see the doctor will tell you that I cannot live long ,

a month or so perhaps and I would carry this hair to the ,

’ ’
grave I d much rather provide for the little girl
. .

While the Bushmen have pract ically no grandchildren in ,

how many instances among civilized people are grandchildren

the j oy and solace of old age ! The human race makes a
great step forward when children come to know and rever
ence their grandparents and it makes a great step backward
,

when children cease to kno w them or when the period of ,

contact between children and parents is voluntarily cut S hort .

It means a reversion to savagery whether it is the result of

illegitimacy State care of children transient marriages or
, ,

divorces The Bushmen exemplify the theory advanced by

.

Drummond and also by F iske that individual development is

in proportion t o the prolongation of infancy H ere the .

period of infancy is reduced to a minimum and the stat us o f

the adult is correspondingly low .

D e a d R a re l y B uri e d — The Bushmen rarely bury the ir

dead but the women sometimes express their grief over the
,

loss of a child or husband by amputating a j oint of their lit

tle finger?
P o l iti c a l L i ta — P olitically the Bushmen form very small ,

loose groups since the conditions of life forbid any solid o r

,

g a n i z a ti on Sometimes one of their number is ca lled cap

.

ta in but this is only nominal

,
?
Where any leadership at a ll

1
F ritsch p , .
406 ; L etourneau ,
Sociology p, . 2 24 .
1 F ritsch , P 444
 TH E BUSH M EN 39

exists it depends upo n physical strength and not upon rank ,

age or wisdom H e n ce it falls to youth rather than to me n

,

ripe in years and exp e rience The supremacy which the .

hunting life give s to youth helps to perpetuate the con dition

of savagery The leader of the hunt or raid has no idea of
.

internal government Each member of the group who may

.

be i nj ured by another takes his reve n ge as suits his impulse .

” 1
Grosse says that the Bushmen live in complete anarchy ,

and according to Livingstone the only public functionaries ,

of a Bushmen village are some beetles that act in the ca

?
p a c it y of sanitary commissioners
C a tt l e R a i di n g
— The political problem is not one of pro
tec tin g one Bushmen tribe from another for they are gener ,

ally too far apart to occasion friction and besides they have ,

nothing to steal from each other The problem is one of .

organized pillage of the pastoral and agricultural tribes on

the fringes of the desert and organized resistance to those ,

tribes It is customary for bands of Bushmen to make long

.

j ourneys across the desert to the regions of cattle followed ,

by women who carry a supply of water in ostrich egg shells

,
-
,

which they deposit in the ground at intervals along the

route for the men and cattle to dri n k on the return The .

tactics of the Bushmen consist of surprising the Hottentot

shepherds killing them cruelly a n d making way with the
,

?
herd If pursued and overtaken they shoot all of the cat ,

tle with poisoned arrows Thus their enemies gain nothing.

by pursuit of them If for the sake of revenge the pastoral

.

people invade the desert they are force d soon to turn back,

for lack of water while the Bushmen subsist upon the sup
,

ply which they have hid in the groun d and in the meantime , ,

they scatter in ban ds of two or three hide behind ridges , ,

rocks and bushes and send their deadly arrows into their
,

opponents The Bushmen poison any pools of water

.

1
P . 1 1 2. 7
P .
44 .
5 F ritsch p, .
4 20 .
40 THE N EGRO RA C ES

that may exist along the route of retreat Should the

.

cattle be carried o ff safely into the desert the Bushmen

,

at once slaughter them and gorge themselves with the

fl esh.
4 2 TH E N EGR O R A C ES

In some loca lities the Bushmen tattoo s tra i ght lin es upon
1
their arms shoulders and cheeks
, .

D a n c i ng — Dancing among the dese rt people takes place

almost every night inside or outside of their huts If the hut .

is large enough the spectators circle the inside while a bright

fire bl az es near the entrance The roof is generally so low .

that the artist has to bend over and support his hands upon
sticks H e places a rattle on each ankle and dances until
.

out of breath when he is relieved by another On moon

, .

light nights the dance is an open air function The people .

form a circle and j ump and swing their limbs until tired out
and covered with perspiration when they often fall to the ,

ground completely exhausted with blood oozing from their

?
nostrils
Mu s ic The Bushmen as all other Negroes are much
-
, ,

given to singing They express their vague pent up feelings

.

by humming or chanting improvised phrases in a tone cor

responding to their mood The first songs here as every .
,

where were mere monotonous and melancholy repetitions

,

of a few words the melancholy element of the song being

,

due to the fact that the life of the savage is so largely made
up of privations and sensations of terror that in hi s moments
of reverie his mind is filled with painful longings and rem
,

i n isc e n c es The Bushmen music is thus described by a

.

“
European : We had gradually become so accustomed to
the monotonous sound of the Bushmen music that our sleep
was never disturbed by it but it rather put us to sleep ,
.

When heard in the distance it is not at all unpleasant but ,

mournful and soothing Although the music does not com

.

prise more than six tones which besides do not belong to ,

our scale but form intervals quite foreign to it yet the

, ,

method of vocalization of these tones the unusual rhythm and ,

the strangeness I might say— the wildness of the melody

—
,

give it a very peculiar charm ?

1 Gro e p
ss , .
79 .
9 1 6i d , . p . 2 1 6. 5 J oint, p . 2 87 .
 TH E BU SH M EN 43

I nstrum e nts .
—
As for musica l instruments the Bushmen ,

have first of a ll the drum which is commonly supposed to ,

be the most primitive of all instruments Instrumen tal .

music in its begi n ni n g was nothing but a monotonous h eat

, ,

ing of time to accompany the dance and its first element was ,

therefore rhythm The drum of the Bushman is made by.

stretching a hide over an earthen or wooden pot and it is ,

beat with his fingers ? Another instrument is a harp which ,

is made by attaching a gourd resonator to one end of a ‘

’
huntsman s bow This rude harp seems to support the
.

theory of Tylor Drummond and others that the bow which

, ,

the savage twanged by the camp fire was the first stringed -
,

instrument the a ncestor of the piano and all other i nstru

,

ments having strings The Bushmen have another i nstru .

ment called the gora which is made by placing a flat quill ,

in the end of a bow between the string a n d the rib It is .

blown like an h a rmo nic u m and sounds like a flute ? Still

another instrument is a three stringed guitar -
.

P a i nti ng a n d D ra w i ng — The Bushmen paint and draw

“ ”
astonishingly well Upon the rocks of the desert and
.

the w alls of their caves are thousands of paintings and

drawings representing such animals as th e elephant eland , ,

buffalo antelope ostrich hyena ape dog cow horse etc

, , , , , , , , .

The figures S how correct memory for form a steady hand ,

and great S kill and the native artists can copy any number
,

of the figures with unvarying accuracy ? On a certain cave

rock is one very notable painting portraying a great event
, ,

in the life of the people i e a tribe of Bushmen fleeing with , . .

,

st olen cattle and a tribe perhaps of Hottentots pursuing , , .

It is not o nly true to life in subj ect matter but also in tech
,

nique ?
The Bushmen have no sculpture a n d do not even o ma
?
ment their digging stick P erhaps their mental develop
1 Gr0sse, p 2 89 . .
9 Mid p , . 291 .

5
Fr i tsch pp, .
4 Grosse p , . 181 .
5 Mid pp , . 1 1 5 , 1 87 .
44 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

ment does not enable them to appreciate beauty in land

scape o r S ky but they are nevertheless very fond of flowers
,

and their homes are resplendent at times with the richest

” 1
and most variegated floral displays .

A n im a l L ege n ds — The Bushmen astonish all travelers

.

?
with their wealth of animal legends folk lore and myths ,
-

No Africans says Ratzel have a more copious store of beast

, ,

?
legends The lion hyena ostrich and locust are the i n
, ,

spiration of numerous stories that the people relate with

much gesture and mimicry The heavenly bodies are also .

interwoven with some of their stories F or instance they re .

,

late in explan ation of th e stars that a maiden of a former

people from whom the Bushmen sprang wanted to make ,

light by which men could find their way home She there .

fore threw glowing ashes in the air and the sparks became
” 1
stars .
‘

R e a s o n s fo r S u p e ri o rity o f B us h m en A rt — The superi

o ri ty of the Bushmen over the Pygmies in art development

is due to two influences first con tact with the superior races
, ,

that passed southward along the eastern chain of mountains ,

and second the more temperate climate which stimulates the

,

mind and favors reflection At intervals of leisure the scenes .

of the past arise in their minds and they attempt to visualize

them by painting or drawing them on a rock or on winter
evenings they sit around the camp fire making music with -

their harp or gora and rehearsing in their fancy the events

,

of the day the past week or year It is a great step for

, .

ward when man emerges from the burning rays of the

sun and humid atmosphere of the tropics a n d begins to ,

warm his body by artificial heat What has done more to .

lift man out of his animal nature a nd to awaken his aesthetic

and poetic spirit than the cracking roaring glowing a nd , ,

w armth of the camp fi re ? In the kalei doscopic play of the

-

1 Grosse p, . 1
56 .
2 Reclus , V ol 4,
. p . 112 .

5
H i story of Mankind Vol
,
”
. 2, p . 2 , 4
. Grosse , P 2
54
 TH E BUSH M EN 45

blaze the h alf dreami n g savage doubtless sees images of , ,

elephants snakes devils a n d also kindly spirits and per

, , , ,

haps a sweetheart or departed friend The flame of the .

camp fire is the incipient drama novel poem and picture

-
, ,

gallery furnishing reminiscences of the past and prophecies

,

of the future Indeed it is of profound significance that

.
,

M oses saw God in a burning bush and that David mused

while the fire was burning And may it not be that the open .

fire will have to come back into our modern life before we
can have another gr eat age of art and literature ?
R e l i gi o n The religion of the Bushmen is clearly fetich
-
,

although some tribes seem to have caught a smattering of

the polytheistic religion of the H ottentots The lightning .
,

wind sun a n d stars and in fact all moving obj ects are b e
,

lieve d to be personalities or spirits When the Bushme n .

first saw a wagon they thought it was alive and offered to

give it some grass ? All calamities as famine disease and ,

death are attributed to the work of evil spirits In case of .

very serious illness several medical men or sorcerers are

called to the bedside of the patient and the line of treat ,
.

ment usually consists of frantic dancing and shouting and

magic extraction of the evil spirit Sometimes after shak .

ing and otherwise roughly handling blowing upon or a p ,

plying the mouth to some particular part of the body the

, ,

sorcerers gravely turn aro und and exhibit a quantity Of

’ ’
goat s hair a few bird s feathers a piece of thong or a num
, ,

ber of straws saying that they had extracted them from the
,
” 2
head stomach legs or the arms of the patient
, ,
After this .

operation the patient feels better .

The belief is general that after death the spirit in man ,

continues to live As bearing upon this point a native

.
,
” 3
proverb says Death is but a S lumber
,
Life in the other .

worl d is supposed to be the same as in this and perhaps it ,

1 Spencer Principles Of Sociology Vol ”

1, p 1 43
m
.
, , . .

7
Kay p , .
406 .
5 Q uatre fages p , . 2.
46 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

is on account of this belief that the natives place a spear by

the side of the dea d man that he may hunt and defend him
self ? The Bushmen venerate a S pecies of caterpillar and ,

when they go hunting beg it to guide their arrows ? They ,

also show special reverence for a species of antelope — the

blesbo k Some tribes believe in a sort of heaven where a
.

“ ”
great chief lives who is believed to be master of all things .

H e makes to live and die and is prayed to in times of famine

?
and before going to war They also believe in a bad deity
or devil who is up to all kinds of mischief .

The Bushmen have no idols or priests They reckon .

with their deities directly by means of C harms made of wood ,

?
roots and so forth which they wear around their necks ,

Upon the whole the Bushmen are much less superstitious

or rather their superstitions are less fantastic than those of
the N egroes generally ?
Men t a l a n d Mo ra l Te m p e r a m ent — It is generally con
ceded that the Bushmen have very acute senses great ,

knowledge of nature love of independence ability to suffer , ,

privations and great courage A dozen Bushmen are more .

redoubtable than a hundred K a ffirs? F ritsch says that in

keenness of senses cunnin g and skill they surpass all other , ,

?
South African races When hunting they S how great
patience and know no hunger or thirst as long as they see
,

9
a prospect of booty ?
But they have almost no foresight or
po w er of self control To e v e rv demand of passion or a p
-
.

petite they yield obedience and never give a thought to the

10
consequences Like many civilized people they have
.
,

wonde rful knowledge but no ability to discipline their app c

ti tes a n d passions They resemble C hildren who live only .

for the present They are much i n cline d to theft and rob .

bery for the reason that having no property of their own

, , ,

1
Q uatre fages p , . 20 1 .
7 l bid , p . 20 2 .
5 p 20 1
IZ za i ,
'

. .

1Mid p 2 3 , . 0 .
5
Mi d p , . 20 2 .
5 F r i tsch p 4 2 1
, . .

Ib d p 4 2 3 Mid p Farin i p Fr i tsch p 4 1 9

'

7 5 9 1°
i , . .
, .
42 4 .
, .
30 3 .
, . .
 THE BUSH M EN 47

they have never had a chance to learn how to respect that of

others ? However they are not at a ll treacherous or hostile
,

to those who S how themselves friendly as the long list of ,

European explorers who have gone unharmed among them

abundantly proves ? In Bushmen families there is almost no
transmission of knowledge to posterity because of the fact
that the early separation of chil dren fro mparents breaks the
link between one generation and another Each individual .

accumulates his little stock of knowledge by personal ex

ri e nce a n d when he dies it is buried with him or vanishes
p e

in the desert air .

Effe c t o f C on t a c t W it h t h e W h it e Ma m — The Bushmen

have not been b enefited by their acquaintance with the
white man The Dutchmen have shot them down as vermin
. .

“
Barrow relates that when on the frontier a Boer being
’
asked in the Secretary s o ffi ce if the savages were numer ,

ous or troublesome on the road replied that he had only ,

shot four with as much composure and indi fference as if he

,

”
had been speaking of four partridges Between 1 7 8 6 and .

?
1 7 9 5 the Dutch killed Bushmen M any Bushmen have
been captured and enslaved some have been preached to ,

by missionaries and some have mixe d their blood with the

white race Since the extension of the British protectorate
.

north to the Zambesi the system of servitude of Bushmen ,

to the Bechuana tribe has been abolished and some of the

Bushmen are adapting themselves to settle d habits of life .

Instead of dwelling amid rocks following the quarry and ,

” “
shooting cattle with poisoned arrows says Keane they , ,

seek employment as farm hands and herds are put in charge ,

of flocks by their former Bechuana masters and even have

flocks of their own in the very heart of the Kalahari Desert ,

where they know better than any others where to dig for
”
water? But each year as a result of European interference
1
F ritsch p , .
419 .
7 Idi ot, p .
42 2 .

M ac Ke nz i e , p .
5 10 .
1
‘
Keane ,
“ Th e Boer States p , .
79 .
48 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

they have d w indled in numbers receded farther into the ,

desert and shown an aversion to civilized institutions M ac .

“
Kenzie remarks that The white man destroys t h eir heredi
,

tary food and suddenly renders their traditional mode of life

impossible The wild beasts perish before the gun and the
.

country is cut up into farm lots and S ites for towns The .

Bushmen become as it were strangers in their own country

, , .

They look for the game and find only S heep and cattle .

They look for the roots and berries they find that the old
familiar spots have been turned over by the plow and they
see instead the corn of the white man waving in the sum
, ,

mer breeze But as they have always lived on what they

.

can find in the open country they will do so still They .

seize sheep and cattle a n d fleeing into the wilderness

”1 “ ”
slaughter and make merry Those of mixed blood
.
,

S ays Thea could not exist in the presence of a high civili

z a tio n but dwindled away rapidly and have now nearly died
,

out altogether It would seem that for them (the pure Bush
.

men ?) progress was possible in no other way than by exceed

in gly slow development and blending their blood in succes
” 2
sive stages with races always a little more advanced .

Their low intelligence i dleness and proclivity to

,

drink will lead within a few years to their absolute e x term i

” 6
nation .

1 Keane , Th Boer States p 5 1 1

e , . .
9 P . 19 .

5 P 509 ; Farini also prophesi es t heir early e x ti nction p

. , . 1 04 .
50 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

Th e precipitation is not su fficient to support a large forest

growth except on the southern slopes of the highlands which
skirt th e seaboard The interior plateau receives j ust enough
.

rain to give life to grass small bushes a n d stunted trees , .

In some places the country is level and O pen having wide ,

areas of beautiful p asture fields but as one nears the Orange ,

River or crosses it the vege tation becomes more scant and , ,

a vast region O pens up dotted here and there only with ,

patches of grass and scrub and which is known as the ,

—
Great Karroo a H ot tentot word meaning arid land To
, .

wards the north are numerous depressions where the rain

water lodges evaporates and leaves upon the ground a
,

s al ine e fflo resc e nc e ? M any rivers rising in the Great

?
Karroo never reach the ocean Even the tributaries of the
Orange River often dry up except in the little scattered res ,

erv o irs along their beds

?
There is no very marked rai ny
or dry season Showers occur everywhere even on the in
.

land plateaux throughout the whole year although usually ,

?
distributed with a certain regularity from month to month
Gradually as we advance from the coast to the i n
te ri o r th e climate acquires a more continental and extreme
,

character becoming not only colder in winter which might

,

be explained by the greater altitude of the land but also ,

” 6
much warmer in summer .

A n im a l L i fe This region is or was rich in animal life

-
, , .

It is the home of the elephant hippopotamus bu ffalo ante , , ,

lope zebra gira ffe elk wild ass lion hyena j ackal leopard
, , , , , , , , ,

wild dog monkey and numerous birds including the O S

, ,

trich It has a variety of snakes including the cobra garter

.
,

and puff adder? O wing to the encroachments of the white

-

man many of the larger animals have retreated northward .

D e s c ri p ti o n o fth e P e o p l e — The Hottentots are a short .

race having many points of resem b lance to the P ygmies and

1
Rec l us V L 4 p
, O , . 84 .
1 1 hid , . p 91
. . 1 5 21 p 89
, . .
4 15 1212. P 98
5 Mid p 97, . .
ti
l oi d q pp 06. 1 ,
1 07 M o ffat p , . 1 19 .
 TH E H OTTENTO TS 51

Bushmen Their language is akin to that of the Bushmen

.
,

bei n g characterized by a series of C licks which sound like a

’ ’
white man s cluck to a horse The Hottentot s head is long .

a n d depressed his forehead narrow and his j aws prog

,

na th u s . The calves of his legs and his forearms are lean ,

and his pelvis is n a rrow H e has very pronounced stea .

to py gy which is found also to some extent among the Bush

men and Pygmies H is skin is a brownish yellow dry and
.
,

wrinkled His hair is coarse and tightly felted The odor

. .

from his skin is not very strong?

The dress of both sexes consists of a ko ro ss or cloak
made of the skin of a sheep j ackal or wildcat On rainy , .

days it is worn with the wool outside The men wear .

leather sandals for long marches and leather pouches sus ,

pended from their necks for carrying their pipes charms ,

and ornaments They have a sweat wiper or combination

.
-

handkerchief and fly brush made of a fox tail tied to the end

-
,
-

?
of a stick The men go bareheaded while the women at ,

least in some districts wear pointed caps , .

C a tt l e B r ee din g a n d H unt i n g — The Hottentots are chie fl y

a pastoral people They keep great herds of cattle and con
.

sidera b le quantities of sheep and goats Their food is p rin .

c i p a lly milk and butter They seldom slaughter their cattle

.

but eat all that die of old age or disease ?

The men spend
much time in hunting a n d any surplus meat that they o b ,

tain is dried and powdered so as to b e available for war ex ,

p e di ti o n s or for the next hunt ?

A man who kills a danger
ous beast is much honored The people assemble in public .

to celebrate his triumphal return from the combat His .

bo dy is sprinkled with the ashes from a pipe that has been

smoke d in common and then the fetich man performs the
ceremony of washing his body with a copious stream of
1
Ratze l , Hi story o f M ankin d V o l ,
”
. 2, pp . 2 8 3 , 2 84 ; Fr i tsch pp , . 2 72 , 2 78 .

3
Ratzel , H istory Of M ank i nd V ol ,
”
. 2, pp . 28
5 , 2 86 .

3 1 5 14 p
, . 2 89 .
4
R c l us Vo l
e , .
4, p . 1 14.
5: TH E N EGR O RA C ES

cow-liquid After this he is feasted and permitted to wear

.

on his head as a badge of honor the bladder of the animal

he has slain ?
D w e ll i ngs — The houses of the people are mere shelters
or tents each consisting of a frame of staves which is covered
with mats and hides Rocks are used for ballast The . .

tents are arranged in a circle with a space in the centre for

?
the her d This style of tent is admirably suited to a peo
ple who have to make frequent changes of camp in quest of
fresh pastures and the circular arrangement is an excellent
,

device for protecting their herds from the attacks of wild

beasts or hostile nei ghbors .

U t e nsi l s — The utensils of the H ottentots are clay pots ,

some S poons carved out of wood or bone a few iron knives , ,

a n d some calabashes .

Tr a n s p o rt a ti o n — When the H ottentots find it necessary

.

“
to move the mattings and the framework of the tent
, ,

which consists of semicircular boughs are packed on oxen , .

Their household utensils such as calabashes milk pails and ,

pots are suspended to the boughs and in the midst of all

,

this confusion is often seated the good dame of the house ,

” 3
surrounded by her promisi n g o ffspring .

I n du stri a l A rts — In the industrial arts the H ottentots are

ahead of the Pygmies or Bushmen They make more .

articles of clothing and more utensils and weapons They,

.

use a sheepskin bellows and manufacture numerous fabrics ,

of iron and copper They plait cards weave mats and .

, ,

dress skins and furs Their weapons comprise an assegai .

or j avelin bow and arrow thro w stick club and

, ,
-
, ,

knife .

Tra de Trade is little developed owing to the self

.
-

sustaining n ature of the pastoral life a nd the insular position ,

of the country which separates it from the rest of the world

1
Featherman p , . 0
5 7 .
2
Ratzel H istory f M ankind Vol
, o ,
”
. 2, p . 2 89.

5
A n dersson p 2 5 3
, . .
 TH E H OTTENTOTS 53

by seacoasts and mountains However they trade some .

,

what in cattle hides and ivory with their neighbors ? C a t

,

tle is their money and standard of value .

S l a v e ry — Slavery as an institution does not exist a l ,

though a few captives are sometimes used as shepherds or

gardeners The labors of the pastoral life are light and if
.
, ,

work other than that done by the pasto ral group were
needed at times it would be cheaper to hire laborers tem
,

ril than to maintain them throughout the year On

p o ra y .

the othe r hand if any number of individuals should be with

,

out capital i e cattle they would be obliged to work for

, . .
, ,

wages But as all H ottentots belong to patriarchal groups

.

having plenty of land and cattle all of the necessary work ,

can be done by the members of the groups and there is ,

therefore no need for a wage class or slave class Among -

.

strictly pastoral people slavery is never profitable and can

?
ex ist only to a very limited extent
1 Ke l be p
, .
36 8 .

1
Ni eb o er, p . 2
56; Ratz el , H istory of M an k ind Vol
,
”
. 2, p . 2 89 .
 C HA PTER IX

THE H OTTE NTO TS (Co nti nued)

L ife — M arriage is an a ffair for the parents and

Fa mi l y ,

is arranged by purchase in terms of so many head of cattle .

The practice of selling daughters begins all over the world

as soon as capital comes to be necessary to existence .

This is because children become expensive to raise and at ,

the marriageable age have a high economic value for their

parents Girls are nubile when twelve years old and are
.

often bargained for at the age of six or seven years Inter .

m a rriage of blood kin is not permitted as near as first

cousins ? Polygamy is common and men who accumulate ,

large herds of cattle always have several wives Husbands .

?
and wives eat apart from each other The new born infant -

is welcomed into the world by having its body anointed

with grease and smeared over with cow dung Deformed .

or sickly children or twins are sometimes exposed to wild

beasts A peculiar fact is that the girls take the name of
.

their father and the boys that of their mother A married .

woman has considerable authority in the family Q uatre .

fa ges says that she “

reigns supreme mistress She con .

trols and owns everything and the husband cannot without ,

” 3
her permission take a bit of meat or a drop of milk If .

her husband comes back empty handed from the chase she
sometimes unties her only article of clothing her apron of ,

” 1
modesty and with it slaps him on the face This spirit of ‘

independence among women is due to their economic im

.
,

1
Ratzel H istory of M anki nd V ol 2 p,
”
.
, . 2 91 ; L etourneau , Sociology .

p .
3 37 .
2 Ke l be p 3 2 5
, . .
8 "
P y gmies . P- 1 96 ~

4 L etourneau Soc i o l ogy

, , p .
445 .

54
 TH E H O TTENTOTS 55

por tance While the men spend their days hunting or

.

idling in the shade the women attend to th e cattle sheep

, ,

and goats and supply the means of subsistence without

,

which the men could not live Neither as defenders of the .

group nor as producers are the men of great importance .

1
The lion s share of the work falls to the women ; they
’

are the re al supporters of the population ? and consequently

occupy a relatively elevated position Among the Iroquois .

Indians of America and the Tuaregs of the Sahara Desert ,

the women also have great authority and independence and ,

for the same reason to wit that they are more important , ,

relatively than men in maintaining the population The .

position of women everywhere seems to correspond C losely

to their economic status .

Parents and children live lon ger together among the

Hottentots than among the Bushmen It is very common .

for married sons to continue to live in the group w ith their

parents and for grandparents to live wi th and care for
,

?
their grandchildren Some of the Hottentot women make
a practice of amputating a j oint of one of their little fin gers ?
probably as an expression of grief over the death of a child
or husband The family life is upon a somewhat higher
.

plane among the H ottentots than among the Bushmen or

Pygmies The father is the head of the family and descent
.
,

is traced in the male line Traditions and precepts are .

therefore better transmitted from generation to generation .

In some places however on the edges of the desert the

, , ,

Hottentots sink to the level of the Bushmen and old people ,

are sometimes abandoned by their children with a meal of

” 6
victuals and a cru ise of water to perish in the desert .

An old woman met in the desert by M o ffat said to him

“
Yes my own C hildren three sons and two daughters they
, , ,

”
are gone pointing with the finger to yonder blue moun
, ,

1 Fritsch p , .
32 5 .
1 Featherman p , .
5 13 .
5 M o ffat p
, . 1 34 .

1
‘
Fri tsch p , .
3 32 .
5 M o ffat p
, . 1 33 .
56 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

ta in a n d have left me to die I am Old you see .

, ,

and I am no longer able to serve them When they kill .

the game I am too feeble to help in carrying home the

,

flesh I am not able to gather wood and make fire and I

.
,
” 1
cannot carry their children on my back as I used to .

Fritsch says that old people are sometimes put on pack

oxen provided with a store of provisions and led into the
,

?
wilderness to perish
I n h e rit a n c e in t h e Ma l e L i n e — P roperty descends to the .

eldest son ? but this practice does not constitute a patriarchal

régime such as exists generally in the pastoral regions of
Asia The inheriting son does not obligate himself to sup
.

port the other members of the family His brothers usually .

hire themselves for wages until they can buy cattle and
start for themselves The cattle all graze in the sam e .

pasture but each man or woman in the family has his or

her individual holdings Sometimes a father gives to his .

younger non inheriting children a few oxen or sheep when

-

they marry ? Sometimes the wife inherits th e property if

?
the heir is not of age
P o l i t i c a l L i fe — Th e H ottentots are divided into kraals
.

’
of 1 00 to 2 00 people situated two or three days march ,

apart Each kraal has a chief There is no c o Opera tio n of

. .

groups and hence no chief or king having j urisdiction over

,

any considerable territory The o ffice of chief is sometimes .

temporary and again hereditary Occasionally women b e .

come chiefs or kings when the heir to the chieftainship is

under age There is no political or social hierarchy or
.

aristocracy All men are freemen and weighty matters are

.
,
?
settled in a council composed of old men The H ottentots
are not warlike although kraals are often at war with each
,

other and have to defend themselves against the a t

,

1 P . 1 34 .
1
P .
3 34 . F r i tsch p 5
3 35 ; K elbe p , . , .
38 1 .

1
‘
Mid p , .
357 Ratze l , H i story f M ank i n d V ol 2 p 2 9 1
o ,
”
.
, . .

5
Q uatrefages p , . 1 95 . F r i tsch p 3 2 1 ; Reclus V ol 4 p
5
, . , .
, . 1 15 .
58 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

before and consequently was recognized this ti me a s the ir

,

grandfather who had returned to his children ? Another

god of high ran k is To o sib a sort of N eptune god of , ,

waters Before drinking at ce rtain rivers one must throw

.
,

in some little offering and make a prayer? The Hottentots

have great veneration for the moon whose appearance is
celebrated by dancing They call it their great c a ptain and
.

?
o ffer it sacrifices of mil k and animals The Pleiades t e
c e i ve homage as the stars of rain and their annual return ,

?
announces the opening of the rainy season The supreme
bad deity is Ga una b who has many satellites that go
abroad on missions of evil All criminals and all slaves .
,

who have been killed by their masters and all enemies slain ,

in battle are given to wild beasts and when devoured b e , ,

?
come ministering S pirits of this evil deity Among other
powerful deities is one who governs storm clouds and a n -

o ther who manipulates the thunder? Less important deities ,

spiri ts and ghosts are countless N early all deceased peo

ple continue to live as genii Those persons who were .

a l ways distinguished by wisdom and by virtues and who

have been regularly buried are for the H ottentots so many ,

good genii .In each family the ancestors are con

?
si de re d almost as household gods The spirits of bad peo
ple become agents of the wicked Gua na b They wander .

abo ut on dark nights enter kraals and terrify the in ,

?
habitants The average individual is not able to cope with
these numerous deities and spirits and hence there arise ,

professionally trained men who make a specialty of

conj uring with them These professional men are vari.
~

o usl characterized as witch doc t ors necromancers ex

y
-
, ,

o rc ists rain doctors and magic men A witch doctor is

,
- -
.
-
,

1
Quatre fages p 2 1 3
, . .
5 p . 2 20 .

5 1 6d p 2 1 7
, . Ratzel , H istory of M an k ind Vol ,
"
. 2, p . 2 93 .

4
Q uatre fages p 2 2 1
, . .
5 Ioid , p 228. .
5 1 ta p 223
, . .

7 1 6 21 p 2 2 8
11 , . .
5 Fritsch p 3 38 , . .
 TH E H OTTENTOTS 59

called upon in all cases of sickness caused by evil

spirits Sometimes he cuts a hole in the body of the patient
.

near the seat of the disease and prete n ds to extract a snake ,

lizard frog or other varmi n t which some mischievous spirit

,

has put there ? If the patient is very ill the doctor will ,

diagnose the case by skinning a live sheep If the skinned .

sheep then runs away the patient will recover but if it ,

?
stands still the patient will die
,
The H ottentots in com ,

mon with their kinsmen the Bushmen have no temples or ,

?
idols Each kraal has its priest who is elected and holds a
minor rank H e is more of a m a ster of ceremonies than a
.

religious leader? Sacrifices are o ffered on various occasions

?
under his direction
Me nt a l a n d Mo r a l Te m p e ra m e nt — In mental and moral
character the H ottentots represent a decided advance over
the Pygmies and Bushmen They have developed a com .

p le te decimal system of counting which was favored as a ,

matter of course by the necessity of keeping account of ,

?
their cattle It is not at all surprising that mathematical
science S hould have first developed among pastoral people ,

since counting is so essential to the pastoral life It is said .

that the Hottentots know every cow by sight and can often ,

locate a thief who has stolen a c o w by the markings of her

o ffspring ?
The pastoral life would be impossible without
some foresight and the H ottentots are not altogether want
,

ing in this faculty The better knit family and longer period
.

of association between parents and children facilitate the

transmission of accumulated capital and wisdom As nature .

is not so hostile in its manifestations the people are not so

much terrified by it and hence their gods are not altogether ,

evil and vindictive as are those among the natives of the

equatorial regions where nature is violent and life constantly
1
A nder on p s , . 2
55 .
1 Ratze l Vol 2 p
, .
, . 291 .
5 Q uatrefages p , . 2 30 .

4 l bid p 2 3 1
, . .
5 F ritsch p 34 1
, . .
5 Q uatrefages p , . 1 97 .
7 Ba i nes p , . 2
37 .
60 TH E N EGR O RAC ES

beset with dangers The H ottentots say that their great .

god has done them nothing but good and is therefore not
feared ? The contending of good and evil gods corresponds
to man s incipient moral development and the struggle
’
,

between good and evil in his heart As the benevolent .

gods come to be more and more venerated it indicates a ,

growing preponderance among the people of the gentler

and more humane feelings The incipient ethical nature of .

the people is further shown in the morals attached to their

anim al stories The H ottentots are docile mild cheerful
.
, ,

“
and remarkable for their unselfish liberality and their ,

fervent attachment to their friends and kindred with whom

they w ould S hare the last morsel though starvation should ,

” 2
stare them in the face They do not bear lasting hatred .

?
towards their worst torturers Yet they are not lacking in
spirit and as enlisted soldiers under the British in South
,

Africa have shown themselves formidable in the wars

,

against the Ka ffirs The word H ottentot has been thought

?

lessly used by the white people of Europe as a synonym for

the lowest type of savage whereas the fact is that it should , , ,

stand for a people who rank much above the average of the
N egro races P erhaps the contempt in which the H otten
.

tots have been held is due to the fact that along with their
virtues they exhibit many of the vices that distinguish the
N egro races generally such as indolence lying stealing , , ,

“
and incontinence of the passions Andersson says They .
,

may be seen baskin g in the sun for days together in listless

inactivity frequently almost perishing from thirst or hunger
, ,

when with very little exertion they may have it in their ,

power to satisfy the cravings of nature N evertheless .

,

they are more active than the Bantus of the adj acent country ?
The Hottentots says Baines make raids and steal whole
, ,

sale and retail think nothing of lying and get drunk on

,

1
Ratzel V ol 2 p
, .
, . 2 93. 1 Featherman p , .
50 1 .
5 Fritsch p , .
30 7 .

4 Ib d p 3 5
z , . 0 .
5 P 2 39
. .
6 17 1 115 5 11 : P 30 3o °
 TH E H OTTENTOTS 61

native berry wine or any other beverage that may be at

?
hand F ritsch states that if they are not restrained from
lying stealing and sensuality through fear of punishment
, ,
?
they will not be restrained by conscience They are in
telli ge n t and quick to learn European customs but their ,

very virtues operate to their un doing because of the bad

habits which their facility to learn introduces Their love .

for liquor and other luxuries disorganizes their life and

tempts them to part with their land piece by piece to the
?
white man Before their tribal life was disorganized by the
white man those who inherited no property would volunteer
to work for wages and accumulate a herd of cattle but ,

after their native institutions were overthrown they seemed ,

disinclined to serve as wage earners to the white man and

would not work in su fficient num b ers or with su fficient con
ti nuity to meet the demands They are thus gradually b e
.

ing driven from their native territory and gradually nearing

“
the end of their career Keane states that the H ottentot
.

race has been caught between the upper and nether mill
stones of the Bantu peoples for many ages continually
pressing southward and the white man for over two cen
,

turi es coming up from the sea The result is that their

.

original domain has been very nearly absorbed and the ,

race itself is nearly expunged except in the extreme west ,

Namaqualand and in the U pper O range Vaal and M odder

, ,

valleys where the Koranas still hang together in small tribal

,

groups spea kin ga somewhat corrupt form of the old language

,

and keepin g U p many of the national usages .

But all these groups of the Upper Orange basin are

doomed to speedy extinction They are already too de .

graded and indolent to resist the demoralizing effects of

contact with the Boers by whom they are primed with bad
,

whiskey ; and although many flock to the stations of the

missio n aries the chief attraction is tobacco — church and
, ,

1
P p 4 1 65 9 6
.
, , .P 3 7 2 . Fritsch pp 30 5 30 7
0 .
5
, .
, .
62 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

school being abandoned when the supply stops The same

.

gloomy outlook for the H ottentots is expressed by Bryce

who says that Along the south bank of the Orange River
and to the north of it in Great N amaqualand small tribes
, ,

substantially identical with the H ottentots still wander over

,

the arid wilderness But in the settled part of the colony

.

the Hottentot Ofwhom we used to hear so much and

at one time feared so much has vanished more completely
than has the Red Indian from the Atlantic States of America .

And the extinction or absorption of the few remaining

?
nomads will probably follow at no dista n t date
1 Th e Boer States p
, . 84 .
2
P 64.
66 TH E N EGR O RA C ES
?
elevation between Khartum and Timbuctu is only 3 90 feet
There are no real mountain ranges in the whole Sud a n .

The most conspicuous elevations are the Futa Jallon u p

lands of Sierra Leone reaching an altitude of feet or
2
more the Nauri M oun tains north of the Gold C oast whence
, ,

descend the Red and White branches of the V olta River ,

and east of the Niger in the Bauchi district an alpine sys ,

tem of domes and needles rising to heights of from to

?
feet
Th e R iv ers — A glance at the course of the great rivers
will indicate clearly the general contour of the country .

F rom the F uta J allon M ountains rivers radiate in all dire c ,

tions like the spokes in a w h eel Those descending from .

the west side find a rapid and direct exit to the sea w hile ,

those descending from the north make great circuits to the

east and west The Niger forms a great bend of
.

m iles skirting the desert on the north and emptying into

,

the Gulf of Guinea only 7 00 miles from its starting point .

A great portion of the country on either side towards the

Sahara is a broad plain with very slight incline H ere .

the stream becomes sluggish forming an inland delta and

?
ramifying into numerous channels and backwaters In
the northern bend it has no tributaries except from the des
ert side and very few at all from Timbuctu to the Benue .

After receiving the waters of the Benue it spreads to a

?
great width resembling a lake encircled by hills Sixty
miles from the sea it splits into twelve branches with rami
fy ing channels and lagoons Allen and Thomson describe .

it as a vista of water threading itself through interminable

?
green groves
The Senegal starting also in F uta J allon makes a great
circuit in the opposite direction As it approaches the A t .

lantic it expands into an inland sea twelve to fourteen miles

1 Stan ford Vo l
, . 1, p . 27
7 .
1
1 hid ,. p
. 2 79 .
5 Rec l us Vol 3 p
, .
, . 1 2 3.
4 Sta nford V l
, o . I, p . 29 1 .
5 Mid , p . 29
3 .
5 Vol 2 p 1 2 5
. , . .
 GEN ERAL D ES C RI PTIO N O F TH E C OU NTRY 67

wide and six hundred miles long with a labyrinth of islands

and interpenetrating lakes ? It empties into a vast lagoon ,

its passage to the sea being impeded by a strip of sand fif

?
teen miles long and twenty feet high
The other rivers of the west are of the same general
character They pass through low lands as they approach
.

the coast and spread into many channels and backwaters .

Their mouth s are usually not visible from the sea on a c

count o i the sand bars It may be of interest to mention -
.

here that the system of lagoons alo n g the coast together ,

with the inland bays with their densely woo ded S hores o f ,

fere d during the days of the S lave trade thousands of secret

,
-
,

retreats for the slave ships and enabled the tra ffic to be con -

tinue d in defiance of the British and American cruisers ,

?
long after its lega l prohibition On the Gold C oast how ,

ever between the V olta and C omoe Rivers there are no la

, ,

goons Escarpments abut directly upon the sea fo rmi ng a

.

?
shore line marked by steep cli ffs The river valleys as a
rule reach far into the interior The Senegal for instance .
, ,

is navigable for 600 miles the Gambia 3 00 miles and the ,

?
V olta 2 00 miles At a distance of a hundred miles from
the sea the C a sa m a n z a has a width of one and a half miles
,
?

The Geba is like a great arm of the sea for a distance of

sixty miles inland and is ten miles wide at its mouth ?
The
tide of the Rio Grande 15 felt sixty miles inland the lower ,

part of the river forming multitudes of channels winding ,

?
around a number of marshy alluvial islands In the rainy
season many of the ri vers spread into vast lakes The .

?
V olta in some places rises forty six feet The Liberi an -

rivers however on account of the elevation of the inland

, , ,

“
move more rapidly and do not develop estuaries?
The great river of C entral Sudan is the Benue which ,

1
Reclus V L 3 p 1 3 3
, Stan ford Vol 1 p 2 84
O . . .
1
, .
, . .
5 Reclus Vol 3 p, .
, . 2 56 .

4
Stan ford V ol I p 2 8 2 , 1 b id p 2 88
.
, . .
5 .
, . .
5 Reclus Vol 3 p , .
, . 1 79 .

7 Ib i d p 1 8 2
.
, Mid p 1 84
. Mid p 2 3 8
.
8
, . .
9
, . .
15 Stanford Vol 1 p
, .
, . 2 87 .
68 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

rises not far from Lake C had flows placi dly in a south ,

westerly direction for 8 5 0 miles and j oins its waters to the

Niger After receiving several tributaries from the Adamawa
.

highlands its volume of water excee ds that of the Niger at

,

the point of co n fluence Its headwaters are only 9 0 0 feet .

from sea level and the fall is therefore scarcely more than
-

one foot per mile ? As a rule all of the rivers of the west
ooze lazily into the Atlantic winding among innumerable ,

meshes of spongy islands In the neighborhood of the .

upper Niger and Lake C had the streams flow plentifully in ,

?
the wet season and stop completely in the dry season
After crossing the Shari which empties into Lake C had and ,

a vast ter r a i n cog n i ta the last important river is the N ile

,

with its innumerable tributaries .

V ege t a ti o n — The amount of vegetable life in Africa

.

varies generally according to distance from the equator .

The equatori al region is a dense forest resulting f rom the

copious rains while towards the north and south the amount
,

of rain diminishes and finally ceases almost altogether ,

giving rise to wide stretches of desert O nly differences of .

elevation and proximity to the sea modify this general law .

At the northern portion of the Sudan the landscape passes

into desert H ere are only scant tufts of grass M ungo
. .

P ark speaks of the country north of the Senegal and near

the village of B e no w n as a dreary expanse of sand with a
few stunted and prickly bushes in the shade of which the ,

cattle munch the withered grass while camels and goats ,

pick o ff the scant foliage This strip of land extending .

across the continent and including Nubia Kordofan S en a a r , ,

a n d Darfur
?
is a region of drought locusts and famine
, ,

F urther south the grass becomes taller and in Senegambia

’
almost reaches the height of a giraffe s head The b o a b a b .
,

acacia a n d other trees begin to relieve the barrenness of the

1
Stan for d V o l p 2 94
, . 1, . .

1
Ratzel H i story f M ankin d Vol
, o ,
”
.
3, p . 2 73 .
5 1 hid ,
. p . 2 41 .
 GEN ERA L DES C RI PTION O F TH E C OU NTRY 69

landscape ? The weird li k e b ombax also soon makes its -

appearance a n d in its large recesses travelers often take

, ,

?
refuge and the natives there also meet to hold their palavers
,

Advancing further southward the water courses begin to be

lined with trees thickening into forest a n d near the coast ,

the whole count ry except in Yorubaland becomes a dense , ,

tropical forest In some places the density of the forest not

.

only obscures the sun but so excludes the air that while , ,

the tops of the trees may rustle in the breeze the traveler ,

?
beneath has to gasp for breath The tropical vegetation ,

however is not so marked west of the Gold C oast

,
.

M angroves fringe all of the rivers as far as the limits of

tide water Beyond this point the banks of the rivers b e
.

come clear of vegetation and the traveler can begin to see

from his boat the general contour of the country .

R a i n fa ll — The mouth of the Senegal marks the limit of

.

heavy periodic rains There the rainy season lasts from .

?
June to October Throughout the Sudan the rainy season
begins in the spring and becomes lengt hened as one a p
p ro a c h e s the equator On the Guinea C oast rain falls from ?

?
2 00 to 2 5 0 days in the year The heaviest rainfall is in
Sierra Leone where sometimes the water fall is eight inches
in twenty four hours and the total per year is 1 3 4 inches
- ?
,

In the midst of storms the lightning often plays havoc with

?
men and beasts The explorer Allen saw a man a n d woman
at F reetown standing in the door of their hut praying and
singing and beating drums to ward o ff the terrible electric

Ratzel H istory f M ankind V ol 3 p 2 74

1
, o Reclus Vol 3 p 1 3 5
,
”
.
, . .
1
, .
, . .

Reclus Vol 3 p 40
5
, .
, ,
2 Mid p 1 34
.
4
, . .

Reclus sa y s that the Gambia C oast is ver y w et from July to September Vol 3
5
, .
,

p 1 74 H a w k i s that i n the Ibo countr y the rain y season i s from June to September
. . n
,

p 34 ; Denham says that in Bornu there i s much ra i n from M arch to June p 2 40 ;

. 1
, .

Roh l fs sa y s that the rainy time in the i nterior is from June to September Vol 2 , .
,
p 88
. .

St udinger p 496
5 a , . . Reclus Vol 3 p 202 7
, .
, . .

5 Denham s Narrative p 2 40 “ ’
. .
7 0 THE N EGRO RA C ES

fire when a flash struck them a fatal blow and burnt up their
dwelling? On account of the heavy rains and high water
many cities and towns both near the coast and in the ,

interior are partly submerged or surrounded by swamps

, ,

during a part of the year F or example there are marshes .

,

?
and stagna n t pools on the north side of Sokoto Allen and
Thomson saw many villages along the N iger inundated and
?
deserted The city of Egga is surrounded by a swamp in
the rai n y season ? and at Kano the capital of Hausa , ,

?
di fferent parts of the city are separated by stagnant pools
To rn a do es — The chan ge of seasons is ushered in by
?
fierce tornadoes from the north Sometimes even in the
dry season fierce tornadoes sweep the coast from C ape
Palmas to the C ameroons Inky clouds descend from in .

land which cover the land with appalling darkness The .

lightning hisses and spits blue flame the rain comes with ,

a deafening roar trees and branches fly through the air and

,

a deluge of rain covers the land ? In case of sudden storm

?
the natives often j ump into a river until it passes over In
the months of December and J anuary a wind storm known
as the harmattan frequently blows from the north It is the .

breath of the desert and comes in the form of a dry hot dust ,

?
through which the sun appears a dull red Its e ffect is less
violent towards the south In Yoruba it lasts only a few .

10
hours at intervals of three or four weeks It is terribly .

suffocating and sometimes extinguishes fire and kills wild

11
beasts Du C ha illu once protected himself from its burn
.

ing effects by crawling into a large grain j ar -

.

1
llen and Thomson V ol p 8 2
A , . 1 , . .

2
C l pp t n
a Journe y to Kouka and S k t
er o , p 86 ac a oo , . .

5
V ol p 88 . 2, . . Mid V ol 2 p 1 0 2 4
,
.
, . .

5 C l pp t n
a Journey to Kouka an d S k t
er o , p 3 ac a oo , . 0 .

5
Stau di nger p 9 ; Rec l us V ol 3 p 34
, .
, .
, . 1 .

7
Stan ford Vol 1 p 2 9 , .
, . A d anson p 99
0 .
5
, . .

5 P ark p 1 5 H a w k i s sa y s that the harmattan descen ds upon I b o in F b

, . 2 n e ru

p 1
. 2 1 . Bowen p 2 3 0 H awkins
1°
p 1 2 1 , . .
11
, . .
 GEN ERAL D ES C RI PTION O F TH E C OU NTRY 71

Te m p e r a tu re —
Thanks to the sea breezes the tempera
ture along the coasts is not high About the Senegal it .

does not reach above 90 in summer and in winter falls °

to F arther east a nd south the temperature rises higher

,

but seldom above In the interior the winters are

colder and the summers hotter In Bornu in June th e mer .
‘

cury goes up to and in December falls to In a

few open and elevated districts the weather in winter is
1
sometimes only a few degrees above freezing .
‘

1 Reclus Vol 3 p 34
, .
, . 1 .
1 Bo w e p 2 2 8
n, . .

5 “ Denham s Narrati ve p
’
, . 2 40 . 4 Bin ger Vol 1 p .
, . 1 99 .
 C HA PTER II

G E NE R A L DES C R I PTI O N O F THE

C O UNTR Y (Conti nued)

U n h ea l t h fu l n ess of th e C l im a t e —
Except in a few
favored localities the climate of the Sudan is fatal to the
European The high temperature and the humid air un
.
,

relieved by change of seasons are exceedingly enervating

, ,

and nowhere near the coast can one refresh himself with a
cool draught of water ? At the close of the rainy season ,

the miasmatic exhalations from the stagnant waters left ,

everywhere by the subsidence of the rivers poison the ,

atmosphere and render it inj urious and often fatal to both

’
man and beast Three years residence in Liberia is said
.

2
to be the limit for the white man and Sierra Leone has long ,

” ’
been known as the white man s grave The mortality of .

the English o fficers at Sierra Leone is often one half per a n -

num and one third of the entire population sometimes die

,
-

?
in a single year S taudinger says that eight per cent or .

?
ten per cent of the whites die annually at Lagos
. During
the era of the S lave trade European and American vessels
-

visiting the coast often lost one half or more of their crews -

from fever In delirium the patients frequently j umped

.

overboard ? and cases are known where the entire crews of

?
ships have perished Of thirty four soldiers and four car -

’
p e n te rs who start e d with M ungo P ark s expedition from the
Gambia to the Niger all died but seven before reaching the
,

7 ?
latter river and only five were alive at Sansanding The
1 Reclus Vol 3 p 2 1 7
, .
, . .
5 J bid , . p . 2 02 .
5 Duncan Vol 2 p 363
, . , . .
5 S pilsb ury , p . 1 4.

Mid p , . 2 1 1.
74 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

lions lurk about the camps of travelers and sometimes a t

tack the men and troops of a caravan ? H owever the great ,

?
beasts Ofprey are mostly in the neighborhood of the desert
The rhinoceros and bu ffalo are in the upland woo ds and the
?
panther in all of the gorges M ungo P ark relates that
traveling along the tri b utaries of the Senegal his sleep was
disturbed every night by the continual blowing and snort
?
ing of the hippopotamus Sharks are plentiful in the coast
rivers and bays and when a man accidentally falls overboard
,

from a ship he is quickly seized by a shark which darts

,

’
away leaving its track stained with its victim s blood .

C rocodiles sport in all of the rivers and occasionally make ,

a meal of some s tray child or of an arm or leg of any one

who may venture to cross the streams or bathe in them ,
.

O nce when Isa a co a N egro who accompanied M ungo Park ,

in one of his expeditions as an interpreter was driving some ,

asses across a certain river he w a s seized on the left thigh ,

by a crocodile Wi th remarkable presence of mind he felt

.

u n der the water and thrust his fingers so sharply into the
crocodile s eyes that it immediately withdrew from him
’
.

But in a moment it returned and seized him on the right

thigh Again Isa a c o thrust his fingers into its eyes and
.

with such violence this time as to cause the beast not only
to relinquish its grasp but to go away not however with , , ,

?
out leaving its victim badly la sc era te d C amels are found
in the desert and horses and asses in the grassy plains of its
border It may be well to mention here that camels horses
. , ,

sheep goats and hogs did not exist in Africa originally but
,

were introduced from the East ?

Birds exist in great variety including the stork cardin al , , ,

p a rro k ee t eagle vulture ,

pigeo n partri dge duck goose
, , , , , ,

etc V ultures are superabundant They are fond of perch

. .

1 Park p 1 88
, . .
2 Ratze l , istor y of M ankind V ol 3 p
H ,
”
.
, . 2 74 .

5
Reclus V l 3 p
, o .
, . 2
3 7 . Vo l 4
. 1 88 .

5 Park p 1 9 2
, . .
5 Ratze l , H i story f M ankind V ol 3 pp 1 5
o ,
”
.
, . 1 , 2 4 3.
 GEN ERAL DES C RI PTI O N O F TH E C O U NTRY 75

in g upon the roofs of houses and at times act in a rollicking ,

manner says M iss Kingsley as if drunk the previous even

, ,

ing ? Sometimes they pounce amidst the natives and

snatch meat from their h ugers or steal something from a
2

’
b asket carried on a native s head ?
Snakes are plentiful in number and immense in size .

The boa a hundred feet long is sometimes seen with hal f

, ,

of its body encircling a tree and th e other half folded

?
around a lion leopard bear or human being
, ,
Schwein
furth who traveled in East Sudan complained that his rest
was O ften disturbe d by the rustling of s n akes in the straw
6
roofs of the huts and Richard La n der who travel e d in West
,

Su dan awoke one morning to find that his bed fellow was a -

?
scorpion that he had rolled upon in his sleep and killed
I n sec ts — Along the lowlands and almost everywhere ,

insects such as flies gnats and mosquitoes swarm in great

,

numbers M iss Kingsley remarks that the atmosphere of

.

West Africa consists of ninety per cent solid matter in the .

nature of mosquitoes The natives in some places keep o ff

.

the insects by a thick smoke produced by fires constantly ,

lighted composed of cattle dung leaves and rotten wood

, , ,
7
kept in a state of moisture ; in other places they protect
themselves by sleeping upon elevated platforms with a
?
smoking fire beneath Bees are numerous and often vicious .

One day when navi gating the Senegal Adanson was so ,

fiercely attacked by them that he was forced to abandon his

?
vessel In another locality they once attacked M ungo
’
Park s caravan and com pletely put it to rout Several of .

his pack animals were stung to death and many of his men
-

were thoroughly punctuated about their faces and hands 10

.

’
Barth s caravan also once suffered defeat in a contest with
1 K i ngsley Travels in West A frica p 1 9
, , . .
1
L an d er Vol
, . 1, p . 1 17 .

5
El l is Tshi Speaking P eoples p 2 1 4
, ,
”
. .
5 S p ilsb ury,p . 20 .

5 Vol 1 p 1 5 8
.
, . . Vol 1 p 5 .
, . 88 .
7 H a w k i ns p , .
5 6 .

5 A d anson p 2 5 1, . . P 1 49 5 . .
10 P 1 78
. .
76 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

these little pests ? Locusts descend in clouds from no one

knows where and leave nothing but fragments of the grow
ing crops Butterflies of the most variegated a n d fantastic
.

patterns flit here and there some with wings of shining ,

green edged and sprinkled with gold and some with wings ,

“
like the garters of Dame M artin sky blue and fringed ,
-

”
with silver At night illuminating flies like shining stars
.
, ,
?
relieve the blackness of forest and swamp Ants almost
take the country Along the coa st and in the interior the .
,

traveler sees thousands of pyramidal ant hills fifteen to -

twenty feet high which have become as hard as stone and , ,

stand out against the horizon like miniature Gothic cathe

dra ls At the commencement of the winter season the
.
,

dwellers of these cathedrals are transformed into creatures

with wings when they come out of their edifices from all
,

?
sides and take up their abo de in the huts of the N egroes
In the interior are some S pecies of traveling ants which have
pincers that fasten themselves in the flesh like fish hooks -
,

and which bite so desperately that the native finds it di ffi

cult to keep pace in scratching In migrating they march .

in regular file two inches wide and sometimes several , ,

miles long Some of th e largest of their number march on

.

the flanks of the column and act as lieutenants to maintain

discipline When the army gets hun gry it deploys e n ma sse
.

into a forest or field attacking and devouring everythin g in ,

its path with a furious desperation In quick time a mouse .

,

dog or gazelle is invaded killed and devoured leaving

, , ,

nothing but the bare carcass Several times when a dve n .

turer D u C h a illu was attacked by these ants he was obliged

?
to precipitate himself outside of his hut Indeed insects of ,

every kind are so annoying that sometimes the king of a

great nation even in the midst of a levee or discussion of
,

matters of state is obliged to give himself resounding S laps

,

1
Vo l 2 p 4 7
.
, . 0 .
1
A d anson p, . 1 66 .

5
B i nger Vol 1 p, .
, . 1 99 .
4 Bouche p .
50 .
 C HA P TER II I

THE R A CES O F THE SUDA N

Th e D i ffe re n t Ty p es
The races of the Sudan comprise —

three distinguishable types The first and most primitive .

type possesses the classic features of the Negro that is , ,

very dark skin long narrow head woolly hair flat nose
, , , ,

thick lips receding forehead and p ro gna th us chin This

, .

type designated as Nigritian varies more or less according

, ,

to locality and degree of mixture with other populations ?

The second type scattered among the Nigritians as rulers
,
'

and dominators is a mixture of the Nigritian with the

,

Berber and perhaps to some extent with the Arab and is

, ,

variously designated as F e lla ta h F ulbe F ellani etc and , , , .

,

has its theatre of action to the west of Lake C had The .

third type is the Arab distri buted mostly east of Lake ,

C had but scattered also here and there in the west and
, ,
-

occupying a position among the eastern Ni gritians similar

to that of the F ellatah in the west and centre .

As compared to other parts of the world the races of ,

Africa are very dissimilar The reason for this is that the .

Africans in many localities occupy secluded positions w hich

favor deviations from the general type The northern half .

of the earth by reason of its large land masses is conti

, ,

n e nta l and a f fords easy intercommunication a n d blending of

races while the southern half b y reason of its smaller land
, ,

masses is insular a nd peninsular a nd therefore favors a

,

?
great diversity of types In Africa distance and climatic
di fferences also have a tendency to isolate people ? and
bring about and preserve their physical peculiarities .

1
Den i ker p 443 , . .

1
Ratzel A nthropogeograph i e Vol pp 3 65 369
,
[ hid p 3 8 1
,
”
. 1, .
, .
5
. .

78
 TH E RA C ES O F TH E SU DAN 79

The whole population of the Sudan is estimated at

and comprises so many di fferent tribes and king
doms that it would be impossible to discuss all of them
within the limits of this volume It is necessary therefore .
, ,

to select for treatment a fe w representative groups .

Th e F e ll a t a h s The most important people in Western

.
-

and C entral Sudan are the Fe lla ta h s who predominate de

c i de dly in the great area of grass and are found scattered ,

also among the agricultural distric ts farther south Al .

though usu ally classe d with the N egro races they have such ,

a strong mixture of C aucasian blood in them that they a re

rather a mulatto race than a natural variation of the N egro
type Staudinger says that they di ffer so much from the
.

1
blacks that they scarcely deserve to be classed with them .

The Fella ta h s are probably a branch of the Berbers and ,

therefore belong to the great Hamitic division of the H uman

family which is commonly supposed to have existed in
,

Afri ca many centuries before the entrance of the Semitic

race .

The Fella ta h s vary in color from a light brown or a l

most white to a dark brown approximating the complexion
,

of the N egro In physiognomy and features many of them

.

2
have a strong Semitic cast while o thers resemble the pure ,

Negro except that their hair is not always frizzy but long
,

3
and bushy like that of the mulatto In many instances .

4
their hair has a sandy tint They are u pon the average of .

medium stature slender and well formed having moderately

, ,

good features and in the case of women often very beauti

, ,

5
ful faces They have a graceful a n d independent carriage
. .

6
Their foreheads are high and well forme d and their jaws ,

7
scarcely pro gna th us They have large round eyes oval .
,

face pro m
,
inent nose sometimes aquiline a nd tolerably full , ,

1
P 54 1
. .
2
L orin p , . 2 98 ; B i nger Vol I p 3 82
,
.
, . .

3
B w en p 2
o , . 00 ; Staud i nger p ,
.
5 43 . Bo w en p 2 7 7
4
, . .

6 Stau di nger p , .
5 43 .
6 1 5 121 " p .
5 43 . Mini p 5 42
7
, . .
80 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

but in some cases thin lips fine pearly teeth and delicate , ,

‘
graceful limbs and small han ds and feet Their eyes are .

2
usually black but not infrequently bluish C anot says “
I .

do not think the forms of these F ellatah girls with their ,

complexions of freshest bronze are excelled in symmetry by ,

”
the wom en of any other country N one of them he says .
, ,

has the hanging breast flat nose and thick lips of the ,

3
N egro .

J o lo f
s Ma n di n go s,K r u m e n e t c — Among the Nigritians , , .

proper may be mentioned first the Jo lo fs of the lower Sene

gal River They are tall and robust but have undeveloped
.
,

lower extremities Their legs are slim in the calves their .

,

feet flat and their big toes at a deviating angle from the
,

smaller ones They have the face and feat ures of the aver
.

age N egro except that occasionally individuals have straight

,

4
noses and thin lips Their congeners are the Ley b us and .

5
Serers of the Lower Gambia .

N ext in order are the M andingos with their numerous

branches of Ma linko ps S o nink es Bambaras etc of the , , , .
,

U pper Niger and Upper Senegal Rivers and extending ,

6
along the coast from St Louis to M onrovia The M an . .

dingos are tall and slender and have the general Negro
physiognomy and features being especially characterized ,

by prominent cheek bones short chin large flat nose woolly , , ,

hair and somewhat lighter skin than the Jo lo fs Their .

7
countenance is rather hard and severe The Bambaras are .

somewhat mixed with the Berbers Some of them have .

8
aquiline noses and oblique eyes like the C hinese ,
.

C oming eastward alon g the coast are next the Krumen ,

l S ta udi n ger, F eatherman p 36 2p .

5 43 ; , . .

2
B i nger V o l I p 39 ; Bo w en p 2 7 7
, .
, . 2 , . .
3
P . 1 78 .

4
Featherman p 348 ; Du C h ill p 88 Reclus V ol 3 p
, . a u, . 1 , .
, .

5
Deniker p 45 , . 0 .

6
Keane M an Past an d P resent p 45 ; Deniker p 448
, ,
”
.
, . .

7
Une M i ssion Senegal p 84 F eatherman P 2 94 au ,
”
.
,

8 Waitz V ol 2 p 34
, .
, . .
82 TH E N EG R O R A C ES

Benin kingdom and numerous related populations such as

, ,

the C a la b a rs east of the Niger ; the Idz o of the Delta di ,

vi de d into the Brass and other peoples ; the Igb e ra be ,

tween the lower and mid dle Niger and on the Benue River ,

and their neighbors the I gara on the left bank of the Niger
and lo w er Benue the Ibo of the Delta ; the Ilorin in the i h
teri o r west of the Niger ; and finally the Efi k on the coast
extending to the Rio del Rey River which is the dividing
line on the west coast between the Nigritians of the S udan
1
and the Bantus of middle and southern Africa The .

Yorubas present the ordinary N egro type except that they ,

like the Ashantis and Dahomans have less pronounced ,

features and somewhat lighter colored skin than the average

of the black race Their fi gures are comparatively graceful
.

2
and symmetrica l The Ibos have a yellow or brownish
.

black complexion sometimes almost white It has been pre , .

sume d that at some time they have undergone a slight Berber

or Fella ta h impregnation 3
The other divisions of this group
.

have a strong Yoruba likeness .

S o n gh a y K a n u r is H a u s a s a n d Ni l e P o pu l a ti o n s — B e
, ,

tween the Niger and the basin of the Upper V olta are first
the S o n gh a y s w h o occupy the bend of the Niger below
Timbuctu They are mixed with the F ellatah and Tuareg
.

branches of the Berber race and have a deep brown or ,

“
blackish color and long ringlety hair Other groups are .

the To mb o e s on the right bank of the N iger ; the M ossis ,

about the headwaters of the V olta ; the Gurma s east of the ,

M ossis ; the Gurun ga s in the upper basin of the Red V olta ,

and further south the Do go mb a s and the C o nj a s and the , ,

5
B o rgus eas t of the C o nj a s a n d near the Niger All of these .

peoples are mixed more or less with the Fella ta h s S o n gha ys , ,

Keane M an Past an d Present p 5 5 Ratzel H i story f M ankind

1
, , .
,
o ,
”

Vol 3 p 39
.
, . 1 .

C amp b e ll p 6 5 ; Rec l us V ol 3 p 6 2 ; C l pp t n
2
, . Secon d Expedi
, .
, . 2 a er o ,

t i on p 89
, . .A l len an d Thomson Vol 1 p 2 40 ; Bo w en p 94
3
, .
, .
, . .

Keane M an Past an d P r sent p 6 1

4
,
Den i ker p 447
e ,
”
. .
5
, . .
 TH E R A C ES O F TH E S U DA N 83

or Ha usa s East of the Niger are the B a gh irmis who dwell

.
l

along the Shari River south of Lake C had ; the Kanuris

of Bornu and of the northern pa rt of A damawa ; the Hausas
between the B en ue River the Bornu kingdo mand the mid ,

dle course of the Niger exte n ding into Bornu and A damawa ,

on the east and into the M ossi country on the west ; a n d

lastly the M osgus between Lake C had a nd Adamawa The 2
.

people of this latter group are much mixed The Kanuris .

embrace a large and distinct population of Arabs a con ,

sidera b le admixture of F ellatahs and a substratum of typical

” 3
Negroes with devilish black skins proj ecting cheek ,

4
bones flat noses and thick lips
,
The Hausas a re made up .

of Arabs and F ella ta h s intermixed with a prepon derating ,

5
Negro subs tratum and upon the whole having a decidedly ,

6
darker complexion than the Negroes of the coast .

P assing eastward over a number of unimportant tribes

we come to the M abas of Vll a da y the Da rfuria ns Kordo
7 '

, ,

fans and then the inhabitants of the Nile and its tributaries .

Among these latter are the Nubas Bagarras N uers S h illo o ks , , , ,

Baris Bongos Dinkas Mittus M adis S hulis Luris etc

, ,
8
, , , , ,
.

These people are generally well ma de but are rather tal l ,

and slender They have somewhat regular features with

.

9
complexions varying from dark brown to perfect black ex ,

1°
cept in the case of the Bongos who are light in color and
have the steatopygy peculiar to the Ne gri to s and accord
ll
,

ing to Q uatrefages belong to the N egrito aborigines .

Finally m ust be mentioned the Ti b bus of the Sahara ,

the most northerly of the N egro populations who though , ,

living Outsi de of the Sudan proper are a distinct Negro ,

race They have the or dinary N egro features except that

.
,

1 Keane M an P ast an d P resent p 5 9

,
Keane Ethnology p 2 7 7 ,
”
. .
2
, ,
. .

3 D enham p 2 2 9 , . Featherma n p 7
.
4
,
. 2 0 .

5 Mini p 390 , . A llen and Thomson V ol 2 p 1 6 ; Den i ker 446

.
0
, .
, . 0 , .

Keane M an P ast and Present p 7 1

, : Deniker p 445 ,
”
. .
3
, . .

9
F eatherman pp 2 8 6 2 ,
Schwein furth Vol 1 p 2 6 1
.
, .
1°
, .
, . .

11
Ratzel H i story f M ankind Vol 2 p 3 1 7
, o ,
”
.
, . .
84 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

their hair is longer and less woolly their noses more fre ,

quently a c q uiline and their skins more often of light color

,
1
.

They are linguistically related to the Kanuris and Rohlfs ,

thinks they are the same people as the Ga ra m a ntes men

ti o n ed by H erodotus .

i i
Or g n o f t e
h D i f
f r n t T s — As to the proportions of
e e yp e .

the human organism it seems that the people of the millet ,

and lower cattle zones with their relatively long pro gna th us ,

heads long and slender arms and legs narrow pelvis and
, ,

wall sided straightness of waist represent the lowest types

-
, .

The chief explanation of these peculiar proportions is that

’
of the Negro s nearness of kinship to his simian ancestors .

As the races of men rise in culture their change of habits

and activities brings about a change in their physiognomy .

Increase of brain activity enlarges the frontal region of the

2
brain and gives the skull a less receding form Giddin gs .

thinks that the improvement which evolution has produced

in the proportions of the human body and the change from
the p ro gna th us to the more pleasing orthognathus form of
the face have been due to the prolongation of the period of
3
infancy The older children become before commencing
.

to use their arms and legs and the later they begin to che w ,

foods requiring strength of j aw the less the limbs and j aws ,

will develop in proportion to the other parts of the body .

The deficiency in the fo rmo fthe arms and legs is attributed °

by Spencer to the limited amount and variety of their a c tivi

4
ties . The stature of the N egro is related to his general
vitality and power of resisting the force of gravity and the
5
physiological cost of living His narrow pelvis is possibly .

6
connected with the smallness of the hea ds of i n fa n ts at birth .

The straight waist and often protru di n g stomach are sup

posed to be the result of eating coarse bulky a n d innu tritious ,

1
Roh l fs Vol 1 pp 2 5 4 2 5 5
, .
, .
, .
2 Haeckel Vo l 2 pp
, .
, . 2 2 6, 2 2
7 .

3
P rinc pl es fSociology p
i o ,
”
. 2 29 .
4 Spencer V ol 1 pp
, .
, .
49 , 5 2 .

5 Ib id V ol 1 p 45
, .
, . .
5 Den i ker p 8 5
, . .
 6 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

overcome the favorable influences of the economic life All .

that can be said of De mo lins argument is that the character

’

of the labor of a people is one of several important factors

that determine their physical grace a n d proportions The .

excellence of the F ellatah physique is probably due largely

to their pastoral life which next to living upon the spon
,

ta n e o us products of nature is the easiest existence and the

,

freest from deforming kinds of labor .

As to the face features it seems probable that the large

,

and open nostrils of the N egro have some connection with

the relative lack of oxygen in the equatorial air and the
e ffort of nature to enlarge the draught According to A t .

kins the flatness o i the N egro s nose is due to the continual

’

’ ’
pressure of the infant s face against its mother s back while
I
being carried in a sling during the nursing p eri o d The .

dark hair and dark eyes of the N egro are due to the same
cause as th e darkness of his skin The pigmentation of the .

ski n that covers the head and other parts of the body is of
the same substance as that of the retina and the action of ,
.

the sun upon the skin has a tendency to color the pigment
uniformly all over the body so that among the lower races
,

of men the color of the skin hair and eyes is uniform , .

Among the higher races of men on account of the Operation ,

of the law of progress from the homogeneous to the hetero

—
ge e o us from the simple to the complex the skin hair and
n , ,

eyes often exhibit colors in contrast Taking a general .

View of the Sudan populations it seems that the darker ,

colored Nigritians live in the millet zone a n d the lighter

?
types in the banana zone The difference in color is due to
the influences of climate N ear the coast the dense forest
.

a n d greater num b er of clou dy days protect the complexion ,

from the sun and give it a ligh ter tint while the open ,

country of the north a n d the pre domi n ance of clear days ,

cause the pigmentation of the ski n to thicken a n d darken ,

1 P . 1 80 .
2
O g i l by . pp 347 . 37 3
 TH E RA C ES O F TH E S U DA N 87

thus giving the complexion a deeper and more glossy black .

Even Nigritians who go from the coast to the interior only

for a few months take on a darker hue l The lighter color .

of the Arabs a n d Fella ta h s of the interior is due to acquired

characteristics which they brought with them from their
native countries The Nigritians that have th e most negroid
.

”
features seem to be in th e millet zone and about Lake C had ,

and it is therefore reasonably to be inferred that the most

aboriginal Nigritian type survives in this interior mid dle
region where it has for the longest time remained free from
,

contact with the higher types of inva ding peoples from the
north and southeast .

The expression of the human face 1 5 i nfluenced partly by

the aspects of nature and partly by the degree of external ,

social conflict and of internal play of passions such as love , ,

benevolence or avarice sensuality anger fear and hatred , , , .

A country which has a rich natural vegetation ten ds to

stimulate in the inhabitants a certain vivacity of temper ,

which if not counteracted by bad political or other condi

,

tions S hows itself in the countenance The reason for this

, .
,

as pointed out by Schopenhauer? is that whatever in nature

tends to overcome the law of gravity or inertia is sug , ,

g est i ve of life whereas whatever seems overcome by ,

’

gravity z e whatever is stationary or bare is suggestive of

, . .
,

“
death . The inorganic world so far as it does not consist
of mere w ater produces a very sad nay an oppressive
, , ,

e ffect upon the feelings whenever it is presented to us quite ,

by itself Examples of what I mean are afforded by dis

.

tri ct s which o f fer to the eye nothing but a mass of bare

crags ; that long valley of rocks for instance without a , ,

trace of vegetation nea r Toulo n on the way to M arseilles ,

.

The same e ffect is produced on a large scale and in a much ,

”
more striking degree by the African desert These con ,
.

Staudinger pp 49 6 5 42 H einrich Barth V ol

, .
, .
2
, . 2, pp . 1 63 , 1 64.
3 “Essays New Y or k Saunders translat i on p 2 85
,
”
,
’
, . .
 88 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

siderations may help us to understand the rather vivacious

temper of the people of the banana zone and the rather
sombre temper of the people of the camel zone But the .

countenance of the people of the banana zone is no tw ith ,

s tanding its expression of vivacity more repulsive than that ,

“
of any other people in Africa which is perhaps best a o ,

‘ counted for by the general stupidity and social strife in that

region the sacrifices cannibalism and ascendency of bad
, ,

passions .

The intellectual development of a people has much to do

“
with their countenance and general appearance In re .

”
gard to the study of physiognomy says Schopenhauer , ,

“
intellectual capacity is much easier of discernment than
moral character The former naturally takes a much more
.

outward direction and expresses itself not only in the face

,

and the play of features but also in the gait down even to
, ,

the very slightest movement One could perhaps dis .

criminate from behind between a blockhead a fool and a ,

man of genius The blockhead would be discerned by the

.

torpidity and sluggishness of his movements : folly sets its

mark upon every gesture and so does intellect and a ,

studious nature H ence that remark of La Bruy ere that

.

there is nothing so S light so simple or imperceptible but ,

that our way of doing it enters in and betrays us : a fool

neither comes nor goes nor S its down nor gets up nor , ,

holds his tongue nor moves about in the same way as an

,

” 1
intelligent man But if intellectual capacity is more
.

easily discerned in the physiognomy of man moral char ,

acter stamps itself there more deeply and more indelibly .

Every wrongful or worthless act a n d every evil or foolish

’
thought write themselves in big letters upon a man s c o unte
nance The first glance at a face usually reveals its real
.

character especially if the fa ce is seen in repose

,
F or to .

’
get a pure and fundamental conception of a man s p h ysio g
Essays New York Saun d ers translation p 2 5 6
1
,
”
,
’
, . .
 C HA PTER IV

E C O NO MI C L I FE IN THE BA NA NA ZO NE

G en e r a l C h a r a c t e r Sudan naturally of th e Z one — The

divides itself according to the n ature of its vegetable and
animal products into three zones Proceeding north from .

the equator the diminishing quantity of rain brings about

conditions causing a gradual change in the character and
distribution of the flora and fauna N ear the equator on .
,

account of the luxuriance of the vegetation the cultivation ,

of the soil is possible only to a very limited extent The .

rapid development of grass and weeds soon chokes th e

cultivated plants if the swamps do not submerge them In , .

this region however the su perabundance of the banana and

, ,

plantain renders artificial cultivation of the soil hardly

necessary In some localities especially in the Niger Delta
.
, ,

the banana trees are so thick as to prevent the proper de

ve lo p m e nt of their fruit l This zone forms a narrow strip .

along the lower border of th e Sudan its northern boundary ,

commencing on the west somewhere about the Akba or

2
C omoe River at the western extremity of the Gold C oast
,

3
extending across the Niger Delta and the southern portion
of Adamawa and thence running in a southeastern dire c
4

tion to Lake Albert Nyanza In C entral Africa this zone .

extends far south into the equatorial regions .

C h i e f M e a n s o f u
S b s i s t e n c e — Throughout the banana .

zone the fundamental means of subsistence is the same now

A llen and Th omson V ol 1 p 1 88
1
, .
, . .

Freeman pp 1 6 3 1 ; Bracken b ury p 3 9 Foa p 1 36 B i nger Vol 2

, .
, , . 2 , . , .
,

p 2 3 1 ; Stan ford V ol 1 p 3 2 2 ; El l is Tshi Speaking P eoples p 2 0 7 ; Feath er

.
, .
, .
,
“
, .

mn p 36
a , . 1 .

Lander V ol 2 p 2 46 ; A llen and Thompson V ol 1 p 40 2

3
, .
, . , .
, . .

H einr i ch Barth V ol 2 p 1 9 3
4
, . , . .
 E C ON O M I C LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZON E 9 1

as it was when the country was first visite d by Europeans .

The people subsist mostly upon the spontaneous products

of nature particularly the banana and plantain fish and
, ,

game In many places the banana and plantain groves a p

.

pear to have been laid out and cultivated Allen a n d .

Thomson who explored the Niger in 1 8 47 observed here

and there in ad dition to the wealth of natural products a
, ,

few patches of ground where the natives planted corn yarns ,

1
a n d ground nuts Agriculture they said was almost wholly
-
.
, ,

neglected at the seacoast for which indee d the swampy

?
nature of the land was a su fficient excuse The palm tree
which abounds in this zone and in the lower Niger forms
great forests is next to the banana the chief sta ff of
, , ,

3
life
. It furnishes an oil which is used in lamps and also a s ,

a sauce for every meal .

n i n —
L itt l e tt e t o t o H u n t in g It might be supposed S ince
A ,

the people do not occupy themselves in cultivating the soil ,

that they would devote much time to hunting B ut they do .

n o t although in former times hunting was no doubt more

,

in favor In the first place the big game is not very

.
,

abundant and in the second place t h e humidity of the

, ,

climate is unfavorab le to an occupation which requires

4
courage energy and invention
D o m e sti A n im a l s Domes tic animals are very unc o m
.
,

c —

mon Except in elevated districts horses and cattle cannot

.

survive Goats though found almost ever y where are not

.
,

in su fficient number for regular food They are used .

mostly for S acrifices to the gods In some villages may be .

5
s een a f e w sheep hogs chickens ducks and pigeons ,
but , ,

a nimal food is everywhere pretty scarce and the craving for

6
it is such that some people fatten and eat dogs Among .

1 A llen n d Thomso n V ol 1 p 2 5 1
a , .
, . .

2 1 5 2 1 V ol 1 p 3 97 ; V ol 2 p 2 5 6
21 , .
, . .
, . .

3 Ratzel H i story f M ankin d V ol 3 p 9 7

, o ,
”
.
, . .

4 H v l cq u p 35 8
o e a e, Staudinger P 3 9
. .
5
. '

3 Ratzel H istory f M an ki nd Vol 3 p 1 4 H v l cq u p 2 89

, o ,
”
.
, . 0 o e a e, . .
92 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

the Ashantis monkey flesh boiled in palm oil is a bom ze

1
boa cica and snails are also much relished
, .

F i s h i n g — Along the coast and rivers the people have a l

ways given much attention to fishing Writing in 1 7 7 2 .

B en ez it said that the fishermen would go out two leagues

at sea each carrying in his canoe a sword some bread and
, ,

water and fire upon a flat stone to roast the catch

,
?
In
some localities the fishing was done mostly by S laves who
3
used nets made of the fibre of plantain leaves F ishing .

is still carried on as in former times except that in many

districts European hooks and nets have been introduced .

Th e Fo o d P ro b l e m Ea sy — The reader will perceive that .

in this favored zone the fruits of nature grow into the peo
’ 4
ple s mouths H ere no one can die of hunger although
.
, ,

as a result of devastating wars the people sometimes su ffer

from scarcity of provisions or they sometimes su ffer when ,

traveling as caravan porters through uninhabited districts .

If the people cultivate the soil and store up grain it is ,

rather from the craving for diversified food than from

deficiency of spontaneous products and if they su ffer from ,

hunger it is because they are too lazy to reach out the hand
for what nature o ffers .

Happy are the people who have no food problem to

solve and no need to lie awake at night fearing lest some
failure of crops some fall in stocks some disaster at sea or
, ,

lull in trade may deprive them of S helter food and ra i me nt l

, ,

On the other hand how miserable the people who have too,

much foresight cross bridges before reaching them live in

, ,

perpetual dread of what might be who think of nothing but ,

business and do nothing but S prawl over each other like

,

maggots for any rotten eatable thing they can get a bite of
and to whom the thought of the tomb is the S keleton at
every feast l The greater part of the capital and energy
1 Reclus Vol 3 p 2 40
, .
, . .
3 P 26 . .

3 A llen and Thomson V ol , . 1, p .

32 4 ; Wood p, . 67 4
.
4 Foa p , . 1 88 .
94 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

from trees An article in the Missi o n a ry R e vi e w of [128

.

Wo r ld as l a te as 1 8 9 7 says Young boys are brought from ,

the dark i n terior ke pt in pens fattened upon bananas a nd , ,

” 1
finally killed and e a ten According to Stau dinger canni .

b a lismstill exists in the Niger Delta

?
This practice by the ,

way does not support the argument of the advocates of

,

vegetarianism that vegetable diet makes man humane and

, ,

meat diet makes him brutal The vegetarian Negroes of .

Africa are the most brutal people in the world while the ES ,

kim o s who eat only meat are the most gentle Who has .

ever so much as heard of an Eskimo military chief ?

To live in this zone requires a minimum of e ffort few ,

tools or implements and no capital It calls for no labor .

ious digging of the soil no patient waiting for the harvest ,

and no large storehouse to keep o ff famine .

I n du stri a l A rt s — M anufactured articles vary much a o

cordi n g to locality and compared to the millet zone are , ,

limited in number and variety In general the list includes .

rough basket work coarse pottery mats and cloth made of , ,

grass and dyed in rich shades of red yellow and blue : cot ,

ton cloth S imilarly dyed water j ugs of woven reeds spoons ,

-
,

of wood and ivory knives etc The Ashantis know how to , ,

.

make cotton fabrics turn and glaze earthenware forge iron , , ,

fabricate instruments and arms embroider rugs and carpets , ,

” 3
and set gold and precious stones During the activities .

of the S lave trade there was a noticeable decline in native

manufactures throughout Africa especially along the coast ,

4
regions The natives gave up to a large extent their prim
.

i tive industries a n d depended upon the sale of slaves as a

means of supplying what they wanted in the line of manu
fa ctured goods P ark observed in his travels that the coast
.

people as a rule did not manufacture iron but depended

upon Europea ns or tra ders from the interior for their hard
1
V l 0 N S p 45 6
o . 1 ,
P. .
, . .
2
.
3 1 .
3
Reclus Vol 3 p , .
, . 24 1 .

4 Ratzel H istory f M ank i n d Vo l

,
o ,
"
.
3 ,
p . 2 90 ; V ol 2 pp 5 5 7
.
, . 1 0- 1 .
 E C O N O M I C LI F E IN TH E BANANA ZON E 95

ware l Ho w ever th e interior people perhaps have always

.
,

been ahead of th e coast people in the art of manufacturing .

Tra de In nature s dealings with man S h e is nowhere so

’
-
.

niggardly as not to o ffer some means of su b sistence and no ,

where so generous as not to withhol d something that man

craves so as to tempt him to supply the deficiency by ex
,

p lo ri n g unknown countries or by trading with his neighbors .

M an first attempts to obtain the goods of his neighbor by

theft and general exploitation but the inj urious reactions ,

from such methods lead him to o ffer something in exchange

for what he desires from another The beginning of trade .

is therefore a great step forward in the evolution of a race .

It is a substitute for theft pillage murder and other means , ,

of acquiring by force what ano ther has produced Trade .

tempts man to produce beyond the demands of home con

sumption while contact with foreign people ever whets the
,

appetite for new wants In th e banana zone trade h a s never .

been very brisk although according to the earliest accounts

i t was carried on everywhere to a certain extent From t h e .

begin n ing one of the chief articles of trade was gold which
2
the natives culle d from the streams and preserved in quills
?
or melted into bars The women were the chief gold
washers They scraped the o rifero us ore from the streams
.
,

placed it in ca labashes filled with water and by a rotary ,

motion of the hand caused the water and sand to fly over ,

?
the rims of the vessels O ther important articles of trade
were ivory and palm oil These articles together with the .

fish from the rivers and bays and the products of the soil ,

such as bananas plantains and yams were exchanged with ,

5
the interior people for goats sheep poultry and grain , ,
.

The king of the Brass people used to have eighteen canoes ,

each carrying forty men which he employe d in tra ffic up ,

1 P . 1
30 .
2 Woo d p , . 62 3 .
3 a w k i ns p
H , . 1 03 . Wood p 6 2 3
4
, . .

5
L an d er . V ol . 2,
pp 2 33.
, 256 ; Benezet p 2 6 ;
, . A l len and Thomson V ol , . 1
,

p .
40 1 .
9 6 THE N EGR O RA C ES
l
and down the Niger While the S lave trade was being .

carried on by Europeans the list of articles of exchange was ,

enlarged by the addition of rum muskets gun powder and , ,

-

a great variety of European fabrics and trinkets whic h were ,

exchanged for slaves gold ivory and palm oil , , , .

At present the trade is carried on as in former times ex

cept that the sale of S laves for export has stopped alto
?
gether Since 1 8 7 8 many of the old gold diggings on the
Gold C oast have been reopened and several productive mines
?
are now being worked by English and F rench companies
In recent years the chief exports to Europe have been
co coa ivory p al m kernels palm oil rubber and lumber
, , , ,
?

So far as water facilities are concerned no country is ,

more favorably S ituate d for trade than this banana zone ,

and no country has a richer supply of natural products yet ,

the people have S hown very little enterprise in gathering

the fruits and transporting them to the interior markets .

Ma rkets — All important towns have regular market

days on which the people from the surrounding country
assemble to trade and talk At P orto N ovo markets are .

held every eighth day at Abomey every other day and at ,

5
Whydah every day Sometimes people come to market .

from a distance of 3 00 miles .

Mo n ey — The chief medium of exchange consists of

.

cowries twenty thousand of which are equal to about $ 1 0

,

and weigh about fifty pounds On the Gold C oast how .

,

ever the natives are now beginning to use British coins in

,

6
stead of the cowries .

1
A l len and Thomson V ol , . 1, p 171 . Staudinger pp 1 3 3 2 39
.
9
,
.
, , .

3 Stan ford Vol , . 1, p .

3 5 1 . See a d vertisements in W t Af i M i l October es r ca a ,

4 Th eBritish Empire Year Book 1 9 3 pp 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 04 Th palm oil , 0 , .

,
- 1 . e

in Europe is converted i nto soap an d can dl es w ith g ly cerine as a b y product W t -

. es

Af i
r ca M i l Septem b er 2 9 1 9 6 p 63 5 It i s estimate d that
a , ,
e l ephants are
0 , . .

k il le d annual l y i n A frica f the i r i vor y T/ Afii m A w Vol 1 p 37

or . ze
'
a
fe s, .
, . 2 .

5 Foa p 1 44
, . . W t Af i M i l Octo b er 6 1 9 5 p 66 3 es r ca a , ,
0 , . 1 .
98 TH E NEG R o R A C ES

class then into a capitalist class and a wage cl a ss and then

, ,

the sub division of the latter t w o cl a sses into special cor

-

ra ti o ns and organizatio n s The formation of classes is a

p o .

necessary means of developing out of a slave state into a

higher political state ?
S l a v ery Slavery in this zone as everywhere else in
.
-
,

the Sudan has existed from time immemorial and owes its
,

origin to native economic and political con ditions As the .

men do not work it is evi dent that they do not need helpers
or S laves On the other hand as all of the work falls upon
.

the women it is evi dent that if slave labor is used at all it

,

must b e to help them The demand for labor is partly .

supplied by the addition of several wives to each house

hold N ow as each man has several wives it would seem
.
,

that whatever work is necessary for the support of a family

could be done by the combine d labor of the wives b ut n ot ,

so The wives have a disposition to S hirk their work

.
,

especially when they are used as porters to carry goods to

an d from the markets and therefore it becomes necessary,

to seek other laborers B ut where is the supply to come .

from ? Land being free and capital a sup e rfluity every ,

man can make an easy living and nee d not under any
circumstances ask a n other man to support him H ence no .

one will volu n tarily work for another and the only way that ,

laborers can be obtained is by coercion i e by forcing them , . .

,

to work as S laves H ere we find the explanation of S lavery

. .

P rimarily it arises from the indisposition of people to work

for themselves and secondarily from their inability to get
, ,

others to work for them except by force Nieb o er says with .

truth We think S lavery and serfdom c a n only be accounted

for by a scarcity of labor When labor is everywhere scarce .
,

a laborer who leaves his employer can everywhere find em

ployment whereas a n employe r cannot easily procure labor
,

1
Post , U eber di e u ga b en e i ner
A f A llgemeinen Rechtswissenscha ft ,
”
pp .

3 7 . 38
 E C O NO M I C LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZON E 99

ers : it is then the interest of the employer to prevent his

” 1
laborers from leaving him Slaves were o b tained by sale .

of debtors a n d criminals a nd b y ki dnapping a nd rai ding .

The manner in which the slave trade has been carried on is

discussed in the secon d volume So far as the status of the .

S lave is concerned there has been no appreciable change

from that indicated by the earliest writers The num b er of .

S laves neede d is small and the yoke that they bear is light , .

Not only is the labor of slaves light but it is less p a inful

than the labor of the serving class among civilized people .

Slaves can hunt fish dance and enj oy all of the excitements
, ,

common to freemen They work only with irregularity and .

the demands upon their attention are only i n termittent .

Often S laves are left to do as they please provi de d they

lo dge at home fee d themselves and give to their master a
,

fixed sum per week ? This kind of S lavery suits their mental
and moral status and is a preliminary tra ining for more
“
regular activity Their lot says Ellis is not in any way
.
, ,

comparable with that of an agricultural laborer in Eng

”
land They are considered members of the family they
.
,

can acquire and inherit property they can own slaves them ,

selves and not infrequently purchase their free dom by buy

?
ing other slaves to take their places P rior to the European
intervention idle vicious a n d mutinous slaves were punished
, ,

by flogging and imprisonment but no slave owner c ould ,

-

take the life of his slave a n d it was seldom that a slave ran ,

away ? Writing in 1 8 7 4 Brackenbury said that on th e ,

Gold C oast as a rule S laves would be unwilling to accept

” 6
their freedom Whenever they wishe d to quit their mas
.

ter they could dedicate themselves to the service of some

god and from such refuge the master could n o t reclaim

1 P .
35 7 . Foa p
1
, . 2 11 .
3 Ew eSpeak i ng Peoples p 2 20, . .

ll i s
1 E , Ew e Speaking P eoples p , . 2 19 Bouche p 1 62 ; A ll en an d Thomson
, . ,

Vo l 1 p 2 5
.
, . 1 .

Ell is
5
, Ew e Speaking Peoples p , . 2 20 .
3 Bracken bury p, .
32 5 .
1 00 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

them ? H owever only a very small number of S laves could

,

avail themselves of this avenue of escape .

But the lot of the S laves was not quite so fortunate as

the above stated facts would make it appear In the banana .

zone slaves were ever in danger of becoming war captives -

and in many cases this meant that they were to be killed

and eaten On account of the S implicity of the economic
.

life only a small number of the captives was needed for the
work of maintaining the population and from this fact very
serious consequences ensued When there were many wars .

and many captives but no agriculture or other occupations

,

su fficient to give employment to the captives what became ,

of them P They were e aten and Preville believes that it was

precisely this lack of profitable utilization of captives that
originally led to cannibalism Thousands of captive S laves
.
-

were sacrificed to the gods and superstitious customs and

thousands of home born S laves were immolated upon the
-

graves of their masters It is evident that the slaves did not

.

contemplate these eventualities with any high degree of

satisfaction S ince according to Ellis when a slave master
, , ,
-

was about to die his S laves often ran away to escape immo
lation .

But notwithstanding the casualties attendant upon the

slave life a consideration of all facts seems to j ustify the
,

conclusion that the lot of the S laves of this zone was a fo rtu
nate and happy one as compared to that of S laves in many
more advanced societies The more intense labor of the
.

S laves among civilized people and the consequent greater

restraints and exactions imposed by the master cause ,

breaches of discipline which furnish provocations to ill

treatment and overwork The severity of the ré gime while
.

rendering the S lave less free and less happy brings about a ,

g reater mortality than all of the sanguinary customs of the

banana zone F or example thro u ghout Egypt the S lave
.
,

El li s Ew Speak i ng P eoples
1
, ep 2 20 , . .
 C HA P TER V

E C O NO MI C L I FE IN TH E MI LLET Z O NE
C h a ra c t e r N orth of the banana zone the
o f th e Z o n e .—

fgres t with its tropical aspect begins to give way to scattered

clumps of trees intersperse d with open prairies The longer .

dry season permits th e cultivation and ripening of a variety

?
of grai n s of which the chief is millet M illet and sorghum ,

says Ratzel play the same rdle in C entral Africa as wheat in

,

Europe corn in America and rice in C hina ? At about 1 1

, ,
°

North the empire of the banana terminates a n d that of grain

?
commences This millet zone forms a broad band stretch
ing across the entire continent Its northern line begins .

ab out with the river Gambia thence extending easterly in ,

an irregular line S kirting the lower edge of Lake C had and

,

terminating in the grassy region of East Africa The .

southern boundary is coextensive with the northern boundary

of the banana zone .

Mill e t th e C h i ef Me a ns o f S ub sist en c e —The earliest and .

most recent writers give about the same description of the

products of the soil and the methods of cultivating in this
zone On account of the rapi d exhaustion of the soil the
.
,

pe 0 p 1e find it necessary to let a part of their land lie fallow

each year? and always preparatory to planting the natives
? ”
set fire to the tall grass I n the middle of the night says ,

M ungo Park I could see the plains and mountains as fa r

“
, ,

as the eye could reach variegated with lines of fire and the , ,

1 einri ch Barth V ol 2 p 5 5 8 ; B i nger V ol

H , .
, .
, . 1, p .
484 ; P reville p, . 2 47 .

3
A nthropogeograph i e V ol 1 p 5 05 ,
”
.
, . .

3B i nger V ol 1 p 1 2 5, .
, . .
4 P reville p 2 5 2
, . .

5C l pp t
a Journey to Kouka and S cka t
e r o n, a oo , p .
99 Binger V ol 1 p
, .
, . 2 42 ;

Ca mpb ell p 99 ; Stau di nger p 1

, .
, . 0 .
 E C O N O M I C LI F E I N TH E M I LLET ZO N E 1 03

light reflected on the sky ma de the heavens appear in a

”
blaze Birds of prey follow in the wake of the flames de
.
,

vo urin g the snakes lizards and small game which the heat ,

has killed ? When the crops are somewhat advanced S laves

are stationed about in the fields upon platforms or in trees
to scare away the devastating b ir ds by rattling calabashes
or S houting at the top of their voices ?

Oth e r F o o d P ro duc ts : C o rn R i c e F ruit — In addition to

millet this zone produces Indian corn rice manioc groun d
. .
,

, , ,

3
nuts indigo tobacco yams sorghum etc
, , The oil palm , , , .
-

disappears some distance inland from the coast and is re

placed by the butter—tree the nuts of which produce an ,

aromatic oil of about the consistency of butter This tree .

?
butter is a staple article in many of th e western districts
The fruits in this zone are scarce and hardly worth the
?
gathering The kola nut grows plentifully i n the southern -

districts of the west a n d is use d by the natives almost as ,

extensively as co ffee among the white people of Europe and

?
America It is valued on account of its stimulating and
sustaining powers The nut is ground into a fine powder .

and carried about the person during long j ourneys when

often the only subsistence consists of a chew of this kola .

Thanks to it many travelers are able to stave o ff thirst and

7
hunger .

C o tt o n — C otton has been extensively cultivated for

.

many years especially in the basin of the Benue River but

, ,

until recent years was used almost altogether for home con
sumption ?
The total value of the cotton now exported a n

1 Park p , . 126 .
2
C la pperto n , Second Expe di t i on p 66 , . 2 .

3
pp 9 94 ; Bo w en p 4 1
La sne t, et . a l, . 2, , . C l pp t n
a Second Expe di t i on
er o , ,

p 88 ; Binger Vol pp 1 5 2 2 9 ; A d anson p 66

.
, . 1, . 2 , , . 1 .

Bowen p 5 5 A ccording to Binger the lim i t fthe o il palm is about 80 North

4
, . . , o -
,

Vol 1 p 1 3 8
.
, . .

Bowen p 5 1
5
, .
Binger Vol 1 p 3 9
.
5
, .
, . 0 .

Af i n N w Vol 2 1 890 p 466 7 r ca e s, .

, , . .

C l ppe t n 3Second Expedition p 2 1 7 Reclus V o l 3 p 3 2 7

a r o , ,
”
. , .
, . .
1 04 TH E N EG RO RAC ES

n ua lly from the Sudan to England is about A

letter from O P Austin C hief of Bureau U nited Stat e s De
. .
,

p a r tm e n t of C ommerce and La b or unde r date N ovember

“
13,
1 90 6 says
,
In compliance w ith your inquiry under
date of November 6 regarding cotton exports from the ,

Su dan I have to say that the only data which this Bureau
,

has on the subj ect of cotton in the Sudan are those of acre
age and estimated yield .

“
According to the o fficial blue book on the F inances ,

Administration and C ondi t ion of Egypt and the Sudan ,

the acreage in cotton in 1 9 04 was while that in 1 90 5

was The estimated yield in 1 9 04 is given as 1 1 5 ,

6 7 8 kantars or about . pounds which would be ,

about bales of 5 00 pounds each No figures of pro .

duction are given for the year 1 90 5 .

N either the 1 9 04 nor the 1 90 5 report gives any data

regarding shipments The 1 90 4 report states in a general .
,

way that C otton growing in the Sudan for export pur

, ,

poses cannot as yet be said to have passed out of the ex

, ,

p e ri m e n ta l stage In Lagos C olony (interior

. and west of
the Niger) there are over acres planted in cotton .

Ginning machines are employed and the crop produced is

?
sold on the Liverpool market In 1 9 0 5 there was com
?
plaint in England of the bad color of the Lago cotton
The cotton of West Africa generally has a short fibre and a
large proportion of see d to fibre The reason for these p e .

c ulia ri ti es is that the natives do not grow the cotton from

seed each year as is done in America but treat the plant as

, ,

a perennial Better methods however are gradually being

?
, ,

introduced by the British Association for the encouragement

of cotton culture in Africa The Germans are now attempt .
5

1
Geller West A frican C otton C ulture V n N ’m M g
, ,
”
a ora a a z i n e, July , 1 906 .

2
Re i nsch p 2 9 1 Afii n W ld October 4 1 90 5 p 49 1
, .
'
ca or , , , . .

3 W t Af i M i l September 2 9 1 90 5 p 63 7
es r ca a , , , . .

4 W t Af i M i l October 2 7 1 905 p 7 3 1
es r ca a , , , . .
1 06 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

ar e scarce ex cept along the northern border The climate .

is fatal to camels and as C la pp erto n facetiously remarks , ,

when they are brought into the region it is necessary to kill

them to save their lives ? C hickens are found almost every
where even in districts so poor that pe 0 p 1e have to collect
,
?
termites as food for them
Th e S truggl e fo r Ex ist e n ce H a rde r Th a n i n th e B a n a n a
Z o n e — The problem of life in this zone is a serious one
. .

M an cannot live upon the bounty of nature H e must labor .

,

till the soil sow protect the growing crop and store up the
, ,

product In the west large urns as tall as a man are used

.

3
for preserving the grain and in the east bins made of , ,

? 5
wicker M illet will keep in j ars for three years and a kind ,

of ya rn flour made of S liced drie d and pounded yams will

, , ,

?
keep for six months In some places water is scarce and
the natives have to dig wells through solid rock Those .

who thus obtain water make it a profitable source of income ?

Also in some localities trees are so scarce that S laves have
?
to be sent long distances to get wood for cooking purposes
Th e I m p ro v ide nt B o rro w F r o m th e P ro vide nt — The fore
going facts show that life in this zone demands a definite
amount of energy foresight and self control and that pe 0 p 1e ,
-
,

who are improvident pay the penalty as elsewhere in the ,

world by loss of comfort and standing P eople who have

, .

9 10
empty bins go hungry and many of them become beggars , .

In their extremity they sometimes rob ant holes to get the -

little store of corn that these more industrious workers have

l1
l ai d u p In seasons of famine the people take to eating
.
,

1 C la ppe rto n , Journey to Kou ka and S a cka to o , 40 p . .

1 Binger V ol 1 p 2 68, .
, . .
79 5 Iézafl. Vol
'

Ratze l H istor y fM ank i n d Vol 2 p 34

, o ,
”
.
, . .

3
C l pp t n
a Secon d Expedit i on p 2 67
er o , l oi i p 80 ,
”
. .
5 c , . .

7
Binger V ol 1 p 2 8 1 V ol 2 p 9 9
, .
, [ b i d V L 2 p 99
. .
, . .
3 '
i O . .

Waitz V ol p 82 , . 2, Staudinger pp 5 65 5 66
. .
1°
. .
.

Barth Vol 2 p 5 24 11
, .
, . .
 E C ON O M I C LI F E I N TH E M I LLET ZON E 1 07

monkeys dogs cats rats l locusts ? lizards etc

,
In some
, , , , .

places winged ants are collected fried in cow butter or tree ,

-

b utter and fed to children

?
But the economic man r a m ,

a o z s comes to the rescue H e lends seed to the improvi

’

.
,

dent upon considerati on that they labor for him for a given
‘
period or in case of worse distress he buys a boy or girl
, ,

from a father or mother paying therefor a supply of pro

?
visions for a certa in number of days
I n dustri a l A rt s : To o l s a n d m
I pl m t
e e n s — F ortunately
manufacturing comes in to supplement the rather precarious
agricultural resources The smiths prepare charcoal smelt .
,

iron make hoes hatchets axes knives scythes nails and

, , , , , ,

other hardware ? Staudinger thinks that smithwork was

?
probably original with some of the West African peoples
The smiths are not a despised class in this zone as among
?
the people further north Leather workers dress hides ,

dyeing them yellow and red and making them into cloaks , ,

9
S hoes sandals S hields tobacco cases water and oil ves
, , , ,

sels etc ? In Nup ela n d the people have learned to melt

,
0
,
11
form and color glass In the B a utsc h i district the pe 0 p1e .

12
manufacture soap and in other distri cts gunpow der In , .

almost all cities cotton is spun and woven into strips of cloth
three inches wide and S ixty yards long dyed in stripes of ,

13
gray blue and red , The weaving of cotton was known in .

14
the Sudan as early as the eleventh century but whether i n ,

tro duc e d by races from the north or developed i n de p e n d

1 5
ently by the Negroes is uncertain There is extensive .

1 Second Expe di tion p 1 43

C la pperton , A danson p 1 6 1 , . .
1
, . .

B i nger Vol 1 p 1 99
3 P reville p 2 5 6
, . Park pp 1 1 8 1 38
, . .
4
, . .
5
, .
, .

Bowen p 308
5
, . . P 5 93 1 . .

Rohl fs Vol p 1 5 6 ; Staudinger p 5 94 ; Reclus Vol 3 p 92

3
, . 2, .
, .
, .
, . 2 .

Park p 1 3 ; Bo w en p 3 8
9
, Staud i nger p 5 85
. 0 Mid p 5 9 7 , . 0 .
1°
, . .
11
, . .

Rohl fs V ol p 1 5 9 Waitz V ol p 97
12
, . 2, .
, . 2, . .

Denham s Narrative p 1 82 A llen and Thomson Vol 2 p 1 ; Lander

13 ’
,
”
.
, .
, . 00 ,
Vol 1 p 69
.
, . 2 .

H einrich Barth V ol 3 p 3 65
14
Staudinger p 5 7 9
, .
, . .
15
, . .
1 08 TH E N EGRO RA C ES
1
manufacturing of wooden ware such as dishes and baske ts ,

and also many pro ducts of the potter s art? Tools i mple ’
,

ments and utensils are divers and sundry and great quan ,

tities of them are exposed for sale at the public markets .

During the flourishing days of S lave exportatio n to

America the industrial arts declined as well as the cultiva
,

tion of the soil One of the e ffects of the conta ct with

.

European peoples and products w a s at first to cause the

natives to imitate the articles of foreign manufacture such ,

as glass and gunpowder and but for the S lave trade and ,

other mistaken policies of the white man which disorganized

the whole economic life of the natives there is no tellin g
?
what strides would have been made in all lines of industry
Since the abolition of the external S lave trade the revival of ,

industrial activities among the people of the Sudan has been

hindered by the wars be tween the pastoral F ellatahs and
?
native blacks
Tr a de — The people of this zone have a natural turn for
trade It suits their restless nature intense curiosity love
.
, ,

of palaver and it is liked as much for its own sake as for the
,

?
profit in it The N egro is n ever happier than when he is
in the midst of the hubbub of the market The great trade .

centre of this zone is Kano the M anchester of the Sudan ,

.

Its wares are famous throughout a great portion of Africa .

Its cotton and leather goods are sold in all important mar
kets of the Hausa States and are exported to the Gulf of ,

Guinea and to Timbuctu and districts in and beyond the

?
desert It supplies sandals for half of the Sudan and
?
Sahara The market place of this thriving city is crowded
with people from far and near Great caravans come from .

1
Stau di nger p 5 86 , . .

”
Ratzel H istory of M ankind Vol 3 pp 30 1 3 9 3 ; Staudinger p
, ,
”
.
, .
,
0 ,
10 , .
5 88
.

3
Rohl fs V ol 2 p 2 49
, .
, . . V ol 2 p 2 50 4 .
, . .

5
Ratze l H istory fM ankind V ol 2 p 3 7 5
, o ,
”
. , . .

3 L ori n p 2 5 8 ; Ratzel
, . H i story f M ank i n d
, Vol 3 pp 3 1 0 3 1 2
o ,
”
.
, .
- .

‘
Ratzel H i story f M ank i n d V o l 3 3 9
1
, o ,
"
.
, 1 .
1 10 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

W omen traders come in from the near by villages to pur

chase supplies for the local markets a n d they sometimes
carry on their h eads from sixty to one hundred pounds of
merchandise ? In certain cities there are regular market i n
spectors who examine the milk and meat They see to it .

that butch ers remove all the bones from their meat before
?
o ffering it for sale The money of exchange consists chiefly
of cowries of which about equal in value one American
?
dollar or one F rench five franc piece In the east iron bars
a re used as the money with which the men often purchase
?
their wives P ieces of iron were once used as money also
?
in the west
Tra n s p o rt a ti o n —As means of transportation the people
.

have asses horses and oxen but the commonalty still to a

,

great extent carry loads on their backs and heads Even .

fine ladies sometimes hire themselves as porters assisted by

?
their S laves C onsidering the general navigability of the
rivers canoe transportation is very little developed except
,

on the Niger and the Nile Railroads in late years have .

, ,

begun to penetrate th is zone The Sudanese railway con .

ne ets Kayes at the heed of the Senegal navigation with

Kuliko ra on the Niger The commercial route from .

Timbuctu to the sea thus lies up the N iger to Kuliko ra ,

thence by rail to Kayes thence down the Senegal River to ,

St Louis thence by the coast railway to Dakar A rail

.
, .

road from Lagos and another from the Dahoman coast are
?
also heading for the interior
D iv i si o n o f L a b o r —Division of labor is much more
.

marked here than in the banana zone Besides the division .

into freemen and S laves there are specialized potters smiths , , ,

1
C la ppe rto n , Second Expedition p , . Park p 2 0 8
1 77 ; , . .

1
Rohl fs V ol 2 p 1 60
, .
, . . Stau d inger p
3
, . 618 .

4
Schwe i n furth Vol 1 p, .
, . 2 79 .
5
Park p 3 3 ; Ogi l b y p
, .
, .
356 .

3
Staudinger p 6 1 4 , . .
7
C la ppe rto n , Second Expedition p ,
”
. 1 79 .

5 Reinsch p , . 2 61 .
 E C ON O M I C LI F E IN TH E M I LLET ZON E 1 1 1

tanners weavers tailors dyers and musicians There are

, , , .

1
also architects w h o build houses barbers who combine ,

dentistry with the tonsorial art and extract teeth with a pair
2
of iron tongs and manicurists who with a wicked pair of
scissors trim finger and toe nails at the rate of four cowries
?
per individual Territorial division of labor as defined by ,

Ely ? i e where di fferent sections of a country are devoted

. .
,

to speci al kinds of production is well developed in this zone , ,

as the facts already stated in reference to trade indicate .

l v r
S a e y — Slave labor is much in demand owing to the
.

extensive cultivation of the soil manufacturing and t rade , ,

and up to a fe w years ago the supply was kept up partly by

war captives and partly by the purchase of freemen who
-

sold themselves or were sold by their parents Instead of .

killing and eating war captives or offering them as sacrifices -

,

as was done in the banana zone they were here as is gen , ,

e ra lly the case when man advances to the agricultural stage ,

“
employed as field laborers There have been many dis .

“
e ussions says Ely
,
as to whether slavery is right or ,

wrong It is both There is a time in human developmen t

. .

when S lavery represents a step in human progress the best ,

and longest that men are able then to take Such a step is .

always right It is wrong when men have learned how to

.

” 5
do better In the millet zone of Africa there have been
.

obvious advantages in S lavery both to the slave and to the

master The slave foun d in the master a means of saving
.

himself from the penalties of his lack of thrift and foresight ,

and the master found in the S lave a labor supply which

without coercion could not have been obtained Owing to .

the fact that land was plentiful and free an insu fficient num ,

ber of people would voluntarily work for others and the ,

supply could be kept up only by raiding and enslaving .

1 Staudinger p 599 , , Binger Vol

,
7
Mi d p
, . 60 5 .
5
, . 1, p .
37 1 .

4“ P olitical Economy New York 1 90 1 p 1 5 8 ,

"
. . .

5
Out l ines fE mi N w York 89 3 p 1 0
o co n o c s,
”
e , 1 , . .
1 12 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

The coercive union of slave and master enabled the coun ,

try s resources to be develope d caused the production of

’
,

many commo dities which would never have been voluntarily

produce d a n d trained both S lave and master to some regular
,

habits of industry Be fore the British intervention decree .

ing the illegality of S lavery the proportion of S laves to free

men i n this zone varied in the di fferent localities from one
half to four fifth s many private individuals having owned
-
,

more than a thousand ? Slaves in the family were generally

considered as members of it and were seldom sold so long
as they were industrious a n d obedient They were per .

mitte d to marry a n d to acquire and inherit property and ,

sometimes they could purchase their freedom ? Among the

“
M andingos a master could not kill a S lave without a trial In .

case of ill treatment S laves could place themselves under the

-
,

protection of another master Slaves born of kings or men .

of rank were often appointed to high o ffices and sometimes

?
forced freemen to kneel at their feet In this zone the con
ditio ns demanded more continuous and systematic labor and
consequently afforded less opportunity to pursue the pleas
u ra b le occupations of hunting war and gallantry In all , .

tropical countries the people always find it di fficult to adj ust

themselves to regular habits of industry Their tempera .

ment causes them to take up occupations which appeal to

their love of change chance and excitement and require , ,

only casual attention They become restless and rebellious .

when subj ected to routine labor since it is in the nature of ,

man that his instinctive habits are pleasurable and his a o

quire d habits irksome ?

But while the slave labor in this zone was more exact
i n g than in the one b elow it was not enough repellent to ,

1
Barth Vo l p 9 1 H v l q u p 3 1 Wa i tz Vol 2 p 2 1
, . 2 ,
. 1 o e ac e, . 2 , .
, . 1 .

7
Park p 1 39
, . Waitz V ol 2 p 2 3
. Stau di nger pp 5 7 5 7 3
3
, .
, . 1 .
4
, . 0, .

5
Thomas Th Gam i ng Instinct A m i
,
jeu n l f S i l gy V ol .
”
er ca n o r a o oc o o , . 6,
p .
7 62 .
1 14 TH E NEG R o RA C ES

posing that a S lave is very rarely allowed to marry This is .

a very important circumstance in considering domestic S lav

ery in C e ntral Africa for if their domestic S laves do not of
themselves maintain their numbers then the deficiency aris ,

ing from ordinary mortality must constantly be kept up by

a new supply which can be obtained only by kidnapping
,

or more generally by predatory incursions and it is this n e

c e ssity which makes even domestic slavery appear so bane

ful and pernicious The motive for making these observa

.

tions in this place was the sight of a band of S laves whom

we met this morning led on in two files and fastened one to
” 1
the other by a stron g rope round the neck Barth was
mistaken as to the restriction upon marriage as C la pp erto n ,

and others state that Slaves were permitted to marry and

set up independent households but were required to give a ,

?
part of their earnings to their master The rarity of home
born S laves was therefore not due to the prohibition of mar
ria ge but to the incessant raiding and kidnapping which

caused the slaves to be ever moving from one community

to another .

Upon the whole the writer inclines to the view that th e

lot of the S laves in this zone was less fortunate and less fa
v o ra b le to happiness than that of the S laves in the banana

zone and it is not surprising therefore to learn that many , ,

S laves became dissatisfied and ran away whenever o p p o r

tunity o f
’
fered and whenever they could take their owner s
?
goods or cattle to assist them in their j ourney The city
of Z irm ee says C la p e rt o n was a so rt of refuge for runaway
, p ,

Slaves from all over Ha usa la nd ?

I n h e rit a n c e o fP o e —
r p rty Everywhere in the millet zone
property of every kind is more in evidence than in the b a
nana zone and as in the latter zone it is generally transmit
, ,

ted in the female line .

1
Vol . 1, p 5 28 .
1
S ec ond Expedition p 1 8 1
,
. .

3 C la ppe rto n , Secon d Expe d i t i on p

, . 1 86 .
4 Midi p 89, . .
 E C ON O M I C LI F E I N TH E M I LLET ZON E 1 1 5

Everything considered there is a m a rke d advance in gen

,

?
eral culture in this zone as compared to the one further south
Towards the coast the drop in th e level of culture is p re c ip i
?
tous The interior has the advantage in a larger population ,

more settled life and more invigorating climate .

1 Staudinger p 62 1 W lt Vol 2 p 7 9
, . a z, .
, . .

2
Ratzel H istory of M ankind Vol 3 pp
, ,
”
.
, . 1 0 2 , 1 0 3.
 C HA PTER VI

EC O NO MI C L I FE IN TH E C A TTLE Z O NE

C h a r a c ter North of the millet zone the

o fth e Z o ne —

country begins to assume the aspect of an open prairie .

Trees become scarce and the predominant vegetation is

grass H ere cattle and horses may be seen in great num
.

bers especially the former thousands of which exist in a

, ,

wild state Sheep and goats also appear in abundance

. .

C amels do not thrive here on account of the insects ? This

great steppe region of Africa once o ffered the same rich ter
rito ry for the wild as now for the tame animals and was ,

therefore a great hunting ground Steppe countries all .

over the world have been the theatres of great hunters ?

This zone extends all the way across the continent The .

line of its northern boundary is impossible of exact de fini

tion but it runs across about with the parallel of Timbuctu
,
.

C a tt l e th e C h i e f R e so ur c e — The predominant occupa

?
tion in this zone is the pasturing of cattle sheep and goats ,

In the eastern part of this zone the people are sedentary for ,

example the S hillo o ks Dinkas Baris and Nuers while in

, , , ,

the west they are more or less nomadic for example the , ,

F ellatahs Jo lo fs Kanuris and S o ni nk es The Fe lla ta h s

, , , .

have very extensive herds of cattle which every day are

driven out to pasture and in the evening brought back to
be milked being under the constant supervision of herds
,

men in order to keep them from inva ding the plantations .

” “
An Open S he d says F eatherman is erected near each , ,

village with a stage in the centre about eight feet high and
,

1
P rev i lle p 47 , Ratzel A nthropogeograph i e V ol 1 p
. .
3
, ,
”
.
, . 1 66 .

3 Og ilb y p 3 9 ; Du C h illu
, .M y A pingi Nation p 1 89 ; Ratzel
1 a , ,
”
.
,
H istory
of M an k ind Vo l 3 p 2 8 1 Schwe i n furth Vol 1 pp 8 6 1 48 Lorin p
,
”
.
, .
, .
, .
, , .
3 8
0 .

1 1 6
1 18 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

those o i the interior uplands devote much of their attention ,

to raising cattle sheep and goats which find rich pastures in

, ,

the immense prairies thickly covered with grass The herds .

and flocks are pl a ced under the care of S laves whose busi
ness it is to guard them and to change the pastures accord
ing to the seasons ?
H u n t i ng — The people of this zone especially in the west , ,

are great hunters They unite in parties of twenty or more

.

to pursue and kill elephants They sell the tusks of these .

mo nsters and dry and smoke the meat which supplies them
?
with a nourishing food for several months
A gri c u l t u re — But notwithstanding the immense number
.

of cattle and other animals the milk and flesh do not su ffice ,

to feed the population The cows give only a small quan .

tity of milk and are n o t suitable for foo d unless especially

,

fattened for the purpose H ence the people are obliged to .

supplement the pastoral art by cultivating the soil trading ,

?
and manufacturing In some places agriculture receives as
much attention as cattle breeding while trade receives as -
,

much attention as agriculture In the lo w lands and well .

watered places the cultivated products are for example , ,

among the F ellatahs rice maize sorghum several species , , ,

of millet ya ms sweet potatoes pumpkins watermelons

, , , , ,

onions red pepper and groundnuts ; also cotton indigo

,
-
,

?
and tobacco P retty much the same products are raised
throughout this zone except rice which can be cultivated ,

?
only in the low lands Rohlfs supposes that the F ellatahs
learned to cultivate grain and vegetables from the native
“
bl a cks but it is more probable that they brought a knowl
,

e dge of agriculture with t hem since the Berbers from whom ,

they S prang combine agriculture with the pastoral art in

,

?
t heir desert oases Wherever any of the F ella tahs S how a
1 Og i lb y p 345 Featherman p 3 5 3
, .
, . .
3
Featherman P , 3 67
3
P revi l le p 48 , Featherman p 3 66
. .
4
, . .
5 ” it?” pp 30 6 S 2 7 4
.
, , 352 ,

5 V ol 2 p 1 3 2
.
, . D mlins
.
7 e o , P 22
5 3 1
3
537 1113 » PP 3 6 4 4
 E C O N O M I C LI F E I N TH E C ATTLE ZON E 1 19

contempt for agriculture it is probably due to the influence

of the Arabs who notoriously abhor that kind of work and ,

to the fact that agriculture is the chief occupation of the

despised negroes .

I n dustri a l A rt s I mp l e me n ts — F rom the time of the .

earliest explorers in this region manufacturing has been car ,

ried on extensively in all of the large cities Leo Africanus .

,

“
writing in the sixteenth century said of Timbuctu It is a ,

w o o n de r to see what p len ti e of M erchandize is da y ly brought

hither and how costly and sumptuous all things be .

Here are many S hops of a rtific e rs and merchants and espe

” 1
c ia lly of such as weave linnen and cloth Speaking of the .

“
kingdom of Guber he said Here are such S hoes made as ,

” 2
the ancient Romans were w o o nt to weare At the present .

time the principal manufacturin g centres a re Kuka and

Sokoto At the latter city the women S pin the home grown
.
-

cotton into yarn by means of a short and elegantly orna

,

mented S pindle The men do the weaving on a primitive

.

loom and fabricate two kinds of cloth one bein g extremely

, ,

coarse and reserved for home use the other of a finer tex ,

ture being made into tunics and exported Goatskins are .

tanned various colors and made into bags cushions boots , , ,

S hoes and saddles F rom iron and other metals the smiths
.

?
make implements tools and sundry ornaments , The
Kanuris manufacture in their numerous cities particularly ,

in that of Kuka cloth iron and copper fabrics saddles

, , , ,

leather bags sandals woo den a n d gourd dishes pots plates

, ,
-
, , ,

?
gunpowder etc , The manufacturers of Kuka usually have
their shops along the streets in front of their residences .

They are very busy in the morning and again in the after
?
noon but rest and S leep during the heat of the day
, The

1Pp . P 2 90 7
. . F eatherman p 385
3
, . .

4 “ Denham s Narrative p 1 8 2 ; F eatherman p

’
, .
, . 27
5 Ratzel H i tory
, of s

M ankin d Vol 3 p 37 ; Wai tz V ol 2 p 9 7

,
”
.
, .
, .
, . .

Rohlfs Vol 1 p 339 5

, .
, . .
1 20 TH E N EG R O RA C ES

implements of industry are about the same in this zone as in

the millet zone except for a greater number of milk cans , ,

which among the S hillo o k s are kept clean by daily washing ,

in cow liquid ? Ratz el is of the opinion that iron ma nufa c

-

turing cattle breeding and many branches of agriculture

,
-

in this region were not developed independently by the

?
natives but were introduced by races from outside In
quantity and quality of manufactured products the people
of this zone are considerably behind the inhabitants of the
millet zone .

Tr a de — Trade is very extensively carried on especially

.

in animal products Thousands of horses cattle S heep and .

, ,

“
goats are sold into the regions of the south while iron cot , ,

ton cloth leather ostrich feathers ivory dried fish and

, , , ,

grain are sold into the regions of the north F ormerly .

S laves were the chief articles of export The Tibbus Tua .

,

regs and M oors cross the desert in great caravans bringing

salt from Bilma and ostriches horses and dates from the , ,

oases ; and from Tripoli and G b adama raw S ilk ottar o f , ,

-

roses spices glass b eads etc and return with sundry grain
, , , .
,

?
and other products of the Sudan The S hillo o ks sell to their
neighbors cattle cotton ivory etc a n d buy from them cut, , , .
,

?
lery cloth and salt
,
The Jo lo fs supply the coast people
with milk eggs and fowls and export to foreign countries
,

“
great quantities of grain beans melon seed and dried fish , ,
- .

Sokoto of the F ella ta h empire Kuka of the Kanuri empire ,

and Timbuctu of the Songhay empire are the great trade

centres of this zone At present the chief exports to Europe .

are rubber groundnuts and hides but in the future cattle

,

may also enter into the items of export A w rite r in the .

B r i ti sli B oa r d of Tr a de jou r n a l says that the v alley of the

1
p 88
S ch w ei n furth , V ol A nth . 1, . .
9 ro po geo gra ph l e ,
”
V ol . 1, pp .
3 8 6,
2
5 5 .

3 “ Denham s Narrative p 2 4 1
’
,
”
. .

4
Rohl fs V ol p 348 ; F eatherman pp
, . 1, .
, . 8
3 5 3
, 8 6 .

5
Featherman p 66 , . .
6 Mid p , .
35 4 .
122 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

D ivi si o n L account of the greater variety of

of a b or .
—O n

resources and activities division of labor is highly devel ,

ope d The specialized w orkers include fishermen herds

.
,

men brokers traders porters tanners weavers shopkeep

, , , , , ,

ers and even barb ers who perambulate the streets and
whistle to announce their coming ?
S l a v e r y — The com b ination of cattle breeding farming
.
-
, ,

manufacturing and commerce brings about a consi derable

demand for labor a nd as few individuals offer to serve vol
,

u nta ri ly lan d being free and the opportunity to gain a live

,

li h o o d being open to all the supply can be obtained only by ,

forcing people into S lavery Among the Dinkas however .

, ,

where all of the land is occupied the individuals who have ,

—
no capital a n d there are many of this class owing to the
,

absence of the patriarchal system — must o ffer themselves as ,

wage earners ? Nie b o er correctly remarks t hat Generally

- “

S peaking S lavery as an industrial system can only exist

,

3
where there is still free land However the wholesale sub ,

j ugation of tribes renders S lavery proper unnecessary ex, ,

cept for domestic work and for c ra ftme n in the cities and , ,

as members of the army In former times as a result of .

wars and rai ding S laves were superabundant and constituted

an imp ortant part of the export trade No w the export .
,

of S laves has ceased except for an occasional S lave caravan

that crosses the desert The treatment of S laves in this zone .

is about the same as the treatment of those in the millet

zone Those born in the family are seldom sold or abused
.

a n d as a rule mothers are not separated from their chil dren .

The F ella ta h s use S laves a s domestic and field lab orers ,

tra ders and as soldiers and court o fficers The great m ass
, .

of the subj ect class however stand to the F ella ta h s in the

, ,

relation of serfs rather than of S laves They live in villages .

to themsel ves and cultivate the fields and raise cattle under
1
Featherman p , . 2 76
.
1
P reville p , . 26
5 .

1
P 348
. . 4 Wa i tz V ol, . 2, p . 2 13 ; H o vela cq ue , p . 19 .
 E C ON O M I C LI F E IN TH E C ATTLE ZON E 1 23

the supervision of their lords O n certain days of the week .

,

Thursday a n d F riday for instance in F oota Jallon they can

, ,

1
work for their own benefit ; elsew h ere they are permitted
to work for themselves one half of each day P rior to inter -
.

ve n ti o n by the F re n ch and British it used to be the custom

when the season for field wo rk was over to follo w their lords
?
u pon military or trading expeditions It has always been
quite common for S laves in this zone to purchase their free
dom or earn it as a reward for valuable services to their
masters .

The burdensome and O ppressive S ide of slavery has

consisted in the excessive tribute which has been exacted
from the agricultural slaves who li ved in villages to them
selves and occupied the position of serfs ; and also in the
more intense labor required of domestic servants and S lave
artisans in the towns .

Servitude in this zone therefore has had peculiar results

, , .

On the one hand i ts severity and O ppressive exactions have

made it intolerable to such an extent that many S laves have
aspired to freedom On the other hand the labor performed
.

has been of such diversity and of such stimulating char

acter as not to disqualify the S laves for freedom It has .

never been so prolonged or monotonous as to deprive them

of those pleasurable excitations which are necessary to keep
them in an aspiring state of mind They have often e n .

gaged in war hunting and trade and have always had

, ,

plenty of time for dancing and other recreations Labor .

’
which exacts all of a man s time and has in it nothin g that
appeals to his passion for change surprise combat and vic , ,

tory is deadening to ambition and in the course of time

,

unfi ts him for freedom On the other hand labor which is

.
,

su fficiently exacting to accustom man to regularity of

habits and at the same time is of a kind that appeals to
,

his gami n g instinct has a tendency to awaken ambition

,

1 F atherman p 37 6
c , . . Mid p 3 87 1
, . .
1 24 TH E N EG RO RA C ES

and to prepare him for freedom ? The S laves in this zone

have risen to freedom in great numbers and therefore it may ,

be conclude d that the institution of slavery has been well

adapted to the conditions and favorable to that gradual evo
lutio n through which other races have found their way to
emancipation The revolting feature of it has been the way
.

in which the S laves were obtained The Fe lla ta h s and .

Kanuris of this zone used to go on S lave hunting expe di

tions into the agricultural regions of the south burning and
pillaging the villages and treating the inhabitants with great
cruelty Speaking of a raid of some Kanuri horsemen in
.

the M usgu coun try Barth says To our utmost horror

, , ,

not less than one hundred and seventy full grown men
were mercilessly slaughtered in cold blood the greater part ,

of them being allowed to bleed to death a leg having been ,

” 2
severed from the body These raiding expeditions are
.

still carried on to some extent in all of the regions not un

der effective European control .

N e c e ssity for Th ri ft a n d E c o n o m y — To live in this zone .

requires a combination of occupations strict economy and , ,

a wise foresight but the result is more regularity of labor

, ,

and more ample and uniform production The Dinkas are .

perhaps the most economical people in the world It is S aid .

that they love their cattle more than their wives and chil
dren As they are not able to rob cattle from other people
.

but are often the victims of robbery they can keep up their ,

?
supply of cattle only by zealous conservation In their
country a cow is never slaughtered but when sick is
, ,

segregated from the rest and carefully tended in a large b ut

built fo r the purpose Only those that die naturally or by .

” 4
accident are used as fo od Each member of the family .

1 Th e value
of the gaming instinct as an incentive to act i vity is strongly presented
by P ro f W I Thomas i n his article Th Gaming Instinct A m i n f um l
. . . e ,
”
er ca o a

f S i l gy V ol 6 p 7 5
o oc o o , .
,
. 0 .

1
V ol 2 p 369
.
, Preville p 2 63
. .
3 Schweinfurth V ol 1 p 1 64
, . .
4
, .
, . .
 C H A PTER V II

E C O NO MI C L I FE IN THE C A MEL Z O NE

C h a ra c te r Like the other parts of Africa

o f th e Z one .
,

says Reclus the Sahara has its highlands its valleys and
, ,

running waters although mainly consisting of vast uniform

,

plateaux stony wastes and long ranges of dunes rolling

,

away beyond the horizon like the billows of a S horeless sea .

Here is the true wilderness a region destitute of flowering ,

plants or S hrubs without birds or butterflies and exposed

, ,

” 1
only to the blind forces of the heat and the winds .

As soon as the softer rocks present an a perture through

which the outer air can penetrate the work of disintegra ,

tion has begun Do lm ites gypsums and sandstones begin

.
,

to crumble and are slowly changed into sand or dust ; the

surface of the rock gradually corrodes leaving here and ,

there the harder core which develops into pyramids or pil

” 2
lars standing out in the midst of the sands The mean .

elevation of the desert is feet The old rivers are .

dried up and nothing remains but a few S prings and to o b ,

tain water wells must be sunk in likely S pots selected by

,

the skilled eye of the nomad The water is generally .

brackis h The temperature varies from 1 46 in the S hade in

.
°

daytime to S ix below f reezing at night The air is so dry .

?
that the flesh of a dead animal never becomes putrid
Well across the desert northeast from Lake C had
, ,

about 5 00 miles is Tibesti the home of the Tibbus men o f

, , ,

the rocks the northernmost d w ellers of the Negro race

,
.

The country consists of a mass of rocky mountains abo ut

3 00 miles long b ounding the northern horizon The .

southern ranges rise to an elevatio n o f feet while the ,

1 V ol . 2, p .
417 .
9
Vol . 2, p .
41 8 . V oid , p .
42 1 .

1 26
 E C O N O M I C LI F E IN TH E C A M EL ZON E 12 7

northern ranges form a broad table land risin g to about the -

height of feet The width of the mountain mass is

.

about S ixty miles In the northeast the mountains are split

.

into inaccessible rocks which V i ewed from a distance give

,

the impression of fantastic castles cathedrals and gigantic ,

men and beasts .

Cam e l s Th rive U p o n th e S c a n t V ege t a ti o n — M ost of the .

rocks are bare and the gravelly soil produces neither trees
nor shrubs The whole cou n try would be uninhabitable but
.

for a small amount of rain which falls chiefly in the month

of August and moistens the valleys When water falls in .

the uplands and begins to flow down the gorges having ,

nothing to arrest its course it gathers force and often ,

sweeps away everything in its path including S heep goats , ,

and camels F ortunately some of the precipitated water is

.

retained in the fissures and depressions of the valleys where

the people congregate and eke out an existence A little .

grass and a few scrubs spring up in the moist depressions

a ffording pastures for the animals and enabling the people
to cultivate patches of wheat vegetables the date palm , , ,

etc This is the land of the goat ass and particularly th e

.
,

camel thousands of which live in the valleys nibbling the

, ,

tough grass a n d the tougher S hrubs Denham observed .

one tribe of Tibbus that had over camels ? H orses

are also to be seen here but in relatively less nu mber A c .

cording to Ratzel the Sahara was not inhabited until the

,

?
camel and horse were brought from Asia The wild ani

m
mals of the region are the a n telope hyena j ackal fox and
onkey V ultures ravens pigeons and doves are very
.
, ,
, , ,

prevalent and here and there may be seen a few ostriches .

Mi l k th e C h i ef F oo d — The Tibbus live pri ncipally upon

the milk of their goats In the way of vegetable food they
.

have the date palm and grain which they partly raise and
,

partly import They rarely eat meat and never kill an

.

1P 29
. . H i story f M ank i n d V ol 3 p 1 69
1
o ,
”
.
, . .
1 28 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

animal until it is old diseased or wounded Then the , .

whole carcass is consumed inclu ding skin and bones the ,

latter being beaten into a powder Nachtigal relates that .

when he was traveling through Tibesti some of the natives ,

on one occasion stole and ate a pair of his boots .

H a rd S t ruggl e fo r Exist e n c e The Tibbus have a severe .

-

struggle for a living To find means of support requires .

energy economy and intelligence It i s even a problem to

,
.

keep warm in winter as the only fuel consists of the drop ,

pings o f the camel The people o ften su ffer from hunger .

and thirst When any of them happens to be lost in the

.

desert it is his custom to travel only during the night and

,

to rest in the S hade of some rock during the day If he .

chances to come upon the bone of some animal he makes a ,

meal of it by pounding and mixing it with blood drawn

from his camel or other mount A S a last resort he lashes .

himself to whatever animal he is riding and trusts to its

instinct to discover the nearest way home .

C a ra v a n Tr a de — The scant resources of the country

compel the Tibbus to rely largely upon commerce for sup
plying their needs A S traders they are exceedingly shrewd
.

and intelligent easily outdoing the Arabs The chief article

,
.

of export is salt which they obta in from Bilma where it

forms upon the surface of the marsh as a result of evapora
tion They carry this article across the desert to Kuka on
.

1
Lake C had to Darfur a n d Waday and return with grain
, , ,

cotton cloth S laves etc At Darfur and Waday salt is so

, , .

?
valuable that it is used as the standard of value Some of
the Tibbus instead of trading on their own account act as
, ,

guides to caravans or hire their camels to traders who u n

derta ke expeditions Tibesti is a great stopping place for
.

caravans crossing the desert from M urzuk to Kuka .

No Ne e d fo r S l a v es — The Tibbus have no use for S laves

except as articles of commerce or as b easts of b urden .

1
Barth Vo l p 1 5
,
Ratzel H istory f M ankin d Vol 3 p 2 66
. 2 , . 0 .
7
, o ,
”
.
, . .
1 30 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

Ratzel with a clearer and more dispassionate mind says

,

truthfully that the remarkable thing about the N egro is his

‘
high economic status a n d low moral status .

Of course such eulogistic remarks in reference to the

Negro are based upon the type found in the millet and cattle
zones In the banana zone the economic status of the
.

N egro has always been low a n d the effect of the European

intervention in that zone has been to exhaust the native
resources and to demoralize and destroy such native indus
tries as originally existed The population of this zone is
.

lacki n g in energy and it is with di fficulty that the white

exploiters ca n find su fficient laborers to carry out their
proj ects .

The European policy of attempting to change the native

system of tri b al ownership o f land into individual owner
ship is especially inj urious i n the banana zone where the
people live so largely upon the fruits of nature and where
the intensive metho d of agriculture is impossible except for
white men with capital and coerced labor The general .

result is that the individual holder becomes the victim of

men shrewder than themselves who entangle him in legal ,

obligations which sooner or later res ult in the loss of his

” 2
land . Since land ownership is necessary to any sound
economic development or social stability the European ,

policy of alienation undermines the foundation of the native

societies a n d renders their progress much more di fficult
than it otherwise would be .

Another hurtful policy of the Europeans is that of mak

ing the African colonies merely consumers of products
manufactured in Europe instead of seeking to introduce
manufacturing among the natives so that they may have
something with which to buy foreign products when they ,

have been deprived of their land or fin d its natural resources

insu fficient for subsistence o r monopolized by the white
1 “
H i sto y f M ankin d V ol 3 p 2 5 4
r o ,
”
.
,
Re i nsch p 3 1 6
. .
2
, . 0
 E C ON O M I C LI F E I N TH E C A M EL ZONE 1 3 1

1
man . The Yorubas used to consume yearly about 3 1 ,

yards of cotton cloth of which ninety five per cent

-
,
-
.

was of home manufacture made of home grown cotton dyed

, ,

with native dyes and woven of yarn spun by hand N early .

twenty five per cent of the population was employed in

- .

2
preparing cotton for the native market The English are .

now seekin g to supplant this native industry On the .

coast regions native manufacturing has already nota bly de

c lin e d as a result of competition with European goods and

unless other kinds of industries are substituted the economic

status of the people is likely to go from bad to worse In .

both the F rench and British Sudan the lands are gradually
being monopolized by the white men and also the general
trade H ence the natives by degrees are being driven out
.
, ,

of their traditional lines of activity and deprived of their

customary means of subsistence As compensation for this .

loss they may find a livelihood in gathering rubber and

other natural products from the lands pre empted by the
white man or in hiring themselves out as wage earners In -
.

the banana zone where the climate conditions will prevent

the white man from settling in any considerable numbers
for a long time to come the natives will not find much o pp o r
,

tu n i ty to work as wage earners and the rubber and palm

-
,

oil regions will gradually become exhausted Therefore the .

economic outlook for that zone is not at all bright Even if .

th e demand for wage earners should become ever so great ,

the natives would not volunteer to work because thanks to ,

the bounty of nature they can eke out some kind of exist
,

ence upon the spontaneous products of nature .

In the millet and cattle zones the white men are likely ,

to settle in large numbersand to o ffer to th e natives o ppo r

t un iti es to work as herdsmen field laborers domestic serv , ,

ants and so on The natives being accustomed to systematic

.

work and not being able to live upon the spontaneous

,

1
Rein ch p 307
s , . . Af i n New V ol 3 1 8 9 1 p 1 8
9
5 r ca , .
, , . .
1 32 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

products of the country will probably volunteer to work in ,

su fficient numbers to meet all the demands for laborers The .

economic outlook th erefore in these zones (z e F rench . .

,

Su dan and British Northern Nigeria and Eastern Su dan) is

quite favorable for the natives as well as for the European
exploiters .

A study of the conditions of life in the several zones ,

does not seem to support the i dea advanced by C ondorcet

in the eighteenth century that man has passed successively
through the hunting pastoral and agricultural stages The
, .

facts rather suggest that man was first a vegetarian living ,

U pon the spontaneous products of nature and that the dense ,

forest and steppe countries which always border the fruit

zones and abound in game tempted man next to hunt ,

that hunting led to the pastoral art since following groups ,

of domesticated animals is the natural substitute for hunt

ing them and the natural transition to an industrial and
,

settled life and that agriculture came in later followed by ,

manufacturing .

Before closing this chapter the attention of the reader

is called to a very important conclusion to which the facts
seem strongly to point It is that primitive societies are i n
.

tensely individualistic and not at all communistic as is often

1
alleged especially by socialists for example Spargo in his
, ,
”
“
recent book Socialism page 8 1,
C ommunistic i nstitu
, .

tions are a later development and apparently belong only to

people havin g a pastoral organization as among the natives ,

of the Asiatic Steppe or a solid clan organization as among

, ,

the In dians of N orth and C entral America In the Sudan .

the pastoral Jo lo fs and F e lla ta h s sometimes form groups

and cultivate the fiel ds in common a n d divide the cr0 p in
2
commo n .

1 For i nstance by Pa ul Barth p , .

38 2 .
9 F atherman p
c , .
3 50 .
1 34 TH E N EGRO R A C ES

1
betrothed girl dies the family must substitute another , .

Girls who reach the marriageable age without being b e

trothed make their deb ut into society by painting their
,

faces and arms decking themselv es with j ewels and finery

, ,

a n d with a broom in their han ds to drive away evil S pirits ,

exhibit themselves in the streets They thus announce that .

they are ready to receive bids ? M arriage is a somewhat

commercial or animal affair in which there is little admixture
“ ”
of romance A suitor does not say I love this girl but
.
, ,

“ ” 3
I want her Being a mere chattel the girl has no choice
.

in the selection of her husband A fem a le is always treated .

as property ; first she is the property of her parents then of ,

her husband (although in some cases a wife may own

’
property distinct from that of her husband s) a n d later of her
4
inheritor In some districts it is usual j ust before the mar
.

ri a ge for women to be immured in huts for the purpose of

5
undergoing a fattening process In a maj ority of cases .

marriages are celebrated by feasting and dancing but some ,

times they occur without any kind o f ceremony ? Girls

marry as soon as they reach the age of puberty become ,

mothers at the age of thirteen or fourteen and grand ,

mothers a t the age of thirty five 7 -

.

P o l yga m y — P olygamy is well nigh universal and the

.
,

conditions favoring it are first the prevalence of war caus , ,

ing a scarcity of men and second the incapacity of one , ,

woman to provide for a household M iss Kingsley thinks .

that polygamy is due largely to the laziness of the Negro

women who require help in housekeeping An Irish or .

English woman she says could do in a day what a whole

, ,

8
village of African women do in a week Wives do not at .

all obj ect to polygamy but on the contrary in order to , ,

Ellis Ew Speaking P eoples p 2 0 1

, e Brackenbury p 3 2 3 , . . , . .

3
Bouche p 1 45 , . Bouche p 1 45 F eatherman p 2 2 8
.
4
, .
, . .

5 A ll en an d Thomson V ol 1 p 2 3 8 ,
Forbes V ol 1 p 2 6
.
, . .
5
, .
, . .

Foa p 1 1 0
, . . Travels in West A frica p 492 8
,
”
. .
 FA M I LY LI F E IN TH E BANANA ZO N E 1 35

lighten th eir work continually urge their husbands to take

,

l
other wives or purchase slave girls as c o nc ub in es A third .

reason for polygamy is that husbands live apart from their

wives during the period of pregnancy and nursing which
?
lasts two or three years In the meantime the women
?
sometimes choose a substitute husband Still another
reason once pointed out by M ontesquieu is that of the
, ,

early fading of the women resulting from their precocious ,

4
development and early marriage I n consequence of the .

addition now and then of other wives to the family it not

, , ,

infrequently happens that a father has several daughters

“
much older than some of his wives ? The wives of the
”
common husband says F o a ,
do not show among them ,
,

selves that j ealousy peculiar to monogamous people They .

live generally on good terms and those who have no chil ,

’
dren take care of the others children as if they were their
own ? In Da h o mi the men of the common people have not
more than two or three wives each ; the priests have about
a dozen the chiefs of tribes have twenty or thirty and the ,

?
king has four or five hundre d
I dea s A b o ut C h a stity —C hastity among unmarried or un
.

betrothed women is not at all valued or insisted upon .

M ontesquieu in his time thought that the unchastity of

women in warm countries was due to the climate which
excited their passions and for that reason all of the women
,

had to be kept secluded and under watch ? This theory ,

however is only true in part The climate influences chas

, .

tity only in an indirect manner by fostering a life of idleness ,

and suppressing the development of the faculties of mind

that preside over the feelings The Eskimos are as lice h .

tious as the Negroes or any other people and largely for ,

1
Ellis , Tshi Speaking P eoples p 2 88 , . .

Ell i s , Ew e Speak ing P eoples p 2 0 6 , . .

3 H o vela cq ue, p 3 14
. . Vo l 1 p 3 7
4 .
, . 0 .
5 Duncan Vol 1 p 7 9
, .
, . .

6 P . 2 4 3. Foa p 1 9 1
7
, . . Vol 1 p 37 7
8 .
, . .
1 36 TH E N EGR O R A C ES

the same reason to wit that the conditions of life force

, ,

them to spend a great portion of their time in i dleness and

do not develop the inhibiting faculties C ivilize d people by .
,

developi n g their intellectual and moral nature can overcome

the i n fluences of climate and other natural conditions that
militate against moral progress But this is digressing If . .

a girl in the banana zone is b etrothed she must remain a ,

virgin up to her marriage and then give proof of her chas ,

tity the day after marriage by exhibiting to the public her

soiled garments l It would seem that the general practice
.

of early marriage would render unchastity before marriage

almost impossi b le but owing to the fact that men do not
,

always wait for girls to arrive at the pubertal age there are
many cases of seduction When a case of this kind hap .

pens the seducer is generally required to pay for the girl as

if he had married her although no disgrace attaches to ,

either sex for the adultery The universal understanding of .

adultery among the pe 0 p 1e of this zone is that of an o ffense

2
with reference to married women only and then it is con ,

si dere d an o ffense not against chastity but against property .

J oseph Hawkins says that the Ibo women are by no means

3
averse to gallantry and that few remain virgin until they
,

4
marry The A ssinia ns consider it a mark of hospitality to
.

“ ?
provide an épouse intérimaire for strangers As a rule
neither single nor married women have the power of resist
ing an importunity U p to 1 8 1 8 the amazons at the court
.

of Da h o mi were composed mostly of wives detected in adul

?
tery In Benin says O gi lby a husband keeps away from
, ,

“
his w ife a year and a half after a child birth but she -
,

knows well enough how to play her game in the meantime

with others ” 7
Almost everywhere says Ho vela c q ue
.
”
, ,

1 E llis , Ew e Spea k ing P eoples p ,

”
. 1 56 .

2 Mi d p , . 2 04 .

3 P . 1 04 . P 1 09 4 . .
5 H ovela cq ue, p .
30 7 .

Ellis , Ew e Spea k i ng P eoples p

6 ”
, . 1 83 . I P 47 2
1 3 8 TH E N EGRO R A C ES

therefore does not merit the epithets of licentiousness and

”
“
sensuality in the sense i n which those terms apply to
civilized people The violation of a w o ma n and the adultery
.

with a married woman are considere d immoral a n d are uni

v ersa lly condemned It is not fair to j udge savage people .

by civilized standards .

Y e h igh , exa l ted, vi rtuo us Da mes

Ty d up in go dly la c es ;
’

B efo re ye gie po or Fra i lty na mes

’ ”
S uppose a c h a nge 0 c a ses .

Before the French and British colonial laws interfered

to modify the native code the penalty for adultery varied from
death in the case of intrigue with the wives of the king ,

which was not uncommon to a flogging l The daughters ,

.

of kings or chiefs could live with or marry whom they

pleased and change their partners as often as their fancy
?
dictated
F mi l y D
a w e ll i g
n s — The houses in this zone are partly .

?
rectangular and partly round The large rectangular
houses of the bana na zone have come into use on a c
count o f the density of population and the necessity of
living compactly in readiness for defense against ih
4
vaders The houses built in this form have a solid
.

foundation of dried mud a yard high upon whi ch a light ,

frame work is built covered with mats w oven from the ,

?
leaf stalks of palms
-
The round styles are the more primi
tive They co n sist of a wall made of mud and small stones
.
, ,

?
which the sun bakes into the hardness of brick The roof
is thatched and in order to throw o ff the downpour of rain
it is conical in shape The small conica l shaped houses .

1
For b es Vol 1 p
, .
, . 1 38 . llis Yoruba Speaking P eoples p 1 87
9 E , , . .

3
H a w k i ns p , .
7 3 ; Ratze l H istory f M a nk i nd
, Vol 3 p 1 3 o ,
”
.
, . 1 .

4
Pre vill e p 2 1 8
, . . Ratze l H istory f M ankin d Vol 3 p 1 1 3
5
, o ,
”
.
, . .

6A llen and Tho m son V ol 1 p 3 1 9 , .

, . .
 FA M I L Y LI F E IN TH E BANANA Z O N E 1 39

made necessary by the climate perhaps have something to

do with the practice of the husbands and wives in living and
eating apart and therefore also have something to do with
,

polygamy and th e general morality of the family In .

Europe according to P reville the size of households in dif

fere nt localities is connected with the size and shape of the
dwellings— the small dwellings with conical roofs being , ,

peculiar to districts where the households are small l The .

threshold of the houses in some localities of the banana zone ,

as in Bonny is eighteen inches high to prevent the i n

,

?
trusion of miscellaneous animals The houses have no
windows but in some cases the roofs are adj usted so that
,

?
they can be raised In Bonny the houses have three
rooms a kitchen living room and j uj u room z e a place
'

- -
, , , . .
,

4
for the house gods charms etc M ost of the houses in this
, , .

zone however have only one room I n Da h o m

, ,
i each wife .

has a separate house for herself her children and slaves , .

When a boy is big enough to walk he goes over to live in

?
the house occupied by his father In dry weather people
?
often sleep on mats outside of their houses
Th e W o men S up p o rt th e F a mi l y —The burden of sup .

porting the family devolves almost exclusively upon the

women With two o r three wives or slaves a man can live
.
,

from year to year in tolerable ease and luxury His women .

bring food for him from the plantain groves sometimes ,

7
bearing on their backs a hundred weight of fruit They .

bring fire wood from the forest and water from the nearest
-

?
streams In so far as the man is concerned the only ,

burden of supporting a family consists in the original ex

?
penses of the wedding A clear sense of the obligation to
support a wife does not arise anywhere until property begins

1 P Wood p 67 1 l é i p 6 30 3
'

2 20 3 za . .
. .
, . . ,

p 67 1 . . Ellis
5 Ew Speak ing P eoples p 2 04
, e , . .

8 Duncan Vol 1 p 89 , .
, . . V ol 1 p 8 8 1 .
, . .

3 Brackenbury p 3 24 , . . Foa p 1 9 1 9
, . .
1 40 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

to be held as a unit by the father as it is among pastoral ,

people and to be transmitted without division in the mal e

,

line .

R e l a ti o n B e t w e e n H us b a n ds a n d W i v e s — The husbands .

and wives are bound together by natural affection but not ,

of that elevated kind characteristic of civilized people The .

’
husband s interest in his wife or wives is largely animal and
“ ”
economic There is no romantic sentiment says Ellis
.
, ,

“
and the relation between the sexes is ordinarily quite
passionless This is no doubt partly due to polygamy and
.
, ,

the enslaved condition of women but is I believe princi , , ,

pally due to that early gratification of the sexual passion

”
which prevails amongst uncivilized peoples The husband .

does not often turn his hand to lighten the work of his wife
“
and in recompense for her ser vices she often receives
” 2
kicks .The wife lives in a hut alone and when called by
her lord crawls on her knees and prostrates herself at his
,

feet ?
Among the B a ssa mese each wife lives four or five
?
days at a time with her husband The fact that the work
of supporting the population devolves upon the women
would seem to give them a position of exceptional in dep end
ence but it does not on account of the counteracting military
,

life of the men which every where favors despotism in both

the family and the State .

Divorce is at the will of the husband and if the wife is ,

unchaste or unruly he can demand a repayment of the pur

chase money from her parents In any case of divorce the .

?
children usually remain with the mother
R e l a ti o n B e t w e e n P a r e nts a n d C h i l dre n The affection -

of mothers for their children is ordinarily very deep and

genuine if not always lasting C hildren are regarded as
, .

blessings and their coming into the world is the occasion of

great rej oicing In Ashanti three months after the birth
.
,

Speaking P eoples p
Tshi , . 2 85 .
2Foa p 1 87
, .Bouche P
.
3
, 1 46»
4
Featherman p 1 3 7 , . .
5 l li s
E ,
Yoruba Speaking P eoples p ,
”
. 1 87 .
1 42 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

sound of her voice There is nothing of this She leaves . .

—
it to sleep or lie awake to play w ith whatever it finds If , .

it learns to speak it will be by listening to the conversation

around it and hence it learns to speak very late If it falls .
,

she picks it up if it cries she rocks it in her arm to make it

,

hush C hildren are cared for physically that is prevented

.
, ,

from rolling in a ditch falling in the fire or tumbling in a ,

well but no a ffection no solicitude inspires the care of i t

,
1
, .

As soon as a child can walk it receives no fur ‘

ther care It is carried for a year then left to run right and
.
,

left If it has older brothers or sisters it is most often left

.
,

to them When it reaches the age of seven or eight years

.
,

it is put to work sometimes even before that time if it is ro

,

bust and precocious It accompanies the father or mother .

,

bears the burdens and is ma de useful in proportion to its

strength F rom the tenth year the discipline becomes more
.

severe lashes rain upon it if it commits a fault or fails to do

,
” 2
its part of the common work M any parents says Dun .
,

” 3
can offered to sell me their sons and daughters as slaves
, .

“ ”
And The maj ority of Africans he adds will sell their own
, , ,

o ffspring for a good price with much less reluctance than an

Englishman would part with a favorite dog ”
Neve rth e .

less there are exceptional cases where parents show for

,

their children a more l a sting love F or example Duncan .

,

relates that on one occasion an old woman with her lep

rous son came to him from a long distance to beg for some
medicine wherewith to cure her son s infirmity She pros '

tra te d herself at his feet covered herself with dirt and with , ,

arms outstretched and imploring sang to him an extemp ore

?
song of praise and prayer In this zone a married woman is
sel dom found who has more than three or four living chil dren .

This is due partly to the unfavorable climate which causes

P 1 14 . P 1 94 . V ol 1 p 7 9
9 . Vol 1 p 2 62
.
8
.
, . .
4 .
, . .

5
Vol 2 p 2 1 6 This w oman came from the interior of the country and was
.
, .

probably a nat i ve fthe millet one o z .

 FA M I LY LI F E I N TH E BANAN A ZO N E 1 43

a high rate of mortality partly to ignorance and neglect on ,

part of mo thers and partly to th e fact that women fade early

,

and die early .

The affection of fathers for children is naturally weaker

than that of mothers but not so lacking as one would i m
,

agine from the fact that the children are supposed to belong
Only to the mother Fathers as well as mothers give to
.

every infant born to them a cordi al welcome Ellis informs .

us that eight days after the birth the father of the new ,

born child proceeds with some of his friends to the house

where the mother is and they seat themselves in a circle in
,

front of the entrance The child is then brought out and .

handed to the father who returns thanks to the tutelary

,

deity and gives it its second name squirting at the same ,

” 1 ’
time a little rum from his mouth into the child s face As .

in the case of the mother the a ffection of the father for his ,

child is short lived although in some cases fathers have

-
, ,

shown marked attachment for their grown sons As illus .

tra tin g an exceptional case of this kind it may be mentioned ,

that upon the re meeting of the kin g of Grand B ereb e e and

-

’
his son they threw themselves into each other s arms wept , ,

” 2
laughed and danced for j oy .

Love of children for their parents is also short lived -

.

”
C hildren are devoted to their parents says F oa when they , ,

are very young but at seven or eight years they become in

,

” 3
di fferent reserved and false
, When the mother is old and .

unfit for work she eats only if her children are good enough
,

to think of her ?
The A mina s says F eatherman abandon , ,
?
their sick parents without aid or relief Reverence for old
age is not a conspicuous virtue in this zone even among ,

the aristocratic classes for Duncan says that the Dahoman ,

king require d his aged mother to prostrate herself at his

1
Tshi Speaking Peop l es p , . 2 33 .

2
7 0147 11 0 1 of a n Afr i ca n Cr u iser , p 85 . .

3 P . 1 92 . 4 Foa p 1 87
, . .
5 P . 1 43 .
1 44 TH E N EG R O RA C ES

feet as an ordinary subj ect and to throw dirt over her old
gray hair ? Writing of Benin in the sixteenth century
O gilby says that by a particular custom which they term
Law the king and his mother may not see one another as
,

”
long as they live She is required to live in a palace out
.

?
side of the city
The slave trade no doubt had a tendency to loosen
, ,

family ties since the high price of slaves was a special i n

,

duce m e nt for parents to sell their children and the economic

distress brought about by the trade rendered it more m eces

sary that children should be sold The continual raiding .

and kidnapping made the home life much more unsettled

than it otherwise would have been and this militated against ,

the strengthening of ties between members of a household .

C h i l dr e n Ta ke t h e N a m e o f th e Mo th e r — C hildren a l .

ways take the name of their mother except among the ,

upper classes of Da h o mi where on account of the greater ,

?
certainty of parentage kinship is traced in the male line ,

Where the matriarchate prevails the father is not really a

member of the family H e lives sleeps and eats apart from
.
,

his wives and does not even claim as his own the children
,

that he begets Sometimes he obtains ownership in several

.

?
of them by having them pawned to him by their mother
The practice of burying children alive with their mothers ,

5
as is done among the Ashantis and savage people gen
e ra lly arose in all probability from the idea that children
, , ,

were the exclusive property of the mother .

Mo urn i ng C ust o m s a s I n di c a t iv e o f A ffe c ti on — Some

indication of the a ffection between members of a family is
shown in the mourning customs Among the Ewe people .

it is the general practice for a wi dow to remain in her

house for forty days after th e death of her husband ? A c
9 P .
47 6 .
3
Elli s Speak i ng Peoples p
, Ew e , . 2 10 .

5
Tsh i Speak i ng P eoples p
Elli s , , . 2 34 .

5 Ell is , Ew e Speaki g Peoples p 1 60

n , . .
1 46 TH E NEGR O RA C ES

inspired by a fear of their disembodied spirits but it is also ,

inspired by some feelings of love and sorrow Ellis thinks .

“
that th e sacrifices of human beings at funerals is due to
”
an exaggerated regard for the dea d for even years a fter
’
a man s death slaves and captives are sometimes sacrificed
” 1
to his memory .

I nh e rit a nc e — Wives inherit nothing from their husband

.

’
and children nothing from their father The mother s .

property alone goes to her children while the property of ,

the father goes to his brother or sister If the wife has no .

children her property does not even then go to her hus

,
’
band but to her brother or sister The wife s property
, .

which sometimes consists of slaves is distinct from that of ,

’
her husband s ?
C hildren born to slaves of the husband
3
belong to him and they are bequeathed as any other prop
,

e rty . The lot of orphan children is usually a hard one .

When they happen to be inherited by a brother of a deceased

“
mother says F 0 a they are abandoned to a complete
, ,
” 4
misery The lack of solidity of the family property is due
.

to the lack of solidity of the family ? Upon the whole it is

very obvious that the functions of the family are performed
abnormally and imperfectly in this zone Three essential .

functions of a normal family as emphasized by Small and

V incent in their Introduction to the Study of Society are ,

almost entirely neglected to wit that of the mutual inter , ,

change o f ideas that of intellectual training and that of ,

?
socialization
1
Speaking P eoples p 1 5 9
Tshi ,
”
. .

2
Ell i s Ew Speaking P eoples
, p 2 06
e ,
”
. .

3
K i ngsley West A frican Stu di es p 40 2
, , . .

4 P 1 99 . .

5
Post Entw i klung geschichte des F mih
, c s a enrechts,
”
p . 2 66 .

5 Pp 2 46- 2 47
. .
 C HA PTER IX

FA MI L Y L I FE IN THE MI LLET Z O NE

W iv e s P urc h a sed — The status of the family in the millet

zone is in some respects and in some localities as low as in
, ,

the banana zone yet in the main it represents a decided a d

,

vance The women are relatively not so abundant which

.
,

m
is due in part perhaps to the general absence of sacrifices in
which the e n are the chief Victims and to the less number
of wars in which the men are also the chief victims The .

relative scarcity of women also results from the fact that in ,

order to get a wife a man must pay a substantial price and

,

accumulate some property wherewith to live H e must .

have a house which is usually larger and more comfortable

,

than the average house of the banana zone he must have ,

some grain -j ars or bins some domestic animals some , ,

articles of furniture etc Those who can a fford it often , .

,

have houses with several rooms one for cooking and others ,

?
for lodgings for the wives and slaves The furniture con
sists of beds woo den hooks for hanging up clothes ? stools
, ,
?
sofas etc , As to the prices paid for wives it is said that in ,

the B a utc h i district men pay for a wife about ,

cowries ? while in Yoruba the price is sometimes $40 or

about cowries The sum whatever it may be is re .
, ,

garded by th e parents as compensation to them for the loss

?
of the services of their daughter The common price for a
wife among the Kru men is three cows and one sheep In .

the eastern part of this zone the purch ase of wives is usually
?
made with iron plates or spades If the suitor is too poo r
1 Stau d inger p 60 2
, . H M p 60 1
. 1M p 9
, . .
5
, .
5 8 8 .

‘
Rohl fs Vol 2 p 1 5 8
, . Ellis
, Yoru ba Spea k ing P eoples p
. .
5
, ,
”
. 1 82 .

Schweinfurth V l 1 p 30 2
5
,
o .
, . .

1 47
1 48 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

to pay the price at once he sometimes serves the parents of

the prospective bride for a period of one or two years H e .

will carry loads to market plant yams hunt fish and so , , , ,

forth The greater sacrifice necessary to procure a wife in

.

this zone causes girls to marry a little later although they ,

are sometimes purchased at a very tender age They have .

not much choice in the selection of their husbands but still ,

have more than the girls of the banana zone ? In some

localities they must get the consent of their grandmothers ?
a fact which in dicates a more stab le family life and longer
period of contact between parents and children Whenever .

grandparents come to be in fluential in the life of a family ,

it is significant of a great step forward As in the banana .

zone marriages are usually celebrated by some kind of hub

,

bub which is kept up most of the night In jacoba the .

,

ceremony is in the form of capture the groom being re ,

?
quired to carry away the bride by force M arriages among
the M ohammedans require simply the presence of a few
?
witnesses and a prayer by the malam F reemen seldom
?
marry slave women
P o l y ga m y — P olygamy is not so pronounced in this as
in the lower zone I n the first place the balance of the sexes
.

is more even and in the second place the purchase of several

,

wives entails an expenditure which not many men can

afford One wife is the rule and only the rich have two or
.
,

?
three A poor man w h o cannot a fford a young wife usually
— 7
takes a second hand one that is a widow - So far as the , , .

amount of work necessary to maintain a household is con

cerned there is a strong reason why both the men and women
,

should favor polygamy in that the work which falls to the ,

lot of the average married woman is comparatively heavy .

She must besi des doing the field work prepare the grain
, , ,

1
Ratzel stor y
, Hi of M an k i nd Vo l 3 p 4
,
”
. , . 0 .
2
L ander Vol , . 1, p 32 9
. .

9 Rohl fs Vo l 2 p, .
, . 1 49 . Staudinger p
4
, . 6
5 4 .
5
P 558 °

5 1 5 54 p 5 5 8 Iéza f, p
'

7
, . . .
5 59 .
I 50 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

bury is so extravagant as to say that the natives of Sierra

“
Leone are more modest as to their actions and behavior
than many of our European fantastical women of fashion ” 1
.

Their dress is only a strip of cloth around the loins yet “

,

with this simple covering they are far more modest than the
” 2
girls of Europe The Kakanda are described as having
.

innate modesty and gentleness In the millet zone it is .

,

noticeable that there are not so many temples and amorous

deities to foster licentiousness as in the banana zone The .

women are more particular about covering their bodies and ,

public exhibitions of indecency are not at all common .

F a mi l y D w e l l i n gs B e tt e r — S i gni fic a nt of the higher .

family life in this zone is the fact that the people have larger
?
and better houses and more furniture The houses are
usually circular in form and constructed of red or gray mud
and finished overhead with a conical thatched roof The .

M adis sometimes crown a b ut with the egg shell of an -

ostrich ? M ore durable houses are often made in the same

style of woven reeds On the lower Niger rectangular .

houses are quite common having made their way in from ,

the coast? In some places the houses are very large having ,

ten or more rooms of which one is about fifteen feet long

,

and eight feet wide opening into an interior court where

,

domestic animals especially goats make themselves at

, ,

home In other localities the houses have two stories and

.
,

hinged windows and doors Either from considerations of .

sanitation or superstition the floors of the houses in many , ,

places are kept moist with a solution of cow dung and

,
-

?
water The M andingos have houses whose roofs proj ect
over the walls a n d rest upon outer supports thus making a ,

little gallery around the building to protect the inmates from

1 P . 22 . P 3 5 Th i s statement w as made i n 1 80 7
2
. . .

Barth V ol 2 p 1 46 3
, .
, . .

Ratzel H istory f M an ki n d Vol 3 p 34

, o Mi d V 13 P 308
,
”
.
, . .
5
,
0 ,

5 Lander pp 2 7 0 2 7 1 ; Binger V ol 1 pp 3 6 1 3 66 ; P ark p 1 00

, .
, , .
, .
, , . .
 F A M I LY LI F E I N TH E M I LLET Z O N E 1 51

the heat and glare of the sun — a style which was probably ,

borrowed from the P ortuguese ? The furniture consists of

2
straw beds mats chairs stools skins iron lamps etc
,
?
, , , , ,

Some of the palaces and mosques of H a usa la n d are built of

stone and have turrets and proj ecting windows in imita
,

tion of the picturesque architecture of the M oors ? M any

villages have public rest houses where the people sit during
the hea t of the day .

Me n H e l p t o S upp o rt th e F a m i l y — The burden of sup .

porting the family rests mostly upon the women although ,

not to the same extent as in the banana zone In the M an .

dingo country each wife lives and cooks in a separate hut,

?
and gives a part of her food to her husband A Kruman ,

although celebrated all over Africa for his enterprise will ,

cease work after he has accumulated a su fficient number of

wives to support him for the remainder of his days ? Lander
says that as a rule elderly men perform no manner of work ,

but live at the expense of their children and grandchildren ,

7
and lounge away their existence under the trees In Yoruba .

the husbands and wives have separate houses and separate

property Every woman is a free dealer who labors for her
.

’
self and has neither claim on her husband s property nor
,

share in his earnings for the support of herself and chil

?
dren The women are the field workers and traders and ,

all of the wives except the first are known as trade wives -
,

“ ” 9
or wives of commerce M en not only contribute noth .

ing to the support of their wives but sometimes steal what

they have accumulated Lander relates the case of a man .

from Borgu who after stealing 400 cowries from his wife , ,

1 Adanson p 1 62 ; C l pp t n Journey to Kou k a and S ck t

, . p 39 a er o , a a oo , . .

2
Binger Vo l 1 p 2 8 1
, Mini V ol
. p 1 83 ; Bo w e n p 2 99
, . .
3
, . 2, .
, . .

4 Wa i tz Vol 2 p 90 ; Ratzel H istor y f M ankind Vol 3 p 3 9

, .
, .
, o ,
”
.
, . 0 .

5
L n t p 91 Bo w en p 3 8 7 u n l f n Afi C ui p 17 ’

as e 5 o r a o a z ca n r ser ,
, . .
, . . .

1
Vo l 1 p 34 1
.
, . . Bo w en p 3 5 8
, . 0 .

C ampbell p 60 ; Ellis
9
Yoruba Speak ing P eoples
, p 1 83 .
, ,
”
. .
1 5 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

beat her severely because she railed against him for it ? In

Ilorin where the wives of the king do not labor for his sup
port but are supported by him they are not permitted to go ,

?
at large
In districts farther from the coast men generally show ,

more consideration for their wives and in some communi ,

ties never impose heavy work upon them F or example .

,

the S h ulis and M adis are distinguished for their regard for
their wives w h o are generally exempt from field work and ,

occupy themselves almost exclusively with affairs of the

?
household In many districts the men perform a liberal
4
share of the work assisting the women in cultivating the ,

fields and in carrying loads Binger observed in a western .

district that when parties were traveling with goods on their

,

heads the men who reached a village first would return to

,

take the burdens from the women H e observed also that .

?
the men instead of women go out to cut and gather wood
In the rural settlements of H a usa la n d the husband and wi fe
6
live and eat in the same house and the hard field work ,

falls mostly upon slaves and not upon m a rri e dgwo men
7
.

F a mi l y A f
fec ti o n — Any particular instances of real a f fec
tion between husband and wife are hard to find but it is ,

legitimate to infer from the less amount of work imposed

upon women and greater respect for them that they are
more genuinely loved Although the rules of etiquette in .

some localities do not permit the men to eat with their

8
wives the latter do not so oft en prostrate themselves in the
,

presence of their husbands .

Instances of the separation of wives from their hus

bands o n account of cruelty are not numerous but some ,

times as for example among the Krumen it happens that

, ,

1
Vol 1 p 37 7.
, . . C ampbe ll p 60 5
, . .

5
Ratzel H istory f M ank ind Vol 3 p 40 ; Reclus V ol 1 p 99
, o ,
”
.
, .
, .
, . .

5 Rohl fs Vol 2 p 1 62, V ol 1 p 5 5 7

.
, .Stau d inger p 5 6 1
.
5
.
, . .
5
, . .

7 l é fl p 5 62
’

za , C l pp t n
. Second Expedition pp 40 1 8 1
.
5 a er o , ,
”
.
, .
 C HA PTER X

FA MI LY L I FE IN THE C ATTLE Z O NE

W o me n B o u gh t b y Me a n s
Family life in this of C a tt l e -

zone represents on all accounts a still higher stage of de

velo p m e nt C apital is more necessary to existence and man
.

must possess it to some extent before he can marry H e .

must have cattle sheep goats implements for agriculture

, , , ,

and in some places must build a house ? Girls are not

,

superabundant in the matrimonial market for the reason

that they are very valuable to their parents in the prod uc
tive activities connecte d with cattle raising agriculture trade , ,

?
and manufacturing Sometimes as much as a hundred
?
head of cattle are given for a girl of a good family
Among the S hillo o ks and Baris the price varies from ten to
?
fifty cows The Jo lo fs pay in addition to cattle some gold , ,

?
silver clo thing or other valuables
,
A Dinka wife costs
?
about twenty cows and one bull Among the Kanuris the ,

parents do not always sell their children but in many

cases give them the liberty of accepting or rej ecting any
young man that may court them The suitor usually makes .

his proposal in the presence of the girl and confesses his

?
love for her Here for the first time among the N igritia ns
there is a manifestation of romantic love such as exists in
“ ”
civilized societies H ere the suitor does not say I want
.

”
but I love .

P ro vi de d W ith a D o w r y — Amon g the S e na a ria ns the .

girls are sold to the highest bidder but a part of the pro ,

cee ds becomes the bride s dowry

? ’
The F ellatah women are
1 F eatherman p , .
34 .
2 Bak er Vol
, . 1, p . 2 19 .

5
F eatherman p , .
34 .
‘ pp 66 7 4
l ézai ,
'

. , .
5 l ai d , p
.
35 7 .

5 Prev il le p 2 5 1
, . .
5 Featherman p 2 7 8 , . .
8 Mid , p .
7 90 .

1 54
 FA M I LY LI F E I N TH E C ATTLE Z O N E 155

usually consulted a n d make their own select ion in the matter

of marriage instead of being sold by their parents for so
,

many head of cattle so many iron spades or so many ,

cowries and they are provide d with a dowry of slaves and

,

cattle which remains their individual property in case of the

death O f husband or divorce from him The bri degroom .

usually makes some presents of slaves and oxen to the

bri de s parents or relatives but the dowry furnished by the
’
,

bride s parents is O ften three times more valuable than the

’

presents of the groom In case a poor man sues for the .

hand of a girl he is sometimes required to work a cer tain

,

period of time for her as Jacob did for Rachel ?

H igh P ri c e o f W o m e n L e a ds t o I ll i c it U n i o n s — As men

must have capital to obtain their wives the age of marriage ,

?
is not so early as in the zones already discussed Girls
?
seldom marry before the age of sixteen One of the co n se
q u e n c e s of the high price of wives is that the men resort to
filib usterin g expeditions for the purpose of ste aling the
women of their neighbors Another consequence is that .

men are tempted to enter into forbidden relations with

?
unmarried women giving rise to many illegitimate children,

Whenever continence of the passions begins to be practiced

by any race there are always many individuals who are not
,

able to submit to its discipline whereas among a people , ,

who have no capital there is generally no sexual restraint .

C h a stity V a rie s in t h e D i ffe re n t L o c a l iti e s — No tw i th

standing the restraints imposed by economic considerations ,

the ideas about chastity are very loose in some localities of

?
this zone On the other han d amon g the Dinkas sexual ,

morality is in one respect at least higher than among some

, ,

civilized people It is their custom for the father of an

.

illegitimate child to pay to the mother four head of cattle ,

1 Featherman p 37 3 , . .
1 Mid p , . Denham s Narrative p 2 43
2 77
’
, . .

5 Rohl fs Vol 2 p 8
, .
, . . F eatherman p 34
4
, . .

Roh l fs Vol
5
, . 1, p .
342 ; Featherman pp 7 3 3 7 3 5 7 9 1
, .
, , .
1 56 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

thus providing subsistence for the child and at the sam e

ti me giving it legitimate status ? The practice among the
F rench of betraying women and leaving them moral and
financial wrecks without any legal recourse is not one of
, ,

the glories of their civilization to say nothing of the fact ,

that their asylums a n d hospitals overflow with the outcast

and illegitimate brood of children The poor Dinkas m ay .

have no J ean V alj ean but they have also no F antine to part
with her hair and teeth to save her C ozette Among the .

“
Kanuris although sexual morality is somewhat lax
,
the ,

great _maj ority of married women are faithful and adultery ,

” 2
is by no means common In Darfur among the mountain.

people no marriage is legal until the couple have lived

together two or three years During this trial period the .

? ’
couple reside in the home of the bride s parents The
Fella ta h women as a rule are of rather easy virtue although
, , ,

m uch more chaste than the pure N egro women S ta ud .

inger says that some of the Fella ta h women are of th e

?
strictest virtue
Mo h a mm e da n P o l y ga my — Polygamy prevails to the .

extent that men are able to buy wives but four is the limit ,

among the adherents of M ohammedanism and lack of cap ,

ita l often reduces the number to one Only rich people and .

?
princes have several wives The wife of a Latuka chief asked
Baker h o w many wives he had and was astonished to hear
that he was satisfied with one The idea amused her im
mensely and S h e and her daughter laughed at it heartily ?
.

In some cases the status of a polygamous family is in a cer

tain sense monogamous in that all of the wives but one are ,

?
considered as concu b ines The women in some of the
F ellatah tribes are very spirited and independent and rarely ,

?
permit a second spouse to enter their homes
1
Featherman p 34 , . .
5 l aid , p . 2 77 .
5 l aid , pp .
7 35 , 7 36 .

4
P 56. 0 .
5 Rohl fs Vol , . 2, p . 8 .
5 Vol . 1, p 2 17
. .

7
Featherman p 3 5 7 , . .
8
La sne t p 52
, . .
1 58 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

are usually conical as those of th e S h illo o ks In many .

places during the summer time the outer walls of the huts
are enwreathed with the green foliage of melon a n d pump
kin vines In the large cities the houses are more sub sta n
.

tial and spacious each being divided into apartments e n

, ,

closed by a stuccoed mud wall and surmounted by a -

,

tastefully arched roof which is thatched with straw Some .

of them have castellated windows proj ecting over the streets ?

The huts of the Jo lo fs are sometimes made of clay and ,

again of a frame of sticks covered with woven ree ds sur ,

mounted with a conical roof thatched with straw or palm ,

bran ches They are circular in form and resemble bee

.

?
hives The houses in this zone are not only better upon
the average than those of the millet zone but are kept
cleaner The Kanuris like civilized people sweep the floors
.
, ,

?
of their houses every morning
Me n H el p t o S upp o rt t h e Fa mi l y — In this zone the men .

for the most part support their families for it is they who
own the capital necessary to existence They generally as .

sist in the field work and in some tribes they alone attend
,

to the cattle ?
W o m e n E njo y C o n si de r a b l e L ib e rt y —Women are gen .

e ra lly better treated and have more rights than the women

of the lower zones The F e lla ta h wo men says F ea th er

.
,

“
man , enj oy much greater liberty than their sisters of
” 5
other M ohammedan nations Among the rich each wife .
,

is the owner of a piece of land a n d has her S laves to culti

vate it She gathers her own harvest and enj oys the pro
.

duce stored up to relieve if necessary the wants of her hus

?
band Or lover Indeed the status of the e lla ta h women is
,

strikingly similar to that of the Berber or Tuareg women of

the desert The Kanuri women we are told exact fidelity
.
, ,

1
Featherman p 7 1 , Du C h illu p 1 8 7
. 2 .
2
a , . .
3
Rohl fs Vo l
, . 1, p .
3 39 .

4
Ratzel H i story f M ank i nd V o l 2 p 3 34
, o ,
”
.
, . .
5 P .
3 86 .

Featherman p 3 7 2 5
, . .
 FA M I LY LI F E IN TH E C ATTLE ZON E 1 59

from their husbands and have the right of divorce if their

husbands are unfaithful ? H owever they are humble and ,

submissive and never approach their lord except on their

?
knees and never speak to any man except with veiled faces
F a mi l y A ffe c ti o n —The devotion S hown among members
.

of the same family is much more marked here than in any

of the other zones The Dinkas it is sai d ren der all pos
.
, ,

sible assistance to those to whom they are bound by ties of

3
kinship nor do they ever abandon their children
,
Relat
ing an instance of the affection of a father for his son
m
,

Schweinfurth said that in 1 8 7 1 a Dinka a n who had been

,

one of the bearers who had carried my stores from the

Mesh era was about to return to his own home in the territory
,

of Ghattas but he had been attacked by the guinea worm

,
-
,

and his feet were so swollen that it was with the utmost
di fficulty that he could proceed a step and he was obliged ,

to remain behind alone Eve rything was necessarily scarce

.

and clear and he was glad to subsist upon a few handfuls

,

of durra and on what scraps we gave him from our meals

in this way he dragged on and with a little patience would ,

have been all right H owever he was not suffered to wait

.
,

long his father appeared to fetch him This old man had .

brought neither cart nor donkey but he set out and carried ,

away the great strapping fellow who was S ix feet high for , ,

a distance of fifteen or sixteen leagu es on his S houlders , .

The incident was regarded by the other natives as a mere

” 4
matter of course .

I n h e rit n
a c e — The laws of inheritance in this zone are
.

not everywhere the same Among the F ellatahs the hus .

band and wife have their individual property which usually

descends to t h e nearest kin on their mother s side The same ’
.

rule seems to hold among the Jo lo fs with this di fference that ,

when one brother inherits from another the surviving widows

1
Featherman p 2 7 8 , . H id p 2 77
. H id p 3 3
2
, . .
3
, . .

Vol 1 p 1 7 4 .
, . 0.
1 60 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

and concubines are taken over with the other property ? I n

the Dinka societies property is divided among the hus
band s surviving children a n d if he have none it goes to the
’
, ,

nearest male relative who also takes the widow In case .

the widow then bears children they receive the property of

her deceased husband when they are of age If the deceased
.

’
father s children are minors the nearest rel ative acts as a d
,

ministrator In any case the administrator or inheriting son

.

must support all of the fem al es of the family ?

1 F eatherman p
, .
358
.
1 I bi ai , p .
34
.
1 62 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

two stages of polyandry (one where the husbands of the

wife are unrelated and the other w here they are brothers) ,

then through polygamy to the final stage of monogamy .

There is no evidence of a state of promiscuity and the facts

seem to indica te that polyandry and polygamy are due to
economic conditions peculiar to certain localities and are not
at all stages through which the whole human race has passed .

The transition from the matriarchate to the patriarchate

does not seem to have any connection with wife capture as ,

Gu m p lo w i c z supposes l since the matriarchate persists in all

,

of the zones of the Sudan notwithstanding an incessant ,

stealing of women The transition to the patriarchate

.
,

however wherever it has happened appears to have been

, ,

effected through the influences of the pastoral life or of

ancestor worship In the pastoral life the prot ection of the
.

cattle and pastures devolves upon the men and it is natural ,

that they should consider the cattle as their exclusive prop

e rty There is no need for members of the same family to
.

have separate holdings or that the cattle be parceled out

,

U pon the death of the father or patriarch since there are ,

cattle enough and pastures enough for everybody without

separating the herds and scattering the related members of
a group It is to be borne in mind however that amon g
.
, ,

sedentary pastoral people as the Dinkas where the land is

, ,

overflowing with population the father has not big enough ,

pasture nor cattle enough to support a v e ry large family ,

and hence it is to his interest to encourage the division of

the fa mily by di viding the property Finally as neither .

women nor children can exist without cattle it is natural ,

that women should be considered by the men as their a b so

lute property and that they should therefore take the name
,

of their father .

Ancestor worship furnishes a motive for preferring sons

?
to keep up the sacrifices at the a nc esto ra l tomb F or
Pp 1 1 2 1 3
1
.
,
1 . Spencer V ol 1 p 7 70 1
, .
, . .
 F A M I LY LI F E I N TH E C A M EL ZON E 1 63

example in Da h o m i where ancestor worship exists there is a

transition from the matriarchate to the patriarchate .

War as a motive for preferring sons and as a factor of

the transition to the patriarchate is of no discernible account
in Africa where perpetual intertribal warfare is carried on
among matriarchal groups The patriarchate eve rywhere
.

seems to have originated among pastoral people or among

people who have pastoral traditions .

The passing away of the totem does not apparently

depend a s Barth thi nks ? upon the change from the m
, a tria r

chate to the patriarchate ; since the totem has fallen into

disuse in a great part of Africa where the matriarchate still
survives while among some tribes as the P ygmies the use
, , ,

of the totem seems to have been unknown .

1
P aul Barth p
, .
3 80 .
 C H A P TER XII

PO L I T I C A L L I F E IN THE BA NA NA ZO NE

T he A n ci e n t a nd Mo de r n K i ngdo ms — The early African .

explorers reported the existence of several great kingdoms

which have continued to exist down to the present time for ,

example Bornu Benin Agades a n d Kano ? while accounts

, , ,

were given of other kingdoms which seem to have passed

away and whose localities were but vaguely defined for ex ,

ample Ghana (probably located o n the middle Niger ) Guinee

, ,

(somewhere between Sierra Leone and C ape Lopez ) M elle ,

(on the Upper Niger ) and Z e n e ga or king dom of ,

the Jo lo f
s

(somewhere between the Senegal and the Gambia ) ?

The history of Ghana and of the Empire of M elle
”
which superseded it says Lady Luga rd constitute the , ,

two first chapters of the native history of Ne gro la nd M elle .

,

which extended at one period of its history over the territory

of Ghana and also over the B end of the Niger gives way in ,

its turn to the extraordinarily interesting history of Songhay

— a n empire which from the middle of the fifteenth to the end

of the S ixteenth centuries extended over the entire Bend of

the Niger and even carried its dominion for a time to the
Atlantic on one side and to Lake C had upon the other .

C ontemporaneously with the rise of M elle and Songhay the ,

Haussa States and Bornu rose to prosperity between the

Niger and Lake C had while the native States of Nupe , ,

Borgu M ossi and some others appear to have maintained

, , ,

an independent existence from a perio d of considerable a n

” 3
ti q u ity upon the Niger Any attempt to describe the o p
.

1
O gi l b y pp , .
3 2 5 , 3 2 6, 3 2 9 , 4 7 2 .

2
O g i lb y pp
, .
3 1 9- 32 1 , 32 2, 3 45 ; Stan for d Vo l
, . 1, p . 2 59 .
3 P . 82 .

1 64
1 66 TH E N EG RO RA C ES

of the forest o ffered some obstacles to invasion it was not ,

altogether su ffi cient ?
M s a n d Fa ci li ty fo r D e am —
()
c o ti v e f a Along the north
ern borders of the banana zone therefore the people were , ,

o b lige d to combine in largest numbers for defense and there ,

?
the larger political groups came into being The relative
thinness of the forest along this border of the zone made c o
operation easy This was a region of intense a n d eternal
.

conflict Instead of exploiting nature men exploited each

.
,

other and on that account all of the States were organized

,

upon a military basis Along the southern border of this .

zone there was not so much danger of invasion for the ,

reason that the thickness of the forest acte d as a natural

barrier The conditions there did not call for defensive c o
.

O peration on any large scale a n d hence no large political

groups were effected F urthermore if the people had been .

,

ever so much subj ected to invasion they could not have

easily c o Op era te d on account of the innumerable rivers lakes , ,

lagoons and impenetrable forests Instead of c o Op era ting .

'

they generally remained hostile to each other Lander .

states that within the period of only three years as many as

1 60 governors of towns and villages between Etc h o and the

coast had died or were killed This indicates the extent of .

?
local wars and intestine broils It is not surprising there ,

fore that M iss Kingsley S hould have remarked that the life
,

of the West African chief had about ninety nine and nine -

?
tenths thorns in it
( )
a M o ti v
’
es for A
gg r essi o n — Whenever and wherever
a political organization is e ffected for defensive purposes
there are al ways motives at work tending to make it a g
gr essive In the banana zone the motives for aggression
.

’
were n umerous F irst was the desire to steal each other s.

property The fact that many scattered populations pra c

.

1
P reville p 2 1 8 , . .
2 p
I b id , . 22 1 .

5 Vol 1 p 1 60
.
, . .
4 u
Travels in West A frica p ,
”
.
340 .
 P O LITI C AL LI F E IN TH E BANANA ZON E 1 67

ticed agriculture kept stores O f provisions and had amon g

, ,

their e ffects such articles as gol d ivory etc furnished a , , .

,

powerful stimulus to man s acquisitive instinct ? Another ’

motive was the desire to obtain slaves both for domestic ,

use and for sale to the agricultural peoples of the north a n d ,

at one time to sell to the European and American slave

traders Still another moti ve was the desire to obtain
.

victims for the sacrifices to their gods and to their super

stiti o us customs and rites These motives were su fficient .

to keep any group on the aggressive and to cause it to ex

tend its area of conquest as far as possible Both defensive .

and aggressive motives caused continual war against the

invaders from the n orth with the result that a strip of ,

country separating the banana and millet zones was kept

devastated and almost depopulate d As indicating the .

destructive nature of this warfare it will su ffice to quote the

statement of Duncan that at the time of his visit in Da h o mi , , ,

the king of that empire had captured 1 2 6 towns lying to the

?
north in the M ahi country
Among the smaller groups the same motives prevailed ,

particularly the desire for S laves The effect was to make .

each group hostile to every other Allen and Thomson .

’
reported that along the Niger every man s hand was raised
against his fellow and every one tried to enslave his neigh
” 3
bor .

A ggress i v e P o w e r o f Da h o mi — H i s t ory o f t h e Ex p a n si v e
Mo v e ment — The history of Da h o mi before the S ixteenth
century is unknown When Europeans first visited the .

Gold C oast there was already in existence the extensive

,

Kingdom of Ar drah About the beginning of the seven

.

te e n th century the state became dismembered on the death

1
awkins p 9
H , . 2 .

2
Vol 1 p 46 1311 says that
.
, . 2 . 15 1 26 was the num b er captured up to 1 839,
Ew Speaking P eoples
e p 31 1 ,
”
. .

1
Vol 1 p 398
.
, . .
1 68 TH E N EGR O R A C ES

of a reigning sovereign and th ree separate kingdoms were

constituted under his three sons O ne state was formed by.

one brother around the Old capita l of Alla da and retained

the name of Ardrah ; another brother migrated to the coast
a n d formed a state also called Ardrah but now known u n ,

der the name of P orto N ovo ; while the third brother traveled
northwards and after some vicissitudes established the
kingdom of Da h o mi The western Ardrah or Alla dé
. ,

appears to have been subsequently further subdivided by

the formation of the separate kingdom of Whydah to the
south About 1 7 2 4—2 8 Da h o mi having become a power
.
,

ful state invaded and conquered successively Allad a and

,

Whydah ”
. This era of conquest continued up to the a c
“
cession in 1 8 1 8 of Ge z o
, ,
who reigned forty years an d
,

raised the power of Da h o mi to its highest pitch H e .

boasted of having first organized the Amazons to which

” 1
force he attributed his success .

These facts stron gly point to the conclusion that th e in

flue nce of the slave tra de was favorable to the development of
the kind of government which Da h o mi represented since ,

the era of expansion of the government was cotemporane

ous with the era of expansion of the S lave trade .

( )
a I nfl u e n ce of N a tu r a l B o u n da r i es a s a F a ctor of
E px a n si on — The aggressive power of a state depen ds upon
( )
a the natural boundaries of the country ( )
a the size of the ,

p opulation ()
c,
the eco n omic resources ( )
at the ability,
of the
people to c o Op era te (e) the strength and e fficiency of the
,

military system and (f) the power of resistance of border

,

states All of these factors combined to make Da h o mi

.

the most powerful state of this zone While its expansion .

to the east and west was impeded on account of the great

num b er of rivers running from north to south there were ,

no Ob stacles to the north and scarcely any in the south ex

, ,

cept near the coast where the numerous swamps and lagoons
Encyclop edia Britannica
1
a Vol 6 P 7 66,
”
. . .
1 70 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

by other mea n s than slave trade the citizens had to

th e
” 1
work ten times harder to give food to the monarch .

— The forest in this region

( )
’
A b i i C
'

a l ty to o o er a te
p .
,

though pretty dense was su fficiently open to permit c o Opera

tion over a wide area ?
The people however h a d only , ,

su fficient intelligence to c o Opera te for the purpose of plunder .

They had not the wisdom to organize and govern the con
quered territory but were sa tisfied to ravage gather up the
, ,

booty and return home leaving the invaded country in ,

?
hostile hands The aim was only to lay waste and kill and ,

for this reason the expansion of the empire was generally

?
followed by a decrease of population M en fought only for
individual gain or for mere love of adventure They felt no .

conscious interest in the glory of the nation or the welfare

of the pe 0 p 1e ; and on account of this lack of nation al senti
ment the Dahomans were never able to occupy even the
area which their natural boundaries seemed to indicate for
them .

(e) [M i li t a ry S tre ng th — The army consisted of several

divisions F irst the Amazons or female soldiers numbering
.

about It was claimed that the women were better

suited for soldiers than the men because they were a c
customed to enduring more hardships and were much
?
braver The second division consisted of the palace guards
and men of the capital This division together with the first .

formed the standing army The third division comprised .

the entire m ale populatio n ?

The weapons used were spears knives and after the a d ,

vent o fthe European also muskets All of the Amazo n s or , .

’ ?
kin g s wives wore daggers Each local caboceer or chief
9
had an army of his own which answered the call of the
1 F oa p 2 8
, .l aid p 5 7 ; Ellis
0 . Ew e Spea king P eoples pp
2
, .
, , . 2 —
3 .

5 El l i s Ew Speaking P eoples
, e p 1 97 Wood p ,
”
. .
4
, . 63 8 .

Elli s Ew Speaking P eoples p 1 87 Io l p 1 84

'
5 5 za
, e , . . , . .

1 p 1 83 D unc n V ol 1 p 2 5 4 5 2 Idi t V l 1 p
a o o . . 2 83.
. .
, .
, . .
, ,
 P OLITI C AL LI F E I N TH E BANAN A ZO N E 1 7 1

king in time of war The commander of the whole army .

was appointed by the king and followed in the wake of the

march riding a horse when he happened to possess this rare
animal while the subordinate o fficers rode in hammocks
,

carried by soldiers or slaves ? The army moved in

a helter skelter fashion the only tactics or strategy con
-
,

sisting In an effort to surprise and surround the enemy .

The regular standing army received a supply of powder and

l ead from the king and chiefs but each soldier was required ,

?
to feed himself The king offered special rewards and
honors to soldiers who brought home the heads of captives ,

while the only pay for the ordinary soldiers consisted of

cowries and o ther articles of value which the king threw u pon
the ground for them to scramble for on days of public cele
?
b ra tio ns The army was chie fl y provisioned by plunder
ing as it went However the wives of the soldiers fol
.
,

lowed the army carrying calabashes of food and drink on

their heads and acting as a sort of commissariat .

—
(f) R e i as st n ce f
o B o r der S t es
a t But whatever may
be the military equipment or other favorable conditions the ,

expansion of a State is always dependent upon the power of

the border States to offer resistance In the case of .

Da h o m i while the path of expansion to the west was politically

unopposed that to the east was checked by the more
,

powerful Yorubas who were never successfully attacked

,

until they had been overrun and disorganized between 1 8 1 0

and 1 8 40 by the pressure of the Hausas invading from the
?
north A great element of strength to the Yoruba forces
w a s the use of cavalry while a source of weakness to the ,

Dahomans was perhaps the too free use of criminals as

?
soldiers
1
Duncan Vol 1 p 2 30
, . Ellis
, .Ew Spea k ing P eoples p
.
1
, e ,
”
. 1 62 .

5
Forbes Vol 1 pp 2 1 2 2
, .
, . , .

4 Ell i s
, Ew Spea k ing P eoples
e pp 2 1 9 2 95 309 , .
, , .

5
Duncan Vol 1 p 1 4 1
, .
, . .
1 7 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

A ggre ssiv e P o w r e of A sh a n ti — H i s t o r y
o f t h e E x p a n siv e

m
Mo v e e t The Ashanti government has had a history
n — .

similar to that of Da h o mi According to traditions it de .

rived i ts origin from b ands of fugitives who two or three , ,

centuries ago were driven before the M oslem tribes migra t

,

ing southward from countries on the Niger a n d Senegal .

Having cleared for themselves a region of impenetrable

forest they defended themselves with a Vigor which b ec o m
, ,

ing a part of their national character raised them to the ,

rank of a po w erful a n d conquering nation Early .

in the eighteenth century the Ashantis first came under

the notice of th e Europeans through the successful wars ,

with the Kingdoms bordering on the maritime territory .

Osai Tutu may be considered as the real founder of the

Ashanti power H e either built or greatly extended C o o
.

massie the capital ; he subdued the neighboring state of

,

Denkera (1 7 1 9) and the M ahometan countries of Gaman and

Banna and extended the empire by conquests both on the
” 1
east a n d west Thus it is apparent that the era of ex
.

p a n si o n of t h e Ashanti empire as that al so of D ,a h o m i was ,

cotemporaneous with the era of expansion of the slave

trade .

( )
a I n
fl u e n ce o
f N a tu r a l B o u n da r i es a s a Fa ctor o
f
E p
x a n si o n — The Ashantis were somewhat less able to ex
pand than the Dahomans In the first place their territory .

was more naturally defined by the seacoast and rivers .

The Gulf on the south the V olta on the east the C omoe , ,

on the west and the branches of both rivers on the north

, ,

enclosed the Ashantis within a circle and indicated the

natural limits of their empire .

— The population was

()
6 S i z e o
f t a e P o
p u la ti o n

smaller and more scattere d b y reason of the ra mi fie d water

courses more irregular contour of the land and greater area
,

of forest .

Enc y clop edia Bri tannica

1
a Vol 2 p 68 1 ,
”
.
, . .
1 74 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

neighbor of Ashanti was Da h o mi but the two kingdoms ,

were far enough apart to avoid serious conflicts N either .

the one nor the other could permanently hold conquered

territory because of the inability to organize and govern it .

A ggre s siv e P o e r o
w f t h e S m a ll e r S t t s
a e — The small
.

kingdoms of Fanti Benin and Ibo were never of much

,

consequence The F antis on the coast never had su ffi cient

.

population in their little water bound empire to permit of

much expansion They were less courageous and less
.

intelligent than the pe 0 p 1e of the interior and were unable

to resist the occasional encroachments of the Ashantis .

The Benin and Ibo kingdoms had their limitations to ex

p a nsi o n set by the di f
ficulties of c o Op e ra ti n g and conducting
campaigns in the intricacies of the forests swamps and ,

rivers F or the same reason multitudes of still smaller

.

kingdoms in the Delta region and elsewhere were confined

to narrow limits The smaller kingdoms did not rely so
.

much upon police and sol diers for defensive purposes as

upon magic F or example the Bonny people sometimes
.
,

planted a live woman in the ground j ust outside the town

limits plastered her over with clay until she died and there
, ,

left her as a fetich to ward o ffthe attack of enemies ?

1 Wood , p . 676
.
 C HA PT ER XIII

PO LIT I C A L L I FE IN THE B A NA NA ZONE (Conti nued)

P o l iti c a l O rga n i zti o n o f D a h o mi— D i ffe r enti a t i ng Fa c

a

tor s — Any kingdom that comes into being and survives for
any length of time wi ll necessarily be gi n to elaborate and
,

specialize its industrial soci al and political life This is

, .

what Spencer calls di fferentiation It is first noticed in the .

econo mic life by a separation of the people into the con

q u e ro r s and the conquered or noble and slave class Und er .

the direction of the nobles the slaves are set to work at

various occupations some to till the soil some to trade and
, ,

some to manufacture Thus there arises specialization of

.

occupations As the kingdom grows in population and

.

wealth there begins a differentiation of the political life

, .

The king chosen by the nobles organizes his rule forms a ,

council and recognizes certain castes or classes on the basis

of their wealth and power The inequality in the distrib u .

tion of wealth brings about a corresponding inequality in

the distribution of power? Those who have the wealth and
power seek by all possible means to maintain their prestige ,

and there develops almost spontaneously a system of con

trol adapted to keeping the lower classes in a condition of
subordination .

Th e F o rm ofth e G o v e rn m e nt — The form of the govern

ment whether absolute aristocratic representative or more
, , ,

or less democratic depends upon the physical character of

,

the country the extent of warfare and the economic and

, ,

moral status of the people .

( )
a Fa ci li t
y f o r C o mm u n i ca ti o n a s a F a ctor — In
Da h o m
.

i the ab sence of impenetrable forests or obstru cting

water courses favored the development of a political system
,

Ratzel A nthropogeographie V ol 1 p 7 3
1
, ,
”
.
, . .

1 75
1 76 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

that could easily communicate with its p a rts and become

centralized .

()
b D i s tr i b u ti o n f
o W e a lth — If wealth is somewhat
qually distributed i e if all men are free and have more
, . .
,

or less property or a right to the use of the natural resources ,

the tendency will be other factors mentioned below not

,

overbearing away from absolutism and towards democracy

, ,

but on the other hand if wealth is in the hands of a few if

, ,

there is a large property class and a large slave or depend

ent class the tendency will be towards the aristocratic or
,

oligarchic form of government and if one man or a very ,

narrow circle of men own an exceptional share of the wealth

of the country the tende n cy will be towards absolutism In
, .

Da h o m i the wealth consisted mostly of S laves and proprie

to rsh i p of territory and it was concentrated in the hands of
,

a small number of men the king and his chiefs being rela
,

ti vely far above the commonalty in worldly possessions .

H ence the conditions here favored absolutism However

,
.
,

the reader is asked to remember that while absolutism is

the opposite of democracy in so far as concentration of
power is concerned it is not always unfavorable to the de
,
~

ve lo p m e nt of a democratic spirit and tendency among the

people A pure despotism often kindles democratic senti

.

ment and hastens the transition to democratic institutions ,

because the commonalty are at such an immeasurable dis

tance below the monarch that the distinctions between man
and man fade into i nsi gni fica nc e If despotism had not this .

e ffect in Da h o mi it was because the climatic conditions failed

to awak en in the people those aspirations and j ealousies
which are essential to democratic i deas and institutions .

—
()c C h a r a cter a n d I n te ll
ig e n ce of tb e P eo le
p If the
.

pe 0 p 1e are indolent careless deficient in spirit and initiative

, , ,

or if they are overcome with superstitious terrors they will ,

incline to submit to the most tyrannical form of government .

In the case of Da h o mi the country was naturally so produc

1 7 8 TH E N EG R O RA C ES

was vested in the king who was i n fluenced perhaps to some

extent b y the local chiefs .

—
( )
b C o u n ci l a n d Ex ec u t i v e Ofi ce r s Among the central .

administrative o fficers of the government was a chief a d

viser Mega n the only O fficer whose head the king cou ld no t
, ,

strike o ff at will H is duty was to execute the king s de .

’

“ ” 1
crees and he was popularly known as The M an Killer
, .

The next most important o fficer was Menu the master of ,

ceremonies Numerous other functionaries of less impor

.

tance made up the council The local administrators .

were the nobles or aristocratic class composed of the cabo ,

c e ers or chiefs of the towns and cities They were usually .

’
the sons of the king s concubines and owned large landed ,

estates for which they paid a considerable tribute to the

crown They furnished soldiers for the army and enj oyed
.

the exclusive privilege of trading with Europeans except in ,

gold fire arms and ammunition which were monopolies of

,
-
,

?
the king Each chief was king in his district and had his
own court The sub chiefs in the smaller towns also had
.
-

j urisdiction and authority in their respective bailiwicks .

Any citizen could appeal to the king if he disliked the de

?
c isio n of the local chief Beneath this aristocratic class
stood the freemen and slaves none of whom had anything ,

to do with the government or any opportunity or incentive ,

?
to rise from their obscurity
The police system consisted of constables appointed by
the king and spies also appointed by him and sent out into
,

all the district s of the empire ?

Deformed men were prefer
?
ably chosen for constables Sometimes palace women were
sent out to act in the double rOle of spies for the king and
wives to the local chiefs ?

1 Ell i s Ew Spea k ing P eopl s p 1 63

, e F e , . .
1 ea th e rrna n,p 2 09 . .

5
El l i s Ew Speaking P eoples
, p 1 61
e ,
”
. .
4Foa p 1 86 , . .

5
Dunc n Vol 2 p 3 5
a , .
, . .
5 Vol 2 p :2 3 1
.
, .

Elli s Ew Spea k ing P eoples p 1 76 , e ,

”
. .
 P OLITI C AL LI F E IN TH E BANAN A ZO N E 1 79

() c L a w s, Ofe n ses, The laws Tr i a ls

of a nd P e n a lti es —

the country made no distinction between civil and criminal

offenses ? A wrong against property or against a person
was treated in the same way and by the same court ? As
indicating the general ch aracter of the Dahoman laws it ,

may be mentioned that a master was always held responsi

?
ble for the debts or crimes of his slaves In some localities
an entire family was responsible for the debts or crimes of
4
its individual members and in other loca lities a whole
community was held responsible for the acts of any of its
members Any member of one community could sue and
.

seize for a debt any member of another community in which

?
his debtor lived Generally if a married woman got into
litigation she involved only the family in which S h e w as
?
born and not at all her husband or his blood kin
,
In the
j udicial evolution of societies it seems that commun al respo n
sib ili ty came first family responsibility second and individ
, ,

ual responsibility last .

The trial of cases was conducted by the local chief or

’
one of the king s constables and if the party concerned did ,

not like the verdict he could appeal to the king .

The penalty for homicide was either death or c o m p e n

?
sation to the family of the decease d In case of adultery
the man concerned was made to serve in the army as long
as he was able and then was offered as a sacrifice at one of
,
’ ?
the king s annual customs H owever penalties were not ,

uniform Any o ffense was likely to be punished by death

.
,

mutilation slavery or imprisonment while people of rank

, , ,

or wealth could always pay indemnity .

The execution of the sentence was carrie d out by a con

stable or o fficer of the local government The death pen .

alty was usually inflicte d by decapitation but in aggravated ,

1 E llis , Speak i ng P eop l es p

Ew e , . 223 .
“ b
I id , p . 2 19 .

5 1 6122 , p 2 19
. . p 2 08
'

4 . .
5 l b i ai , p . 209 .
5 Il i ad, p . 2 16 .

1 p 2 4
. 2 .
5 Duncan Vol , . 1, p . 1 41 .
1 80 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

cases was accomplishe d by impaling burning and dism em , ,

bering the body ? Duncan mentions that in cases of mur ,

der or adultery the o ffender was sometimes inverted and a

,
?
red hot iron run through his body from the rectum
-

Throughout the kingdom for minor o ffenses the constables , ,

’ ?
inflicted chastisement w ith a dried bullock s tail Ellis men
tions the use of a whip of hippopotamus hide which drew
?
blood with every lash
The laws and j udicial proceedings of Da h o mi under ,

went during the progress of the slave trade very definite

, ,

changes F or example criminal o ffenses formerly punished

.
, ,

by a fine whipping or banishment were change d into con

,

de m na ti o n into S lave ry Life and proper ty became less se .

cure and people were seized and sold for the most trivial
o ffenses H owever a more detailed discussion of questions
.
,

of this kind is reserved fo r the second volume which deals

exclusively with slavery and the slave trade .

—
( ) The revenue of the state consiste of
’
a R e o e nu e . d
war booty sale of slaves ? fines bribes presents ? a nd tolls
-
, , , .

C ustom houses like the O ld English toll gates were es

-
,
-
,

7
ta b lish ed at intervals along the chief trade routes where ,

taxes were collected in kind Every trader was required to .

have a pass and to give up a part of his merchandise If .

he happened to have a chicken in his possession and it com ,

mitte d the o ffense of crowing in the presence of the custom

o fficer it was immediately arrested and forfeited ? The
,

custom dues were sometimes bestowed by the king upon his

?
caboceers or court ministers as a reward for military services
The king used to levy duties on all gol d palm oil ivory and ,
-
,

slaves sent out of his domains In the palmy days of the slave .

1
Ell i s Ew Speak i ng Peoples p 2 4
, e V ol , . 2 .
1 . 2, p . 1 53 .

5
Duncan V o l 2 p 3 , .
, Ew Speaking P eop l es
. 2 1 .
4
e ,
”
p . 2 23 .

5
Brackenbury p 5 Ell i s
, . Ew Speaking P eoples
2 .
5
, e , p . 1 62 .

7
Duncan Vol 1 p 83 , .
,
Ibid V ol 1
. 2 .
5 .
, .
, p
. 2
58 .

a n V ol 1 p 83 9
, .
, . 2 .
1 82 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

parasites getti ng without giving commanding without

, ,

h ea ri ng the brunt of battle and forgetting that the only dur

able title to property a n d power is the ab ility to se rve .

“
Woe to the man who desires to be a parasite H e will .

”
become vermin The climatic di fference explains at least
.
,

in part why the F rench aristocracy was idle and provoked

,

a revolution and the English aristocracy by its leadership in

,

in dustrial lines averted a revolution In temperate zones .

the upper classes have a restlessness and energy of min d

and body that compel the maj ority of them to enter into i n
dustria l e nterprises and ventures into the professions into
, ,

scientific researches etc and ho w ever cold and distant they

, .
,

may act in reference to the common people their efforts to ,

satisfy their own ambitions and to occupy a place among the

civilized people of the world inevitably lift by degrees the
commonalty to their level The masses of mankind are
.

obliged to have leaders and are naturally inclined to love

and worship them The exalted and j oyous life attributed
.

to the aristocratic classes diffuses a contagious happiness

amon g all of the subj ects or citizens occupies in their minds
,

a sort of obj ective idealism and kindles the spirit of rever

ence and hero worship A good aristocracy is therefore one
.

of the greatest stimulations to progress Reverence for a .

superior even in a do g is a noble quality

, ,
Increase such .

” “
reverence in human beings says Ruskin and you in , ,

crease daily their happiness peace and dignity : take it away

,

and you ma k e them wretched as well as vile Alas for a .

people who have no superior class to worship !

()b C om m on Ti es E co n o mi c,R e ligi o u s ,
e ta — The ,

stability a n d internal order of a government depend upon a

variety of consi derations such as the intelligence a n d char
acter of the people the number and strength of common
,

ties or interests ; upon the complexity of the economic

developme n t and especially upon the status of the family .

The friction of social life te n ds to polish o ff differences and

 P O LITI C AL LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZO N E 1 83

to unite people by ties of common interest The general .

e ffect Ofa political organization is to bring about uniformity

in language ideas manners and customs ? The whole
, ,

socializing or unifying process is one of progress from a

?
simple to a complex consciousness of kind In the matter
of common ties Da h o m i had the advantage over all other
kingdoms of this zone The people were to a great extent .

of the same race spoke kindred languages had a common

, ,

economic life and most important of all common religion

, , , .

Their religion was in a transition stage between fetichism

and polytheism Along with local deities not known out
.
,

side o f a small area there were tribal and national gods ,

known all over the kingdom This was a decided advantage .

as an element of unity and stability .

F m — Da ho mi
()c S ta tu s f
o th e a i l
y The people of also .

had an advantage over all other people of this zone except ,

perhaps the people of Ibo and Benin in the status of the ,

family which was in a transition stage between the matri

,

a rc h a te and the patriarchate Among the ruling classes the .

father and not the mother was the head of the family and ,

power and property descended to the eldest so n whereas ,

generally elsewhere descent was in the female line The , .

succession from father to son is everywhere favorable to the

development of a ruling class by permitting the wisdom and
property and also the physical superiority of one genera
, ,

tion to be handed down to another .

—
( ) O
’
a r d e r of S u cces si o n Indeed the most important
factor of social stability especially in primitive societies is , ,

the order of succession to place and power Although in

Da h o m
.

i among the upper classes the s o n succeeded the

, ,

father? the system of primogeniture was not firmly estab

lish e d . O wing to the existence of polygamy the number ,

of sons was large and they often married and scattered at

,

1
Giddings , P rinc i ples of Soc i olog y p 1 1 1 ,
. .
1 I bi afl, p .
35 9 .

El lis
5
Ew Speaking P eoples p
, e , . 1 64.
1 84 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

an early age Some sons having died it was not easy to

.

ascertain which w a s the older and the C hoice of an heir was ,

often arbitrary and there was a contention among the

,

wives for their particular sons to receive the nomination .

The queen of Da h o mi was so j ealous of the right of her sons

to the succession that S he did not permit the sons of the
other wives of the king to call themselves princes or even to
mention their origin This indicates that there was con
.

?
fusion in the order of succession F urther evidence that
the order of succession was always more or less uncertain is
shown in the fact tha t the two chief councilmen found it
’
necessary to make a selection from among the king s numer
ous sons the eldest if that fact could be ascertained being
, , ,

?
considered the heir The death of a king was usually kept
a secret as the uncertainty of the succession always occa
,

sio n e d an interregnum of lawlessness

?

Ratzel
1
, History f M ankind V ol 3 p 1
o ,
”
.
, . 2 4.

Elli s
2
, Ew Speaking P eoples
e p 1 63 ,
”
.
.

Ratzel
3
, H istory f M an kind V ol 3 p
o ,
”
.
, . 127 ; Ellis ,
“
Ew e Speaking Peo
ples p 1 64
, . .
1 86 TH E N EG R O RA C ES

says Ellis was curbe d by a council called the Ashanti

,

Kotoko i e Ashanti P orcupine meaning that it could not

, . .
, ,

be molested w ithout inj ury ? Each caboceer was vested

with a stool which was the symbol of authority and de
, ,

scende d from father to son Next to the nobility stood .

the freemen or common people who followed various indus

trial pursuits and were the followers and ret ainers of the
Um
?
higher classes And finally there was a S lave class
.
~

“
limited power nowhere existed 5 0 free was Ashanti u n .

”
der its first kings says Ratzel that Da h o mi which was
, , ,

already despotic declined all close intercourse lest its peo

, ,

ple should have an opportunity of making acquaintance

” 3
with the liberty there existing The Ashanti people even .

?
sometimes deposed their king I n the small independent
groups not forming a part of Ashanti proper there seems
, ,

to have been less ten dency towards centralization than in

the case of the similar groups in the Da h o mi region F or .

example Binger says that at B o n do uk u there was no gen

,

eral authority over th e whole city but that each quarter ,

was ruled by the most notable old man who divided ,

?
power with the local priest So far as the distribution of
wealth the character of the people and extent of warfare
, ,

were concerne d the conditions in Ashanti were not q uite so

,

favorable to despotism as in Da h o mi .

a) —
S yst e m o f G o v e rnm e n t ( L eg is la ti o n Legislation
.

was mostly in the hands of the council .

fi —
’
( )
b C ou n c i l a n a E x e cu ti ne O ce r s The administrative .

o fficers in cluded a comman der in chief of the army a public ,

executioner whose badge of office was a solid gold hatchet

,

worn upon his breast a secretary of the treasury and an

interpreter who con ducte d intercourse with strangers and
?
acted as prosecutor in criminal cases A rigid system of
1 Ellis , Speak i ng Peoples p 2 7 7
Tshi , . .
1 Featherman p , . 1 84.
5 “ H istory f M ank i nd V ol 3 p 1 2 7
o ,
”
.
, . .
4 Vol 3 p .
, . 1 2 8.

V ol 2 p 1 62
.
, . .
5 Feath rman p
e , . 1 84 .
 P OLITI C AL LI F E IN TH E BANAN A ZON E 1 87

police existed at Kumassi The city was walled in and no .

one was permitted to leave it after sun down ?

i — One of the curious laws of
()
c L a ws P e n a lt es e ta , ,

Ashanti was that whoever defrayed the expenses of a funeral

of any one was responsible for his debts and on this account , ,

as one might suppose the people very seldom buried a ,

?
stranger In some loca lities a whole tribe was held re sp o n
3
sible for the crimes or obligations of any one member and
in other localities each family was held responsible for any
fault of its members An accused person was first put in .

log that is his wrist was fastened to a log by means of an

, ,

iron fork until the day of trial when he was brought before ,

the king or chief in open court and confronted with wit

nesses Each chief had his own local court but in impor
.
,

tant matters the king sat in court with all of his chiefs in the
open air and in the presence of the people Any one could .

appeal to the king? In some cases the guilt or innocence

of the accused was decided by ordeal that is he was re , ,

quired to drink a decoction of odum —wood If innocent he .

,

vomited and reco vered and if guilty he died F or the more .

serious offenses the guilty party was subj ected to the less
doubtf ul pen alties of decapi tation mutilation etc? In , ,

many cases the civil authorities were ignored and the po w er

of some local divinity w a s invoked to avenge a theft or
?
other inj ury The nobility seldom su ffered the death
?
penalty but escaped from their crimes by paying fines
, It
was the custom for local chiefs to send to the king in
8
baskets the decapitated heads of all subj ects executed .

The blood of a decapitated person was often drunk by the

’
executioners and sometimes they ate the victim s heart .

When in 1 8 2 3 Sir C has MC a rth y was captured by th e .

’

1 Brac k enbury p , .
339 .
1
Ellis , Tshi Speak ing P eoples p , . 2 99 .
3 1 5 14 p 300
, . .
4 1 M . RR 2 7 3 . 2 7 5
5 fl int p 2 7 5
, . . p
6 1 bid
, 75
. . .

1 Ib zhC p 30 1
, . .
5 Freeman p , .
53 .
1 88 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

Ashantis and beheaded his heart was made a feast of by

,

the chiefs then present at the capital?

—
( )
’
a
’
R e ne nu e The ki n g.s revenue was derived from
several sources F irst from his own private estates which
.
,

were very vast ; and second from the output of the gol d,

mines All of the miners of the kingdom were required to

.

send to the king every gold nugget that was dug up only ,

?
the dust being retained by the miners Taxes were levied
on all elephant hunters and during the era of the external
,

?
S lave trade tax es were also levied on the export of slaves
,

El e m e nts o f S t a b i l ity — S umm a ry o f t h e F a c t o rs In

v o l v ed — S o far as the elements of stability were concerned
the Ashantis were somewhat weaker than the Dahomans .

While they possessed a certain unity of race lan guage and ,

economic life their religion was fetich that is they had

, , ,

only local deities and no general gods known to all of the

people The family life was more disorganized and on a
.

lower level the children belonging to the mother only and

, ,

transmission of property and power proceeding in the fem ale

line .

1
Free man p
, .
4 .
2
Stanle y , C oomassie p
, . 64
Featherman p , . 1 85 .
1 90 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

of finding out who has poisoned a person are e ffective and , ,

that the knowledge of this detective power to a great extent

”
keeps down poisoning .

In reference to legal matters it seems to be a fact how , ,

ever strange that the deeper one goes into the forest the
,

deeper more entangled and more impenetrable become all

,

legal proceedings F or example in the Niger Delta where

.
, ,

children belong to the mother unless she herself be a slave , ,

great law suits often arise over the possession of the o ff

“
spring The children o f slave wives are the only kind of
.

”
his own children that a free father has any ownership in ,

“
and complications come in from its being a common thing
for a freeman to marry a woman w h o is th e property of
some other man All of her children are the property of her
.

owner not of her husband and the owner can at any time
, ,

take those children and sell them unless the father

—
freeman redeems them that is to say pays a certain cus , ,

to m
’
a ry price to the mother s owner on the birth of each

child the mother still remaining in her slave condition

,
.

P alavers based on this law are distraction itself to white

magistrates and pretty hard work for the black chiefs for ,

”
with them there is no statute of limitations All of the .

male as well as the femal e children of a slave woman

belong to her master even unto the second a n d third gen
era tio n and away into Eternity with all of the
rights and obligations belonging thereto A man may die .

before he puts in his claim in which case his property ,

passes into the hands of his heir who may foreclose at once ,

upon entering upon his heritage or may again let things ,

accumulate for his heir However sooner or later th e fore

.
, ,

” 2
closure comes and there is trouble .

S e c ret S o c i e ti es In the absence of any interference on the

.
-

part of the chief or king the subj ects naturally ta ke the law,

1 “
West A f ican Studies p 1 86
r , . .

Kingsley West A frican Stu d ies p 40 2

1
, , . .
 P OLITI C AL LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZON E 1 91

into their own hands which in many of the small kingdoms , ,

is administered by means of secret societies ? In some 10

ca li ti es in recent year s the British authorities may have i n

terf ere d with the operations of these societies but they were ,

in full bloom when M iss Kingsley was on th e West C oast in

1 8 96 .
“
The natives of C alabar and of Brass and Opobo
”
and Bonny Rivers says M iss Kingsley are divided into , ,

what they term houses These houses are bound together .

by a common Long Ju Ju and into groups by their secret ,

societies which have certain points of di fference but in the ,

”
main enforce the same set of laws Each house is presided .

over by a king and beneath him are four classes F irst

,
.
,
’
the king s relatives second freemen under the protection of ,

a House ; third trade boys who have fallen into slavery and
, ,

fourth slaves born so and those who have forfeited their

,

?
freedom and those bought from other t ribes Among
savages the condition especially favorable to a government
,

by secret societies is that of a town or community in a State

where the central authority is very weak or where among ,

independent kingdoms only an embryonic government has

?
developed The societies in this zone probably originated
in connection with the ceremonies attending the initiation of
boys and girls into manhood and womanhood The fetich .

men who conduct the ceremonies naturally have great

power in the community and where there is much crime to ,

be ferreted out they feel the nee d of some organization to

share responsibility in dealing with it The people centre
around the fetic h men who seek the people s backing and
.

the result is an evolution into a secret order These socie .

ti es are scattered over a great area of West Africa but are ,

1
Ratzel H i story of M ank ind Vol 3 p 1 3
, ,
”
.
, . 1 .

1
Kingsley West A frican Studies pp 39 8 399
, ,
"
.
, .

5
A mong civilize d States secret soc i eties arise from the tyranny of the govern
,

ment fro mOppression from l ack of freedom of speech or from crim i nal and ev lu
, , r o

ti n y tendenc i es f the populat i on On this po i nt the reader may consult G i dd i ngs

’
o ar o .

Princ i pl es fSocio l ogy p 1 8 1

o ,
”
. .
1 92 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

principally operative on the Guinea C oast and in the region

of the Lower Niger At P orto Novo the society preserves
.

order in the community by sending out at night a fantastic

ally dressed o fficer who seizes any one found in the streets
’
after nine o clock The credulous suppose him to be a
.

demon from the sea ? An o fficer similar to this is found in

the societies of Bonny H e is known as M umbo J umbo a .
,

sort of superhuman being who emerges from the forest at ,

night dresse d in a red bark suit a n d weari n g a mask made

,

of a gourd w ith holes bored in it for eyes This monster .

moves ami dst the crowd and all of a sudden touches some
woman with his rod who is imme diately seized by the mob
, ,

disrobed tied to a stake and terribly beaten The o ffense

,
.

for which she is thus chastised is usually that of quarreling

?
with her husband In the Niger region the men belong to
one society and the women to another It is rare that both .

?
sexes are members of the same organization Young free
children are admitted at the age of eight or ten years A .

boy if he belongs to a tribe that tattoos is properly marked

, ,

and then handed over to instructors who initiate him into

the secre ts and formul ae F or the space of one year he lives
.

in the forest with other boys under the control of several

eminent professors H e goes naked except for a coating
.

?
of clay which he smears over his body The girl is put
through a S imilar process of instruction and initiation She .

is removed from her home but is sometimes kept in a hut ,

?
near a village instead of residing in the forest In all of the
societies much superstition is mixed up with the proceed
ings In some cases the members presume to be governe d
.

by spirits or kinds of somethings living in the bush An in

,
.

stance is cited where one o fthese spirits had bee n caught in

the forest a n d brought to town with great j ubilation Its .

1 Elli s Ew Speak i ng Peoples p 7 8

, e ,
. 1 .

5 K i ngsley Trave l s i n West A fr i ca p 3 7 6

, ,
”
. .

p 38 5 . 0 .
 1 94 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

members of the association are altogether exclusive and ,

neither freemen nor slaves that do not belong to the frater

m ity can claim a n y rights which may not be annulled o r
thwarted by this irresponsibl e despotic power It is the .

Egbo that enforces the claim of creditors who when the , ,

day of payment has passed may beat the Egbo drum b e ,

fore the door o i the delinquent debtor commanding him to ,

leave his dwelling till his liabilities are discharged : re q uir

ing him after the lapse of a certain time to deliver up his ,

person and property in satisfaction of the debt if the amount ,

due has not been previously paid In the interior poor .

,

orphans are seized and sold to satisfy the indebtedness of

their deceased father A slave even may purchase Egbo .

privileges and his position becomes almost equivalent to

freedom though the rights of the master to the services of
,
” 1
his slave are not thereby affected .

si o n i n th e fe m
( ) a le li n e n ot fa vor a b le to sta bi l
’
a S u cces

i ty . O n account of the uncertainty of parentage inherit

-

ance al most everywhere among the Negro races is in the

female li n e and this is unfavorable to the develop ment or
,

perpetuation of a superior ruling class As M iss Kingsley .

points out the property of a man does not fall to the sons
,

born to him by one of his wives who is a great woman of

a princely line but to the eldest son of his sister by the same
,

’
mother as his own This S ister s mother and his own .

’
mother was a slave wife of his father s : this you see keeps
-

”
good blood in a continu al state of dilution with S lave blood
and does not tend to the production of a series of great
” 2
men in one family The family is not a miniature king
.

dom as in the case where the system of primogeniture pre

vails H owever in the Benin kingdom during th e period of
.
, ,

its independent existence sons often succeeded their fathers ,

3
( who appointed them without regard to age ) and some
Featherman p 3 5
1
, . 2 We st A fr i can Stud i es p 37 4
.
2
, . .

Featherman p 2 2 6 5
, . .
 P O LITI C AL LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZON E 1 95

ti mes also in the Ibo kingdom and among the

Ami m as ?

Another element of weakness in the small kingdoms was

that men devoted much of their time to fighting and w h e r ,

ever this is the case there is always a tendency to give the

?
leadership to the physically strong The title to o ffice de
pended primarily upon physical vigor and not upon blood
or wisdom The ruler usually came sudde n ly into power
.

without bringing with him those traditions of rulership

which were necessary to equip him for his duties and invest
his o ffice with respect Thus it is seen how the composition
.

and character of the famil y may affect the stability of a

government Indeed the absence of the patriarchal type of
.
,

family among the Africans more than anything else distin

g u i sh e s their rulers for incapacity to govern and renders
their empires ephemeral .

( )e Co mmn o L a ng u a ge
f u n i ty n o t a str o ng b a sis o .

In many regions of this zone as elsewhere in the world kin , ,

ship o f language exists over a wide area without bringing

about a political unity of commensurate extent The reason .

for this is that political power is less easy to communicate

than language H ence for example the Ibo people have a
.
,

very wide linguistic domain and a very small kingdom ?

1 p
H o vela cq u e , .
3 8
2 A llen and Thoms n Vol o , . 1, p 2 32
. .

1
Featherman p , . 1
58 . H a w k i ns p 9 6
5
, . .
4 Reclus Vol
, .
3, p .
330 .
 C HA P TER XV I

PO L I T I C A L L I FE IN TH E MI LLET Z O NE

I n t egra ti n g F a c t o r s
( ) . a I nfl u e n ce f
o N a tu ra l R e

sou r ces —. The political groups of this zone comprise numer

ous States of various sizes forme d a mo n g th e M andingos
'

Bambaras Yorubas Hausas Adamawas Bongos Mittus

, , , , , ,

M a dis and S h ulis The territory occupied by the groups .

west Of the Slave C oast hinterland is now mostly under

F rench influence and is known as F rench Sudan ? The great
,

Samory empire inland from Sierra Leo n e was overthrown by

?
the F rench in 1 8 9 3 The British sphere of influence up to
1 9 0 3 included all of Yorubaland and the region from S a on ,

the Niger to Lake C had ? taking in H ausa and Adamawa 4

and since 1 90 3 it has taken in Kano and extended west to

Sokoto The groups in U pper Egypt i e Egyptian
.
, . .
,

Sudan extending to the Nile C ongo watershed are also

,
-
,

now under the British sphere of influence No t w ith sta n d ?

ing the less exuberant vegetation in this zone the p o pula

tion is very dense owing to the less amount of forest and the
,

large area employed in the cultivation of the soil There .

are not many barriers in the way of impenetrable forests or ,

impassable rivers and swamps to isolate one group from the

other ; and hence over wide stretches of country there are
large groups of pe 0 p 1e of the same type speaking the same ,

language and having the same beliefs and institutions .

However in the direction of the south the thickening of the

,

forest tends to break up the populations into unlike types ,

dialects and customs .

1 Stan for d Vol 1 p , .

, . 2 46 .
1 Mid .
5 Vol . 1, p . 2 48 .

4 Vol p 5 . 1 , . 2 2 .
5 I bi al , Vo l . 1, p . 2 46 .
1 98 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

e ffectively to protect themselves in case of a sudden attack ?

The isolation of the groups a n d feeble sense of nationality
caused a reign of complete anarchy and rendered the vil
lages easy prey to the Fe lla ta h s and other invaders The .

incoming of the F e lla ta h s however gave an impetus to unity , ,

a nd ef fected the organization of large States Ratzel has o b .

served with his characte ristic discernment that the first e ffect
of nomad contact with settled people is to bind the latter to
?
gether
But besides the danger of invasion from outside there
was constant danger of attack of one town upon another .

The fact that there were no individual families scattered

about between th e towns forming connecting blood ties ,

between town and country and bet w een one town and a n
other as i n European countries made the people of each
, ,

town strangers and foes to each other and liable to perpetual ,

hostility and strife In reality the di fferent communities of

.
,

this zone were constantly at war with each other stealin g ,

’
each other s provisions women and slaves Some villages ,
.

3
were inhabited entirely by robbers and vast regions of the
?
country were infested with bands of outlaws As a result
of the incessant warfare European explorers always met
numerous aban doned villages Sometimes the only signs .

of life about a village formerly teeming with inhabitants , ,

were groups of monkeys chattering and scampering amidst

?
the ruins The people of this zone would have remained
mere political fragments had not the F e lla ta h s and other
peoples from the desert invaded the country a nd brought
some order out of the chaos And notwithstanding the in .

flu ence of the desert invaders in many localities the remote , ,

ness of one group from another and the di fficulties of com

munica tin g caused the people to remain scattered and
,

disunited F or example the Bongos had no large or

.
,

1
Binger Vol
, . 1, p
.
43 .
1 story
Hi of M ankind Vol 3 pp
,
”
.
, . 15 1, 1 52 .

1 Lan d er V ol
, . 1, p . 1 9 8. 4 1 bid , . Vol 1 pp
.
, . 1 5 3 1 95
,
Binger V 1
.
5
.
0 11 P 1 17
 P O LITI C AL LI F E IN TH E M I LLET ZON E 1 99

definite political organizations but remained divided into ,

fractions by their net work of rivers ? H ence this region -

,

both on account of intertribal conflicts and invasions from

outside became the great slave hunting territory of the
,
2
Sudan .

( )
c M o ti v es f o r A gg r essi o n — The motives which
turned a defensive into an aggressive movement in this
zone were the same as those in the banana Z one to wit , ,

?
the desire to rob and to capture slaves ,
The motive
for defense became the motive for aggression The chief .

of a tribe at first had no system of revenue and as ,

his wants increased he found that his only resource ,

was in waging war and stealing from his enemies The .

tribute which the small semi independent Hausa and -

other States paid to the head chiefs of the federation of -

Gando and Sokoto consisted mostly of slaves and this form

, ,

of exaction was a constant provocation to the aggression

? ”
of one community upon another Experience teaches us ,

“
says Binger that as soon as a N egro chief commands
,

more than souls he dreams of empire ; his needs ,

augment and he seeks expansion As he has no budget .

,

all is deficit and it is necessary to hunt slaves in order to

” 5
make up the shortage .

During the era of the slave trade with the Europeans and
Americans the motive to make war for slaves was greatly
re énfo rc e d The large number of slaves living in every
.

village in many cases constituting two thirds of the p o pula

,
-

tion and the high price at which they could be sold were
, ,

extraordinary temptations to local r a z z i a s The whole .

region fermented with strife and villages and empires were

daily rising and falling with the fortunes of war ? Within
the limits of the Egba Kingdom in the Yoruba country
1
Schweinfurth V ol 1 p 2 5 8 , .
, . . P eville p
1
r , . 2 60 .

5
C l pp t n
a Journe y to Kouka and S k t
er o , ac a oo , pp 5 1 8 2 ; Stau di nger p
.
, , .
5 26 .

4
Robinson p 1 6 Vol 1 p 50 2
, . .C l ppe
5
.
, . .
5 a ton
r Secon d Expedit i on p
, ,
”
. 1 56 .
2 00 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

there were nearly three hundred towns destroyed in the

course of only fifty years ? I n the same period it is sai d
?
that not less than people were killed Along the
road from Kan o to Sokoto C la pp er to n fou n d the rui n s ,

of many villages whose inhabitants had been sold into

?
slavery
Another motive for aggression which was entirely absent
in the banana zone arose from the desire to propagate the
M ohammedan religion This religion had many followers .

among the N igritians and it was essentially proselyting

, ,

very j ealous of all rivals a n d always aggressive .

P erhaps another motive for aggr ession was national

pride As soon as a pe 0 p 1e acquire some knowledge
.

and some skill in the in dustrial arts a n d b ecome conscious

of such acquirement they begin to swell with pride and
,

enthusiasm for expansion This motive however was prob .

, ,

ably e ffective only i n the States under F ellatah control .

A ggr es s i v e P o w e r o f t h e S t a t e s G e n e ra ll y ( )
a I nflu .

e n ce of n a tu r a l b ou n da ri es — The aggressive power of the

States of this zone was limited along the coast in the west by
the net work of broad rivers and the numerous swamps and
-

lakes but in the higher and more O pen country there were
,

scarcely any impediments The most aggressive States .

were therefore in territories most exempt from natural limi

ta ti o n s .

6 S iz e e P o u la ti o n —
the more ope n areas the In
() o
f th p
largeness of the population added considerably to the ex
p a n si v e power of the States .

()c E co n o m i c R e so u r ce s — In ability to support a fi gh

. t
ing class the conditions were generally less favorable than
in the banana zone The foo d supply was limite d to what
.

could be cultivated and it was n ever superabu n dant The .

’
carrying on of war soon exhauste d the country s resources
1
Bowen p , . 107 .
2
'

Ib z at , p . 1 1 4.
5 “
Journey to Kouka an d S a cka too , p .
51 .
2 02 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

son ,
a F e lla ta h Sheikh named Othman dan F odio began
, ,

to preach a holy war against i nfidels H e suffered many .

reverses at the hands of the Hausa kings but at length suc ,

c e e de d in gathering around him a formidable army com ,

posed chiefly o f Hausas with which he established his sway

,

” 1
over the whole of the present Hausa States These States .

u nited came under the control of the sultanate of

to the head of the F e lla ta h Empire

,
The Hausas ?

shut in at the north by the Kan uris who had a still

r supply of horses and a still stronger cavalry and still
ater mixture of foreign blood .

( )
b M a n d i n go s — The M andingos were hel d in check
on the west by the Atlantic Ocean and on the north by the
pastoral F ellatahs with their irresistible cavalry They .

seemed to have no area open to them except in the east

whither they were slowly advancing The expansive power .

of the M andin gos however lay more in their commerce

, ,

than in their military operations The M an dingo traders .

were celebrated all over the western part of the Sudan .

They would go on extensive expeditions sometimes settling ,

permanently in distant towns and among people of other

nationalities They learned the di fferent dialects and grad
.

u a lly won the favor and gained the upper hand of their

neighbors Thus in Africa as elsewhere in the world the

.

flag has tended to follow commerce In the thi rteenth .

century the M andingos had built up the greatest empire in

?
Western Sudan But after the introduction of the horse ,

they were not able to hold their territory to the north against
the F ellatahs and other invaders Horses in the M andingo .

country do not thrive and people who use them must pur
?
chase them from outside a n d pay a high price
— The Yoruba Empire once occupied the
()
c Yo r u b a s .

area between Da h o mi on th e west Borgu on the northwest , ,

1 P . 1
5 .
1 Stau di nger p 5 1 5
, . .
5 Stan ford Vol , . 1, p . 2 60 .

4
B i nger Vol , . 1, p . 1 00 .
 P OLITI C AL LI F E IN TH E M I LLET ZO N E 2 03

th e Niger on th e ea s t Benin on the southeast and the coast

,

on the south ? But the invasion of the Hausas in 1 8 2 1

caused the empire to fall to pieces and at a later date it ,

was divided into a number of petty states of which that of ,

Egba in the west was the most important The whol eof .

2
Yoruba was for a time un der Hausa domination but it is
?
now under the sphere of influence of the British Its su
p e ri o ri ty over its coast neighbors was due largely to its
cavalrymen and to its more intelligent and more active
,

population If the slave trade had not disintegrated the

.

empire it would never have succumbed to the invading

Hausas .

D iffe r e n t F o rm s o f G o v e rn me n t (a ) Fa ci li ty for com .

m u n i ca ti o n a s a F a ctor — The general absence of natural

.

boundaries in this region was not favorable to centralized

forms of government In order to hold several communities
.

together in an open country it is necessary that the govern

ment have a military power which is able to reach to all parts
of the territory The fact is evi dent that only a highly
.

civilized State could organize and govern people scattered

over a wide and undefined area In this zone on account .
,

of the scattered nature of the population no S tate could

count with any certainty upon the loyalty of towns situated
remotely from the seat of power The towns at a distance .

from the centre of the government vacillated from one State

to another according to the amount of pressure brought to
bear upon them and consequently they retained in a large
,

measure local independence However the very diffi culties .

,

of holding the communities together made it necessary in , ,

so far as the power of the government could reach at all to ,

use despotic methods .

( )
b D i s tr i b u ti o n o
f W e a ltlt a n a
’
C b a r a c te r f
o til e P eo le
p .

— P ower in this zone was b ased upon the possession of

1
Cla pperto n , Secon d Expedition p 8 7 , . .
2
Staudinger p , .
53 2 .

Stan for d V ol 1 pp
5
, .
, . 2 49 , 386 .
2 04 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

w e a lth and not upon military prestige or aristocratic blood ,

a n d it was therefore not so easily concentrated The pe 0 p 1e .

generally put forth more e ffort to live than the inhabitants

of the banana zone they used their muscles and brains
,

more and consequently had a greater spirit of independence ,

as little as that may have been .

()
c A m ou n t o
f W a r a r e — The amount of warfare in
f .

this zone was less than in the banana zone yet there was ,

enough of it to bring about centralization of power but for

the fact above stated that the distribution of population
was such as to render political solidification very diffi
cult .

While some of the governments of this zone were rather

despotic as a rule they were mild and timid as compared
, ,

to those of the banana zone The people who possessed the

.

wealth demanded a voice in the government and all i m ,

portant questions were usually settled in free palavers ?

Com p a ri s o n o f t h e D i f
fer e n t F o rms o f G o v e rn m e n t .

The Hausa government consisted of a loose confeder

acy of a large number of little kingdoms owing a general
allegiance either to Gando or Sokoto This allegiance was .

shown by the payment of an annual tribute consisting

chiefly of S laves but it did not in any way prevent the little
,

?
kingdoms from carrying on war against each other Each
king or governor of any one of the confederated States was
ge n erally assisted in the control of public affairs by a coun
cil of men of wealth F or example at Kano there was a
.
,

serki or governor who was assisted by a council at the hea d ,

of which was the glt a la a i ma who often exercised more ln

’

flue n c e than the governor himself ?

The Yoruba govern ment was a weak kind of monarchy

which left all of the towns in the hands of the local chiefs
or governors who were almost indepen dent of the king .

1 From a Portuguese word pol a b ro = discussion , negot i ation

.

1
Robi nson p 1 6
, . .
5 F eatherman p , .
39 6 .
2 06 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

limited authority in time of peace and was recognized as

,

leader in time of war Prior to British intervention they

.

had been subj ugated by the Nubians ? The Bambaras had

a nearly absolute monarchy which was but slightly re
stri c te d by a representative body of nobles and members of

the army The villages were governed by the sons and

.

?
relatives of the king
P 51
1
. .
1 Featherman p 339
, . .
 C HA PTER XV I I

PO L I T I C A L L I FE IN THE MI L LET Z O NE (Conti nued )

S y st e ms of Ad mi ni str ti o n ( )
a . a L egi sla ti on i n tb c se v

—
'

er a l S ta tes A rn o n g
. the Hausas legislation was in the
hands of the governor of the state or city acting in con
j unction with a council of rich men or nobles Among the .

Yorubas it was in the hands of the king and the local gov
e rno rs or councils but sometimes the whole people assem
,

?
bled and made and administered the laws In each State
there was a council of chiefs and elders and a two thirds ,
-

?
vote was required for the enactment of a law H owever ,

the Ogboni secret society as mentioned in another connec ,

tion largely usurped the legislative functions ? and was the

,

power behind the throne The king had a number of

.

officers and advisers composing his council most of whom ,

?
were slaves
The le gislation in the other States was pretty uniforml y
divided between the king a n d some kind of council ‘

()
b E x ecu ti ve Ofi ce rs — The executive .o f
ficers of the
Hausa State consisted of a commander of the cavalry sev ,

eral j udges a chief of S laves a minister of finance a su

, , ,

p e ri n te n de nt of beasts of burden etc ?

In other States ,

there were councilmen varying in number according to the

size and importance of the government .

— The laws in this

()
c L a w s a nd
ju di ci a l P r o cee di ng s

zone were aimed mostly at the three cardinal African crimes

of theft adultery and murder In the region of the Niger
, .

theft was often punished by death ? Among the Bambaras

1
Bowen p 8
, .
3 1 . Ell i s Yoruba Speak i ng P eoples p 1 64
1
, , . ,

5
C ampbell p 4 2 ; F eatherman p 1 99
, .
, C ampbell p 6 1
. .
4
, . .

5
Featherman p 39 6 , . A llen and Thomson V ol 2 p 1 7 5
.
5
, .
, . .
2 08 TH E N EGRO RA C ES
1
theft adultery and murder were all capital o ffenses
,
The .

Hausas infli cted the death penalty for either murder or

adu ltery Theft was sometimes punishe d by cuttin g o ff the
.

2
han ds or by death H owever in this zone penalties were .
,

more often in the nature of co n demnations into slavery than

in the banana zone because of the greater value of men as
field workers The Hausas had a law forbidding any one to .

stroll about the streets at night and an o fficer would arrest ,

3
any one who committed such o ffe n se Any kind of .

rowdyism in the streets was strictly forbidden and those

4
found guilty of it were severely punished The Hausas .

had clearly progressed beyond th e private revenge stage of

development They had a good idea of law and order and .
,

offenses were dealt with in the interest of the public In .

5
times of peace robbery and murder were rare Regu lar .

6
policemen preserved order at the markets .

But the Yorubas had perhaps the most enlightened

criminal code of any people in this zone M urder treason .
,

and house burning were capital crimes and in some dis

-
,

tri c ts also theft robbery and adultery

,
M inor o ffenses were , .

7
punished by fine and imprisonment M en were imprisoned .

for debt and every town had a prison where debtors were in
carcerated A husband was held respo n sible for the debts
.

8
of his wife but not those of his children ,
C riminals who .

9
could not pay fines were flo gge d Theft was considered an .

o ffense against social o rder as well as an o ffense against the

10
individual Jurisprudence here as in Hausa was under
.
, ,

going a n evolution from a stage in which the family or

group protected its own rights and redressed its own
11
wrongs to that in which the State protected a n d pu n ished .

Trials were held before the chief of the town or before the
1
Featherman p 3 39 , . .
2
Staud i nger p 5 68 , F th m n
. .
s ea er a , p .
39 7 .

4
Staud i nger p 5 69 ,
. .
5 l é bfip 5 5 3
z , . Mi d .
5
, p .
5 69 .

7 Bo w en p 3 1 9 , . .
9 El li s
, Yoru b a Speaking P eopl es ,
”
p . 1 90 .

9 1 6 21 p 1 9
1 1 , . 1. 10 p 30 . 2 .
11
p . 2 99 .
2 10 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

then brought suit for damages and the case was argued with ,

all of the learning eloquence and verbosity for which the ,

Africans are celebrated On the one hand the legal talent .

set forth the enormity of the crime of killing an ass the ,

great loss to the owner a nd the great grief thereof On the .

other hand the lawyers for the defendant argued an offset

’
for the damage to their client s corn After three days of .

learn ed argument pro and con the court adj ourned without
, ,

‘
being able to arrive at a decision The Krumen in their .

j udicial proceedings required every witness to s w ear by ,

salt He had to dip his fingers in that divine article point

.
,

to earth and to heaven and then put his fingers in his ,

2
mouth Everybody had a right to call a palaver and the
.

litigants employed regular attorneys as was done by the ,

M andingos and sometimes the attorneys were brought from

,

3
towns two or three hun dred miles away Each town had a .

palaver house for the tri al of local cases and every two or ,

three years there was a grand palaver of the whole tribe at

,

which cases on appeal from the local palavers were finally

disposed of P erhaps something should be said here of the
.

M aghi method of legal procedure which was ce rtainly un

like that to be found in any other part of the world and ,

which had the merit of economy and promptness to say ,

nothing of its unerring j ustice When any of the M aghi .

people got into trouble they repaired to a holy rock called , ,

K o b shi which was the residence of a kind of chief j ustice

, ,

who instead of permitting lawyers to spar and squabble b e

,

fore him settled each case by requiring the plaintiff and

,

defendant to appear in court each with his best fighti n g ,

cock and always rendered a verdict in favor of the winni n g

,

”
bird When two men are litigating about a matter says
.
,

Barth each of them takes a cock which he thinks the best

,

fo r fighting and they go together to K o b sh i, Having ar .

rived a t the holy rock they set their birds a figh tin g a n d he ,
-
,

1
Park p 2 7 Bo w en p 39
, y u n l f
. .Af i n C u i
2
p 55 , . .
3 o r a o a n. r ca r ser , . .
 P OLITI C AL LI F E I N TH E M I LLET ZO N E 2 1 1

whose cock prevails in the combat is also the winner of the

point of litigation But more than that the master of the .
,

defeated cock is punished by the divinity whose anger he

has provoked and on returning to his village he finds his b ut
,
” 1
in flames .

The methods of executing criminals in this zone varied

much accor ding to locality and the character of successive
rule rs It must su ffice to name some of the methods men
.

ti o n e d from time to time by Europeans who have visited the

country C la p p ert o n referred to beheading hanging i mpa l
.
, ,

ing and c ruc i fix io n and Bowen referred to strangling with

2
,

3
a rope It is said that the Krumen were sometimes put
.

through a course of physical su fferi n g before execution e s ,

p ec i a lly in the case of war captives who were turned over to ,

4
professional female torturers to be lacerated with thorns In .

Yoruba an imaginary deity Oro an o fficer of the secret so , ,

c i e ty was considered the personification of legal punishment

, ,

and he went abroad at certain intervals to execute the j udg

ments of the society by decapitating all obj ectio n able per
5
sons . Women and girls remained shut up in their huts
while he was abroad which sometimes lasted thirty six -

hours As twenty or thirty women were often during this

.
,

time shut up in one hut the results were hundreds of li gh ts

, ,

6
and ten thousand quarrels .

Secret societies that assumed j udicial functions were

distributed over a great area of this as of the banana zone , ,

but they seem to have been confined mostly to the p o pula

tions near the west coast and to the M andingos and Bam ,

7
baras of the interior .

—
( The sources of revenue in this zone were
’
a R e ve n u e .

V ol 2 p 2 1 7
1 .
, . .
9
Journey to Kouka and S a ck a to o , p . 81 .

P 319
3 . .
4
y
ou r n a l f
o an Afr i ca n Cr u iser , p .
59 .

C ampbell p 4 2
5
, . . Bo w en p 1 40
0
, . .

H v l qu
7
opp e ac e, .
330, 33 1 Reclus Vol , .
3 , p . 2 03 ; Bowen p 3 1 9 ; F ather
, . c

mn p 3 2 1
a , . .
2 12 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

a bout the same as in the banana zone Among the Hausas the .

government made regular levies upon the local communities ,

taking away an a rb itrary portion of their yearly product ,

and whenever this did n o t su ffice a raid would be made for ,

what more was neede d When the chiefs of villages had .

an extra demand made upon them they did not hesitate to

seize their own wo men a n d children and sell them into
1
slavery The sultan of the F e lla ta h Empire of which Hausa
.

was a part demanded a share of all of the slaves taken

,

2
in raids Throughout the region of M ohammedan domina
.

tion the o fficials of the sultan had a right to steal as much

as they liked from their subj ects especially if the subj ects ,

3
were unconverted The rulers everywhere required pres .

ents from all traders who entered their towns or districts a ,

custom which was equivalent to regular duties on imports .

4

M ungo P ark it is to be remembered was killed on the

, ,

Niger in resisting an e ffort of a certain chief to exact double

5
payment The S h ulis depended for the support of their
.

government upon irregular tributes from the farmers When .

a Shuli chief went out on his periodic collecting tour he

rode on the back of one of his subj ects while one of his ,

wives went along to carry a j ug of beer to refresh the rider

and bearer If the tribute was not forthcoming he b e
.

6 ’
witched his subj ects goats and fowls and kept back rain , ,
.

The revenue of Yoruba was derived from the toll paid in

cowries upon merchandise brought into the towns and ,

sometimes a tax on corn paid in kind to the gatekeepers , ,

7
as each farmer brought in his crop P ublic labor such as .
,

8
the buil di n g of walls was done without compensation ,
.

The s u pport of the Samory Empire was obtained by ge n e ral

pillage a n d organize d slave raids A regular portio n of the .

1
C la pperto n , Second Exped i t i on p 1 89 ,
. . Staud i ger p 5 6 n , . 2 .

3 L an d er V ol 1 p 3 3
, .
y u n
, l . 0 .
4 o r a
fa n
o Af i C i p 1 2
r ca n r u ser , . 1 .

5
Duncan Vol p 1 80 , . 2 , . . Rec l us V ol p 44
5
, . 1, . .

7
Bo w en p 3 1 8 , . .
9Mid C ampbell p 96
.
, . .
2 14 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

federations to prevent their rise l The ruling classes pro .

c ee de d on the theory that society existed only for their

benefit and not that they existed for its benefit They either .

dozed or slept away the greater part of their lifetime or

?
spent it in the most childish and frivolous pursuits They
were generally loafers or slave hunters and in either case , ,

oppressors and from a moral point of view stood on a

,

?
lower level than the common people
( )
23 C om m o n T i es — The elements most favorable to
stability were racial kinship over a wide area and also to a , ,

considerable extent common language common economic , ,

life and common religion The mixture of Fe lla ta h and .

Nigritian blood which up to a certain point put cohesive

,

power into the population was fast becoming a source of ,

weakness as it tended to remove from the population e n

ti re ly the virile superior race .

c) F a m — The family life in this zone

( i l
y S ta tu s w as

slightly better organized but as a political element was still , ,

very weak because of the prevalence of the matriarchate .

i — I the matter of the political

f
’
(a O r d e r o S u ccess o n n .

succession therefore the pe 0 p 1e of this zone were no better

, ,

of f than those of the banana zone V ery often competition .

took place among the w omen of a deceased king to furnish

4
the heir to the throne and a change of rule was sometimes , ,

as in Da h o mi followe d by an interregnum of anarchy

,
?

N early all of the rulers in one way or another were elective ,

generally being chosen by the chiefs and elders and ratified ,

?
b y an assembly
It stands out pretty clearly that the larger a n d better
organized states in this zone were due m a great measure
to the collision between the sedentary Nigritians and the
1 B i ger V l p 5 2
n , o . 1 , . 0 .
2
L ander Vol , . 1, p .
31 1 .

3
Stau d inger pp 5 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 6
, .
, , .

4 B i nger Vol 2 p 43 ; A llen and Thomson Vol

, .
, .
, . 1, p .
325 .

5 Lander V ol 1 p 1 1 3
, .
, . .
5 C ampbell p , .
36 .
 P O LITI C AL LI F E I N TH E M I LLET ZON E 2 15

nomad and pastoral Fella ta hs There runs thro ugh all

.

history a struggle between herdsmen and tillers of the soil ,

and the conquest of the latter by the former always furnishes

,

an impetus to the formation of great states The tillers of

.

the soil furnish the necessary economic foundation a n d the

herdsmen the necessary power for govern ing .
 C HA PTER XV III

POL I T I C A L L I FE IN THE C ATTLE ZO NE

I n t e gr a ti ng F a c t o rs .
( ) a I nfl u e n ce f
o N a tu ra l Re
so u r ces — All of the politic al groups of this zone are now

under the sphere of influence of the F rench or British .

They comprise the once great F e lla ta h Empire the King ,

dom of Bornu among the Kanuris and numerous smaller ,

kingdoms among the Jo lo fs S o n gh a y s Ma linko p s Dinkas

, , , ,

S hillo o ks Nuers and Latukas

,
The combination of pastoral
.
,

agricultural and commercial life in this zone yields bounti ,

ful supplies of food except in occasional times of drought

,

and destruction of crops from locusts ; and hence in many

localities the populations are very dense as for instance , ,

among the sedentary tribes of the Nile In the west the .

areas suitable for agriculture are scattered and vary much ,

in size so that only in spots are dense populations possible

, .

—
()
6 I n va si o n s The Nigritians of this zone even more
than those of the banana zone have been subj ected to con
ti n ua l invasions . In the west the M oors Tuaregs and ,

F ella ta h s have overrun the country and in the east the ,

l
Arabs and B erb ers . It has been necessary therefore for , ,

the people to live together in fortified villages There have .

been no natural barriers to protect the pe 0 p 1e except in the

east where the numerous tributaries of the N ile have acted
as fortifications .

N F D —
()
c ece ss i ty a n d a ci li tyfor f
e e n se In the absence .

of natural barriers to keep out invaders each community ,

has been oblige d to protect itself by co operation and ex

termination o i its rivals Hence there has been a tendency
.

1 Featherman p , .
35 .

2 1 6
2 1 8 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

north and the millet zone on the south where the clamp
,

climate and absence of grass were unfavorable to cattle and

horses In the east the Nile and in the west the Niger
.
, , ,

and Senegal o ffered some obstacles to the spreading out of

,

several of the small and feeble kingdoms .

()o S i z e o P o u la ti
f p o n a n d E co n o mi c R es u r ces
o — I n the
central part of the zone the unobstructed nature of the
coun t ry the large masses of population and ample resources
,

were highly favorable to empire building .

o coo e r a te — The Arabs in the east and

()
c A b i l i t
y t p s

the F e lla ta hs in the west had the intelligence and impetus

to form States and they played the role of dominators in
,

their respective localities Among the pure Nigritians.

,

however the lack of intelligence and also lack of national

,

sentiment kept the groups apart and hostile to each

,

other so that instead of expanding it was more than

, , ,

they could do to defend themselves The ability to c o .

O pera te is connected intimately with the dry and i n vi go ra t

ing climate of the steppe regions from which the Arabs and
F ella ta h s came Spencer points out that all of the great
.

conquering races of the world have come from dry climates .

i i — The military forces of this zone

( )
’
a A l l t a r
y S tre n
g th
were more powerful chiefly because of the greater number of
horses available for the cavalry Indeed horses have played .
,

a great part in the mili tary drama of Eu rope Asia and ,

Africa and but for their existence the whole map of the
Western World would have been di fferent .

esi sta n ce ofB or de r S ta tes — There were no people

()
e R
on the borders of this zone strong enough to offer any
e ffective resistance to expansion O utside of the zone it .

was the absence of grass rather than the presence of hostile

armies that prevented the pastoral States from enlarging
their boundaries .

C o mp a ra t i v e A ggr e s s i v e P o w e r ( )
a Tb e
. F e lla ta /z s

H i sto ry of tlt ei r I n va si o n a n a C o n q u ests — The most power

’
,
 P OLITI C AL LI F E I N TH E C ATTLE ZON E 2 19

ful people of this zone were the F ellatahs They sprang .

originally no doubt from the Libyan branch of the Berbers

, ,

who played such an important part in the history of ancient

Egypt as invaders a n d conquerors F or a long time the .

Ber b ers occupied almost the entire northern part of Africa ,

a n d as late as the seventh century A D they occupied the . .

w hole region of the north except a narrow strip along the

coast ? This race which is in fact C auca sian was influenced , , ,

somewhat by the ancient Egyptians and by the successive ,

invasions into North Africa of the P h oenicians C a rth a gin ,

ians Greeks and Romans ; and later of the V andals and

, ,

other populations of Western Europe With the Arab in .

2
va sio ns beginning in the seventh century the Hami tic or ,

Berber populations were pressed southward and westward ,

and at the same time were absorbed to some extent by the ,

Arabs who infused their lang u age and imposed their relig
,

?
ion throughout a great portion of N orth Africa In the
conflict between the Arabs and Berbers the former had two ,

decisive advantages first the possession of the horse which

,

facilitated rapid moveme n t and second the possession of a , ,

common religion which aroused national sentiment and

passion for conquest The Berbers gradually adopted the .

religion of the Arab and at the same time his horse and
, , ,

thus they acquired the same advantages over the N egro of

the south that the Arabs once possessed over them .

Pressed by the Arabs from the north the Berbers began ,

?
to inv a de the Sudan in the thirteenth century The a d
va n c e d guard perhaps had not been indoctrinated with the

M ohammedan religion as some of the invaders even to , ,

this day hold fast to their primitive fetich beliefs and

,

?
practices

l R a tz el, story f M ank i nd Vol 3 p 24 1

Hi o ,
”
.
, . .

Keane M an P ast and P resent p 47 2

, : ,
”
. .

s u n p 4 7 3 ; Ratzel
, . H istory of M ankind
, Vol ,
”
.
3, p . 2 44 .

4 Ratzel H istory of M ank in d V ol 3 p 2 99

, ,
”
.
, . .
5 Lasnet, p .
40 .
 20 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

The whole history of the desert people is characterized

by such periodic waves of migration as the one here de
scribed and the reason for these phenomena is that the
,

pe 0 p 1e live in oases whose areas are as fixed as those of the

islands of the sea a n d therefore when the population over
,

flows it is necessary that the surplus numbers migrate e n

ma sse? Whenever a migration starts in one direction the
impact is communicated throughout the whole desert region .

These waves of migration mark the turning points in the

history of all the great nations of Asia and Africa and even ,

of Europe up to the tenth century .

According to some authorities the F ellatahs entered the

Sudan from the east and moved westward ? their starti n g
3
point being perhaps somewhere east of Lake C had while ,

others maintain that they entered from the west somewhere

?
about the Senegal River and moved eastward A very
recent and plausible theory to be noticed more fully in a n ,

other volume is that they were not immigrants at all but

,

branches of the original African stock havi n g acquired their ,

deviating peculiarities in th e h i ghlands of the Sudan and in ,

the Atlas M ountains ; their lighter color of hair and skin

being due to the altitude of their habitations But whatever .

their origin once in the Sudan they began to mix gradually

, ,

with the blacks and to assume a new physical type They .

became known to the people of the Sudan under a variety

of names all of which probably had a common origin in
, , ,

the word pu lo which among the western F ellatahs means , ,

red or light brown The Hausas called them F ella n i .

,

F ulani or Fo o lb e s the Kanuris called them F e lla ta h s? the

,

M andingos called them P ools and the Arabs called them

1
Ratzel A nthropogeographie V ol 1 p 483
, ,
”
.
, . .

2
Binger V ol 1 p 39 ; Den i ker p 443
, .
, . 2 , . .

3
Staud i nger th i nks that the F ellatahs are an A siatic people p , .
5 4 1 .

4
Ratzel H i story of M ank i n d Vol 3 p 98
, , .
, . 2 .

5
Den i ker p 443 , . .
 222 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

admittance into paradise Kano submitted without striking .

a blow Goober followed next and finally H a o o ssa C o b b i

, , , ,

Ya o ri and part of Ny ffe were subj ugated by the victorious

conqueror The F ella ta h s carrie d their victorious arms as
.

far as Yoruba and Bornu ? They penetrated into Baghirmi ,

W aday Darfur Adamawa and into the regions on both

, ,

2
sides of the Benue River but they nowhere constitute d a ,

maj ority of the population except perhaps in Futa Jallon ?

Under Othman the great empire of the F e lla ta h s was es

,

ta b lish e d and its capital located at Sokoto ?

F or a while it
included Bornu but after a bitter struggle the natives of
, ,

Bornu the Kanuris gained the upper hand

,
?
The rapid
,

conquests by the F ellatahs was greatly facilitated by the

depletion of the Negro populations through the ravages of
the slave trade Upon the death of Othman in 1 8 1 7 the
.

territory which he had conquere d was divided between his

brother Abd Allah and his son M ohammed Bello The .

former retained Gando as his capital and ruled over the

southwestern portion of the conquered territory whilst the ,

latter who was acknowledge d as the spiritual head of the

,

whole ruled from Sokoto over the remainder inclu ding

, ,

the important towns of Kano Katsena and Zaria ? At ,

the time of the British conquest in 1 903 the empire was

divided into three nominally independent kingdoms to wit , ,

Sokoto Gando and Adamawa but the sultan of Sokoto

, ,

7
exercised a kind of sovereignty over all H owever the .
,

treaty of 1 8 8 5 with Great Britain had already practically

placed the Fella ta h Empire under the British P rotectorate ?

Within the zone of grass the F ella ta h s had no trouble in

making conquests They had all of the resources for carry .

ing on e ffective and prolonged campaigns Their army of .

cavalry moved with irresistible momentum and the innu ,

1
Featherman p 38 , . 0 . Ratzel H i story
2
, of M ankind Vol ,
”
.
3, p . 2 97 .

V oid V o l 3 p 96
, .
, . 2 . Featherman p
1
‘
,
.
37 9 .
5 [ oi/vi , p . 2 79 .

5Ro bi nson p 5 , . 1 . Stau di nger p 5 3 , . 2 .

8 Stan for d Vol , . 2, p . 2 50 .
 P O LITI C AL LI F E I N TH E C ATTLE ZON E 223

m e ra b le her ds of cattle which followed the march supplied an ,

inexhaustible commissa riat Their fighting forces could .

come together quickly and escape the disasters of defeat by

rapid flight They not only knew how to conquer but had
.
,

the intelligence to organize States and to systematize the

machinery of government As Ratzel points out it has not .
,

been at all accidental but due to natural superiority that the

, ,

great conqueri n g and State fou n di n g people have come -

from the N orth F or example the Germans who migrated

.
,

in the early M iddle Ages to Italy France Spain and N orth , ,

Africa ; the Keltic invasion of Greece the desce n t of the ,

Aryans into India the conquest of C hina by the M anchurians

, ,

and the passage of the Toltecs and Aztecs from southwestern

North America to M exico ?
()5 T h e K a n u r i s — The next State of importance in

this zone was that of Bornu comprising for the most part ,

the Kanuris who h a d a strong admixture of Arab and

F ella ta h b lood The State dates back to the ninth century
.

when it arose under the influence of an invasion of Arabs ?

Its military strength lay i n its standing army which was

composed of several thousand cavalrymen The riders .

wore metal helmets with chin pieces and also coats of mail ,

made of iron chains which covered them from breast to knee .

Even the horses were defended by plates of iron b rass a n d ,

silver that fitted over their heads The weapons were spears .

six feet long battle axes which hung b y the saddle and
,
-
,

long daggers fastened by a strap to the left arm of each

rider The infantry carrie d muskets spears shields an ax
.
, , ,

like a scythe for throwing and sometimes bows and ar ,

?
rows Before the Kanuris were conquered by the
F ellatahs the king or sultan had
, armed men that had
?
been recru ited by his local chiefs After the fall of the
Fella ta h Dynasty the army consisted of an irregular sol diery
,

1 “
A n th rOpo geo gra ph i e ,
”
Vol . 1, pp 2 44 5 5 8
.
, .

2
Sta ford Vol
n , . 1 , p . 2 59 5 Wood p 693 , . .
4
Featherman p , . 2 18 .
2 24 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

who were the followers o fthe several petty sultans or chiefs

1
within the State and comprised in all about ,
men ,

including an artillery company equipped with twenty home

?
made can n on In time of war the sultan took command ,

accompan ied by an unlimite d supply of wives and a num ,

ber of his palace o fficials The real command of the army .

,
?
however was in the hands of a minister of war
, Instead of
salaries the soldiers received free allotments of land upon
,

which they earn ed their living? U pon the whole the ,

Kanuri army was the best equipped and most irresistible in

the Sudan .

—
()
c O th e r P eo
p les The other groups of this zone were
too weak to extend their domains In the regions of the .

Upper Nile the tribes had no regular army When war .

broke out some of the women and children were placed in

the centre of the village or cattle range while the men in ,

groups of eight or ten sallied forth against the enemy ,

throwi n g their iron pointed lances and flourishing their clubs

-

and sticks The defensive armor consisted of parrying

.

5 ?
sticks and shields made of bu ffalo hide
, Bows and arrows
were seldom used by the people alo n g the Nile and in some
?
localities they were entirely unknown
1
Roh l fs Vol 2 p 4 ; Stan ford Vo l 1 p 4 3
, .
, . Rohl fs Vol 2 p 4, .
, . 0 .
2
, .
, . .

3 Woo d p 690 , . Roh l fs Vol

. p 4 ; Stan ford V ol 1 p 4 3
4
, . 2 , .
, .
, . 0 .

5 Sch w e i nfurth Vol 1 p 5 4 , . , Featherman p 35

. 1 .
5
, . .

Sch w ein furth Vol 1 p 90 7

, .
, . .
226 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

C o m p a ris o n v ern me n t — The Fella ta h

of th e Fo r m s o f Go .

government was theoretically absolute but the authority of ,

the Sultan of Sokoto scarcely extended with any effective

ness outside of the limits of his capital In the several States .

of the empire the sultan was assiste d by an elective council

of elders l which exercised supreme authority and claimed
,

the right to depose the sultan if he were obj ectionable to the ,

pe 0 p 1e .

The Bornu government though theocratic in form was , ,

?
not at all absolute The authority of the sultan was limited
by a council held every morning composed of the royal ,

family o fficials of rank the Kanembe who represented the

, ,

freemen and lastly the captains of the army who by the

, , ,

3
way were mostly of slave origin
,
.

The government of the Ma li nko ps was a monarchy ,

but the real power was in the hands of the village hea dmen
who claimed the right to depose the king if the circum
stances j ustified it while the citizens of the villages some
,

times deposed their village headmen National affairs .

were left to the council of headmen which convened at the

’ 4
king s residence .

The Jo lo fs had a nominal sovereign presiding over a

number of districts each having its chief but the real gov
, ,

e rn m e n t was in the hands of the noble or free class whose

?
O pinions prevailed in matters of general interest

Th e S h illo o ks had a chief who shared authority with a

council of elders ? Thus it seemed that there was nowhere
in this zone an absolute form of government such as existed
in the Banana zone .

S y st e m o f G o v e rn me n t ( )
a L e
g i s la ti o n i n th e S ta tes .

Ge n er a lly — Legislation was as the facts already stated i h ,

1
F eatherman pp 3 7 5 , .
, 3 87 .
2
Wa i tz V o l , . 2, p . 1 39 .

5
Featherman p 80 , . 2 .
1
‘
p
.
31 5 .

5 [ b i Z p 3 5 9 ; Ratze l
o/ , .
, H istory of M ank i nd V ol
,
”
.
3 , p .
30 4 .

5
Featherman p 66 , . .
 P O LITI C AL LI F E IN TH E C ATTLE ZON E 22 7

dica te , a matter for the king or sultan assisted or influenced ,

by a p roperty holding aristocratic class

- .

()
b E x e cu ti ve O
fi ces — The F e lla ta h and Kanuri gov
.

e rn m e n ts were the only ones that had a systematized a d

mi n istration The head of the F e lla ta h a dministration was

.

the sultan who resided at Sokoto and was both political and
religious chief His council consisted of a chief adviser a
.
,

treasurer a commander of the army a steward a chief of

, , ,

the eunuchs and a sort of priest ma la m who wrote letters ;

, , ,

and finally a j udge who administered the la w l The pro .

v i n c ia l o f fices were sold to the highest bidders who were

usually the relatives of the sultan ; and upon the death of
an o fficer all of his property reverted to the sultan All
, .

inferior o ffices in the towns and provinces were in like man

ner sold to the highest bidder by the governors who also ,

?
inherited the property of their subordinates
The ruler of the Kanuris was assiste d in the administra
tion by a chief counselor or prime minister a secretary of ,

state a commander in chief of the army (who under th e

,
- -

F e lla ta h dynasty was always a slave) a minister of foreign ,

affairs who conducted the correspondence and regulated i n

te rc o u rse with strangers a g o vernor of the capital and a
, ,

secretary of the interior who made an annual tour of insp ec

tion throughout the empire reporting upon the administra ,

tion of the country the condition of agriculture a n d industry

,
?
,

c) —
( L a w s a nd
j u di ci a l P r oce e di n
g s The laws of this
zone were largely governed by a written code i e the , . .
,

Koran and were much more comprehensive than those of

,

the people near the coast Among the F e lla ta h s the Koran .

was their civil as well as religious law and was a lways ,

brought into court and read before sentence was passed

upon a criminal Adultery was punished by a flogging and
.

’
shaving the offender s head and theft by amputating a leg ,

1
Ratze l , Hi story fM an k i n d Vo l 3 p 30 6
o ,
”
.
, . .

2
C la pperton , Secon d Expeditio n p 64 ,
”
. 2 .
3
Featherman p , . 2 80.
2 28 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

or hand ? In Bornu there were regular tribunals and j udges

for all crimes and disputes The lower court was presided .

over by a Kadi whose j urisdiction w a s quite extensive but ,

from whose decisions appeals could be taken to the sultan .

’
The sultan s court was held on certain days of the week ,

attended by the district governors and the parties a n d wit

nesses concerned i n litigation Among the Malin k o p s cases .

of great moment were brought before the national council ,

?
and minor matters before the local council
The pen alti es and manner of executing the j udgments
of the courts varied much according to l o cality In case of .

murder the Kanuris delivered the cri minal to the relatives

of the victim who dashed out his brai n s with a club A .

thief who committed several offenses was punished by the

loss of a hand but if still a novice in the business he was , ,

only buried in the ground leaving his head well buttered ,

and honeyed above the surface as a banquet table for flies

, ,

?
and mosquitoes
— The revenue of most of the states was
( )
’
a R e ve n e
u .

derived from slaves sheep grain and salt paid as tribute , , ,

by the local chiefs and villages ? and from traveling mer

chants who were required to pay for the privilege of passing
through the kingdoms The income of the F ellatah empire .

was derived from the sale of offices and from wholesale

?
plu n dering of Negro settlements The sulta n took two
thir ds of the dates and other fru i ts sold in Sokoto and b e ,

re n ted stalls and collected ta x es on all arti cles sold in the

?
markets In Bornu the S heikh re gulated th e markets and
collected a commission on all sa l es amountin g to more than

Featherman p 3 7 5
1
Ib i fi p 3 1 5
, . Denham P 2 45
.
2
a , . .
3
,
°

Barth V L 2 p 5 64 ; Ratzel H istory f M ankind V ol 3 p 30 6 ; L 1

4
, O . .
, o ,
”
.
, .
2 1 ”

d er V ol p 99
, . 1 , . 2 .

L or i n p 2 4 ; L an d er V o l
5
p 8 2 ; Ratzel H i story of M an k ind Vol 3 ”
5 , .
. 1, . 2 , ,
. .

p 306
. .

C l ppe t n
5
a Secon d Expedition p 2 64
r o , , . .
2 30 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

priority of birth having been conferred by the nation on

,

three of the most distinguished men of the country 1 .

Among the Jo lo fs succession was in the female line subj ect

?
to the approval of the nobles and was sometimes elective ,

Among the S h illo o ks the throne did not pass in di rect line
’
from father to son but to the mother s child or some other
,

relative on the femal e si de ? An exception to the general

rule seems to have been found in the case of the Ma lin ko ps
where succession was in the male line this having been ,

due if it was a fact at all and the writer questions it prob

, ,

?
ably to Arab i n fluence
E st i m a t e o f t h e F e ll a t a h P o w e r — Notwithstanding the .

superiority of the F ellatahs in intelligence and ability to found

States they did not have the elements of stability nor the
, ,

power of promotin g progress that their racial supremacy at

first seemed to promise The empire was held together .

more by religious zeal than by national sentiment based

upon common political economic and cultural interests or , ,

e ffective coercive power F or this reason many of the .

States that composed the empire were in a high degree i n

dependent a n d refractory The most serious drawback .

was that they as well as the N igritians lacked the patri

, ,

archal form of the family and the institution of succession

to power and property in the male line Succession to .

power among them was not uniformly hereditary but fol

lowe d from sultan to his councilmen in the order of their
importance ? and rulership in the subordinate States was
?
ge n erally elective In the next place the Fella ta h s were
naturally averse to systematic warfare Like thei r Berb er .

ancestors they were devoted to their pastoral and commer

,

c ia l pursuits and fought only incidentally when their eco

nomic con ditions rendered it necessary i e when they , . .

,

1 Barth V ol 2 p 2 7
, . Featherman p 35 9
, . .Reclus V ol
2
, . .
5
, . 1, p . 122 .

4 Featherman p 3 5 , Ratzel H i story fM ankind Vol

. 1 .
5
, o ,
”
.
3, p .
306 .

5
L n t p 5 4 ; F eatherman p 3 7 5
as e , .
, . .
 P O LITI C AL LI F E I N TH E C ATTLE ZO N E 23 1

needed new pastures or were in quest of booty It was not , .

to their taste to give up their traditional mode of life and

submit to the discipline of a standing army Therefore .

they imposed the duty of regular military service upon

slaves and serfs often turning over to them the places of
,

command Their stan ding army of cavalryme n and

.

archers even to comman ders was made up of slaves ?

,

This policy weakened the force of the army and de mo ra l

i z e d the N egro population which did not yield readily to the
commanders of their own race The Fe lla ta h s of F uta .

Jallon found the practice of enlisting N egro soldiers so un

satisfactory that they were compelled to aban don it and ,

to prohibit the Negroes from carrying a gun or even a bow ,

?
without permission In other districts the employment of
?
N egroes in the army continued but with baneful results ,

F inally the gradual mixture of F ellatah with N egro blood

was tending as Ratzel says to drag down the higher race
, , ,

undermine its spirit and cause the States which it had

formed to dissolve and disappear in the ocean of Negro
disintegration and timidity .

The F e lla ta h s therefore had no great future to contem

plate i h the Sudan Their empire as that of all previous
.
,

pastoral people terminated with the empire of grass The

, .

F ellatahs said Ellis fight on horseback— hence they could

, ,

” 5
not fight in the forest Their manner of life did not fit .

them for penetrating the regio n s of the Equator and even ,

if they had advanced in that direction the more prolific ,

Negro population would have absorbed and obliterated

them before they could have gained su fficiently in numbers
to establish a permanent footing The F ellatah women .

1Ratzel H i story f M ankind Vol 3 p 305

, o ,
”
.
, . .

2
Feather man p 3 7 6 , . .

5
Ratzel H istory of M ank i nd Vol 3 pp 305 306
, ,
”
.
, .
, .

4 “H istory f M ankind V ol 3 pp 2 9 3 300 30 1

o Binger says that whe
,
”
.
, .
, , . t

ever the F ellatahs came in contact with the M an d ingos that the former were
drowned and absorbed V ol 1 p 3 9 5 , Tshi Speak i ng P eoples p 3 3 2
.
, . .
5
, . .
232 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

usually have only three or four children as compare d to six

?
to a dozen among the pure Nigritians Rohlfs thought
that at the rate of intermixture prevai ling in his time the
F ella ta h s would be ab sorbe d a n d blotte d out in a few gen
?
e ra ti o n s Thus what was gained by mixture with a
superior race had a tendency to be neutralized by a b so rp
tion .

The racial intermixture and the climatic conditions to

gether seeme d to com b ine to bring abou t the degeneracy of
the F ellatahs as soon as they advanced too far into the South .

M iss Kingsley with her rare insight once remarked that as

, ,

long as they have plenty of sand and the chance of perish

” 3
ing now and again for want of water they will flourish , .

As a result of contact with the N egro the character and i n

st ituti o n s of the F e lla ta h s seemed to receive more and more

of a savage stamp particularly in the direction of more

,

merciless and cruel treatment of their subj ects which is a ,

characteristic of N egro rulers Referring to the F e lla ta h de

.

n Lady Lu a rd writes
g e e r a c y g
“
The j u dicial system of the Hausas already founded ,

on M ohammedan institutions and adopted in the first i n ,

stance by the conquerors was allowed to fall into disuse , .

C ourts continued to exist but the Alk al is who should have

,

presi ded over them and dispensed j ustice according to

Koranic law irremovable from their positions as the j udges
,

of Great Britain were either disregarded as in some cases

, ,

by the great chiefs who held their o w n courts a n d gave deci

sions at their own will or overruled by the emir or worse
, ,

’
still subj ected to the a uthority of the emir s favorite slaves
, ,

who decreed to their enemies inhuman punishments of their

own invention F or the nails to be torn out with red hot
.

pincers for the limbs to be pounded one by one in a mort ar

,

while the victims were still alive for important people who ,

1 Roh l fs Vo l 2 p 1 6
, .
, . 1 .
2
Vol . 2,p . 2 14 .

5 A r ticle L i fe in West A frica in B , r it i sh Afr i ca , L ondon , 1 90 1 , Vol . 2, p .

3 7 8 .
 C HA PTER XX

POLITI C A L L I FE IN THE C A MEL Z O NE

I nt r eg a t i ng F a c t o r s er The Tibbus
a nd A ggr e ssi v e P o w .
—

are scattered over a wide mountainous area and divided into

segregated groups made necessary by the narrow valleys in
which the people must find pastures for their camels and
other animals F rom the surrounding desert regions the
.

T ua re gs and Arabs make frequent incursions into the Tibbu

settlements for the purpose of stealing their camels horses , ,

goats and dates On the other hand th e Tibbus themselves

.
,

make raids outside of their territory and come into collision

1
with the races of the Sudan or with the Tuaregs over the ,

salt mines of Bilma ?

Therefore they are obliged to effect
some kind of organization for defense Their scant resources .

would naturally tempt them to make continuous aggressions

upon their immediate neighbors in the desert but they find ,

at their elbows more powerful races against whom they are

unable to cope Their problem is more one of defense than
.

of attack Whenever they receive warning of the approach

.

of the Tuaregs or Arabs they take refuge on the top of a

rock carrying with them by means of ladders all of their
, ,

portable property and abandoning their animals to the i n

,

vaders The Tuaregs not only steal their animals but carry
.

?
away their people to sell into slavery The natural barriers
separating one Tibbu group from another do not favor con
centration of power and the people therefore are grouped ,

upon a trib al rather than upon a political basis having ,

?
really no organization that deserves to be called political
1 Barth V ol 2 p
, 8
5 3.
,
Ratzel . A nthropogeographie
.
2 V ol 1 p 45 4
, ,
”
.
, . .

Wood p 70 5 5
, . .

‘ Rohl fs V ol 1 p 2 64 ; Ratzel H istory of M an k ind Vol 3 p 2 64

, .
, . , ,
”
. , . .

2 34
 P O LITI C AL LI F E I N TH E C A M EL ZON E 2 35

The ir aggressive activi ties are limited to predatory attacks

upon their own race and upon the passing caravans Every .

Tibbu must keep himself in readiness for an attack and even ,

women find it necessary to wear daggers conce aled under

their robes ? The men have formidable weapons such as
lances j avelins poniards broad swords and knives for
, , ,
-
,

hurling besides the more recently introduced fire arms

,
.

Their defensive armor consists of leather shields ?

F o rm a nd C h a ra c t e r o f th e G o v e m e
rn n t — The absence
of political protection and the consequent necessity for each
’
man s protecting himself together with the energy and i n ,

telli gence required in providing means of subsistence in this

bleak and bare region naturally tend to develop a spirit of ,

independence which is not at all favorable to a political

,

despotism N evertheless the influences of their religi on

.
,

would in a measure overcome this independence and cause

them to yield to the arbitrary power of the sultan if they
were more compactly groupe d Their form of government .

represents a transition from the despotic Negro régimes of

the south to the somewhat free and i n dependent govern
ments of the Tuaregs Berbers and Arabs of the N orth and,

?
West In contrast to the Sudan N egroes the Tibbu ruler ,

has no power of life and death and levies no tax or tribute , .

His only revenue consists of toll levied on caravans a n d a

?
share of the booty taken in raids H e is not a law giver -

?
but acts only as a sort of arbiter in cases of dispute The real
government is in the hands of the nobility or capi talists i e , . .
,

those who own the camels goats and other animals , .

Some elements of stability are given to the Tibbu so

c ie ti es by common race common language religion and
, ,

economic conditions but the transmission of power as, ,

among the other Negroes of Africa is not established upon ,

1 Ratzel H i story of M an ki nd V ol
, ,
”
.
3 p 2 62
, . Featherman p
.
2
, .
756 .

5 Ratzel H i stor y f M ank i nd Vo l

, o ,
”
.
3 p, 2 64
. .

5 Roh l fs Vol 1 p 2 62
, .
,Ratzel
. .
5
, H istory of M an k ind V l 3 p ,
”
o .
, . 2 64 .
2 36 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

any solid basis In some localities succession is in the

.

female line a nd elsewhere the rulers are chosen alternately

,

from different families of the nobility ? Wealth in the form

of movable property is very unstable everywhere in the
world and furnishes a precarious basis for the transmission
of power or the perpetuation of an enlightened and ex p e ri
e nc e d ruling class .

G e n e r a l C o n s i de r a ti o n s — The facts presented in reference

to the treatment of criminals in the several zones seem to
lend probability to the theory that in j udicial evolution the ,

righting of wrongs committed within the tribe was first a t

tempted by appeal to supernatural agents i e to the ordeal , . .
,

a n d i n tervention of the witch doctor and not as commonly -

,

supposed by means of private revenge There seems to be .

no syste m of private revenge anywhere in the zone of the

banana for the reason that the people are so overawe d by
,

fear of evil spirits that they dare not reta liate for any wro n gs
that they may su ffer After the change from the tri b al to
.

the political organization a wrong done to an indivi dual

,

comes to be regarde d as an offense against the public and ,

even then appeal is often made to the ordeal witch doctor ,

-

or priest to obtain redress The general practice o f blood

.

revenge is only compatible with a solid family or tribal

orga n ization such as exists among pastoral a n d patriarchal
people or those who are less under the bondage of su
,

rsti ti o n It arises from love of family j ust as patriotism

p e .

arises out of love of country and people In Africa the .

family is too much disorganized to give birth to a sentiment

of family pride and honor .

There seems to be a close correspon dence in the several

zo n es between the concentration of wealth and the con
centration of political power In the banana zone the
.

aristocratic or property class is proportionately small and

compact and political power exists there in its most con
,

1
Ratzel H i story f M ank in d Vol 3 pp 64 69 F eatherman p 7 5 5
, o ,
”
.
, . 2 , 2 , . .
2 38 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

the power of men to exercise self restraint and to act wisely -

,

upon individual initiative The more they subordinate their

.

animal instincts and passions and develop their higher ,

mental faculties the less willingly they will submit to exter

,

n al restraints a n d the less such restraints become necessary .

The fa ul t, dea r B rutus, i s no t in o ur sta rs

B ut i n l
o urse ves th a t we a re under l ings
.
”

“
The free man says C arlyle is he who is loyal to the
, ,

”
laws of th e universe But the maj ority of mankind are
.

unacquainted with the laws of the universe and cannot be

reached by appeal to reason or conscience and hence ,

checks to their savage nature must be brought about by

force The lash the prison the gallows the j avelin sword
.
, , , , ,

and cannon and the despotic master and king are every
, ,

’
where and in all ages the advertisement of man s inability
to govern himself The politica l institutions in Africa as in
.
,

all other countries are fairly well adj usted to the status of
, ‘

the people .
 C HA PTER XXI

C USTO MS, C E R E MO NI ES A ND THE S PE CTA CUL A R IN

THE B A NA NA Z O NE

G e n e r a l P u rp o s e of C u st o ms , C e r e m o n i e s , E t c .
- P eople
everywhere particularly savages have many strictly o b
, ,

served customs ceremonies a n d many kinds of spectacular

,

displays of which some have reference to the economic life

, ,

some to the family life some to the social life some to the p o
, ,

litica l life and some to the religious life It is probable that .

,

all of them have or have had some important significance

, , ,

although in particular instances their meaning may not be

easily traced or understood but in every case they have come ,

into existence for the purpose of exercising some kind of con

trol over the people to habituate them to certain desirable
,

things or to deter them from inj urious or undesirable things

, .

They are important as a discipline to conduct and conscience ,

“
and may be rightly considered at least in part as an outward , ,

” 1
expression of ethical principles The people who observe .

them may not be and often are not aware of their origin
, ,

and purpose since lapse of time has caused the origin to be

,

lost sight of .

Ta b o o s o n F o o d E t c — A very common custom in this

,

zone as in savage countries generally is that of placing a

, ,

taboo upon certain kinds of food F or example among the .

,

B a ssa m ese the sorcerers and m edicine -men have alone th e

,

right to feed on milk a n d the belief prevails that if a pro

,

fane person were to partake of this sacred beverage the

cows would go dry or something else go wrong The co m .

1 Small and Vincent p , . 2 64.

2 39
2 40 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

mon pe 0 p 1e are forbidden to eat the flesh of the hog the ,

h e goat and the dog or to parta k e of certain kinds of fish

-
, , ,

which if eaten woul d cause death In some parts of this

, .

zone the privilege of fishing in certain waters is reserved to

the king ; in other places fishing is inter dicted to the com
mon pe 0 p 1e two o u t of every three days and whoever con ,

tra ve n es this prohibition will surely be devoured by a ,

crocodile In some localities ya rn s are not allowed to be

.

eaten until the chief has had the first taste of them and in
other localities white hens are considered sacred and are
killed only for sacrificial purposes ? M iss Kingsley says that ,

in C alabar each person is under a multitude of restrictions

,

?
as to his kind of food method of eating and so forth ,
Such ,

customs together with the fictions that support them very

, ,

likely arise from the scarcity of certain kinds of foods and

the desire of the ruling classes to have a monopoly of them ,

and when such customs are once established they are gen
e ra lly perpetuated as a means of keepi n g up class distin c

tions In civilized societies they are enacted into what are

.

known as sumptuary laws a good account of which may be ,

” ’
found in R o sc h er s P olitical Economy .

Y a m C ust o m s — Yam C ustoms are held in this zone

twice a year ; once when the crop is planted in December ,

and again when it is ripe in September They are always .

occasions of great freedom and result in unsettling law

?
and order for days N o one may eat yam until the Sep
tember festival which lasts two weeks during which a
, ,

?
criminal is sometimes sacrificed as a than k o ffering These
festivals probably originated from an e ffort to propitiate the
evil spirits that bring about the destruction of crops but in
the course of time the propitiatory motive came to be sup
planted by the feeling o f thanks to the S pirits for having
1
Featherman p 1 40 , . Kingsley Travels in West A frica p
.
2
, , .
30 9 .

5
Kingsley West A frican Stu di es p 1 49 , . .

1
‘
Ell i s
, Tshi Speaking P eoples p 2 9 ,
”
. 2 .
2 42 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

turn his back until she had passed out of sight H er a p .

proach was always announced by a female slave who pre

ceded her and j ingled a bell ?
C eremonies of respect on part of children for their par
ents are observed in this zone only in a few places for the
reason that there is little authority exercised over children .

The children in most cases belong to the mother and not to

the father and there are no ceremonies of respect to fathers
,

except where descent is traced in the male line .

In Da h o mi for example where primogeniture prevailed

, ,

among the ruling classes a child was obliged to kneel to ,

speak to its father and when grown to treat him as one of

,

the great men of the country ? A S imilar ceremony of

?
respect was sho w n by the younger to the elder brother
C e re m o n i e s a n d C u s t o ms t o D e n o t e C l a ss D i st i n c ti o n s .

A S soon as society becomes divi ded into castes and classes

there arise appropriate ceremonies and customs having for
their obj ect to distinguish the higher from the lower orders ,

and especially to prevent the lower from encroaching upon

the higher Generally the more arbitrary and rigid the
.

division into classes the greater and more humiliating the

,

ceremonies In Da h o mi all subj ects used to prostrate them

.

selves in the presence of the king and any one who received ,

a message from him was made to get down on his knees and
kiss the ground ?
In the Niger region every one ben ds the
knee S lightly in passing a superior and as a mark of great ,

respect men prostrate themselves and strike their heads

against the ground Slaves salute their master the first
.

thing in the morning prostrate themselves before him a n d ,

make flattering speeches When one chief visits another ?

,

he who receives the visitor if of a higher rank remains seated ,

if of equal or lower rank he rises and embraces the visitor ,

?
or prostrates himself at his feet
1
Duncan Vol
, . 1, p
. 2 57 . p 2 45
2
Foa , . .

4 Dunca n V ol
, . 1, p . 2 18 .
5
A llen n d Thom on V ol 1 p
a s , .
, .
39 2 .
5 Foa p
, . 2 46
.
 C USTO M S IN TH E BANANA ZON E 43

Special privileges and proscriptions of dress have always

been and are everywhere enforced by primitive governments
to preserve class distinctions F or example the Da h o m i .
,

government decreed that certain fabrics and colors might be

worn only by the royal family Any subj ect who dared to .

wear cloth used by the king was fined ? O nly the king and
o fficers of State could use an umbrella ? and only the aristo
?
cratic cl a ss could use stools wooden doors and long pipes ,

Similar regulations prevailed in Ashanti ?

R e ga l S p ec t a c ul a r — Referring to the kingdom of Benin in
.

’
the seventee nth century Ogilby said By the king s Order ,

yearly F estivals are kept in C ommemoration of the deceased ,

kings ; wherein they make horrible Sacrifices of M en and

Beasts to the number of four or five hundred but never
, ,

more than three and twenty in a day most of them M ale ,

’ ’
factors who have dese rv d Death and reserv d in the Trunk
of a Tree for this Time But if it happen that there be not .

M alefactors then the king to compleat the number sends

, , ,

for some of his Servants in the Evening into the Streets to

take all those that go without Lights and bring them into the
P rison If the surprised be a poor or idle person he must
.
,

expect no favor but hurried to prison soon receives his

, ,

”5
doom ; but a rich M an may redeem himself .

In Da h o mi and Ashanti the inau guration or demise of a

king was the occasion of much pomposity A new king was .

ushered into o ffice by a great fete consisting of a parade of ,

the military forces dancing singing and carousing When

, , .

a king died in Da h o m i the impressiveness of the funeral

ceremony was e nc h a nce d by placing on the parade grounds
6
several thousand human S kulls and by beheading several
hundred human beings to accompany the deceased into the

1
Ellis , Ew e Speak i ng P e ples p 1 7 1o , . . M p 171 2 1 , . .

2 Ratzel , H istory f M ank i nd Vol 3 p

o ,
”
.
, . 1 2 6 ; Ellis,Ew e Spea k ing P eoples
“
,

p . 171 .

4 B ackenbury p
r , .
33 1 .
5
P .
47 7 .
5 Dunca n Vol , . 2, p . 27
5 .
2 44 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

other world And in ad dition to the great celebration on

.

’
the occasion of each king s death public festivals called, ,

customs were held annually in honor of all of the kings that

,

had gone to the other country At these customs many fresh

.

victims were sacrificed in order to replenish the royal retinues

of the other world Describing one of these customs in
.

Da h o m i Wood says that the reigning king decked in all of

, ,

his finery appeared on a high platform surrounded by his

,

favorite wives while below him were throngs of people who

, ,

scramble d for the cowries thrown at their feet The sa c rifi .

c i a l victims were now brought forward each being gagged ,

in order to prevent him from cry ing out to the king for
mercy . They were firmly secured by being lashed
inside of a basket so that they could move neither head ,

hand nor foot ; the king arose a n d with his

own hand and foot pushed one of the victims o ff the plat
form into the midst of the crowd below whe re he was torn ,

limb from limb while aroun d each portion of the still quiver
,

ing body a mass of infuriated N egroes were fighting like so

many infuriated dogs over a bone ? C anot mentions in
connection with one of these customs that a short distance
from the palace was an enclosure nine feet high surrounded ,

by a pile of briars within which were fastened to stakes fifty

,

captives who had been selected for the immolation The .

ceremony began by a parade of the Amazons before th e

king after which at a given signal they leaped over the
, ,

briar enclosure lacerating their flesh and each seizing a

, ,

captive a n d dragging him to the feet of the king Then .

? ’
began the work of chopping o ff the captives heads Those
who preferred to commit suicide were permitted to do so
after which their bodies were thrown into a big reservoir .

Sometimes such ceremo n ies were enlivened by a cannibal

feast which fille d the air with the aroma of roasted human
?
fl esh It is said that as many as 5 00 human b eings were
1
VV d p 65 1
oo , . . P 2 68 Reclus V ol 3 p 2 6
2
. .
5
,
.
, . 2 .
2 46 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

power and cruelty was intended to impress the crowd and ,

especially th e strangers present of the d a nger of incurring ,

the displeasure of the great Ashanti king?

At the end of military campaigns the Ashanti generals
usually sent to the capital the dried and smoked j aw bones -

of the men slain in battle for there was an unwritten law ,

that the army could not return to the capital without

trophies In case of an unsuccessful campaign the army
.

would dig up some of the j aw bones of their own pe 0 p 1e -

who had been o ffered in sacrifice to the gods and substitute ,

?
them for the trophies of slain enemies
P a l a ti a l S p e c t a c u l a r —Scarcely anything is more i m
.

pressive among primitive people than a large and gaudy

edifice and the kings a n d princes are not slow to realize
,

this fact The king s palace at Da h o mi consisted of a vil

.
’

lage of separate houses enclosed by a wall of which the top , ,

?
was ornamented with thousands of human skulls The in
te ri o rs of th e houses were embellished with all of the articles

of wealth of which the country could boast as well as with a ,

great quantity of European furniture utensils a n d bric ,

’
a brac
-
.One human S kull surmounted the king s staff o i -

of fice and three human skulls supported his foot stool -

.

S p ec ta cul a r i n D re ss — Another manifestati on of the

.

spectacular life is shown in the costumes of the privileged

classes Of course the most gaudily dressed person in any
.
,

State is the king The quantity of gold and ivory in the

.
,

form of rings bracelets necklaces and what not usually dis

, ,

played on an African M onarch is to say the least amazing , ,

.

His garments are of the finest native fabrics to which are ,

often ad ded the richest S ilks velvets and other stuffs of ,

Europe Describing the dress of the Ashanti king in 1 8 7 3

.

Stanley said A tunic of crimson velvet covers his body his

, ,

loose M oorish pantaloons are made of the same stu ff a ,

1 Ellis , Tsh i Speaking P eoples p , . 2 48 .

2
El l i s , Tshi Speak i ng Peop l es p , . 2 67 .
5 Duncan Vol
, . 1, p .
 C USTO M S IN T HE BANANA ZON E 2 47

bro ad band of gold encircles his waist a ca p or turban of ,

silk richly embroidered covers his head : his weapons a re

, ,

”
decorated profusely with the precious metal Lander de .

scribe d the dress o i an Ibo king as consisting of a cap of a

sugar loaf shape covered with strings of coral a n d pieces of
-
,

broken looking glass : a Spanish surtout rather too short

-
,

gold epaulettes and front overspread with gold lace : four

,

teen bracelets o n each wrist and coat S leeves torn o ff to ,

-

S how them : trousers o fsame material as coat but cut o ff to ,

expose his leg bracelets and a string of brass bells that e n

-

circled his ankles Thus splendidly clothed Obio smiling .

,

at his own magnificence vain of the admira tion that was ,

paid him by his attendants flattered by the presence of ,

white men who he imagined were struck with amazement

, , ,

at the splendor of his appearance shook his feet for his bells ,

to tingle and sat down with the utmost self complaisance and -

looked around him ?

The Dahoman priests and priestesses always wear
some kind of peculiar costume and otherwise make their ,

persons odd and conspicuous They shave one half of their .

-

heads and leave the other half to grow long tufts of hair .

The head dress of the priests is usually a white cap while

-
,

the priestesses decorate their heads with a rich array of

?
feathers beads and cowries
,

C e re m o n i e s A ri s i ng fro m S y c o ph a n c y — C ertain practices .

owe their origin in this zone to sycophan cy Without any .

initiative perhaps on part of the king his subj ects or i n ,

feri o rs seek in all possible ways to flatter him and magnify

his greatness They fawn at his feet and lavish upon him
.

thousan ds of complimentary phrases and thousands of little

attentions with the hope of receiving some crumbs from his
,

royal table or of escaping some exaction Illustrations of

, .

ceremonies of this kin d may be found in all of the kingdoms

1 C oomass i e
“
p 64 , ,
.
V ol 2 p 2 1 4 2 . . .
,

Ellis Ew Speak ing P eoples p 1 46

5
, e , . .
2 48 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

of this zone but especially in those of Ashanti and Da h o m

, i .

During the public processions in Ashanti it was the custom ‘

for all of the important chiefs to be followed by a group of

parasites whose business it was to proclaim in boisterous
song the great dee ds of their masters ? Whenever the king
took a drink an atte n dant who always followed him held a
?
bowl under his chin to catch the royal drippings When
’
the king s mother went abroad she was sometimes carried
in a basket followed by slaves who suspended large fans
,

?
over her head as protection from the glare of the sun If
the Dahoman king happened to sneeze while holding court ,

the whole assembly would burst into S houts of benedictions ,

or if he took a drink in public drums would be beaten guns , ,

fired rattles shaken and all of the courtiers would bend to the
,

?
ground and clap their hands M any a modern sycophant
who fawns at the feet of his social political or economic ,

master may see in this African mirror a true image of him

,

self.

R e l i gi o u s C e r e m o i
n e s — Religious ceremonies vary in
amount according to the density of population and the ex
tent o i the development of a priesthood They arise from .

the same motives as the political ceremonies The fetich .

man or priest in order to impress the public with his super

human powers goes through a lot of gymnastical per ,

fo rm a nc e s and dresses himself in the most astonishing para

,

p h e rn a lia and when

,
called upon to o fi
f c i a t e on public
occasions he seeks to magnify his functions by as much
,

display of ceremony as possible All of this appeals to his .

vanity and increases his control over the masses His whole .

life being devoted to the manipulation of the people a n d ,

other world spirits he is naturally inclined to envelop him

-
,

self a n d his practice in as much mystery as possi b le H e .

has his incan tations for naming chil dren and for initiation ,

1
Freeman p , . 1 4 8. 2 I bi ai ,p 13
. 0 .
5 Brackenbur y p , .
33 1 .

1
‘
Woo d , p . 643 ; Duncan V ol , . 1, p . 222 .
 C HA PTER XXI I

C USTO MS , C E R E MO NI ES A ND S PE CTA C UL A R IN
THE MI L LET C ATTLE A ND C A ME L Z O NES ,

Mi ll et Z o n e .
- In
the millet zone the customs ceremonies ,

and spectacul ar displays are much the same as in the

banana zone except where the people are influenced by the
M ohammedan religion M arriages are everywhere cele .

b ra te d with about the same sort of noise and S haking of

feet A peculiar kind of etiquette among the Yorubas re
.

quires that when a betrothed girl meets in the streets any of

the wives of her fia nc é she must salute them by falling on ,

her knees ? Wives must prostrate themselves before their

husbands and sons must prostrate before their mothers and
,

?
senior female relatives At the court of Samory the death ,

penalty used to be visited upon any man wh o S howed any

’
politeness to the king s wives If a man met one of them it .

was his duty to turn out of the road ?

In all of the i m
portant kingdoms of this zone the subj ects are required to
prostrate themselves before the king In Yoruba after .

sprawling before his maj esty the subj ects must rise and clap
?
their hands P ublic ceremonies of one ki n d or another are
very common but not so often attended with human sacri
, ,

fices Yam customs are held al most universally and also

.

?
celebrations in honor of the new moon The M andingos
believe that every new moon is newly created and when it
first appears they offer prayers of thanks to Allah at the ,

conclusion of which th ey S pit in their hands and rub the

,

saliva over their faces ? The Jack a Jacks used to celebrate - -

1 Bowen p 3 4
, . 0 .
2 ampbell p 5 6
C , . .

5 B i nger V ol 1 p 1 5 9
, .
, . .
5 Ellis , Yoruba Speaking P eop l es p 1 67 ,
”
. .

5 Staud i nger p 5 66
, . . Featherman p 30 8
5
, . .
 M I LLET C ATTLE A ND ,
C A M EL ZON ES 25 1

great events b y sacrificing a few slaves a n d drinking a fe w

hun dre d gallons of r um? Everywhere funerals are occa
sions of great demo n strations a n d pe 0 p1e often pawn or ,

sell their children to meet the expenses of the ceremo n y ?

Among the ceremo n ies arisi n g from sycophan cy it ,

may be me n tioned that when the M ossi king dri n ks s n eezes , , ,

blows his nose or spits his atten dants always pop their ,

fingers ? indicating that the king can do nothing unwor thy

of the admiration of his subj ec ts .

In the matter of gorgeous palaces and costumes the

pe 0 p 1e of this zone are fully up to anything of the kind in the
other zones They are also fully up in ceremonies indica
.

tive of class distinctions In Borgu inferiors prostrate them .

selves full le n gth before their superiors When women .

meet a superior they fall on their knees and elbows hold

, ,

?
ing their hands Open and turned upward In Yoruba
when a superior meets an inferior the latter puts aside his ,

burden kneels on all fours then sprawls upon the ground

,
-
,

and covers himself with dust If equ als meet they squat .

and pop their fingers In some places people salute by .

“
saying Good morning and striking their thigh or leg ,

?
with their right hand It is said that in Yoruba each citizen
spends upon the average an hour per day re n dering and
receiving homage ? Among some tribes drinking water
together or sharing kola nuts together is a sign of good -

fellowship ? At Kano the form of salute is that each indi

vidu al place his han ds upon his breast bow a n d ask H ow ,

”
have you passed the heat of the day ? The Negroes of
that city says C la pp erto n are excessively polite and cere
m
, ,

o n io us
?

C a tt l e Z o ne .
— In
the cattle zone customs ceremonies and ,

1
y u n l f n Af i n C u i
o r a o a p 127 r ca r ser , . .

2
Ellis ,Yoruba Speaking P eop l es p 1 6 1 Binger Vol 1 p 45 1 , . .
5
, .
, . .

5 C l pp t n
a Second Expe d ition p 1 0 7
er o , B i nger Vol 1 p 446 ,
”
. .
5
, .
, . .

5
Wood p 66 1
, . Duncan Vol 1 p 1 1 8 Roh l fs V ol p 2 43
.
7
, .
, .
, . 2, . .

5
Second Expedition p 48 , . .
252 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

S pectacular displays are less numerous and less important

than in t h e lower zones while human sacrifices as an element ,

in them a re almost entirely absent C eremonies of marriage .

a n d court etiquette are about the same as in the other zo n es .

In Bornu as soon as the courtiers have made their obeisan ces ,

they seat themselves on the ground with their backs towards

the monarch N early three hundred pe 0 p 1e thus took their
.

places when D enham a n d C la pp e rto n were receive d at the

Bornu court ? The M ohammedan F ellatahs greet each other
”
by the Arab salutation meaning peace be to you which ,

“ ”
is replied to by say ing to you be peace The pagan , .

“
F ellatahs salute each other by j oining the palms of their
right hand and dra w mg them o ff towards the extremity of
,

the fingers they snap these together ,

” 2
Fo rma liti es of .

greeti n g in some localities are very novel if not altogether

dignified F or example when the S e n a a ria n women meet
.
,

a chief in the streets they must take o ff their sandals and

3
walk barefooted a n d among the Dinkas when two pe 0 p 1e ,

meet in the road etiquette requires that they spit on each ,

other ? This spitting salutation is very common in East

?
Africa
P ublic ceremonies in this zone are mostly in accordance
with the M ohamme dan tra ditions although celebrations of ,

the new moon and of the beginning of the rai n y season are
ge n erally held by the unconverted ? C eremonies arising
from sycophancy are not so common in this zone as in the
others but they are su fficiently common and ridiculous in
,

some localities Among the Fo o ria ns when the sultan .

,

S pits an attendant wipes up the royal saliva with his hand

,

and when he coughs all of the retinue make a peculiar ,

?
clicking sound with their tongues The funeral customs
closely resemble those of the other zones Among the .

1 Wood p 690 , . Featherman p 3 7 1

.
2
, . . p 5 1 222 1, .
7 90 .

4
Ratze l H i story of M ankind Vo l p 3 80
, ,
”
. 2, . . Thomson p
5
, .
4 43 .

5 Rohl fs V o l 2 p 1
, .
, . 0 .
7 Featherman p , .
7 37 .
 2 54 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

organization of government and paves the way for it C ere .

monial control seems to bear a close relation to the degree

of political and social inequality despotically maintained ,

a n d to the extent of ignorance superstition unsociability , , ,

and lack of spirit among the people The greatest amount .

of ceremonial control is found in the banana zone where ,

there is greatest despotism inequality stupidity and abj ect , ,

ness ; and the least amount of such control is in the camel

zone where there is the least despotism and greatest spirit
,

of independence Elaborate formalities and rigi d codes of

.

etiquette are found everywhere in societies which despot

i ca lly maintain artificial inequalities They are a natural .

“
development to reduce friction Of Japanese living for .
,

”
these many centuries under an unmitigated despotism ,

says Spencer castes severely restricted sanguinary laws

, , ,

and a ceremonial system rigorous and elaborate there has ,

arisen a character which while described by M r Run dell as .

haughty vindictive and licentious yet prompts a behavior

, , ,

admirable in its suavity ? M r C ornwallis asser ts that amia .

b ili ty and an unru ffl e d temper are the universal properties

of the women in J apan ; and by M r Drummond they are .

credited with a natural grace which is impossible to de

scribe Among the men too the sentiment of honor based
.
, , ,

upon that regard for reputation to which ceremonial o h

servance largely appeals carries them to great extreme of
,

consideration Another verifying fact is furnished by

.

another despotically governed and highly ceremonious

society Russia C ustine says : If fear renders the men
, .
‘

serious it also renders them extremely poli t e I have never

, .

elsewhere seen so many men of all classes treating each

’
other with such respect Kindred if less pronounced.
, ,

examples of this connection are to be found in Western

countries The Italian long subj ect to tyrannical rule and
.
, ,

1 Th e author of th i s book d oes not th i nk that the Japanese are except i ona ll y
licent i ous .
 M I LLET C ATTLE AN D C A M EL ZON ES
,
255

in danger of his life if he excites the vengeful feelings of a

fellow citizen is distinguished by his conciliatory manner
,
.

In Spain where governmental dictation is unlimite d where

, ,

women are harshly treate d and where no laborer ever ,

‘

’
walks outside his door without his knife there is extreme ,

politeness C ontrariwise our own people long living under

. , ,

institutions which guard them against serious consequences

from giving o ffense greatly lack suavity and show a com
, ,

” 1
ra t i ve inattention to minor civili ties
p a .

As artificial inequalities come to disappear from

political and social life artifici al formalities will a lso disa p
,

pear leaving only such ceremonies and etiquette among

,

men as arise spontaneously from mutual esteem The .

sham politeness will disappear like the paint and powder

-

from the face of the sham beauty w hen she comes to have
-

real charms re veal ing the natural color and play of

,

em otion .

Religious ceremonies as the political and soci al arise

, ,

from the conception of a despotic ruler who is an obj ect

of terror and as the idea of God comes to be more that
,

of a real father and the people come to place more v alue

upon inward grace than outward S how there ensue a ,

S implicity and genuineness in religious as in political and ,

social forms of expressing adoration and esteem The

, .

more men place value upon their moral worth the more ,

they shrink from any kind of mere formality M uch .

formality coagulates the spirit .

Spectacular exhibitions in political and social life belong

to the childhood of the race and will diminish in proportion
as people learn to appreciate the intrinsic merit of things
and to depreciate the mere extrinsic manifestation of them .

The modern craving for display of every kind especially of ,

luxury in dress house furnishings entertainments and gen

, ,

eral surroundi ngs is the opposite of that which leads to

Pr i nciples fSocio l ogy Vol 2 p 2 2 2
1 “ o , .
, . .
256 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

true culture and refinement ; for the more the inner life of
man is enriched the more simple become his tastes in
,

reference to the outward aspect of things the fewer his ,

material wants and the more he is sickened by the ostenta

“ ” ’
tion and vulgarity of opulence The fewer one s wants .
,

says De La v e ley e the more one is free to follo w the dic

,

tates of duty the less one is likely to be influenced by the

,

promptings of cupidity in important matters such as the

choice of a career of a wife or of a political party
, , .

Let u S have the courage to set up as mo dels “

Socrates whose vigorous frame w hen in the army endured

, , ,

heat cold and fatigue better than the veterans and who b e
, ,

ing without wants lived only for philosophy and j ustice ;

,

or again St P aul enduring without shrinking every kind

, , .
,

of trial — imprisonment stripes S hipwreck poverty many

, , , ,

deaths — for the service of truth The soul of an apostle in .

—
a frame of iron this is what we must hold up to the a d
,

mira tio n of our age and the imitation of our risi n g gen era
,

tion not the pursuit of an over re fin e d luxury for the pam -

” 1
pering of enervated tastes and senses blunted by satiety , .

1 “ L uxury , L ondon , 1 89 1 , p .
76 .
258 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

to explain all this ? H ow is he to account for the move

ments of the sun and stars and the clouds ? H ow is he to
account for the growth of trees fruits and flowers or the , ,

actions of animals ? There is only o n e possible explanation

and that is that everything that moves or lives is a ki n d of
personality or spirit If the wind blows it is the hurrying
.

of some S pirit ; if the ocean lashes itself into fury it is the

writhing of some spirit ; if the lightning hisses it is the
breath of some spirit a nd if the sun and moon traverse the
,

heavens it is because they are real beings traveling through

the air Thus everything animate or inanimate can be ex
.

plained only upon the supposition of its being a living i h ,

te lli ge nt spirit or an obj ect inhabited by a spirit .

In the next place what would naturally be the attitude

,

of the African towards these spirits ? H e would at first fear

them and later seek to pacify them coax them beg them
, , ,

or bribe them by offering foo d a nd drink and if this did not ,

calm their temper he would o ffer them his dearest friend ,

or even his own child .

In fact the African religion is in all respects only that

,

which one would naturally expect it to be from a p r i or i con

siderations .

A ll P h e n o m e n a A n im a t e d b y S p i its
r — The people of the .

banana zone believe that all phenomena are the result of

in dwelling spirits As they are conscious that their own
.

actions are the result of their own individual intelligence ,

they naturally infer that all other things must move or act
by a similar intelligence Their idea of spirits is a mere re
.

fl ec tio n of their idea of their own personality .

I de a o f D o ub l e P e r s o n a l it y — F or example among the

.
,

Tshi tribes every man believes that he is a double personality ,

i e has two S pirits resi ding in him

. .
, Proof of this he finds
.

in the phenomenon of dreams the reality of which he does ,

not question ? When a man dreams he feels convinced

El l i s
1
Tshi Speak i ng P eoples p 1 5 1
, , . .
 RELIGIOUS LI F E I N TH E BANAN A ZON E 2 59

that he often goes o ff on a long j ourney meets friends and ,

enemies and has a hunt or fight with them When he

, .

awakes he lea rn s b y in q uiry that the men he had met in his

dream were not real ly present a n d participating in the eve n ts
dreamed of but were at home a n d asleep in their b e ds
,
.

H e therefore concludes that men must have a double self ,

one which can lie asleep and another which can go abroad
and act in the most i n dependent a n d irresponsible manner .

Sometimes a dreaming man sees people who have been

dead and buried and not doubti n g the reality of the dream ?
,

he concludes that one of the two spirits that dwell in a man

?
must survive after death and move about among the living
P erhaps another proof to him of his double personality is
found in the fact that each man has a shadow which he sees
following him about upon the ground or in the water And .

still another proof to him is that when any one calls out in
a loud voice he hears an echo which is interpreted as the ,

?
answering of the o ther S pirit
Th e B o dy S o u l a n d th e D r e a m S o ul — The Tshi pe 0 p 1e
believe that one of these indwelling S pirits corresponds to a
’
man s physical body and that after death it leaves through ,

the mouth wanders about awhile as a ghost or vagabo n d

,

?
soul and finally goes to Dead Land
, The other spirit
’
called the kra is not so inseparably connected with a man s
body S ince it comes in and goes out at pleasure A
, .

peculiarity of this spirit is that it can soj ourn successively in

an indefinite number of living beings In the case of any .

particular man it is believe d that it has existed previously

,

in other men and that after his death it will live in still
,

other men or in sundry kinds of animals This kra always .

’
enters and goes out by way of a man s mouth a n d is liable
to do so at the most undesirable moments Now in any .
,

1 Featherman p 2 2 9 ; Ellis Tshi Speaking P eoples p 1 5 1

, .
, , . .

2
El l is Ew Speaking P eoples p 1 02
, e ,
”
. .

5
La d er V ol 2 p 2 5 9
n , .Ew Speak i ng P eop l es
, . . p 4 u e , . 107 .
2 60 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

community there a re many of these kras flitting about and

, ,

when any one of them has left its dwelli n g place and gone
off on an excursion a strange kra may creep into the vacant
,

dwelli n g and cause mischief The kra usually escapes from .

a man when he is asleep and it is then also that a strange

one most often ventures in H ence people are careful not .

to sleep with their mouths open ? Sometimes they find it

necessary to wear a muzzle over their mouths to prevent
their kras from escaping and to bar out intruders On one .

occasion M iss Kingsley was very much astonished to find a

N egro sleeping under a thick blanket and with a ha n dke r
“ ”
chief tied over his face It was a hot night S h e says
.
, ,

and the man and his blanket were as wet as if they had
been dragged through a river I suggested to the head .

man that the handkerchief muzzle shoul d come o ff and was ,

informed by him that for several nights previously the man

had dreame d of that savory dish craw fish seasoned with red ,
-

pepper H e had become a n xious and had consulted the

.

headman who decided that undoubtedly some witch was

,

setting a trap for his dream soul with this bait with intent -
, ,

and so forth C are was now being taken to as it were

.
, ,

keep the dream soul at home I of course did not interfere

-
.
, ,

” 2
and the patient completely recovered In case the dream .

soul or kra succeeds in making its escape great anxiety is

“ ”
felt for its safe return It is this way says M iss Kings
.
,

“
ley . The dream soul is to put it mildly a silly fli gh ty
-
, , ,

thing O ff it goes when its owner is taking a nap and gets

.

so taken up with S kylarking fighting or gossiping with ,

other dream souls that it sometimes does not come home to

-

its owner when he is waking up So if any one has to .

,

wake a man up great care must always be taken that it is

,

—
done softly softly namely gradually and quietly so as to
, , ,

give the dream soul time to come home -

We will .

take an example A man h a s b een suddenly roused by

.

1 Ell i s Ew Speak i ng P eop l es

, e p 1 7 West A frican Studies p 1 7 6
, . 0 .
2
, . .
2 62 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

ness In such case a witch doctor has to be called in to ih

.

duce it to move on to Dead Land But even after all of the .

trou b le a n d expense in coaxing or driving it away it can and ,

often does return and take lo dgment in the bosom of some

un fortunate man in the ab sence of his kra? or if the sisa is
not seeking reve n ge it may come back into the world as the
,

?
kra of a new born infant -
In the Niger Delta says M iss ,

Kingsley the spirit of the dead always comes back in the

,

?
form of a new babe ItS reappearance may be in the guise
of a male or female a slave or freeman ; a n d the amount of
,

wealth taken out by the deceased spirit determines its rank

upon coming back in another person Usually parents can .

tell from the likeness or actions of an infant who it is that

has come back to life The first thing that it notices upon
.

being shown a collection of articles determines its identity .

’ ” 4
Why he s uncle J ohn see he kno w s his own pipe , ,
But if .

parents are in doubt as to the identity they sometimes send ,

to Yoruba for a celebrated diviner who on account of his , ,

intimate acquaintance with the sexual god Ifa is an expert ,

in this particular matter and never makes a mistake ?

The Ewe people of this zone have the same notion of a
double personality Their indwelling spirit called luwo
.
,

corresponds to the kra of the Tshi pe 0 p 1e and causes no less

?
trouble
No ti o n o f D o ub l e P e rs o n a l it y A m o ng C ivi l iz e d P eo p l e
It would be well for the reader to remember that this notion
of a double personality is not an exclusively African product ,

but is found among savage people in many parts of the

world and even among civilized people not a few of whom
, , ,

with scholarly attainments have written books to demonstrate ,

its rea lity M ason in his Telepathy and the Subliminal

.
“

1 El l is Tshi Speak ing P eoples p 1 50

, , . . 1 5 54 .

5 “
Travels in West A frica p 343 ,
”
. .

4
K i ngs l ey Travels in West A fri ca p
, , .
344 .

5 Ellis , Ew e Speaking P eoples p 1 1 5 ,

”
. .
5 1 6122
, p . 1 02 .
 RELIGI OUS LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZON E 2 63

Self says that in cases of hypnotic trance in somnambulism

, , ,

etc there is a manifestation of double consciousness ; and

.
,

that there are weighty proofs that such a secondary or sub

liminal or if y o u choose S O to designate it supra normal
, ,
-

self actually exists a n d that it exhi b its functions and powers

, ,

far excee ding the functions and powers of the ordinary self .

We have seen it expressing i ts own person al opinions its ,

own likes and dislikes quite di fferent and opposite to the ,

” 1
opinions likes and dislikes of the ordinary self
,
M ason .

also agrees with the Africans that actual occurrences may be

seen by persons far away in the dreams and visions of o r
“

dina ry sleep in reverie and in various subj ective condi

,

“ ”
tions Again it has been demonstrated he says that
.
, ,

some persons can voluntarily proj ect the mind a

dista nce of one a hundred or a thousand miles and that it
,

can there make itself known and recognized perform acts ,

and even carry on a conversation with the person to whom

it is sent That is mind can act at a distance from and in
.
,

dependent o f the physical body and the organs through

” 3
which it usually manifests itself Another celebrated .

champion of the double personality is Gurney who b e ,

li e ves that phantasms impressions voices or figures of per

, ,

sons undergoing some crisis especi ally death are actually , ,

perceived by their friends and relatives and h e cites numer ,

’
ous cases where a man s soul has left his body and a p
p e a re d visible to people many miles away ?
H e mentions
the famous case of Laura F leming whose dream soul went ,

of f and witnessed the death of her husband as he was

?
thrown from a horse An idea much like that of the
African kra is presented by M yers in his book H uman P er
” “
so na lity and its Survival of Bodily Death 1 hold he .
,

says that certain manifestations of central individualities

, ,

1 Telepath y and Th Subliminal Sel f New York

e ,
”
, 1 8 97 , p . 2 5 8.
5
Il ia?" p 317. .
3 l oad, p .
318 .

4
P hantasms of Th e L iving, ”
Vol . 1, p . 1 09. 5 1 5 11 , V O1 1: P 339
r °
2 64 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

associated now or formerly with definite organisms have ,

been observed in operation ap a rt from those o r ganisms ,

both while th e organisms were still living and after they

” 1
had decayed Si dis also believes in the double person
.

?
ality and has written much in its favor Even some of
our most orthodox psychologists lend some encouragement
to this idea at least they go so far as to admit a double
, ,

“
consciousness F or example James says that we
. are ,

forced to admit that a part of consciousness may sever its

” 3
connectio n s with other parts and yet continue to be But .

let us return to Africa .

A peculiarity of the Tshi people is that they do not

limit the idea of double personality to human beings but ,

believe that all living things have a soul a n d a kra Even .

a bush has two spirits a n d when it dies the soul goes to

Dead Land for there are bushes in Dead Lan d and
, ,

the kra enters a seedling and grows into another

bush .

The reader should now be able to see the point of

’
view and u n de rstand the fundamental basis of the N egro s
reli gion H e S hould be able to imagine a worl d fairly
.

swarming with spirits— spirits of dead men in the form of

so ulS — —
S pirits of living men in the form of kra s spirits of
,

animals trees bushes rocks mountai n s thunder and light

, , , , ,

ning and so forth and the number of spirits everywhere

,

exceeding the number of human beings N early all of the .

spirits are malicious and continually meddling in all of the

’
a ffairs of the people so that it takes about all of a man s
,

time and cunning to conj ure them Among civilized peo .

ple the idea prevails that the mind of the African is idle a n d
empty but on the contrary it is in a perpetual ferment a n d
,

never lacking in excitement except duri n g sleep and even , ,

then it is often most busy The spirits that inhabit the air . ,

1 V ol p 3 5
. 1, . Th P s y cho l ogy fSuggestion New York
.
2 e o ,
”
, 1 89 8 .

5 P rinciples f P sychology Vol 1 p 2 1 3

o ,
”
.
, . .
 C HA PTER X X IV

REL I G I O US L I FE IN TH E BA NA NA ZO NE (Conti nued )

S p i rit s Ta ke P a rt i n With the E c o n o mi c A c t i vit i e s —

general considerations contained in the previous chapter ,

the reader may now more clearly comprehend the vast i nflu
ence which the religion of this zone exercises upon the
economic political and social life of the people Except
, .

where the natives have been influenced by the missionaries

it does not appear that the religious notions of the people
have undergone any substantial change since the time of
the first European explorers In the first place it is believed .
,

that spirits cause success or failure in all eco n omic activities .

In order to catch fish it is necessary that the S pirits of the

water be propitiated and won over by some kind of o ffering
or pleasant speech In many huts along the rivers little
.

carve d images of fish in which some fish god dwells are

, ,

hung up or suspended to lines and daily worshiped ? ,

The king of the Brass River pe 0 p 1e always before eating , ,

was wont to o ffer a bit of his food and a drop of rum to the
?
spirits of the water All S pirits of course get hungry and , ,

thirsty and must be fed Even amulets and charms partake

,

?
of food and drink Success in hunting depends upon the
strength and cunning of the spirits that dwell in the bows
and arrows in throw sticks and so forth If any weapon
,
-
.

wears out or misses its aim it is b ecause its spirit has gone
, ,

away or perhaps has been enticed away by some othe r

Even pots and utensils have S pirits in the m and if
,

?
S pirit ,

1 llen and Thomson V ol p

A , . 1, . 20 1 .
2
L ander Vol
, . 2, p . 2 42 .

El l i s Ew Speak i ng P eoples p 91
5 “ ”
, e , . .

4 Kingsley Travels in West A frica p . 1 10 .

, ,

2 66
 RELIGIOUS LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZO N E 2 67

one brea ks it is on account of the departure of th e spirit that

hel d it together ? A certain spirit animates the fire that cooks
the food and therefore it must be treated with respect
, , ,

or it may get in a bad humor and do something terrible .

Without the help of spirits the crops will not grow nor the
fruits ripen Usually the crop protecting spirits are carried
.
-

about in the form of amulets which of course no good , , ,

farmer would think of doing without Spirits also engage .

in the occupation of gol d mining They are good enough .

to bring the gold from the bowels of the earth up to a place

j ust below the surface where it may be du g out by man .

The labor of bringing up this heavy metal as one may ,

easily imagine is very fatiguing and the spirits sometimes

,

ca ll for assistance from the upper world The needed help .

is always obtained by causing the mine to cave in on the

men who dig the gold Knowing that the spirits employ
.

this method of obtaining workers the people never attempt ,

to rescue miners if the earth swallows them up ? Not i n

frequently spirits or deities act as regulators of commerce .

F or example at Whydah there used to be two local deities

, ,

whose b usiness it was to regulate the number of European

?
trading ships that S hould cast anchor at that port The
management of transportation is no less an a ffair in which
the spirits take a lively interest a nd no citizen would think ,

of making a j ourney overla n d without their protection In .

the interest of the public safety the Dahomans at one time ,

established depots all along the public roads where the i n

, ,

visible tra ffic managers had their o ffices Whenever trav .

e le rs arrived at one of these stations an o f ficer or re p re , ,

se n ta ti ve of the deities came out to pronounce a blessing

,

?
upon them and to beg for them a safe j ourney Trans
p o r ta ti o n by water is also under the supervision of the
1
Kingsley Travels in West A frica p
, , . 1 10 .

2
El li s
, Tshi Speaking P eoples p 69
“
,
”
. .

5 Ellis
, Ew Speak i ng P eoples p 90
e , . .
4 Fre man p
e , . 2 65 .
2 68 TH E N EGRO R A C ES

spirits and any neglec t on part of a citizen to assure him

,

self o f their protection would be on par with the neglect of

a European captain to i nsure his cargo against the h a zards
of the sea Along the Niger River there are numerous
.

S pirits that will undertake for a small consideration to guar

antee a safe passage ? M iss Kingsley says that c a no em en

may often be seen bending over a river and having a con

?
versation with its spirit When going down the Niger ,

Lander noticed that the native boatmen w ere continu al ly

bawling through trumpets to the river fetich and that the ,

? ’
echo to the call was interpreted as the S pirit s reply The
canoeman sometimes threw into the water as a tip to the ,

?
fetich a half glass of rum or a piece of yam
,

S p irits Me ddl e i n L o v e a n d F a m fa i rs — Spirits of

ily A f
various kinds busy themselves in the love affairs of the peo
ple exciting the amorous impulses of the women de te rmin
, ,

ing their fertility and so forth The Ewe people have a ,

.

sex god Legba who makes a specialty of love proj ects and
, , ,

whose inspirations everybody must obey We are told that .

?
his temples are places of unlimited licentiousness Sterility
is generally considered a curse inflicted by some one or
other provoked spirit and to ward o ff the curse the spirit , ,

must be propitiated or somehow outdone The Agni peo .

ple have learned to coax away the sex spirit or in some way
prevent it from causing sterility by wearing wooden dolls
on their backs ? In many communities as soon as a child ,

is born the witch doctor binds around its limbs certain spirit
,

inspired preparations using at the same time a kind of in ,

cantation or prayer to fortify the child against all the ills

7
that the flesh is heir to In the Niger Delta people regard .

twins as a curse and the mother of such is supposed to be

1 Lander Vol 2 p 1 7 8 , Travels in West A frica p 1 0

.
, . .
2
, . 1 .

5 V ol p 43 . 2, . 2 . I b d V ol 2 p 2 5 9 4
’

z , .
, . .

6 Elli s Ew Speak i ng P eopl es

, pp 4 1 44
e B i nger Vol 2 p 2 30 , .
, .
5
, .
, . .

2 Kingsley West A fri can Studies p 1 47

, , . .
2 70 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

facts seem to indicate that the affection of wives for their

husbands is usually very strong while that of husbands for ,

their wives is very weak since there is no insta nce of a

,

husban d s immolating himself upon the grave of his wife

’
.

The belief that the spirits of deceased pe 0 p 1e linger about

their former places of abode causing sickness and b ec o m
,

ing a general nuisance implies that the general feeling to

,

wards the dead is that of terror rather than of veneration ;

and therefore it would h a rdly be expected that ancestor
worship would arise among a pe 0 p 1e whose deceased
spirits were dreaded disseminators of disease The nearest .

approximation to ancestor worship has been found in

Ashanti and Da h o mi where the bones and other memorials
of the kings used to be and perhaps are still preserved in
, ,

?
mausoleums
fa i rs — The whole political
S p i rit A c t i v i ti e s i n P o l it ic a l A f
life of the people of this zone has been a n d is still to a con
si de ra b le extent dominated by supernatural beings It used .

to be said that every act of the king of Ashanti was in some

?
way or other connecte d with fetichism In some cities
the politically tale n ted spirits assume the function of police
man a n d have i n augurated a system of p rotecting property
, ,

which for unique n ess e fficiency a n d economy is ahead of

, , ,

anythi n g that P aris London or other great city has yet

devised The p rinc 1pa l feature of the system is that each
.

piece of property is provided with a kind of S pirit i n spired -

charm which inflicts violent punishment upon thieves with

,

out any trial o r other troublesome and expensive process .

F or example suppose that a Negro mercha n t has some palm

,

oil bananas or other articles that he wishes to sell He places

, .

them anywhere alo n g the highways under the protection ,

of a charm with a few cowries to indicate the price H e

,
.

then goes on about his other business with perfect peace of

mind and if any thief should dare interfere with the goods ,

Ellis
1
Ew Speaking P eoples pp 2 5 1 1 1
, e , .
, Brac k enbury p 334
.
2
, . .
 RELIGIOUS LI F E IN TH E BANANA ZON E 2 7 1

a kra sisa suhman or other varmint would leap out of the

, ,

amulet b egin to gnaw upon his Vitals a nd pro b ably cause

,

his death ?
S p ri
i ts Ta k e P a rt i n J u di c i a l P r o c e e di n gs —In j udicial pro .

c e e di n gs the spirits or deities often serve as witnesses j udge ,

and j ury F or example Lander relates that when King

.
,

Boy ruler of a cer tain Niger district had a case in court he

, , ,

woul d run through the town stripped naked and hideously ,

masked crying Dj u Dj u a n d invoking the assistance of a

,

certain deity in the examination of the accused ? The deity

called upon usually concealed himself in some kind of
poison which the accused was obliged to drink and which ,

acted fatally if the accused were guilty and harmlessly if he

were innocent Trials of this kin d seem to be as common
.

now as ever Some of these j u dicial spirits reside in rivers

.

and lakes and accused pe 0 p 1e must be brought there for

trial F or example the Togbo pe 0 p 1e of Ashanti throw
.
,

the accused person into a river and if he is guilty the river ,

S pirit will pull him under and drown him but if innocent it , ,

?
will cast him ashore At times the deities take matters in
their own han ds and condemn and punish pe 0 p 1e even b e
fore they have been accused F or example the lightning .
,

god of the Ewe people occasionally discovers that a certain

in dividual has S lighted him or done some kind of wrong ,

a n d accordingly punishes him by setting fire to his house .

The mere fact that the house is stru ck is p r i ma fa ci e evidence

that the owner is guilty of some crime Acting upon this .

presumption the priests a n d a mob of people gather at the

,

house of the unfortunate victim and steal and demolish

everything not already destroyed and in addition to this , ,

impose a fine upon him for o ffendin g the deity If the fine .

is not paid the owner of the house and his family are i m
,

prisoned or sold into S lavery Ellis says It is not at all .

,

1 Ellis , Ew e Speaking P eoples p 9 2

, . Lander V ol
.
2
, . 2, p . 2 76
.

Ell is
5
, Ew Speaking P eoples
e p 85 , . .
272 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

uncommon for a whole household to be enslaved in con

” 1
sequence o i such an accident In 1 8 63 the natives of a .

certain village were so enraged at a C atholic missionary

who extinguished the flames of his own house that had been
struck by lightning that they required him to pay a fine to
,

the priests as an o ffering to pacify the god ?

When an
individual has su ffere d any kind of wrong at the hand of his
neighbor instead of avenging it himself or appealing to
,

the courts he frequently negotiates with some local deity or

,

spirit who undertakes to punish the o ffender by taking his

,

?
life or inflicting some other suitable punishment
I n D i p l o m a ti c A fia i rs —In the diplomatic affairs of
'

Da h o m i the S pirits especially of dead men often played a

, ,

very important rOle F or instance it was often necessary

.
,

to communicate important secrets to the rulers in the other

world which was accomplished by means of messengers
, ,

who being selected by the king and ful ly instructed as to

,

their mission and beheaded proceeded then directly to Dead ,

Land to deliver the message to the proper ancestor About .

5 00 messengers were thus annually slain to keep up this

?
diplomatic correspondence Each messenger was provided
with a piastre and a bottle of rum for the expenses of the
j ourn ey ?
Sometimes the Ashantis atte mpted to avert war
or repel an invasion by a simple act of diplomacy on part
of one of their ingenious deities F or example on one o c .
,

casion when an invasion of the Slave C oast was threatened

by the European troops the natives prevented it by merely ,

o ffering a sheep to one of their deities which saw to it that

?
no invasion took place
S pirits o f t h e D e a d C a l l fo r F o o d a n d S a c ri fi c e s — When
the kings of Benin Da h o m ,i or Ashanti died and went to Dead ,

Land they chan ged their place of residence but not at all
, ,

1 “
Ew eSpeaking P eoples p 39 ,
”
. .

5 El li s Tshi Speaking P eoples p 7 5

, ,
. .

5 Ellis Ew Speaking P eopl es p 1 37

, e ,
”
. .
5 Ihid .
5 Brackenbury p , .
3 36
.
2 74 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

The Ashantis built for their deceased monarchs a

Bantama (M ausoleum ) where food was cooked daily for
their refreshment In a ddition to the wives and slaves im
.

mo la te d on the occasion of a king s death a fresh supply ’

,

was slaughtered at intervals during the year to replenish

the reti n ue In Da h o mi replenishing sacrifices of a S imilar
.

’
kind were called the king s customs which have already ,

been describe d on another page The slave trader Drake .

witnessed one of these customs at which he said not less

than 5 00 boys a n d girls were sacrifi ced some of whom were ,

“
horribly tortured before being executed H e said One poor .
,

wretch h a d a knife passed through both cheeks a nd his two

ears cut o ff and dangling from the blade and handle A .

long spear was thrust un der his shoulder blades through -

,

the tendons and he was led along by this bleeding like a

, ,

bullock . Then followed a young woman stark

naked with both breasts cut smoothly o ff and her hips and ,

”
b elly stuck full of arrows There was no e nd to the horrid
.

1
inge n uity of torture exhibited Ellis says that the number .

of sacrifices at one of the grand customs in 1 860 was six

2
hundred In Ashanti prior to 1 8 7 3 at least
. were
annually sacrificed and a case is on record where as many ,

3
as were immolated upon one royal tomb .

Sp i r it s as Mi l it a ry S t ra t egi s ts — In time of war spirits of .

,

varying degrees of importance responde d cheerfully to the

call to arms and by their wisdom and strategy determi n ed
, ,

the fate of opposing armies The Dahomans had a war .

god Bo who although versed in all bran ches of military

, , ,

science woul d sometimes play into the hands of the enemy

if not suitably bribed This probably happened when the .

F rench overcame the Dahomans in 1 8 9 3 In order to keep .

Bo true to the flag the pe 0 p 1e used to set up images in his ,

honor and o ffer him many sacrifi ces 4

Whenever it was .

1
Drake p 9 5 , . .
3
Ew e Speaking P eoples p 3 1 8 , . .

3
Brackenbury p , . 19 .
4 Ellis , Ew Speaking P eoples p 68
e , . .
 RELI GIO U S LI F E I N TH E BAN AN A ZON E 2 75

s uspected that old Bo would not be equal to the demands of

a great battle about to be fought the people woul d invoke ,
’
the aid of all of the king s ancestors The ruling king and .

his ministers and captains woul d crawl upon their all fours -

to the royal tombs and there beg the departed spirits for
,

help .
1
In some quarters of this zone if the soldiers were in
c li n e d to be weak kneed they coul d have courage imparted
-
,

2
to them by eating the flesh of an a lligator and if their
weapons were weak and u nsteady they could be strength ,

3
ened by rubbing medicine into them A part of the n ec e s .

sa ry equipment o f eve ry Dahoman soldier used to be the

tail of a horse cow or goat which when flourished during a
, ,
4
battle caused bullets to turn aside and miss their mark
,
But .

the Ashantis more than the Dahomans were accustomed to e u

list a large fighting force from among the deities and S pirits .

Before going to battle they sacrificed to all of their tribal

gods in order to make sure of their c o ci p e ra ti o n for it was
'

believed that in every battle the gods of the contending ,

nations were figh t ing at the same time that the O pposing
armies fought and that the conflict of the gods really de
,

ci ded the outcome of the battle Of course all of the gods .

5

and their lieutenants and colonels in case of victory de ,

ma nded paymen t in sacrifices for their services and in case

,

of the god Bo the demand was sometimes a little e x to r

,

ti o na te F or insta nce in 1 7 2 7 when the Dahomans con

.
,

quered Whydah the number of human sacrifices amounted

,

to four thousan d This however was not a total loss as

.
, ,

1 2 0 of the victims were eaten

6
.

In consequence of the political overthrow of Ashanti

and Da h o m i respectively in 1 8 7 3 and 1 8 93 the war gods of
,

1
Ellis Ew Speaking P eoples p u z
, e , . .
“ D uncan , V ol . I, p . 1 78 .

3
K i ngsley Travels i n West A fr i ca p
, ,
”
. 1 1 0.
4 Ellis Ew Speak i ng P eop l es p 94
, e ,
”
. .

5
Ell i s Tshi Speaki ng P eoples p 7 7
, , . .

Ellis Ew e Speak ing P eoples p 1 2 1

, ,
”
. .
2 76 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

these nations received a severe shock if not a fatal blow but ,

the other gods big and little so far as can be ascertained

, , ,

suffered no serious inconvenience from the disintegration ,

and they continue to operate in their several spheres with

undiminished vigor .

S p i rit s C a u s e D is e a s e a n d D e a th — Diseases and deaths

.
,

as already stated may be caused by the body soul of a de

,
-

cease d person (sisa) before it has taken its final departure

for Dead Land or by that other spirit of man the kra or by
, , ,

various agencies varying according to locality But of all of

, .

the spirits the sisa is perhaps the most aggravating Some .

times it wanders about and taking a dvantage of an open

mouth and the absence of a kra or dream soul enters into a -
,

person and causes rheumatism colic or other painful ail ,

ment The medical man has to be summoned at once to

.

“ ”
get it out . The methods employed to meet this says ,

M iss Kingsley may be regarded as akin to those of anti

,

septic surgery All the people in the village particularly

.
,

babies and old people— people whose souls are delicate

must be kept awake during the operation and have a piece ,

of cloth over the nose and mouth and every one must howl ,

so as to scare the sisa o ff th em if by chance it S hould escape

from the witch doctor An e fficient practitioner I may re
.
,

mark thinks it a great disgrace to allow a sisa to escape

,

from him : and such an accident would be a grave blow to

his practice for people would not care to call in a man who
,
’
was liab le to have this occur If the patient s
.

family are su fficiently well o ff they agree to pay the doctor

,
” 1
enough to enab le him to teach the sisa the way to Hades .

Sometimes when unskilled or malicious practitioners handle

a case of this sort they permit the sisa to escape and it e m
ters perchance into some new born b ab e causing it to die-

“ ”
perhaps of tetanic convulsions Soon another baby says
.
,

M iss Kingsley is born in the same family polygamy b e —

,

Travels in West A frica P 1 7 3 ,

2 78 TH E N EGRO RA C ES
’
the medical men are put to their wits end to make accurate
diagnoses in each case a nd to follow the proper treatment .

To appreciate the di fficulties that the medical men have to

grapple with it is only necessary to recall that in the Niger
Delta every man has a soul which roams about in the forest
under various disguises and that if it dies naturally or gets
,

killed its owner immediately or soon thereafter dies also

, .

” “
This bush soul says M iss Kingsley is resident in some
-
, ,

wild animal in the forest It may be only in an earth pig .

or it may be in a leopard and quite providentially for the , ,

medical profession no layman can see his own soul it is —

,

not as if it were connected with all earth pigs or all ,

leopards as the case may be but it is in one particular

, ,

earth pig or leopard or other animal — so recourse must be

had to medical aid when anything goes wrong with it It .

is usually in the temper that the bush soul su ffers It is -

.

liable to get a kind of aggrieved neglected feeling and want

things given it When you wander about the wild gloomy
.

forests of the C alabar region you will now and again come ,

across far from all human habitation or plantation tiny

, ,

huts under whose S helter lies some o ffering or its remains

, .

Those are offerings administered by direction of a witch

doctor to appease a bush soul F or not only can a witch -
.

’
doctor see what particular animal a man s bush soul is in -
,

but he can also see whereabouts in the forest the animal is .

Still these bush souls are not easily appeased The worst
-
.

of it is that a man may be himself a quiet steady man care ,

ful of his diet a n d devoted to a whole skin a n d yet his ,

bush soul be a reckless blade scorning danger and thereby

-
,

getting itself shot by some hunter or killed in a trap or pit ;

and if his bush soul dies the man it is connected with dies
-
,
.

O n the other hand if a man belonging to a bush ,

soul dies the bush soul animal has to die too It rushes
,
-
.

to and fro in the forest and can no longer find a good ‘

’
place If it sees a fire it rushes into that : if it sees a
.
,
 RELIGIOUS LI F E IN TH E BANANA ZON E 2 79

lo t of hunters it rushes
,
among them — anyhow it gets itself ,

”
killed o ff .

S op
c e a n d M e t h o ds o f t h e W i t c h D o c t o r — Realizing from .

the above stated facts the peculiarly complicated nature of

diseases in this part of the world and the numerous vaga ,

bond S pirits that inj ure crops upset canoes make way with , ,

goats chickens and so on it ought to be of interest not

, , , ,

only to the general reader but to the medical specialists

,

a nd practitioners of civilized lands to know more accurately ,

than has hitherto been revealed the general scope and ,

methods of the doctors of this region in safeguarding the

public health and other things pertaining to the general
welfare It is pretty evident to an unbiased mind that our
.

microbe or bacteriological theory of disease is merely a thinly

disguised imitation of the African S pirit theory and it is also ,

perfectly apparent that the e ffort of modern criminologists ,

such as Lombroso F erri etc to explain crime upon the

, , .
,

”
theory of craniological abnormalities sexual psychopathy , ,

” ” ”
paran oea , psychical aberrations brain storms and , ,

so forth and so on is only an imitation in vague phraseology

,

of the clear and comprehensive African theo ry that crimi n als

are possessed of evil spirits M oreover while modern
.
,

science is j ust now recognizing the connection between

physical a nd moral abnormalities the Africans have always ,

recognized this fact and ha ve explaine d all abnormalities

Kingsley the , m
upon the same general principle Well accordi n g to M iss
ethods of the native witch doctor are first
“
.
,

prophylactic that is , making charms to protect your

,
’
patient s wives children goats plantations canoes etc
, , , , , .
,

from damage houses from fire etc and to protect the

, , .
,

patient himself from wild animals and all dangers by land

or water This is a very paying part but full of anxiety
.
, .

The other part of your practice— the clinical — con

sists in combating those witches who are always up to
West A frican Studies p 1 77
1
, . .
2 80 TH E N EG R O R A C ES

something— sucking the blood of young children putting ,

fearful wild fowl into people to eat up their most valued

viscera o f stealing souls 0 nights blighting crops a n d so
’
, ,

” 1
forth Among other things the doctor extracts intruding
.

kras or i n sisa or prevents the body soul from escaping

,
-

through the mouth to Dead Land To do this requires .

much incantation and knowledge of medical and other kinds

“
of j urisprudence When a person is insensible violent means
.
,

are taken to recall the spirit to the body P epper is forced up .

’
the patient s nose and into his eyes and h e is at the same
, ,

time required to inhale the smoke of some noxious substance .

His mouth is propped wide open with a stick while crowds

of friends and relations yell the name of the dying man to
2
come back Among the Agni pe 0 p 1e the medicine man
’
places a wooden statuette in the centre of the patient s hut ,

and after executi n g a magic dance extracts a splinter bone , ,

or other thing that some designing spirit has inserted in the

’
patient s body The method prescribed by medical science
.

in the C alabar region for ridding the pe 0 p 1e of obnoxious

spirits is quite remarkable for its novelty and effectiveness .

The people are required to provide a su fficient number of

images for all of the bad spirits to reside in supplying at ,

the same time plenty of food and drink for them so that
, ,

they may have no excuse for coming out of their homes ,

roaming about and causing trouble If however they re .

, ,

fuse to abide in the images and persist in hanging about

the villages the people become so exasperated that they
,

rise up with one accord and drive them by force back into
their images and while thus entrapped carry them out to
, ,

3
sea and drown them .

Having now described the general principles a n d man

ner of treatment employed by the African practitioners it is ,

proper in the next place to say something of the fees which

1
West A frican Stu d ies pp 1 8 2 1 83 , .
, .

Kingsley Trave l s in West A frica p

, , .
323 .
3
’

Iézd , p .
3 48 .
2 82 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

as here You must know the dispositions the financial p o

.
,

sitio n little scandals

,
etc of the inhab itants of the whole
,

district for these thi n gs are of u n doubted use i n divination

,

and in the findin g of witches and in addition you must be , ,

able skilfully to dispense charms a n d k now what babies say

before their own mothers ca n The n some day you r p ro .

fesso r and instruc t or dies his o w n professional power eats ,

him or he tackles a disease causing spirit that is o n e too

,
-

many for him and on you descend his paraphernalia a n d

,

” 1
his practice .

As absurd as these practices of the witch doctor ma y

seem it is nevertheless a fact that many of these doctors
,

possess an intelligent knowledge of the pathology of dis

eases and use a variety of e fficacious remedies of which some
, ,

2
are taken by white residents for fever while others have come ,

into general use throughout the civilize d worl d To be sure .

,

the African doctors often grope i n the da rk but they are ,

guided by the same motive as the real man of science a n d

apply to t heir cases the same metho ds of i n ve stigation that
were common at one time to every science M e dical .

science as every other science arises from a passion or

, ,

curiosity born in mankind for whatever is strange extra ,

ordinary o r mysterious and it is through this love for pry

ing into obscure things that men i n vent theories make ex ,

p eri me n ts watch results

,
and occasionally stumble,
upon
some valuable truth Let us not therefore be too severe
.

upon the witch doctor nor forget that only a fe w yea rs ago
,

civilized practitioners were bleeding people to death by the

wholesale a n d th a t they a re yet killi n g thousands of people
,

by all manner of quack medicines A n d let us n o t forget .

that it was only yester day that civilized pe 0 p 1e aban do n ed

the idea that spirits a n d demons wan dered about causing
diseases madness crime and inj ury to property
, ,
The .

Roman s b elieved in such spirits as we know from the Laws ,

1 “ Travels in West A frica p 1 8 2 , Staudinger p 7

. .
2
, . .
 RELIGI OUS LI F E I N T H E BANANA ZON E 2 83

of the Twelve Tables which provided that no one should by

,

1 ’
incantation conj ure away another man s grain crop The .

belief in witchcraft demons devils etc was rife throughout

, , , .
,

the M i ddle Ages when spirits stalked in all of the high

,

ways The same b elief prevailed in the fifteenth century

.
,

when many people upon the charge of witchcraft were hor

rib ly tortured and put to death V ictor Hu go gives a vivid .

description of the witchcraft superstitions of that century in

his N otre Dame In England in 1 60 3 the Es tablished
.

C hurch forba de the clergy to cast out devils without a

license from the bishop ; and the notion that people were
possessed with evil spirits survived far into the eighteenth
century In America the witchcraft superstition prevailed
.

during the whole colo n ial period of which the burning of ,

—
witches in Boston in 1 6 9 1 2 is only one of many proofs .
,

Th e W o rk o f t h e W i t c h D o c to r D o e s n o t En d W ith th e
D e a th o f H i s P a ti e n t — But it is to be Observed that the prao
tice of the African doctor does not end whe n the patient dies
or recovers A man who has an enemy sometimes bribes a
.

god or connives with one to a fflict that e n emy with a

venomous demon and in the case of any sick n ess the ques
, ,

tion often arises Who has caused the demon to enter into
,

the patient ? and the answerin g of this question often causes

more deaths than actual diseases The witch doctors are .

rarely at a loss to in dicate some one whom they declare the

gods have p ointed out as the guilty person ; and thus one
death leads to another with the result that in many districts
of this zone the death rate exceeds the birth rate This de .

tec tive function of the witch doctor gives him an opportu nity
” 2
to gratify his private malice with pe rfect safety .

B e l i efin S i gn s O me n s Et c — The inhabitants of this zone

, , .

are governed largely by signs omens and practices i n dica t ,

ing good or bad luck F or example at Whydah the people

.
,

1 “ E ncyclop ed i a Britann i ca V ol 2 4 p
a ,
”
.
, . 619 .

it
Elli s,Tshi Speaking P eoples p 1 45 , . .
2 84 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

will not sleep with their heads towards the sea and will not ,

enter a hut as a dwelling on Thurs day or F riday 1

In .

Da h o m i it used to be considered bad luck for dancers to fall

in the presence of the king and those who so o ffende d were
?
put to death The Ashantis never undertake anything un
less the signs are propitious They have certain days of .

celebration called Adai Days some of which are lucky and

, ,

others unlucky and on the unlucky days no one dare ven

,

?
ture out of doors for fear of some calamity The cry of an
owl near a house means the death of some one of its in
mates Sneezing indicates that something is going wrong
.

? ’
with a man s kra A piece of bent iron over a door means‘

?
good luck It is considered bad luck to eat an animal or
6
a plant that represents the tribal totem .

C harms have been discussed already in connection with

the activities of the numerous spirits a n d it is not worth ,

while to enter into further explanation of their powers ex ,

cept to mention that thieves among the Ewe pe 0 p 1e have

invented a kind of charm that renders them invisible while
7
they are performing their nefarious work In reference to .

signs and omens it would be well to bring to mind in pass

ing that such superstitions are not altogether absurd or lack
ing in utility They are the survivals of the primitive
.

’
man s e ffort to reason and to ascertain the nature and cause
of things In all investigations even by the most scientific
.
,

methods man begins by considering some fact or e ffect or

,

obj ect to be attained and imagining some fact or e ffect to ,

explain it or bring it about H is mind naturally attributes .

the cause to whatever resembles or is i n close proximity to

the fact or obj ect investigated It is only by thus observing .

resemblances and dissimilarities that reasoning is possible

and truth arrived at F or example the inquiry into th e .
,

1
Duncan V ol I p 1 9 3
, .
, . . llis Ew Speak i ng P eoples p 9 5
E ,
e , . .

3
Bracken b ury p 3 38 , . .
4Ellis ,Tshi Speaking P eoples p 20 3 ,
”
. .

5 Bowen p 2 98, Ellis

. .
0
, Ew e Spea k ing P eoples p 1 00
,
"
1 5 3 2 p 93
. .
7 1 , . .
 C HA PTER XXV

R ELI G I O US L I FE IN THE BA NA NA Z O NE (Conti nued )

Ori gi n of Go ds a nd P r st s
i e —
Having shown how the .

spirits and deities of this zone are concerned in all of the

phenomena of life it is next in order to S how how in the
, ,

course of time out of the innumerable spirits that dwell in

,

the sky forests rivers animals and men there arise definite
, , , ,

gods each having its idols and to S how also how the witch
,

doctor becomes a priest Naturally the spirits that do the

.

most mischief come in for the largest share of attention and

their deeds soon gain for them a wide renown if the char ,

acter of the country and distribution of population admit of

free intercommunication of ideas Then the witch doctors .

who heretofore have been doing a general practice re pre

se n tin g all of the deities and spirits begin to specialize and ,

limit their practice to some one of the spirits that have b e

come celebrated Such witch doctors are transformed into
.

priests and the spirits into gods The priests build huts or .

temples where the gods may find S helter food and drink and be ,

consulted The di fference between the gods a n d the ordinary

.

kras i nsisa dream so uls bush souls etc is that the former
, ,
-
,
-
, .
,

reside simultaneously in a variety of localities and deal

simultaneously with a large class of phenomena while the ,

latter reside in one particular place or o b j ect and have to do

only with one particular phenomenon at a time A god deals .

simultaneously with many people ; a fetich spirit deals with

one man at a time .

D i e e n Ki
f
f r t n ds o f G o ds — Among the Tshi people a o
.
,

cording to Ellis there are four kin ds of gods First those

, .
,

worshiped by an entire tribe or by several tribes ; second ,

2 86
 RELIGI OUS LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZO N E 2 87

those worshiped by the inhabitants of certain towns loca l ,

ities or districts comprising the spirits of the rivers hills

, ,

a n d sea . The general name for this second class of gods is

” “
B o sh u n .
“
The common sacrifice says Ellis to the tu , ,

telary deity of a town when the inhabitants are threatened

,

b y some great danger is a newly born infant a few hours ,

-
,

o ld at most who is torn limb from limb on th e spot where

,

the B o sh un is kept and the members strewn around

,
The .

innocence of the child of a n y o ffense to the deity is supposed

to render it especially acceptable to him ? Third those ,

deities worshiped b y special families or town companies ,

?
a n d who give protectio n i n return for worship and sac rifices
“ ”
The tutelary deity of a family says Ellis protects the , ,

members of it from sickn ess a n d misfo rtune and sacrifices ,

”
are also made to it to remove sterility In case of sickness .

the priest comes and presc ribes the treatment which he pre
tends the gods have reveale d to him D eath is supposed to .

be due to the anger of the household god who has been

o ffended A special day on which no labor is done is set
.

?
apart for sacrifices in honor of this deity Ho usehold
?
deities are wide spread in this zone
-
F ourth th o se spirits ,
i

worshiped by one individual They are tutelary and the .

general name of them is suhman plural esuh ma n This ,

?

latter group accor ding to the View of the writer should not
, ,

be considered as gods but merely as fetiches or spirits such

, ,

as kras i nsisa etc

, , .

G e n e ra l o r N a tu G
r e o ds — The chief god of the south .

ern Tshi tribes is B o b o w issi who looks after the general wel
fare o f that part of the wo rld The northern and more sav .

age tribes have as their chief god Tando who carries a ,

sword and is very malignant Sometimes human beings “

.

are sacrificed to him the ordinary number on each occasion

,

—
being fourteen seven men and seven women
,
”
H e has a .

1 Tshi Speaking P eoples p , . 1 72 .

3 H id , p . 18 .
3 Iézafi
’

, p .
93 .

4 Featherman p 1 39
, . .
5
Tshi , Speaking P eoples pp ,
"
. 1 8, 1 9 .
2 88 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

wife who is also very malignant and women are sacrificed ,

” 1
to her whenever her assistance is invoked A sort of .

omnipresent deity of the Tshis is S a sa b o nsu mwho divides

himself into fractions and appears in several di fferent roles
and in several di fferent places at the same time but under ,

all circumstances he is the emissary of evil H e is the spe .

c i a l confederate of witches a n d wizards and is the most ,

cruel and malignant of all the gods H e takes special de .

light i n destroying any one who may o ffend him and the ,

sight of his red body and lon g hair is enough to frighten

people out of their wits Whenever he gets hungry which
.
,

is not seldom he seizes and devours any one who may be

,

passing along the highways One of these S a sa b o nsu ms .

lives in a tall bombax tree and nothing pleases him better

-
,

than to throw this tree down on any innocent person that

may chance to pass within its reach Ellis remarks in refer .

ence to this matter that a dea d bombax tree does in fact

,
-

often fall and kill pe 0 p 1e as a result of having become rotten

from a stroke of lightning Well another one of these .
,

S a sa b o n sum s lives in the earth and when he gets his back , ,

up causes the earth to tremble a nd throw down houses

,
.

In Ashanti and amongst the northern tribes several persons

are invariably put to death after an earthquake as a sacrifice
to S a sa b o nsum ” 2
Another important deity is S ra h m
. a ti n ,

who is a sort of schoolmistress She lives in and among .

the silk cotton trees and when she wishes to secure pupils
she seizes them as they pass along the roads and after ,

keeping them for several months and versing them in the

mysteries of her worship graduates them as priests and ,

?
priestesses
Each local deity in the Ashanti region has a day set
apart for worship in his or her honor when people abstain ,

from work and o ffer sacrifices of sheep fowls and palm o il ?

,

1
ll i s
E , Tshi Speak ing P eoples pp
,
”
.
32 , 33 .
9 l aid , p .
35 .

3
p .
36 . Ib iai , p .
47 .
2 90 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

throwing down hot rocks upon the heads of innocent or

other kind of pe 0 p 1e and setting fire to houses It is m eces
, .

sary to supply him with about wives to keep him in a

pleasant frame of mind When however he sometimes .
, ,

loses his temper and sets fire to a house no one will attempt ,

to extinguish the flames for fear of o fle n din g him Next to .

the fire gods it would seem proper to mention the water

,

god Wu who is a sort of N eptune presiding over the sea

, , , .

H e has a very high temper and when he gets angry he

begins to deluge the country with water upset canoes drown , ,

fishermen and make himself generally disagreeable Some .

times the only way he can be quieted is to offer him a human

sacrifice ? The sun god Lissa is so far away that little is
known of him except that he is married to Gleti the moon ,

deity and causes eclipses sometimes by following his wife

,

2
and beating her .

A n i ma l D e iti e s — Occupying a very exalted place in the

.

Dahoman pantheon is Danh —gbi the great god of wisdom ,

a n d earthly bliss H e exists in the form of a python and

.
,

no one may kill o n e of his reptilian kin on penalty of

being burned alive H e is very fond of sheep and oxen .
,

and frequently demands them as sacrifices One of his .

strongest points is his power of infatuating women many ,

of whom become his wives and on the occasion of festivals ,

?
in his honor give themselves over to unrestrained harlotry
,

At Whydah special houses used to be built for the residence

of divine pythons and whenever one of these creatures ,

made its escape it was picked up and carefully b rought back

by some devotee Any citizen who met it in the streets .

?
was obliged to bow down and kiss the dust The king of
Da h o m i used to inflict the death penalty if any one killed
a divine snake even accidentally ?
The B a ssa mese have

s Ew Speaking P eoples p
Elli , e , . 64 . Mid p
”
, . 66
.
3 Mid p ” . 60 .

4
Forbes V ol 1 p 1 09
, .
, . .
5 Duncan V ol , . 1, pp . 1 9 5 , 1 96,
 RELI GIOUS LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZON E 291

divine crocodiles lizards etc ? The Dahoman rainbow god , ,

Anyi Ewo exists in the form of a huge serpent that drinks

-

?
water with his tail on the ground and his head in the clouds
In the Niger region there are countless gods of the
sky wind light n ing thunder etc similar to those already
, , , , .
,

mentioned except that instead of being appealed to through

,

the instrumentality of priests they are communicated with ,

through the more friendly representatives such as iguanas ,

in Bonny sharks in N ew C alabar and elsewhere monkeys

, , ,

?
lizards a n d the like The gods of this region as elsewhere , ,

often require hu man sacrifices and in some localities the

favorite method of putting the victims to death is to drag
?
them over the groun d
S a c rific es — V ery likely the reader has already asked
himself to what extent the sacrifices such as herein men
ti o n e d are still prevalent The o n ly answer that can be .

made is that they prevail pretty generally except in the

neighborhood of missionary settlements or in districts policed
by European administrative o fficers In this zone on a c .
,

count of the many rivers lagoons and swamps and the , ,

dense forests there are innumerable tribes that live far b e

,

yond the reach of the missionary or the colonial magistrate .

I do l s a n d Te mp l e s — In this zone idols are so numerous .

5
tha t they may be seen in every village and in the Niger
Delta in every house ? Their general aspect is that of
,

horrible caricatures of men beasts snakes and so forth , ,

.

?
Some of them are life size and some miniatur e Describing-

an Ashanti idol Stanley says that it is S imply an armless

,

and legless figure placed right by the S ide of some public ,

street and at its back is generally a me dici n e heap covered

F catherman p 39
1
, El l i s
. Ew Speaking P eoples
1 . p 49 2
, e , . .

Reclus V ol 3 p 3 3 1 ; Falconbridge p 5 1
3
, .
, . Reclus Vol 3 p 330 , . .
4
, .
, . .

Og i lby p 4 7 7 Ell i s
5
, Ew Speaking P eop l es pp 49 68 7 9 Duncan V ol I
.
, e , .
, , , .
,

pp 80 - 12
.
4 .

6 A l len and Thompson , Vol . 1, p . 2 42 ; Kingsle y , Travels

in West A frica ,

p .
348 .
7 Duncan Vol I p 1 2 4
, . , . .
2 92 TH E N EGRO RA C ES
’
over with a turtle s back or huge stone A white man edu .

c a te d at a university in all of the secrets of me dicine and

surgery is not gifted with one half the powers commonly

,
-

ascribed and commonly believed to be possessed by this

” 1
miserable idol .

The temple or dwelling place for the idol is sometimes

a mere shed in the woods sometimes a commodious house ,

adorned with human skulls or as in Bonny a small room , ,

?
connected with the dwelling house
Th e P ri ests a n d t h eir P r a c ti c e s — Among the Tshi peo
ple the priesthood is recruited from those who may vol
u nte e r to enter it or who are dedicated to it by relatives .

Its doors are open to men women and children but in fact , , ,

those who do enter are mostly the gran dchildren of priests

and priestesses A novitiate of two or three years of retired
.

life is necessary as a qualification for membership Priests .

have the privilege of marrying the same as other men but ,

it is considered unlawful for priestesses to have human

husbands Theoretica lly the priestesses are the wives of
.

the gods and therefore ought not; at the same time to be ,

the wives of mortal men H owever this restriction does not .

at all prevent the priestesses from sexual indulgence but on

?
the contrary makes them public prostitutes The priests no
less than the witch doctors are supposed to work all kinds
of miracles They are applied to for information and as
.

si sta nc e in almost every concern of life — to detect the person

who has caused the death of another to expose the thief , ,

the adulteress and the slanderer to avert misfortune and ,

procure good luck In their anxiety to secure the

.

services of the priesthood persons frequently reduce them ,

selves to absolute penury and cases have been kno w n in ,

which individuals have enslaved themselves in order that

l S ta nle y, oomassie p 5 5
C , . .

2
Duncan V ol 1 p 80 ; Wood p 60 1 ; All n and Thomson Vol
, .
, .
, . e , . 1, p . 2 44 .

3 Ell i s
, Tshi Speaking P eoples p 1 2 1 , . .
2 94 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

priestesses says Ellis are most licentious and have not the
, ,

” 1
slightest regard for public decency .

The mem b ers of the priesthoo d are of course distin

g u i sh e d from the commonalty by S pecial dress and privileges .

They usually wear articles of clothi n g forbi dden to others ,

and are exempt from penalties for crime In former times .

no priest was subj ect to capital punishment ?

The priests and priestesses of Da h o mi in contrast to those ,

of Ashanti c o Op era te and form hierarchic organizations with

,

fixed rules and practices The priests con stitute the .

members of one organization and the priestesses of another ,

and the rank occupied by a member of either organization

depen ds upon w hether he or she represents a general a ,

tribal or local deity .

I dea s o f A n o t h e r W o r l d — The people of this zone believe

that everything in Dead Lan d is the s a me as in this world ,

including mo untains rivers t rees animals men family life

, , , , ,

?
and form of government When the sun sets in this world
4
it rises in the other They even believe that people carry
.

intothe other world all of their physical imperfections ?

B ut
strange to say the people seem to have no notion of i mmo r
tality They argue i n their minds that if people of this life
.

die so in the course of time the people of Dead Land must

, , ,

?
die also The belief that life in the other world is the same
as in this is easily accounted for S ince when a man dreams , , ,

he sees frequently the images of dead men who appear in

dress and in behavior j ust as in their previous life H e is
, .

therefore not only convinced that people live after death but ,

?
that they lead the same ki n d o f existence as before M ost
of the pe 0 p 1e however prefer this world to the other one
, , .

A Tshi proverb says One day in this world is worth a year

,

1 Ellis , Speaking P eoples p 1 49

Ew e , . . p 1 47
3 H id , . .

3 H id p 1 8
, . . Kings l e y 4
, Travels in West A frica p 340 ,
”
. .

3 Ell is Ew Speak i ng P eoples

, e p 1 07 ,
”
. . H id p 1 0 8
3
, . .

3 Ellis Tshi Speaking P eoples p 1 5 8

, ,
”
. .
 RELIGIOUS LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZON E 2 95

in S ra h mnd a i
In the Niger Del ta as already men
az .
,

ti o n ed the dead do not tarry long in the other world but

, ,

come back speedily in the form of new b orn i n fants ? The -

pe 0 p 1e nowhere have any conception of eternal punishment ?

except those who have been influence d by missionaries The .

general practice of placing food drink and sundry articles ,

upon the graves of the dead is a survival of the belief

that the spirit of the dead lingers about the place of burial
and often gets hungry and thirsty or in need of some other ,

of the ordinary requirements of life .

Among the Tshi pe 0 p1e there are no gods w orshiped

universally This is because the density of the forest and
.

scattered condition of the people make it di fficult for a god

of one locality to become known to other localities Among .

the Ewe people on the contrary the more open country and
, ,

better facilities for communication permit the fame of i m ,

porta nt gods to extend over a wide area thus giving rise to ,

?
a distinct polytheism
1 K i n gsle y Trave l s i n West A frica p
, , .
339 .

3 Elli s, Ew Speaking P eoples p 1 2 7

e ,
”
. .
 C H A PTER XXV I

REL I G I O US L I FE IN THE MI LLET Z O NE

S piri t B e l i e fs —
This zone o ffers a great diversity of t e
li gi o us beliefs including fetichism polytheism and m
, o n o th e ,

ism In general it may be said that along the lower borders

.

of the zone the religion is mixed with the grossest sup e rsti
,

tions and that towards the middle and northern districts it

, ,

is blended with M ohammedanism and is somewhat more

rational .

To begin the Yorubas believe that each man has three

,

spirits dwelling in him ; one in his head one in his stomach ,

and one in his great toe The head spirit presides over .

thought the stomach spirit causes hunger and the toe spirit
, ,

helps him to walk and run Before setting out on a j ourney .

a man must not forget to anoint his toe ? The belief is uni
versal that when a man dies one of his spirits can come back
and reside in another person or in an animal tree shrub or , ,

?
rock In the eyes of the Yorubas the whole universe is ani
mated The moon is an old hen and the stars are little
.

chickens following after her The M ilky Way is therefore .

?
only a vast flock of chickens The mountains rivers clouds , ,

and trees are all living beings of some kind or other Even .

?
artificial things are animated
S pir its i n t h e E co n o mi c L i fe — In the course of time some
of the most dreaded of these spirits soar to the dignity of
gods and as in the banana zone both the gods and the
, , ,

minor spirits take part in everything that concerns human

life F or example the god Orisha Oko gives attention to
.
,

1 El lis ,
Yoruba Speaking P eoples pp , . 1 2 6, 1 2 7 .
3 H id , p . 123 .
3 H id , p . 83 .
4 H id , p . 2 84 .

2 96
2 98 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

give all of their time to the regulation of sexual and family

matters one is Ifa the go d of fecundity who causes women
, ,

to become pregnant ; and the other is O b a ta la who causes ,

the child to grow ? If the latter deity takes a dislike to a

woman he may cause the child to come into the world de
,

forme d Ifa is the more popular of the two deities on a c

.

count o f the fact that he is the inspirer of human passion .

An important peculiarity to note is that he is not the per

so n i fi ca ti o n of love and beauty as was Aphrodite among the

Greeks or V enus among the Romans for the reason that ,

the Y orubas have not reached the point of regarding their

Ifa in a sentimental and romantic aspect but only as a god ,

of sexuality .

fa i rs — The deities of this zone as in the

In P o l iti c a l A f ,

banana zone take a lively interest in statecraft and mili

,

tary matters In Yoruba for instance there is a god of

.
, ,

war O gun who will u n dertake to insure successful cam

, ,

p g
a i n s upon the consideration of the sacrifice of a slave .

The priest who o ffic ia tes on the occasion of one of these

sacrifices usually takes the heart of the freshly killed slave ,

seasons it with rum and sells it to any of the soldiers who

may wish to have extraordinary courage ? C harms of
various kinds are used for strategic pu rposes but they are ,

liable to be outwitted by some of the gods and therefore are ,

not altogether reliable F or example on one occasion at

.
,

Freetown when some trouble arose between the natives and

,

the British a N egro girl obtained from a witch doctor a

,

couple of bottles of magic water which had the power of ,

dampening the powder of the En glish soldiers ; but owing ,

without dou b t to the spiteful interference of some god the

, ,

prescription did not work a n d as she was dancing and ,

scattering the magic potion near the garrison one of the ,

soldiers seeing the performance shot her in the arm and

, ,

“ ” 3
she ran screaming away .

1 Ell i s, Yoruba Speaking P eoples p 5 6 H id p 69

, S pil b u y p 3 8
. .
3
, . .
3
s r , . .
 RELIGI O US LI F E I N TH E M I LLET ZON E 2 99

The spirits of this zone also generally act as detectives ,

policemen and night watchmen They have the power of -

.

concealing themselves in a variety of fetich obj ects which

men set up along the streets to protect valuable property or
to guard entrances to houses ? The Yorubas have a kind of
goblin detective who in reality is a man but is supposed
, ,

to be supernatural his business being to disguise himself in ,

a fanciful costume appear among the villagers at night a nd ,

?
carry away troublesome neighbors In j udicial proceed
ings some spirit or deity often acts as j udge j ury and exe
, ,

c uti o n er as in the banana zone F or instance when a

, .
,

person is required to drink poison a certain god Y e m aj

a , , ,

who presides over brooks and streams is supposed to cause ,

?
the potion to have a fatal effect if the accused is guilty
F e stiv a l s F e a s t s e t c M any festivals and feast days
, , .
-

naturally arise in connection with the religious beliefs of this

zone . For instance the Yorubas celebrate the first day ,

of the week as Ifa day in honor of this god of Divination ,

and Fec undity F owls and other things are o ffered up and
.

?
sometimes a human being This weekly rest day probably
originated from moon worship and was at first merely the
celebration of the new moon Later when the lunar month .
,

was divided into weeks the rest day came to be observed ,

?
on the first day of the week Among the followers of Islam
the festivities and feast day s are in accordance with the tra
ditio ns of that religion The M ohammedan Sabbath is a .

great festival and pe 0 p 1e turn out to parade the streets sing ,

?
and dance and thoroughly enj oy themselves Without
going into details it is su fficient to state that among the
Yorubas as among the ancient Greeks and Romans each
, ,

god has his or her celebrations and dances .

1 an d er V o l
L , . 1, p . 2 04 ; Binger Vol 1 p 2 0 3 ; El l i s Yoruba Speak ing
, .
, . ,

Peoples p 1 1 5
,
”
. . Ellis Yo ruba Speaking P eop l es p 1 08
3
, ,
”
. .

3H id p 44 , . . H id p 5 7 4
, . .

5 H id , pp . 1 46, 1 47 . L ander V ol 1 p 3 1 9 3
, .
, . .
39 9 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

S p irit s C a u se D is e a s es a nd D e a th s — All deaths except ,

those resulting from violence or accident are attributed to ,

the work of wicked spirits In Yoruba the people imagine .

that the woods fairly swarm with hungry and thirsty spirits .

A certa in one of them called A b iku frequently enters chil

dren and eats up their blood In order to drive it away a .
,

mother sometimes has to make incisions in the body of her

child and place therein some kind of spice or some green
pepper the pain from w hich being felt by the A b iku causes it
, , ,

to depart In case of death the corpse of the child is beaten

.
,

and mutilated so that the indwelling Ab iku that has eaten

’ ?
up the child s blood may be su fficiently punished When
adults die it is customary to hold a post mortem examina
tion to ascertain what kind of S pirit has caused the mischief .

It sometimes happens that wicked spirits conceal themselves

in some old man or woman a n d through them a fflict the ,

people with death and other calamities Such people having .

evil spirits in them correspond to what civilized people have

-

generally designated as w itches Any person accused of b e .

w itc h i n g must submit to the poison ordeal unless the evidence ,

of guilt is so plain that the people take the law into their own
?
hands and deal with the witch in a summary manner
Among the Timni the punishment for witchcraft is either
death or the enslavement of the guilty person together with
?
all of his family Lander found two old women imprisoned
on an island in the Niger who had been convicted of eating
the souls of five human beings The Bongos attribute sick .

ness or death to the craftiness of old women who connive ,

with evil S pirits or witches Old women are supposed to .

wander about at night searching for magic roots and herbs

wherewith to torment their enemies Whenever any case .

of sudden death occurs the aged people are held responsi

,

ble. Woe to the old cronies then in whose house , ,

1 E llis , Yoruba Speak ing P eoples p , . 1 14

.

2 H id , p . 1 15 .
3 Reclus Vol , .
3, p . 2 04
.
3 0 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

they exam i ne the patient locate the seat of the disea se and
,

prescribe cer tain diet and medicines Among many e ffica .

c i o us medicines of the Hausa practitioners it may be men ,

ti o n e d for example that the flesh of a j ack ass is a sovereign

, ,
-

remedy for coughs and pains in the chest ?

D uti es a n d R e s p o n sib i l iti e s o f th e W it ch D o c to r a n d R a i n
— P
D t o c o r erhaps in no part of the wo rld are medical p ra c
.

titi o n e rs required to have a wi der range of information or ,

to assume graver responsibilities They must not only be .

able to cure all kin ds of diseases make charms to protect ,

homes and personal property from theft but must regulate

, ,

the weather to suit the crops The doctor who fails to bring .

rain at the critical hour not only loses his reputation and
,

practice but his head ; for p eople will not be trifle d with
,

in an important matter of this k ind A S an instance of .

summary treatment of a rain doctor it may be mentioned ,

that in 1 8 5 9 when the Bari people were in the midst of a

terrible famine they demanded that their doctor bring down
,

an ample supply of rain forthwith but the combination ,

failed him and he could not induce the clouds to part with
their moisture Thereupon the people w ax ed indignant and
.

?
slew him The various methods employed by the Sudan
doctors to produce rain have never been fully comprehended
by European men of science simply because such matters ,

have been kept as profo un d secrets Each local doctor has .

an invention of his own which according to the most u m

,

biased opinion never fails if put into O peration at the proper

, ,

moment A Shuli doctor can take a simple antelope horn

.

and by some mysterious manipulation make it a very potent

?
excitor which never fails to shake down the clouds When
a citizen of Yoruba dies a doctor is sent for to ascertain
,

whether the death is due to a natural cause i e to accident , . .

,

or inj ury or to a witch or spirit ; if the latter he must dis

,

1 C la ppe rto n , Second Expe d it i o n p 1 9 1

, . .

3
Ratzel , H istory f M ankind V ol 3 p 2 6
o ,
”
.
, . .
3
Hid , V ol .
3 , p .
42 .
 RELIGI OUS LI F E IN TH E M I LLET ZON E 3 9 3

cover who and where the witch or spirit is ? The friends

and relatives in the meantime are careful to carry all of the
, ,

articles of the deceased out of the b ut and bury them so as ,

to o fle r no excuse for the spirit that caused the death to

?
linger about the premises
i ti
R e n c a rn a o n — As among the Tshi people of this zone ,

the soul of the dead man sometimes remains for days in the
neighborhood of its former abode perhaps causing S ickness ,

a n d death and then wanders o f ,

f to Dea d Land After a .

while however it comes back in the form of an infant reborn

, ,

into the same family proof of which is found in its resem ,

?
blance to a deceased father mother or other relative , ,

S gn Ome n s a n d
i s D,
ivi na ti o n — Signs omens and charms ,

play a great part here as in the other zones The Bam .

baras for instance make a practice of suspending magic

, ,

bags in their huts to keep away sundry obnoxious spirits?

and almost eve rywhere the people place charms about their
houses and fields and wear many kinds of protecting amu
lets Even the M ohammedans have great faith in charms
.

and amulets C la ppe rto n mentions that an old woman at

.

K o o lfu kept in her house some magic pieces of wood which

had been given to her by a priest and which when soaked , ,

?
in water were supposed to accomplish many marvels The
,

M andingo M ohammedans generally wear scraps of paper

6
scribbled on by a priest to keep o ff snake bites etc and ,
.
,

they consider it bad luck to start on a j ourney during the

last quarter of the moon ?
The people of Lodio consi der it
bad luck for a crane to fly over the village and when one ,

attempts to do so th ey assemble in the streets and shout at

,

?
it to go away In some places it is believed that if a bird
9
cries in a tree near a village it is a S ign of death In other .

1
El l is ,
Yoruba Speaking P eoples p ,
. 1 55 . p 1 59
3 H id , . .

3 H id , p . 128 .
4 Binger V ol I p 2 03
, .
, . .

5 C l pp t n
a Second Expedition p 1 7 1
er o , , . . P ark p 36 3
, . .

Featherman p 309 Binger Vol 1 p , . .

3
, .
, .
446 . H d V ol 1 p 20 3
9 i , .
, . .
3 04 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

places it is considered bad luck to kill a crocod ile in a

stream of water from which the pe 0 p 1e drink ? The Dioulas
seem to have a superstitious dre a d of anything s trange or
unusual F or instance when C aptain Binger was soj ourn
.
,

ing among them they begged him not to eat from his table
, ,

as it would bring bad luck ?

The B a so ma s consider it bad
luck to put on their trousers without spitting in them or ,

to sit on a bench or stool without the same protecting

?
ceremony
Among people who have to provide for future wants ,

and exercise some foresight it is natural that they should ,

be more interested in future events than a people who live

from hand to m outh upon the spontaneous products of
nature We S hould therefore not be surprised to find in
.
, ,

the millet zone more effort to divine the future than in the
banana zone While the data bearing upon this point are
.

scant the greater interest of the agricultural people in future

,

events may be inferred from the fact that the god Ifa of the
Yorubas among other accomplishments has the power of
, ,

divining the future and is consulted to a great extent by all

?
classes of people
1 B i nger V ol , . 1, p
.
446 .
3
Vol 1 p 360
.
, . .

3 B i nger V ol , . 1, p . 1 94 .
4 Ellis , Yoruba Spea king P eoples p 5 7
,
”
. .
3 0 6 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

messengers and must not be molested ? The mountain god

Oke though of no great impor tance must not be entirely
, ,

slighted If the people fail to S how him proper respect he

.

?
will roll down rocks upon them
A n i ma l D e it i es H o u s e h o l d G o ds — Serpent deities are not
so common in this zone because the country is mostly inland
where the conditions do not favor the existence of numerous
a n d da n gerous s n akes P eople however who l ive along the .
, ,

water courses usu ally have some reptilian species in their

pantheo n The Baris for example have a certain serpent
.
, ,

which is supposed to be the grandfather of their tribe ? and

to which they S how great reverence The people of Ny ffe .

?
keep in their fetich houses lizar ds crocodiles a n d tortoises ,

Household gods are not generally found in this zone

?
except along its lower borders Such go ds probably arose
everywhere from the practice of burying pe 0 p 1e in or near
the house in which they lived Believing that the spirits of .

the dead linger about their former place of habitation the ,

pe 0 p 1e set up images in their houses for the spirits to

reside in ?
S a c rific e s — S a c ri fic es of every kind are less frequent in
?
this zone and are generally attended with less ceremony
,

Human sacrifices scarcely exist except in the region of the

Niger and never on such a wholesale scale as in Da h o mi
,

and in Ashanti Among some tribes when a king or chief .

dies a few of his wives attendants and slaves are required

, ,

to go along with him and minister to his wants in the other

?
world If the reader is inclined to be S hocked at these hor
rible practices he S hould remember that there are many ex
,

1
lis Yoruba Speaking P eoples p 7 2
El , H id p 8 1 , . .
3
, . .

3
Reclus Vol 1 p 1 0 1 , .
,
Featherman p 40 2
. .
4
, . .

3 Ellis Yoru b a Speaking P eoples p 2 8 1

,
H id , . .
3

B i nger V ol 1 p 3 ; El l i s Yoru b a Speaking P eoples p 1 4

7
, .
, . 20 , ,
”
. 0 .

L an d er V ol 1 p 1 1 0 ; Binger V ol 2 p 1 84 ; C l pp t n
3
, .
, . Second E , .
, . a er o , X
p e

dition p 7 9 , . .
 RELIGIOUS LI F E IN TH E M I LLET ZON E 39 7

amples of such prac tices among the white races F or ex .

ample the ancient Gauls upon the death of a chief used to

, , ,

bury everythi n g that he cherished during life inclu ding his ,

S laves a n d clients ? F or religious purposes the most com

mon obj ects of sacrifice in this zone are chickens especi ally ,

of the white variety ? sheep goats oxen rats wine and 3

, , , ,

?
pigeons
I do l s —As a rule idols and images diminish as one a d
.

vances northward from the banana zone and at the same ,

time become less grotesque Along the lower border of this .

zone however they are quite numerous and correspondingly

, ,

fantastic The forest god Oroni for instance is represented

.
, ,

as a human monstrosity standing upright upon only one ,

?
leg and having the head and tail of a dog Some images
represent a man on horseback others a woman nursing a ,

child while still others are in the form of an animal or ser

,

pent Rohlfs describes a clay god Dodo the principle of

.
, ,

evil as being animal in form with four antelope horns on

, ,

its back but having two human faces one turned forward
, , ,

and the other backward The face turne d forward w a s col .

ored white and partly covered with a bear d of sheep wool ? -

Near the Benue River Rohlfs observed a serpent idol having ,

a female head with long horns ? In the Yoruba towns the

serpent symbol and the p a n es ge n i ta les i n coi tn are O ften
?
sculptured on temple doors The custom prevails in many
parts of this zone of making an image of a deceased twin so
that the spirit of the dead chil d may have a place to dwell
and not be tempte d to enter the body of the living child ?

It is to be noted that twins are not put to death in this zone

as among the tribes of the Niger Delta .

P ri e s t s —M ontesquieu asserted as a general proposition

.

1
Binger Vol 2 p 1 87 , .
, . .

3 L an d er V ol 1 p 3 2 7, .
, . .

5
Ell i s Yoruba Speaking Peoples p 7 9
, ,
”
. .

7 H id V ol 2 p 2 04 Bowen p 3
, .
, . .
, .
315 .
3 0 8 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

that the number of dervishes and priests increases in pro

portion as the heat of the climate increases l but in fact , , ,

there are pro b ably as many priests relatively to population

in the temperate zone as in the torrid It is obviously true .
,

however that the functions of the priests become more

,

numerous and extravagant in proportion as one advances

towar ds the Equator If the priests are not fewer in number
.

in the millet zone they are certainly less extravagant in their

pretensions P erhaps they are more plentiful in Yoruba
.

where the people deal with their great gods by means of

?
i n tercessors A striking fact about the Yoruba priests is
that they cooperate and form a regular priesthood the head ,

of which is at the same time the head of the Ogboni secret

, ,

?
society The priestly hierarchy consists of three orders
?
who represent correspondingly di fferent classes of gods
The o ffice of priest is generally hereditary but laymen ,

may attain to it by means of seminaries of the kind found

?
among the Ewe people
No ti o n s o ft h e A fte r L i fe — All of the pe 0 p 1e of this zone
believe in some kind of hereafter The Yorubas have their .

Dead Lan d where the same activities go on as in this life .

The practice of placing upon graves food drink weapons , , ,

clothing and the like is based upon the presumption that

? ’
these things will be needed by the dead people s S pirits
When any one wishes to know what is going on in Dead
Land he can find out from the priests ? Generally there is
no division into heaven and hell in the other world but in ,

some provinces as for example that of Wowo bad people

, ,

are supposed to u n dergo temporary punishment somewhere

for their wickedness after which they are permitted to enter
,

?
the land of the good pe 0 p 1e The prayers and sacrifices of
9
the N egroes have reference mostly to this life and what ,

3Bowen p 3 1 3 , . .

3H id p 9 7 , . .

3 Lander V ol 1 p 3 2 6
, .
, . .
3 10 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

t w een the M ohammedan and the fetich religion is that while

the one is proselyting j ealous and intolerant of all others
, ,

the other is tolerant and frien dly to all others N egro .

deities do not attempt to monopolize public attention They .

leave every man free to worship the gods of his choice so

long as he does not insult any of them The M ohammedan .

religion takes an easy and deep hold upon the min d and
heart of the Negro because it sanctions polygamy and re
,

tains faith in charms magic and other superstitions ; and to

,

say the least of it it is a vast improvement over fetichism In

, .

some respects it even has ennobling influences Its followers .

have regular prayers several times a day and often where ,

ever two or three people are gathered together in a school

house or in a millet field Staudinger says that he had .

been often deeply impressed by the farewell prayer which

the people are accustome d to make when pilgrims are setting
out on a j ourney It seems that a cavalcade accompanies
.

them for a certain distance of their j ourney and then coming

to a halt the leader of the cavalcad e sitting upon his horse
, , ,

with clasped han ds and face uplifted to heaven repeats the ,

pious strophes asking the Almighty to bless those going o n

ward with a prosperous voyage ?
Ori gin o f Myt h o l o gy — Generally the gods of this zone
have more of a perso n al history than those of the banana
zone In Yoruba each god has its particular legend and all
.

of them together form a rich mythology The probable .

reason that gods come to have a personal history is that

when they begin to be worshiped at a distance from the o b
je c ts in which they originally dwelt people forget where
,

they came from and hence find it necessary to invent some

,

story to explain their origin In this way no doubt myth .

, ,
?
ologies have eve rywhere had their origin A comparison
of the religion of the Slave C oast and the Gold C oast brings ,

out the fact that there are more general gods in the former
Staud i nger p 5 63 ; C anot p 1 45
1
, .
, Ellis
. Yoruba Sp aking P eoples p 8 5
.
3
, e ,
”
. .
 RELIGI OUS LI F E I N TH E M I LLET ZO N E 3 11

than in the latter The explanation of this phenomenon is

.

made easy if we remember that the Slave C oast country is

more open and more compactly settled and therefore more
favorable than the Gold C oast for the dissemination of ideas
over a wide area H ence in the religion of these two peo
.

ples there is seen a gradual transition from fetichism to

polytheism ? If outside the Slave C oast country there are
few general gods among the Nigri tians of this zone it is ,

because of the segregated and disconnected manner in

which the people are grouped and the imperfect i ntercom
munica tio n of ideas .

1 Ellis , Yoruba Spea king P eople s

,
”
p
. 2 90
.
 C HA PT ER XXV I I I

R EL I GI O US L I FE IN THE C A TTLE Z O NE

Mo h a mm e da n i smr e do m i n a nt F a ith — In this zone

th e P .

M ohammedanism is the predominant faith and its chief a d

h eren ts are the F ella ta h s who i n troduced it and with their , ,

aggressive missionaries are rapidly converting all of the ,

blacks of the Sudan They are fanatic and intolerant and

.

strict observers of all of th e external part of their religion .

They say their daily prayers and perform the usual ablu
tions : they keep the fast of Rhamadan during which they ,

abstain from food and every kind of indulgence from sunrise

to sunset ”
Each village has its mosque to which a ma m
.
,

b oo (same as marabout) is atta ched who recites the usual

prayers five times a day to the assembled people The .

F ellatahs observe the M ohammedan weekly rest da y which

comes on Friday and also several great festivals during
,

the year The women do not worship in the mosque with

.

the men but in a shed outside where a ma mboo j oins

, ,

them in the proper prayers ge nufle c tio ns and prostra ,

tions As a rule the M ohammedan F ellatahs make no

.

idols and o ffer no sacrifices but believe much in signs , ,

omens and charms A few passages from the Koran sewed

.

up in a leather case and worn around the neck arm or leg , ,

are supposed to protect the wearer from drowning from the ,

e ffects of firearms snake bites and to keep o ff sharks and

,
-
,

?
wild beasts
N ext to the F ellatahs the Kanuris are the most zealous
“
follo w ers of M ohammedan ism They are M ussulmans of .

1 Featherman p , .
3 7 8 ; C la ppe rto n, Journey to Kouka and S a ck a too , p .
5 2 ;
C anot p 1 7 7
, . .
 1
3 4 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

living and aid or hinder whatever is undertaken ? If rain is

needed instead of employing a witch doctor they call upon
, ,

the traditional father oftheir race ?

Sexu al deities or superstitious notions respecting the

family relatio n s are not at all common in this zone O cca .

si o n a lly the traveler meets with some such superstition as

that prevailing among the women of Bornu who believe
that if they lie upon a panther s kin or leopar d skin they will
?
be sure to give birth to a boy
In political and j udicial matters the spirits are not very
active and people do not so frequently call upon nor so
much rely upon them as in the other zones H owever .
,

their assistance in war is not altogether disdained and their

superior wisdom is sometimes deferred to in the trial of
criminals Among the jo lo fs a man accused of theft is tried
.

by the fire spirit in the following manner : An iron spade

is heated to redness which the suspected person is required
,

to touch with his tongue and he who is badly burned is ,

pronounced guilty and is bound to pay the value of the

” 4
property stolen The spirits sometimes become the con
.

federates of thieves F or example in Darfur the thieves

.
, ,

have a kind o f magic horn which when blown causes the ,

people whose property is being stolen to become deaf and

?
blind
Th e W it ch D o c t o rs — Sickness and death are not so .

generally ascribed to the work of spirits or witches yet in ,

many districts the spirits are up to much devilment and

recourse must be had to the conj urer sorcerer or magic ,

doctor Among the Dinkas the conj urer

.
“
after having , ,

examined the sick person who is dangerously ill announces ,

at once whether the patient will live or di e An ox is killed .

,

and the sick man is bedaubed w ith its dung to disgust the
1 Sch w e i nfurth V ol 1 p
, .
, .
9 1 Featherman p 68
, . .

3
Schwein furth Vol 1 p
, .
, .
91 .
3 Denham s Narrative p
’
, . 2 47 .

4 Featherman p 36 1
, . . H id p 3
, .
7 40 .
 RELIGIOUS LI F E I N TH E C ATTLE ZON E 3 5 1

demon of disease and induce him to leave the deity man -

sion in which he has taken up his abode The flesh of the .

sacrificial victim is eaten by the c o gy o o r (conj urer) and the

” 1
relatives and friends of the patient The S hillo o k magic .

doctors build their huts in sacred places such as a large

“
,

tree or a piece of forest and there they are visited by the

,
” 2
pe 0 p 1e who consult them in case of dangerous maladies .

If the reader will refer back a moment to the banana zone

he will recall that one of the worst things about the death
dealing S pirits of that region is that after they have caused
the death of a person they often return and kill others .

N ow in the cattle zone the jo lo fs have discovered a very

, ,

simple and ingenious method of preve nti n g the return of

these spirits After burying a dead person they elude the
.
,

pursuit of its spirit by making several circuitous turns in

?
their course before returning to their homes This simple
ruse diminishes the sphere of action of the magic doctor
and saves the people the expense so burdensome else ,

where o i continuing the services of the doctor after the

,

patient has died .

Few G en e ra l G o ds — With the exception of Allah of the

.

M ohammedan religion the gods of this zone have only a

,

local reputation and limited j urisdiction Before the intro .

duction of M ohammedanism there were perhaps some cele

b ra te d gods among the larger political groups as now ,

among the Yorubas and Dahomans but they seem to have ,

been dethroned everywhere by Allah leaving no traditions ,

of their existence Gods in the real sense do not exist

.

among the heathens of this zone but onl y fetiches Th e , .

Dinkas who have come into conta ct with C hristian mis

si o na ri es believe in a god and a devil ; that the soul of a

good man goes to heaven whereas when a bad man dies ,

the devil comes from the desert and carries o ff his soul

1 F eatherman p
, .
36 .
3 H id , p . 68 .
3 R eclus Vol, .
3, p . 1 42 .
3 16 TH E N EGRO RA C ES
” 1
during the night to plunge it into hell or the land of fire .

A kind of god among the Ma lin ko ps similar to that found ,

in the other zones is a subterranean something that dwells

,

in the bowels of the earth and is sovereign ruler of the

” 2
regions where gold is produce d C ertain tribes near the .

Senegal River seem to share the belief common in the ,

lower zones that c o nfla gra tio n s are due to the wrath of a
,

fire deity and they would consider it an insult to that deity

,

to attempt to extin guish the flames of any house that had

been set on fire The most that they will do is to stand o ff
.

and mumble prayers at the deity or climb upon the house ,

?
and spit in the blaze
R e v e r e n c e fo r S e rp en t s — M any tribes in this zone seem
to have a strong inclination towards serpent worship .

“ “
Snakes says Schweinfurth
, are the only creatures to ,

”
which either Dinkas or S h illo o ks pay any sort of reverence .

They are called by name and are treated as domestic ani

?
mals Among the Jo lo fs certain lizards are regarded as
?
household gods and are daintily nourished on sweet milk
Adanson states that the nati ves about the Senegal River
have a reverence for a particular kind of serpent and allow
it to grow and multiply in their huts and even to sleep with
?
them The S h illo o ks have a sort of deified lizard or bird ,

being in fact sometimes the one and sometimes the other ,

which they regard as their ancestor and which is supposed

?
to have led them to the pasture land that they now occupy
Fe w S a c ri fic e s I do l s o r H e a th e n P ri e st s — In this zone
,

human sacrifices have disappeared They used to take .

place among the F urs who according to Ratzel held a , , ,

spring festival called the feast of the Drums in c o mme mo ,

ration o f deceased sovereigns when several children were ,

sacrificed and the skin of one of them was used to make a

1
Featherman p 36 , . .
3
p 316
H id . .
3 A danson p
, . 2
55 .

4 Vol 1 p 1 5 8
.
, . .
3Featherman p 1 60 , . .
3 P . 231 .

7 Schweinfurth Vol , . 1, p .
91 Featherman p 68 , . .
 C HA PTER XXIX

REL I G I O US L I FE IN THE C A MEL Z O NE

B e l i efs o ft h e Tib b us — Passing to the Tibbus of the camel

.

zone we find that they were won over to M ohammedanism

about three centuries ago but like other N egro converts , ,

blend a good deal of native superstition with their new re

li gi o n. They have priests and o fl e r sacrifices but never in ,

the form of human beings They look upon certain mineral .

springs as divine and o ffer sacrifices to them They have

, .

the characteristic Negro faith in charms Small leather bags .

containing sentences from the Koran are fastened as amulets

to their turban or fez and to their arms legs and necks and
, , ,

also to their spears or other weapons Even horses and .

camels are equipped with these magic protectors ? A sin

gular characteristic of the Tibbus is their dread of black
smiths who are regarded as magicians and treated as out
,

?
casts
G en e r a l C o ns i de r a ti o n s Whil e the Tibbus have many
.
-

superstitions like all other people who are unacquainted

,

with science they do not mix with their superstitions those

,

terrors which inflame the imagination and fill the universe

with innumerable gods demons devils and every co nc e iva
, , ,

ble malignant spirit .

F ear is the transcendent element in all equatorial re

li gi o ns and even a strong element in the religions of the
,

temperate zone where it is manifested by an aversion on

part of the people to any inquiry into their traditional beliefs
and superstitions It makes people cowardly a nd closes the
.

’
door of their minds to God s deepest truths and therefore to
1 Featherman p , .
75 6 .
3 Reclus Vol , . 2, pp .
4 2 4, 4 2 8 .
 RELIGIOUS LI F E IN THE C A M EL ZON E 3 1 9

His highest revelations It is the parent of intolerance and .

bigotry and an enemy to both the expansion of mind and

,

soul The relatively sane view of the world taken by the

.

Tibbus is due to the fact that nature deals niggar dly with
them and causes them to put forth strenuous e fforts both
mental and physical Another factor to consider is that the
.

phenomena of this zone are more regular and less terrible .

The conditions therefore tend somewhat to develop the

, ,

reason and not to overexcite the imagination .

Looking back over the four zones it seems that the

number of deities idols and superstitions of every kind
,

diminishes as one moves away from the equator Rain .

doctors appear only in regions where there is a dry season .

The less man does for himself the more he leaves for the
gods In the banana zone the gods do much and men little
.
,

and when the people of that zone go to war they pay their
deities instead of their soldiers A S the gods are supposed .

to cause success or failure in all important undertakings ,

men feel no incentive to exert their own powers In the cat .

tle zone the gods play a diminishing rOle , and man an i n .

creasing one As monotheism begins to develop men begin

.

to perceive that God is operating through them and not in

competition with them .

R e l a ti o n o fR e l i gi o n t o Mo r a l it y — M any sociologists a n ,

t h ro p o lo gists psychologists and theologians as well as

, ,

many laymen hold that primitive religion has no connec

,

tion with morality F or example Ribot argues that religion

.
,

1
and morality have an entirely i n dependent development ,

and the argument of Spencer is that morality is a later de

v e lo p m
?
e nt than religion Ellis who has studied the African
,

“
religion at first hand says that religion is not in any way
,

allied with moral ideas whose so urce is essentially distinct, ,

although the two become associated when man attains a

higher degree of civilization M urder theft and o ffenses .
,

1 p
375. , Data of Ethics C hapter 73
,
”
.
320 TH E N EGRO R A C ES

against the person or against property are matters in which

the gods have no imme diate concern and in which they take
no interest except in the case when b ribed by a valuable
, ,

o ffering they take up the quarrel in the interest of some

,

”1
faithful worshiper .

However a full consideration of the facts does not seem

,

to support the views of these authorities The truth seems .

to be that the operations of nature upon the savage are the

fund amental i msp ira tio ns of his moral perceptions and that ,

what he sees and believes as a consequence of these i nsp i

rations is only a visualized reflection of his dawning con
science H e is i n this world seeking to find pleasure and to
.

avoi d pain The impulse to inquire into the cause of things

.

is the same as the impulse to inquire into the effects of them

and the only reason for inquiring i nto either is that he may
adj ust his actions so as to obtain some good or escape some
evil When the savage hears the thunder he asks two ques
.

tions F irst What is it ? H e gets the answer that it is a

.
,

spirit Second Why is it angry ? H e gets the answer that

.
,

he himself or some one of his fellowmen has done some

, , ,

thing wrong— has offende d the spirit When the savage .

has a disease he asks two questions F irst What caused it ? .

,

H e gets the answer that a malignant spirit has invaded him .

Second Why has it invaded him ? Because he or some one

,

—
of his fellows has done some evil has o ffended the spirit .

Acting upon this kind of reasoning he seeks to avoid o ffend

ing the thunder spirit or the disease spirit H e propitiates .

them and hires a magic man to conj ure them that they may
not do mischief The moral significance of this acting is
.

that he feels a sense of obligation to do or not to do cer tain

things for the sake of the well being of himself and his fel -

low men He is learning from experience to avoid lines of

.

conduct that entail suffering and the motive of his action ,

and the process of his thought ar e the same as those em

Ellis Tshi Speaking P eoples p 1 0
1
, , . .
3 2 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

activities it is not because religion develops independently

of morals but because he has not yet been able to apply his
,

religion to the detailed relations of life But as a matter of .

fact the writer does not believe that there are any activities
of the savage that are not connected in one way or another
with his religion The savage even attributes his appetites
.

and passio n s and his likes and dislikes to the promptings

, ,

of some spirit The forces of nature that operate upon and

.

in man are only the voices of God speaking to his consci ence ,

and they are obeyed with the same moral motive that gov
erns the conduct of the most conscientious civilized man .

The ethical element though born with religion is at first

, ,

feeble and gradually develops as religion develops When .

the African believes that Shango will set fire to the house of
any one who steals it indicates a consciousness that stealing
,

is wrong .

R e l igi o n a n d Mo ra l ity I n s e p a r a b l e Indeed it seems to

.
-
,

the writer that religion and morality have not only devel
oped together but that they are so interwoven that one can
,

not survive without the other A S soon as the savage begins .

to have moral conceptions his mind proj ects or ej ects i m

a gi na ry spirits or persons that are merely the reflection of

his own personality Some of these spirits are good but

.
,

most of them are bad corresponding to the preponderance ,

of evil in his nature As his good and bad impulses are .

vacillating so he has a variety of deities that appeal to

,

good and bad acts As there is in him a struggle between

.

the good and the bad so the struggle goes on between the
,

good and the bad deities ; and as the good in him finally tri
umphs over the bad so the good deities finally triumph ,

over all of the evil or indifferent ones ; and at any stage of

development the deities that a man sees and believes in
, ,

correspond to the ideals by which he is governed or to state ,

’
it in another way a man s ideas of ri ght and wrong always
,

correspond to one or more definite personalities how ,

 RELIGIOUS LI F E I N TH E C A M EL ZON E 323

ever changeable to whom he refers all questions of con ,

duct
Mo r a l ity C a n n o t D e v e l o p F r o m Me re A b st ra c t C o n
s i de ra ti o n s — N either primitive man nor civilize d man can
.

develop his ethical nature by purely abstract thinking An .

’
idea cannot influence a man s moral nature until it becomes
an ideal i e until it becomes personified and appeals to
, . .
,

his feelings as an individual that he loves can do In the .

last analysis the ethical ideas ar e always personified and

stand out in the mind s eye as Go d or as several spiritual ’
,

personalities according to which man seeks to S hape his,

conduct and which are made up of fragments of mother ,

father child friend hero or prophet Whether man recog

, , ,
.

ni z e s as real the go d or p e rso n i fi c a ti o n s that make up his

moral consciousness they are in fact alway s the S pirit of ,

God revealing itself according as man yields to it A man .

can be moral only by a constant reference of his conduct to

his God or Ideal and a constant attitude of obedience to that
’
authority A man s moral nature and his conception of
.

God act reciprocally upon each other The vision of God .

or Ideal Ruler judge or C ounselor builds up his moral ,

nature and at the same time the elevation of his mora l

, ,

nature expands and perfects his conception of God Bald .

win expresses this psychological truth i h the statement that ,

“
Without the recognition of the ideal self embo died in re
li gi o us institutions and necessarily so embodied ethica l ,

” 1
growth is impossible .

Th e B rut a l a n d L i c e n ti o us E l e m e n t i n R e l igi o us R it e s

Fragments p 33 6 Bal dw in say s Th impulse to rea d sel f into others

1 “
, . .
,
“
e ,

i
. e to recogn i ze personali ty as more than ind i v i dual w ith its fi nal d evelopment in
.
, ,

the recognition f ideal personal i ty— this is what i n my opin i on a genet i c account
o , ,

of religion re quires F ragments p 3 9 H say s again that the

.
,
”
. 2 . e

attributes of the deity at any stage f rel i g i ous d evelopment are dra w n from the o

thought of i d eal personal it y Rel i gi on is the em b od i ment on part f

. o so

f the h i ghest persona l ity — H id p 3 3 Th same thought i s brought out ”

ci ty
e o .
, . 2. e

in his Social and Ethical Interpretations in M ental Development pp 35 7 443 etc ,

”
.
, , .
32 4 TH E N EG R O R A C ES

Out c o m e o f R e l i gi o n b ut o f Ma n s I gn o r a n c e a n d
’
not th e ,

th e m
S u r v i v a l o f H i s A n i a l Na tu re A ft e r t h e D a w n o f R e
1i gi o n — But h o w
. are we to reconcile the horrible sacrifices ,

abomi n ab le magic and unb ridle d licentiousness connected

with primitive religion with the idea that religion and
morality are inseparable ? The reply is that these practices
’
are simply the result of ignoran ce and the survival of man s
,

animal impulses after the dawn of religion The pe 0 p 1e .

believe them to be essential to the general welfare a nd carry

them out with the best of intentio n s The practices in .

themselves may be ever so foolish inj urious or immoral but

, ,

the motives behind them are moral N o one doubts that .

M oses was a great moralist and prophet yet he believed in , ,

a n d put in operation the practice of an eye for a n eye and a

,

—
tooth for a tooth a practice condemned by C h rist If in .

the name of religion pious men encourage lust avarice , ,

malice b igotry human sacrifices inquisitions bu rnings at

, , , ,

the stake and exterminating wars it is because of defective ,

reasoning and inab ility to discern truth from error If there .

is inconsistency between the good motives and bad prae

tices of the savage or any other believer in religion it is on
, ,

account of lack of knowledge and it ought to teach all men

that reliance upon mere moral motives can never meet the
demands of true religion but that the motives must be com
b in e d with i n telligence careful investi gation of the effects
,

of conduct and constant adj ustment of doctrines and stand

ards of conduct to an ever increasing enlightenment It
-
.

ought to teach the unwisdom of a blind adherence to the

external and tra ditional authorities imposed by a past age ,

instead of obeying the direct inspirations of the inner spirit

and the revelations of truth as man ifested by the C reator in
the physical and social laws of His universe M an is a part .

’
of God and God s kingdom is in man In man therefore
,
.
, ,

operative as God or as Divine Spirit is that stream of power

, ,

making for righteousness of which the philosopher speaks ,

 C HA PTER XXX

[ESTHET I C L I FE IN THE BA NA NA ZO NE

L o v e o f B e a ut y a n d A pp r e c i a ti o n o f A rt U n i v e rs a l In .
-

order to understand the aesthetic life of the N egro two things

are necessary F irst to realize that love of beauty is not
.
,

a cultivated characteristic of human beings but is as natural

and fundamental as the appetite for food C ultivation may .

’
change man s interest from one form of beauty to another
but not his fundamental liking for it Second to discard .
,

the prevalent notion that art is a sort of superfluous adj unct

to civilization a frill or ornamenta l touch like the volutes
,

and carvings of a piece of architecture after all of the solid

work is finished This view has been taken unfortunately
.

by many historians who do not think it worth while to con

sider the art of a pe 0 p 1e until a certain degree of progress
is reached or until some great artist comes upon the scene
whose works command national admiration F ew historians .

have ever made any effort to interpret art or to explain its

development It is generally considere d as something mys
.

teri o us and di f ficult to understand and is therefore left to

,

be grappled with by a few men like Ruskin and Taine who ,

are supposed to have been born with a special aesthetic

sense In the popular mind art is something imported from
.

F rance and suitable for people of leisure and wealth The .

theologians look askance at it and men of affairs regard it

as something curious and effeminate and pride themselves
on knowing nothing about it Until recent years it was left
.

entirely out of college curriculums The first a rt introduced

.

in schools was literature and for a long time that was not
,

regarded as an essential part of education The study of .

326
 ! ESTH ETI C LI F E IN TH E BANANA ZON E 3 2 7

all of the fine art s has been left almost exclusively to private
schools in which there is greater confusion and misunde r
standing o f art than anywhere else for the reason that in ,

these schools it is not art that is studied but only technique .

As a matter of fact art is not something that has a special

connection with civilization or the educated classes but it is ,

as universal as man and di ffers among races and nations

rather in character than in the degree of interest felt in it .

If there is any di fference between the savage and civilized

man in attention given to art the di fference is in favor of
th e savage for as civilization advances men tend perhaps
, ,

unfortunately to be gui ded more by science and less by art

,
.

Muti l a ti o n s a nd Ta tt o o i ng— S avage men usually devote

much time to the adornment of their bodies in this respect ,

resem b ling many of the lower species of animals It is a .

common observation that peacocks fla m in go es barn yard

, ,
-

fowls and indeed nearly all birds have an eye to the beauty
, , ,

of their plumage that the cat and other feline species wash
their faces a n d lick their fur into a gloss ; that butterflies
a n d other insects glory in their motley colors and brilliant

illuminations ; and that even snakes dress gaudily and change

their styles with the change of the seasons P erhaps among .

primitive men personal decorations were first displayed by

tattooing i e perforating or cutting lines u pon their skin
, . .
, ,

a practice which probably originated at a time when the

matriarchate was universal and before children ca me to
have individual names Instead of giving a special name
.

to each member of the family or tribe all of the same blood ,

’
on the mother s side were designated by a common tattoo
mark Later when the naming of children came into gen
.
,

eral use the practice of tattooing was continued as a mark

,

of distinction for some notable achievement or as a mere

ornament M en who had slain a wild beast or an enemy
.
, ,

or in some cases who had only undergone the ceremonies

, ,

of initiation into manhood would be entitled to so many

,
328 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

scars on the cheek forehead or chest As curious and ,

.

senseless as this practice may at first seem it is not without

its value in the evolution of civilization In the absence .

of historians poets and monuments to proclaim human

, ,

achievements it Is neither surprising nor regrettable that

,

the savage should record them upon his skin where the
public may observe and admire them The civilized man .

who depends upon the newspaper magazine or history to , ,

record his deeds has reason very often to be disappointed

, .

Either the space given to him is not adequate or he is ,

overshadowed by some other man or he is entirely um ,

noticed All of this is avoided when a man uses his chest

.

and abdomen as a placard to advertise who he is and what

he has achieved But to be serious tattooing has two dis
.
,

tinct merits F irst it shows a love of public esteem a

.
, ,

striving for some kind of distinction and second it teaches , ,

th e lesson that distinction can be won only by a man who

has risked or sufl e re d something since the mere cutting of ,

the skin involves pain This is a lesson which civilized .

people have not yet su ffi ciently learned for too many of them ,

gain their distinctions by making others su ffer Although .

tattooing as a survival among civilized people is regarded

, ,

by criminologists a n d anthropologists as a S ign of degen

e ra c y it is not altogether unbecoming if cut in the right
,

fashion .

In the course of time however savage men foun d , ,

other means of distinguishing themselves They a c c umu .

lated wealth raised cattle acquired slaves built houses

, , , ,

granaries etc Then tattooing was kept up merely as a

, .

decoration Among the people of the banana zone tattoo

.

ing is very widely practiced a n d varies much in significance ,

and in styles In some districts it exists in the form of skin

.

patterns to designate families and tribes ; in other dist ricts

it is a mark of personal distinction ; and in still other dis
tri c ts it is a mere decoration while among the Dahomans it ,
3 30 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

bright streaks of red doubtless keeping up what was once ,

”1
an ordinary decoration It may be added that some .

civilized pe 0 p 1e still paint and powder .

H a i r D re ssi n g — In the tonsorial art the people of this

zone take a high rank As the climate renders clothing a .

su p e rfl uity the hair o fl e rs the best field for display of taste

,

and styles in dress In some tribes the hair stands out in

.

big tufts on the crown of the head resembling a scouring

broom ; among other tribes it grows in small tufts as if the
head were planted with paint brushes elsewhere it is -

twisted into long prongs like the horns of an ox ; and in

still other places it is piled upon the head like a hay stack -

or as among the N egro es of America twisted into ringlets

, ,

?
and divided like all Gaul into three parts
, ,

Orn a m e n t a l C l o th i ng J e w e l ry E t a C lothing does not , ,

-

come in for much in the way of artistic expression The .

original dress of this region was a cloth of woven grass

?
worn like a hilt In many districts this cloth is still worn ,

except in case of children who always go naked Natives ,

.

who have come in contact with the culture of the interior ,

wear a variously colored dress ma de of cotton which reaches ,

from the waist to the knee and in addition to this a mantle , ,

of some stu ff is thrown over the shoulder leaving exposed ,

one side of the breast In Ashanti caps of leopard S kins are

.
,

worn by the aristocracy and sandals of re d green and white , ,

leather? Since the invasion of the European the styles of ,

dress have become exceedingly gaudy and grotesque .

Nothing delights the native kings and princes more than to

bedeck themselves in the second hand paraphernalia of -

European soldiers or civilians Describing the dress of an .

Ashanti king Freeman says that he wore a brown velvet

,

coat white S atin trousers white linen shirt black beaver

, , ,

1
nthropology p 2 37
A , . F eatherman pp
.
3
, . 1 7 6 , 2 05 , 2 2 2 .

3 A llen and Thomson V ol 1 p 3 94 , .

, . .

4
Featherman pp 1 7 6 2 05 2 2 2 Freeman p 1 46
, .
, , , . .
 ZES TH ETIC LI F E I N TH E BANANA ZON E 33 1

hat with a band of silver lace and a spotted S ilk muslin ,

sash etc ?
,

But the natives make up for their scant clothing by a

vast array of j ewelry and trinkets N ecklaces armlets .
, ,

anklets and ringlets are in vogue everywhere some being ,

made of gold some of ivory and brass and some of woven

, ,

?
vegetable fibres The amount of gold and other finery dis
played b y the kings and princes of Ashanti is astonishing
to all European travelers F reeman speaks of the king of .

Ashanti as wearing sandals ornamented with gold and

S ilver a pair of knives with mother o f—pearl handles sheathe d
,
-

in gold and suspended from his neck by a golden chain ,

while another gol d chain coiling six or eight times around,

?
his neck hung loosely down his breast
, The royal families
fairly load their ankles wrists breasts S houlders and necks
, , ,

?
with gold ornaments Allen and Thomson describe a
princess w hose arms were so heavily burdened with brass
rings that she was obliged to have an attendant on each
?
side of her to support each arm Even her toes were
laden with these metallic decorations In some co m mu .

n iti es in a ddition to other j ewelry the women wear brass

, ,

wire coiled from ankle to knee It is not surprising to learn .

therefore that the total weight of iron and brass and other
rings worn by an African belle on State occasions will some
times amount to fifty pounds and that the metal often gets ,

so hot under the burning rays of the sun that an attendant

has to go along with a watering pot to cool it o ff .

D a n c i ng— The people of this zone in common with sav ,

ages everywhere are much given to dancing On moon

, .

light nights along the banks o fthe Niger the natives gather ,

?
and dance until an early hour in the morning The fact
that the dancing takes place at night is due to the climate ,

which is unfavorable to spirited activity during the day If .

1 P . 1 39 . a w kins p
3 H , . 89 .
3 P . 1 39 .

4 H id , p . 1 46
.
3 Vol 1 p 2 84
.
, . .
3 Staudinger p , .
39 .
33 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

the question be asked why the savage gives so much atten

,

tion to the dance the answer is that all strong emotions tend
,

to express themselves in rhythmical movements of the body .

The pent up emotion of the cage d lion or other animal is , ,

often manifested by a swaying of his body from one side to

the other and in like manner th e pent u p emotions of a
, ,
-

human being require some kind of rhythmical manifestation .

F or example in convulsive laughter people often swing their

,

bodies backward and forward and when a barefoot boy ,

stumps his toe he hops in a circle and hums a tune At

, .

religious meetings when people become emotionally aroused ,

they sometimes swing their bodies stamp their feet or clap ,

their hands in rhythmical regularity and more commonly ,

still when people are in deep sorrow they wri ng their hands
, ,

and mourn in measured notes of lamentation This explains .

why poetry and impassioned prose are always expressed in

rhythmical lines The savage cannot so well express his
.

emotions in words or find vent for them in the thousands of

,

avenues available for civilized people and hence he is the ,

more inclined to express them in movements of his body .

It is not at all strange then that all of the feelings that

, ,

originate from the j oys and sorrows of his life should be ex

pressed in some kind of dance To some degree at least .

dancing among savages corresponds to poetry painting the , ,

novel and the drama among the civilized people The gen .

eral notion that the dancing of savages is altogether fri v

o lo us and sensuous is quite erroneous The sensuous ele .

ment perhaps predominates but there are times when

, ,

dancing appeals to and awakens many of the higher emo

, ,

tions ; for example dancing in celebration of the capture of

,

game in preparation of war or of planting the fields or in

, , ,

celebration of the ripening of fruits and the gathering of the

harvest Such dances inspire courage the feeling of grati
.
,

tu de loyalty and social soli darity At the courts of Ashan ti

, .

and Da h o mi instead of recording the deeds of the kings as

, ,
3 34 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

capture the dance at once merges into the d rama Spencer

, .

takes the same view H e says that the drama originated .

from the mimicry and gesticulations of the primitive priests

as they led the ceremonial dance ? H owever this explana ,

tion is h a r dly correct A kind of embryonic drama may be

.

observed in the play of all animals whenever they imitate ,

fighting or hunting or in the play of children when they

, ,

imitate domestic life with their toy houses a n d dolls or mili -

,

tary and industrial life with their bows and arrows drums , ,

pop guns engines and wagons F rom this point of view

-
, , .

the drama probably existed long before the dance M any .

writers not only seek to find the origin of the drama in the
dance but also poetry and music But the fact seems rather
, .

to be that these arts have their origin in the physiological

and psychologica l constitution of human nature The dance .

has unquestionably favored the development of these arts ,

but it is no more the origin of them than the church is the

origin of religion or the State the origin of government
, .

The disposition of modern writers to trace everything to a

communal origin must give way as more light breaks i n
upon the life of the savage .

Musi c — But if the N egroes take a low rank in the

.

dramatic art they take a high rank in the art of song Per
, .

haps no pe 0 p 1e in the world are so fond of S inging The .

boatman sings all day long keeping time with his paddles ,

the woman pounding grain beats in time to her voice the ,

carrier sings to his tread and the farmer to his hoe J oy .

,

2
grief and pain are all sown in spontaneous song As a .

rule the African songs are nothing but monotonous and

,

?
often improvised recitatives In the C alabar region there
are some strolling minstrels who may be met in the streets
carrying a large kind of net to which are dangling such ,

1
P rinciples of Soc i olog y Vol ,
”
.
3, p 2 28
. .

3 Mi ssi ona ry R evi ew f Me Wor ld

o , Vol 1 9 n.
, . s
.
, p .
7 99 .

3
Ellis , Tshi Speak ing P eoples p ,
”
.
3 28 .
 Z ES TH ETIC LI F E IN TH E BANANA ZON E 335
’
odd things as pythons back bones tobacco pipes bits of -
, ,
’ ’
china fea thers bir ds heads reptiles heads a n d bones and
, , , ,

to every one of these obj ects hangs a tale or song You .

select an obj ect and pay for the song to which it corresponds .

M iss Kingsley was fortunate enough one day to meet one

of these minstrels who had at tached to his net a human
“ ”
hand and a human j aw bone They were his only songs
-
.
,

“
she says a nd I heard them both regardless of expense I
, ,
.

did not understand them because I did not know his lan
guage but they were fascinating things and the human
, ,

hand one had a passage in it which caused the singer to

crawl on his hands and knees round and round stealthily ,

looking this side and that giving the peculiar leopard quest ,

ing cough and making the leopard mark on the earth with
his doubled up fist O l That was something like a song !
-
.

It would have roused a rock to enthusiasm : a civilized

audience would have smothered its singer with bouque ts I —
— well the headman with me had to interfere and counsel
,
” 1
moderation in the heads of tobacco .

The chief musical instruments of this zone are the drum ,

tambourine a trumpet made of ivory a long wooden pipe

, ,

2
which sounds like a bellowing o x and several kinds of ,

harps .

P a i nti n g D r a w i n g a n d S c u l p tur e —In the line of paint

, , .

ing and drawing this zone has almost nothing to o ffer .

It is said that the Fantis have no idea of pictorial de

sign and do not even make the rudest attempts at pic
?
tures In sculpture and carving the quantity is great and
the quality is poor The idols are made of wood or clay
.
,

and are generally caricatures of the obj ects they are sup
posed to represent The carving of weapons tools etc
.
, , .
,

however is sometimes very good Weapons are usually

, .

?
ornamented with figures of men reptiles and other animals ,

1 West A frican Stu d ies p , . 127 .

3
Duncan Vol 1 p 2 6
, .
, . .

3 Brackenbury p 3 2 7 , . .
4 Duncan Vol 1 p 2 47
, .
, . .
336 TH E N EGRO R A C ES

’
In this connection the writer recalls a statement of Ruskin s
that the pe 0 p 1e who are the most cruel a nd cold hearted -

always bestow the most exquisite workmanship upon

their weapons Stanley saw some carved soup ladles in
.
-

Ashanti that an European workman might be prou d of and ,

a carved stool which would adorn any drawing room ? -

There are scarcely any attempts at architecture or the orna

mentation of houses N evertheless the front part of build .
,

?
ings is sometimes ornamented with figures of animals
Stanley describes a home in Ashanti which he thought rose
to some architectural pretensions The walls to a height .
,

of three feet above the ground were painted an o c h rish red , ,

and above that they were painted a waxen white covered

, ,

with designs in relief The cornices were set o ff with many

.

grooves a n d freiz es and the pediments were something of

,

?
the Ionic order The natives of this zone have a large
stock of folk stories which however have no particular
-
, , ,

meaning or moral .

L o v e o f Na tur e Nowhere in this zone do the people

.
-

seem to S how any appreciation of nature This is perhaps .

because nature is so often mani fested in a hostile form ,

causing deaths from lightning from earthquakes hurricanes , ,

and diseases and hence the attitude towards it is always

,

that of terror It is only where nature is less hostile or

.

where it has in a measure been conquered that men come

, , ,

to be on friendly terms with it and to manifest love for it .

1 C oomass i e p , . 1 67 .

3 Freeman p 5 5 ;
, . Al len and Thomson Vol , . 1, p . 8
3 7 .

3 C oomassie p , . 1 67 .
33 8 TH E N EGRO RA C ES
1
also in many districts of the west Ear ornaments are not .

so common but are worn by the people of Bidj i i and per

2
haps elsewhere .

The practice of multila tin g the teeth is in vogue more or

less throughout the entire millet region and among the Nile ,

3
people it is universal The styles of deformation vary a c .

cording to locality In some places the pe 0 p 1e are satisfied .

to knock out a few front teeth elsewhere they file the upper
‘
incisors to a point and in still other places they cut an in ,

5
verted V between the upper incisors In the east the upper .

incisors are filed to a poi n t and the lower ones knocked out 6
.

The practice of filing to a point exte n ds through the e q ua to

rial regions from Bongo to the Kassai River 7
.

B o dy P a i n t i n g a n d H a ir D r e ss i n g — Body painting is very .

popular and grotesque in this zone The Nile people paint .

and grease their bodies to such an extent that it is di fficult

8
to discern the real color of their skin In the west instead .
,

of painting the entire body the natives prefer to put on only ,

a few artistic touches here and there F or example the .

,

9
women of Kano dye their hands feet legs a n d eyebrows , , .

The inhabitants of Ny ffee dye their han ds feet eyebrows , , ,

10
eyelashes and lips The B o rgus dye their lips teeth and .
, ,

ll
finger and toe na ils The women of Yauri are satisfied to
-
.

12
give their lips a delicate coloring of blue or yellow Lip .

painting is also common among the M an dingos and

Hausas the favorite color of the former being b lue and of
,

“
the latter red The Hausas also use red to color their teeth
. .

1 B i nger Vol 1 pp 1 84 2 1 3 ; L an d er Vol I p 300

, .
, .
, , .
, . .

2 L ander V ol 1 p 94, .
, . .

3 Ratzel H istory f M ankind Vol 3 p 2 7

,
o ,
”
.
, . .

4 S pi l b u y p 1 2 5
s r , . . Wood p 6 1 2 5
, . .

5 Ratzel H istory fM ankind Vol 2 p 5 2 5

,
1 6 1 3 7 1 3 p 69
o ,
”
.
, . . 2 0 .
, . .

8 Mid V ol 3 p 2 8
" . , . .

9 C l pp t n
a Journey to Kou k a and S k t
er o , p 47 ac a oo , . .

1° C l pp t n Second Exped i t i on p 1 7 1 Lan d er V ol 1 p 2 8 ” 1

a er o , 4 , . 2 . , .
, . .

12 16 1
1 Vol 1 p 300
, . L n t p 84
,
F eatherman p 39 1
. .
13 as e , . .
14
, . .
 [ ESTH ETI C LI F E I N TH E M I LLET ZON E 3 39

The art of head decoration is not carried to such ex

tra va ga nt heights in this zone for the reason perhaps that , , ,

other means of showing o ff are more e ffective and less

troublesome Still the tonsorial art here loses nothing of its
.

originality or picturesqueness The women of Nupe and .

1
Kano usually plait their hair and dye it with indigo and ,

2
the same style prevails in other cities By the way does .
,

not this style suggest that the first wool dyeing was upon
the human head
l d C l t h i — The adornment of the body by
J e w e ry a n o n g .

means of rings bracelets armlets and an klets is everywhere

, , ,

the fashion but is not carried to the same excess as i n the

,

banana zone The more numerous and more bedizened

.

articles of clothing render such ornamen ts less necessary .

F or example amon g the Hausas unmarrie d girls and boys

, ,

“
wear a piece of cotton drapery of blue and white check ,

notched at the edge with red woolen cloth It is tied around .

the waist with two broad bands ornamented with red stripes ,

the loose ends of which reach down behind the ankles The .

men are dressed in tunics of blue dyed cotton cloth Both .

the men and women of the higher classes cov er their

” 3
shoulders with a kind of shawl or mantle The styles are .

4
varied but always graceful Skins sandals and hats and
.
,

turbans are more generally used than among the pe 0 p 1e

near the coast The Y orubas twist a handkerchief ar ound
.

5
their heads or wear a palm leaf hat or fez cap The Bam .

baras sometimes wear a cotton cap poi n ted at the summit

and embroidered with many colore d threads and again they ,

wear a large straw hat surmounted with a colored tuft of

6
straw . However among some tribes the wearing apparel
,

is reduced to a m mi mum For example the Bongo me n

.
,

wear only a piece of bark cloth bet w een their legs while ,

1 Second Expedit i on pp 47 1 7 1
C la ppe rto n , , ” id p 47.
, .
2
, . .

3 F eatherman p 39 1 , . A llen and Th omson V ol 1 p 394

.
‘
, .
, . .

5 Featherman p 1 94 , . . Mid p 33 2 6
, . .
340 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

the women wear only a banana leaf suspended from their

belt Every morning a Bongo la dy gets her costume fresh
.

1
from the forest Bark cloth is quite extensively worn
.

throughout the forest regions of this zone Of course .

feathers beads and so forth are used everywhere for trim

,

mings .

a n n —
D c i g Dancing is universal except among a few
M andingos who have been converted to M ohammedanism
2
and who regard it as a heathenish practice In the city of .

J enne the people romp and dance every night to the a c

,

com p a n i me n t of vocal and instrumental music the per ,

formers bei n g liberally supplied with beer and the affair ,

3
usually ending in intoxication and wrangling One even .

ing on the banks of the N iger Lander saw some young ,

gi rls and women with infants on their backs dancing romp

, , ,

ing and clapping hands with the utmost agility As now .

and then a dancer fell to the ground exhausted another ,

began anew and the merry exercise thus continued until

,

daylight Lander thinks that the moonlight dances on the

.

4
Niger are irresistibly charming Speaking of one of these .

“
dances at Lever he says In the evening the inhabitants , ,

of the town assembled outside our house to amuse them

selves by dancing and singing in the moo n light ; for not
withstandin g all of their misfortunes a n d O ppressions they ,

never refrain from indulging with all of their hearts in these

sprightly and thoughtless entertainme n ts Every dancer .

’
held in each hand a cow s tail They were all dressed .

grotesquely and a great quantity of strings of cowries e n

circled their legs and bodies which made a loud rattling ,

noise The singing clapping of hands and bursts of

.
,
” 5
laughter made the occasion one of great merriment .

Binger says that at Tengrela the relative prosperity brin gs ,

to the evenings much gaiety and the little children with ,

1
Sch w e i nfurth Vol 1 p , .
, . 2 94 .
2
Bo w en p , .
42 .

3
Lan d er V ol 1 p 1 0 5 , .
, . .
4 Vol . 1, pp .
30 6, 30 7 .
5
V ol 2 p
.
, .
40 .
 342 TH E N EGRO RA C ES
l
The propensity of the Negroes to sing is so great
re c ita tiv e .

that they often express in song anything they may happen

to be thinking about A good example of this is given by .

M ungo P ark Once after his caravan had been devastated

.
,

by death and his horse lost he reached the town of Sego , ,

where he sat all day under the shade of a tree without food ,

and without being able to induce any o n e to take notice of

him But j ust as night fell and he was about to climb a
.

tree to escape the wild beasts an old woman returning from ,

her work in the field looked with compassion on him took , ,

up his saddle and bridle and told him to follow her She led .

him to her hut broiled some fish for him and pointing to a , ,

mat tol d him he might sleep there During a good part of

, .

the night she together with some women who were spin
, ,

ning cotton in the hut sang in plaintive tones the following ,

song
Th e w i nds ro a red a nd ell ;
the ra ins f
The p o o r wh i t e ma n , fa int a nd w ea ry,
Ca m e a nd sa t under o ur tree ;
H e ha s no mth o er to b ri ng h i mmilk ,

NO i
e to gri nd h i s c o rn
w f .

C lzor us
Let us pi ty th e w h i te mn a : no moth er h a s h e, etc .

The musical instruments used by the people of this

zone are numerous a n d varied including the drum ta m , ,

tam reed pipes triangles trumpets flutes harps guitars

, , , , , , ,

fiddle s castanets etc

,
The Hausas have regular traveling ,
?

?
musicians and singers
Pa inti ng a nd S c u l tur e — P aintings are found only here
p
'

and there At Busah C la p pe rto n noticed some figures of

.
,

human beings and also of a boa alligator and tortoise , ,

1
Vol
pp 2 87 2 89
. 1, .
, .

L n t pp 88 9 5 ; Binger V ol
z
as e , .
, , . 1, p . 1 84 ; Ratzel H istory f M ank ind
,
o ,

Vol 3 p 39 ; Binger V l 1 p 300 ;

.
, .
, o .
, . C la pperto n Secon d Exped i tion p 1 1 7 ;
, ,
”
.

Staudi nger p 5 98 , . . Staudinger p 606

3
, . .
 [ ESTH ETI C LI F E I N TH E M I LLET ZON E 3 43
‘
painted on the walls of a fetich house To paint a landscape .
,

historical event or even a hunting scene does not seem to ,

have ever occurred to the pe 0 p 1e of this zone .

Rude sculpture or carvin g prevails among all of the

heathen tribes but only to a slight extent among the M oham
meda ns whose religion forbids the imitation of the human
,

?
fi gure C lay figures represe n ting men and sundry animals ,

?
a r e very common Wood carving is found in a good many -

towns At Kiama Lander observed that the legs of stools

.
,

were sometimes ornamented with the figure of some anim al ,

?
as for example that of the hippopotamus
,
M ost often the
,

chairs and wooden pillows used in the houses are prettily

carved In H a usa la n d the children make little clay horses
?
, ,

?
camels etc , At J enne the fetich priests wear suspe n ded ,

from their necks small pieces of wood carved in imitation , ,

’7
of men s faces The women of Egga as mentioned in .
,

another connection wear on their heads wooden figures of , ,

?
little children The court yards of well to do people are - - -

?
sometimes adorned with little statues of men and women
Among the Bongos carved figures are found upon the gate ,

ways o fpalisaded enclosures or set up beside huts as monu

0 1
ments to renowned ancestors Everywhere implements .
,

calabashes and the like are ornamented with carvings of

, ,

one kind and another 11

W ood carving is not so well devel .
-

oped among the Hausas as farther south among the N upes

12
and Yorubas perhaps for the reasons that wood in Hausa
,

land is not so abundant and that the M ohammedan religion

prohibits the representation of the human body .

1 “ Second Expedition p 1 5 7 Staudinger p 5 89 , . .

2
, . .

3 Lander V ol 2 p 2 8
, .
, H i nt V ol 1 p 2 04
. .
, . , . .

5 Ratzel H istory f M ankind Vol 3 p 3 9

, Staudinger p 5 9 1
o ,
”
.
, . .
3
, . .

Lan d er V ol 1 p 1 4
, . Ib id V ol 1 p 1 20
, . 0 .
8
, . , . .

9 C l pp t n
a Second Expedition p 7 9
er o , , . .

1°
Schwein furth Vol 1 p 84 , .
, . 2 .

11 L a n der V ol 1 p 1 4 ; Bowen p 2 96 ; Staudinger p 5 89

, .
, . 0 , .
, . .

12
Staudinger p 5 89 ; Ratzel H istory of M ankind Vol 3 p 309
, .
, ,
”
.
, . .
3 44 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

r it t
A ch e c u e :r F o l k L o r e —Th é e flo rt to give an archi
-
.

tec tura l finish to houses is more obvious in this zone The .

Yorubas frequently sculpture on their temple doors figures

representing serpents tortoises leopards fish etc and in
,
1
, , , .
,

some districts similar designs adorn the ordinary houses ?

The Bambaras decorate the interi or of their houses with

figures of oxen horses birds and sundry other beings
, ,
?
,

At Katunga the posts that support the verandas of houses

, ,

as well as the doors of the houses are often ornamente d ,

with carvings of the boa hog horse and also of men and , ,

4
slaves .

In the matter of folk lore and animal stories the Yorubas

-
,

perhaps take the lead in this zone They have professional .

story tellers who wander from place to place reciting many

-

imaginary experiences of men with animals There are also .

narrators of t he national traditions who are attached to each

king or chief and who act as depositories of the ancient
,

?
chronicles The general trend of the stories is about the
same as in the banana zone and the absence of any moral
application is no less conspicuous .

1 Bo w en p 3 1 5
, . . C l pp t n Second Expedition p 1 84
2 a er o ,
“
, . .

3
Binger Vol 1 p 2 05
, .
, C l pp t n
. . Second Ex ped i ti on p 7 9
4 a er o , ,
”
. .

5 Ellis Yoruba Speak ing P eoples p 2 44

, ,
”
. .
346 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

ew e l ry —
Earrings are generally worn in all parts of
J
this zone but vary much in quantity and quality Those
, .

1
worn by the Dinkas are made of iron and also those of the
?
Nuers which sometimes measure a foot in diameter The
Dinkas also fetter their wrists and ankles with great quan
?
tities of iron rings The Jo lo fs sometimes wear as many
as six gold rings in one ear besides wearing necklaces , ,

bracelets and anklets of gold silver coral or beads They

, , , .

wear around their waists sometimes thirty or forty strings of

variously colored beads which make a j ingling sound with
4
every movement of the body Throughout this zone there .

is the usual display of necklaces anklets bracelets so char , ,

a c te ristic of the N egroes generally .

H a ir D r e ssi n g — The most fashionable color for dyeing

the hair especially in the eastern part of the zone seems to
,

be red The N uers dye their hair a tawny red by binding

.

5
it up for a fortnight in a compo of ashes a n d cow dung -
,

while t h e Dinkas give to their hair a lustrous red hue by

?
means of a simple application of the cow liquid The -

F e lla ta h women often plait their hair in tresses and color it

?
blue with indigo It ought to b e added that in doing up
their hair the pe 0 p1e show equally much taste as in color
ing it The young Dinka dan dies train their hair into stifl
.

pointed tufts which stand out like the bristles of a porcu

8
pine and the Kanuri ladies after plastering their hair w i th
, ,

bees wax do it up in a large central roll which expands at

-
,
’ ?
the end like a bird s tail or the peak of a helmet The
Jo l o fs after
, glossing their hair with an application of butter ,

10
arrange it into long beautiful tresses , .

C l o t h i n g —In the matter of clothing the people go to

.
,

the opposite extremes of too much and not enough Among .

1 F eatherman p 2 9 , . .
2 Geogr apfiz r
’

you r n a l, Vol p 1 82
. 1 6, . .

3 Featherman p 9 , . 2 . Mid p 3 5 1
4
, . .

5 Sch w ein furth V ol , . 1, p . 1 1 9. Featherman p 2 9 , . .

1 Mid p 3 83
. . .
0 p . 29 .
9 16121 , p . 272 . H int p 3 5 0
1°
, . .
 jES TH ETIC LI F E I N TH E C ATTLE ZON E 3 47

the S hillo o ks all of the men and children go about perfectly

naked while the women barely conceal themselves behind
,

a calf skin apron reaching to their knees and em b roidered

-

with glass bea ds iron rings and bells l The Dinkas and , .

Latukas also disdain clothing with the exception of the

women who gird themselves with two flaps of untanned
? ’ ’
skin Among the eastern people cows and goats tails ,

3
often lend a picturesqueness to their scant attire Skull caps
are sometimes worn decorated with cowry shells or ostrich
4
feathers Among nude people one would imagine that
.

ladies and gentlemen would not occupy much time in mak

ing their toilet and that they would therefore escape some
,

of the annoyances of civilized pe 0 p 1e But alas even nude .

,

men and women have to do up their hair grease a nd paint ,

it bind body and soul together with some kind of gir dle
, ,

adj ust rings anklets touch up their lips and toe nails with
, ,
-

some indigo or what not Binger says that when a N egro .

is awakened in the morning he rolls a while in his bed then , ,

gets up a n d searches for his charms a forgotten bracelet his , ,

pipe his quiver and so forth and so on and it is nearly an

, , ,

hour before he is ready for work The other extre me in ?

dress is reached by the Kanuris who estimate the wealth of

a person by the quantity of his clothing The principal .

dress of the men consists of cotton tobes or shirts which are ,

piled one upon another according to the financial standing

of the wearer In many cases men also wear cotton trousers
. .

The upper class women wear long gowns which trail the
ground and they throw over their shoulders a scarf of showy
,

?
calico leaving one shoulder and breast uncovered
, The
J olof men and women wear a loi n cloth faste n ed around ,

their waists by a sash and a piece of drapery of blue cotton ,

stu ff over their shoulders The women sometimes cover .

1
Fcatherman p , . 64 . Sch w einfurth Vol , . 1, p . 153 .

3
Featherman p , . 29 . p 64
4 H id , . .

5 Vol 1 p 4 1 1
.
, . .
3 Featherman p 2 7 2 , . .
348 TH E N EGRO RA C ES
1
their heads with picturesquely colored kerchiefs Both .

sexes wear leather sandals The F e lla ta h women wear a .

close shirt of white cotton having short sleeves which c o v , ,

ers the body from neck to hips Their ample drawers reach .

a little below the knee and as ornamental finery they have ,

a piece of red cloth patched to them behind at the lower

edge A large flowing shirt like robe generally of white
.
,
-
,

cotton cloth but occasionally of blue b a ftus constitutes their

, ,

over dress which descends below the knee and is decorated

,

with embroi dery at the breast and shoulders Their legs .

are always bare but their feet are protected by sandals or,

slippers The head is covered by a cap of coarse red worsted

.

or of blue or red cotton cloth which is sometimes entwined ,

in the fashion of a turban The women wrap around .

their waists a large piece of cotton drapery which reaches ,

to the ankles like a petticoat but leaves the arms and upper ,

part of the body entirely exposed They always go .

bareheaded as well as barefooted b ut they nevertheless ,

” 2
cover their heads with a veil when going abroad .

D a n c i n g a n d D ra m a — Dancing does not seem to be quite

so popular or universal in this zone although among some ,

tribes it is the favorite pastime ? and sometimes is an occa

sion of debauchery The Jo lo fs have their regular moon .

“ ” 4
light dances which are said to be wild and lascivious
, ,

?
and to last all night In som e hamlets instead of dancing ,

every night the pe 0 p 1e play games sing exchange visits and

, , ,

?
tell stories Social life begins to take on more refined
forms The transition from the dance to the drama in this
.

zone is seen among the S h illo o ks when in one of their , ,

dances they represent the attitude and movements of a

,

warrior in the presence of the enemy ?

Mu si c P a i nting a nd S c u l pture — In the musical line this
, .

1
Featherman p 3 5 , . 0 .
3
H id , p .
3 64 .
3 H int, pp .
3 70, 3 7 1 ,

4
H id p 35 6 , . .
5 H ovela cq ue , p . 27 .

5
F eatherman pp 2 77 , .
, 35 6 . H id , p
. 66 .
 C HA PTER XXXI II

E STHETI C L I F E IN THE C A ME L Z O NE

Ta tto o ing D r e ss Et c, finally to the people of

, . C oming
the camel zone it must su ffice to say that too little is known
,

of their aesthetic life to j ustify any detailed description All .

1
that can be said is that som e of the tribes tattoo some wear ,

coral in their nostrils ? and some mutilate their teeth The .

commonalty usually dress in sheepskins ? and the better class

in cotton cloth A red fez or turban is their head dress
. .

They are fond of bracelets armlets rings and beads as all , , ,

other Negroes They are not very musical their instru

.
,

?
ments being limited to the drum and a rude bagpipe The
severity of their struggle for existence indisposes them to
frivolous amusements and it is truly said that they take ,

?
their pleasure sadly F urthermore the scattered nature of ,

the population has a tendency to suppress the showing o ff -

instinct Hence art is rudimentary and undeveloped

. .

G e n e r a l C o n si de r a ti o n s — The nervous organization of

man is such that certain excitations of his senses produce
pleasure and others pain and among the pleasurable sen ,

sa ti o n s those which produce a very heightened sense of

pleasure are characterized as beautiful Therefore the sen .

sa ti o ns of beauty may be produced by means of sight hear ,

ing smell taste or touch M an has a natural craving for

, , .

these sensations and cannot be satisfied without them The .

appetite for food the sexual passion and the app reciation
,

of beauty in any kind of art arise from the excitation of

l V ol 1 pp 2 5 6 344 ; Denham s Narrative p 30
R o h lfs, .
, .
,
’
, . .

2
Rohl fs V o l 1 p 2 5 5
, . Denham p 2 43 ; Reclus V ol 2 pp
, . .
3
, .
, .
, .
4 2 4, 4 2 8 .

4 Featherman pp 7 5 2 75 4
, . Stan ford Vol
, .
5
, . 1, p . 2 38 .
 E STH ETI C LI F E IN TH E C A M EL ZON E 35 1

’
man s five senses and constitute the fundamental stimula
tions to all of his activities M an s love for seeing and .
’

hearing pleasant things like his love for smelling and ,

tasting them is a means of forcing him to exercise his mind

,

a n d body The mere love of beauty is therefore at the

.

foun dation of all progress But love of beauty should not .

’
be confounded with man s love or appreciation of art which ,

is an entirely different matter Art is the communication .

of ideas or feelings from one individual to another employ ,

ing beauty only as an instrument This may be done by .

wearing a j ewel or otherwise decorating the b ody b y danc ,

ing acting smgi n g playing on an instrument painting or

, , , ,

sculpturing buil ding a house or by wri t ing or telling a

, ,

story Everything that man expresses in the form of beauty

.

is art but it is to b e observed that much that appeals to the

,

sense of beauty is not communicated by man but by Nature , ,

in the form of grass flowers fruits forests landscapes clouds

, , , , , ,

stars and sunsets The appreciation of natural beauty is

.

not the same thing as the appreciation of art Natural .

beauty is always moral and ennobling whereas art may be ,

good or bad moral or immoral according to the character

, ,

of the age or of the individual artist .

Art contributes in a manifold way to human progress .

Even in its lowest form which is mere sensuality it helps

, ,
’
to develop man s mind and body and makes life a little ,

more worth while But its v alue may be stated in less gen
.

eral terms F or example personal decorations of every

.
,

kind cultivate a love of public esteem and tend to build up

self respect This kind of art continues until other and
-
.

more substantial means of gaining public favor come into

vogue The dance in addition to d eveloping physical
.
,

beauty and grace tends to make pe 0 p 1e more social and to

,

awaken a variety of sentiments and emotions which pro

mote the development and specialization of music poetry ,

and the drama M usic takes u p the emo tions which lan
.
3 5 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

guage and the dance have in part developed and con

tin n es the work of refining them M usic is the language .

of emotion and arises from the imitation of the tones and

feelings expressed in the cry of anguish the shout of j oy ,

and the intonations of speech in ordinary conversation .

“
The human voice is a compound of two elements : The
wor ds and the tones in which th ey are uttered— the
,

”
signs of ideas and the signs of feelings As man a d .

vances in culture his vocabulary increases so that he

can convey more delicate shades of thou ght and at the ,

same time the modulations or tones of his voice undergo

,

refinement so as to convey more delicate shades of emotion l .

N ow, savage people everywhere have relatively simple and

few i deas words and feelings and on that account they can
, , ,

produce and appreciate o n ly musical tones correspo n ding

to their narrow range of emotions They do not go beyond .

the simplest melody Among civilized people music b e

.

comes more and more complex and more delicate in its

combinations corresponding to the ever increasing re fine
,

ment of thought and emotion .

The drama portrays and enlarges the knowledge of

human nature and by representing real or fictitious tragical
,

events contributes to the development of the heroic the

, ,

romantic and the ideal It serves to keep alive the national

.

traditions and sentiments and thus acts as a sort of stepping

stone to the era of the written record the library the monu , ,

ment and the art gallery .

Art implies some degree of reflection F rom time to .

time man thinks over his past rehearses in his mind the ,

events scenes and experiences of the actual life and he

, ,

naturally has a longing to reawaken the emotions and sen

sa ti o n s which the pleasures of the real world have a f forded
him His e ffort to revive these feelings causes him to
.

dance sing play on some instrument paint or decorate

, , , .

Spencer P rogress Its a and C ause C hapter 3

1
, : ,
”
.
354 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

Looking back over the several zones it seems that the

form of art which appeals to the eye predominates in the
lower zones since the life of the people there is more exclu
,

si ve ly confined to obj ective interests Advancing north .

ward the arts which appeal to the ear and to the under
,

standing i e music and folklore acquire relatively greater

, . .
, ,

importance at least up to the camel zone where the isolated

, ,

life is blighting to all art Waitz says that in love and .

talent for music the N egroes are ahead of all other natural
,

1
races but it is necessary to bear in mind that the music
,

that they love and appreciate is of the most elementary ki n d

correspo n di n g to their deficient refinement of feelings .

In the plastic arts there is no e ffort on the part of the

Negroes to go beyond an exact imitation of the thing re pre
sented The higher form of art where the e ffort is not to
.

portray the particular and concrete but the abstrac t and

ideal is attained only by the most civilized races
, .

The sense of beauty in respect to the general aspect of

nature which is the highest manifestation of purely aesthetic
,

development is rare among the inhabitants of the Sudan for

, ,

the reason that they grasp things too much in the concrete
and are too unaccustomed to reflection contemplation and ,

observing things in combination They can appreciate a .

beautiful flower a S hining bit of gold or a colored bead or

,

other obj ect but they fail to appreciate a sunset landscape

, ,

or anything existing in combination and made up of har

mony and proportion They have no sense of the beauty .

of a thought because when an image or idea is called up in

,

their minds it tends to produce some kind of physical

,

activity or it suddenly disappears in favor of the next comer

, .

The idea or image is too fleeting to enable the mind to see

it in all of its bearings and to pass j udgment upon it .

N one of th e N egroes considered in this volume seem to

have any sense of the sublime In every such sensati on .

Vol 2 p 2 36 1
.
, . .
 ! ESTH ETI C LI F E I N TH E C A M EL ZON E 35 5

there must be a certain pleasurable admixture of fea r but if,

the ingredient of fear is too strong the sense of the sublime

,

gives way to a mere feeling of fright It is only when man

.

feels protected from the forces of nature or able to master

them that he can take delight in their great and sometimes
,

awful mani festations On the same principle it is only the

, .

brave and disciplined soldier who can see sublimity in a

great battle A S a rule when a Negro contemplates the
.
,

great forces of nature the content of fear is too great to a d

,

mit of any leaven of pleasure His aesthetic life is therefore

.

never man i fested in that exalted form which is an admira

tion of nature akin to worship .

Any sta tement of the order in which the fine arts have
developed is reserved for another volume .
 C HA PTER XXXI V

PS Y C HOLO GI C A L C H A R A C TER IST I CS IN THE

BA NA NA Z O NE

R e l a tio n ra i n t o its A c tivity —In

o f th e S iz e of th e B .

this zone there seems to be a correspondence between the

shape and size of the brain and the quantity and character
of the work imposed upon it On account of the dispro p o r .

ti o na te activity of the brain it is smaller in this zone than in any ,

l
o th e r Discussing the evolution of man Darwin says that as
.
,

the various mental faculties gradually developed themselves ,

the brain would almost certainly become larger N o one I .

,

presume doubts that the large proportion which the S i z e of

,
’
man s brain bears to his body compared to the same pro ,

portion i n the gorilla or orang is closely connected with his ,

higher mental powers The belief that there exists .

some close relation between the S ize of the brain and the
development of the intellectual faculties is supported by the ,

comparison of the skulls of savage and civilized races of ,

ancient and modern people and by the analogy of the whole ,

” 2 “
vertebrate seri es However Darwin admits that there
.
,

1 p 2 4 1 A consideration w orthy of note here is that while the

H o vela cq ue, . .

Negroes having the smallest brain capacity are in the banana zone those having the ,

most negroid face features and the least mixture of foreign blood are in the millet
-

zone near Lak e C had Th smaller and more brachycephalic bra i n development
. e

in the banana one may be due some w hat to a mixture with the more aboriginal
z

Negritos but the writer believes that the relative inactivity of the brain in that
,

zone is the chief explanation of its dwarfed or shrunken dimensions H ence what .
,

ever may be the race its brain development will correspond to its i ntellectual
activity provided time is given ; and w hile in respect to the bra i n the race may
,

represent the lo w est t y pe of man in respect to face features or other morphological

,
-

character i stics a lower type may exist in another race or region where the condi
,

tions are more favora b le to brain development .

Descent f M an p 69 Re ferr i ng to the Negroes of A merica Dr Bean

3 “
o ,
”
. . , .

says Th Negro brain is smaller than the C aucas i an the di fference in the size
, e ,

being represented in both gray matter (nerve cells ) and white matter ( nerve fibres ) .

35 6
3 5 8 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

the frontal lobes has manifold connections with the som a s

thetic area and hence also with the motor regions concerned
in conduct So that here in all probability Fle c h sig states
.
, ,

is to be sought the anatomical mechanism by means of

which memory traces all bodily experiences especially acts ,

of the will are stored up Indeed it is in the dis .

,

eases a ffecting this area that most marked alterations in the

character of the individual are met with The phenomena .

of attention of reflection a n d of inhibition are possibly

, ,

” 1
especially connected with this frontal association centre .

In the front part of the brain says Dr Bean are located , .

,

the motor area part of the area for smell and the great a n
, ,

te ri o r associa tion area This asso c iation area is closely .

connected with the area that controls the muscles of the

bo dy and contains definite bands of fibres to all other areas
,

of the brain and is connected with the lower centres of the

,

nervous system It represents the subj ective faculties the

.
—

great reasoning centre the centre of abstrac t thought , .

Lesions of the anterior association area are known to cause

alteration or loss of ideas regar ding personality the sub ,

self and a loss of self—consciousness of the power of

jec t i v e ; ,

inhibition of will power ; a diminution in the capacity for

,

2 ’
ethical and aesthetic j udgment As man s mental powers
?
develop the frontal region of his brain becomes larger
Professor Broca found says Darwin that the nineteenth , ,

century skulls from graves in Paris were larger than those

from vaults of the twelfth century in the propo rtion of 1 48 4 to ,

1 42 6 and that the increased size as ascertained by measure

, ,

ments was exclusively in the frontal part of the S kull— the

,

” 4
seat of the intellectual faculties O n account of the early
cessation of brain growth the sutures of the Negro S kull in ,

1
Nervous System Ne w York 1 899 p 1 7 9
Th e ,
”
, , . 0 .

2 “
Th eNegro Bra i n by Robert Bennett Bean M D ,
”
, . .
,
Cen tw y Maga z i ne ,

September 1 90 6 p 7 84
, , . .

3H aeckel V ol 2 p 2 6 , . Descent
, . 2 .
4 of M an p
, .
70 .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E BANAN A ZO N E 359

this zone as elsewhere at least according to some a uth o ri

, ,

ties close up earlier than those in the skull of the C a u

,

1 “
casian Ellis states that throughout West Africa it is by
.

no means rare to find skulls without any apparent transverse

” 2
or longitudinal sutures The relative largeness of the .

Negro brain in the posterior region is due to the fact that

the sensory nerves have their centres chiefly in the parietal
and occipital lobes and that the passions and feelings of the ,

Negro having been subj ected to little restraint have given

, ,

those regions of the brain a relatively extraordinary develop

? “ ”
ment In the hind part of the brain says ,

“
Dr Bean are located the areas for S ight hearing taste
.
, , , ,

and smell and the body sense area that receives impressions
,

from the whole surface of the body from the muscles and , ,

from the viscera Besides this in the midst of these areas .

, ,

there is a large region called the posterior association area .

The posterior association area is intimately connected with

the special sense areas j ust mentioned and is considered to , ,

” 4
represent the obj ective faculties On account of the .

grea ter and more prolonged activity of the centres of sensa

tion it is thought by some authorities that the occipital
,

sutures in the N egro S kull close later than his frontal

sutures As to the convolutions of the Negro brain in this
.

zone it is probable although no di rect evidence b ears

, ,

upon the fact that they di ffer from those of the N egro ,

brain in the other zones S ince it is genera lly believed that ,

brain convolutions are less complex in the lower than in

?
the higher types of men The growing complexity of the
brain is in all probability due to the increasing exercise ,

B i nger Vol 2 p 2 46 ; F ritsch p 44 1 H l cq u p 2 4

1
, .
, .
, . o ve a e, . 0 .

1
Ew Speak ing P eoples ep 10 ,
”
. .

Osler
3 P rinciples and Practice of M edicine New York p 9 1 3 ; James
, ,
”
, .

Psycholog y New York pp 47 5 3 5 8 6,

"
, .
, , , 0 .

Th Negro Brain
4 “
eby Ro b ert Bennett Bean M D C n tu y M g in ,
”
, . .
, e r a az e,

September 1 90 6 p 7 84 , , . .

aF p 1 02 ; Tylor p 60 ; H aec k el Vol 2 p 2 2 7

oa , .
, .
, .
, . .
3 60 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

of the higher faculties such as associative memory and ,

constructive imagination F inally it is to be remarked .

that the character of the blood possibly has something to

do with the e fficiency and growth of the brain although ,

this is a matter which still awaits scientific investigation .

The blood of the N egro is known to be different from that

of the C aucasian in that it coagulates more rapidly This .

may be due to its peculiar chemical quality or to the cli

1
mate . The N egro brain develops more rapidly and matures
earlier in this than in any other zone and certainly earlier
, , ,

than the brain of the white man anywhere This is in .

accordance with the general law that the simpler the organ
?
ism the more rapidly it reaches its maximum of growth
H ence the children of this zone as of the lower races ,

generally are remarkably precocious and when taught in

,

schools by the S ide of white children often surpass them up ,

?
to the age of puberty At this period however the N egro , , ,

accustomed from time immemorial to give complete reign

to his sexual passions finds it di fficult to keep up interest in
lines of study which require the inhibition of other interests .

Ellis remarks of the children of this zone that at the age of

puberty the physical nature masters the intellect and fre
“

” 4
quently deadens it H owever Waitz thinks that this ,

arrest of mental growth is due to the climate and not to race

characteristic S ince the same phenomenon is observed
,

?
among the Nubians Egyptians and Sandwich Islanders ,

The reply to such argument is that the climate has produced

the race characteristic .

P e r c e pt i ve P o w e r — In perceptive power the N egroes of

.

this zone S how a certain pre eminence In keenness of o b .

servation and attention to details they are in common with , ,

1 H uxley Physiology New York 1 89 2 p 69 ; Binger Vol

, ,
”
, , .
, . 1, p .
36 .

2
Spencer P rinc i p l es f Soc i ology V ol 1 p 1 0 1
, o ,
”
.
, . .
3 H id .

4 Ew Speak i ng P eoples p 1 0
e ,
”
. .

V ol 2 p 2 3 5
.
, . .
3 62 TH E N EG RO RA C ES

makes the man ; One tree does not make a forest i e one , . .
,

swallow does n o t make a summer? These proverbs collected

by Ellis certainly contradict his statement that the people
“ ” 2
constantly fail to grasp and generalize a notion The
only conclusion that the facts seem to warrant in this matter
is that outside the realm of human conduct the generalizing ,

power of the N egroes is weak and undeveloped .

P o w e r o fA tt e n ti o n — In power of sustained attention

.
,

which correspon ds to mental energy the natives of this zone ,

are manifestly imperfect Ideas usurp their consciousness

.

accordi n g to the stimulations of the moment Their will .

power is not tra i ned to rej ect irrelevant appeals to their a t

tention “
The N egro says H o vela c q ue is noted for a
.
,
“
,

great inconsistency of mind There is no regularity in its .

conduct If he accomplishes a task one day in a certain

.

fashion the chances are that the next day he will perform
,

the same task in a different manner The i n te llec .

tual inferiority of the N egro in comparison with the Euro

pean betrays itself above all in a great incapacity for sus
” 3
ta i n e d attention . The di fference between the mental e u
e r gy of the Negro of this zone and that of the average

European may be illustrated by comparing two steam e n

gines one being capable of a strain of only ten horse power
, ,

and the other of one hundred horse power The smaller .

,

less perfect a n d weaker brain of the N egro not being accus ,

to m e d to heavy pulling su f fers and frets under a burden

,

which the stronger brain of the European would scarcely

feel The deficient power of attention of the N egro is due
.

partly to the smallness of his brain resulti n g from its lack of

exercise and possibly to the early closing of the sutures ,

partly to the enervating climate which owing to the de ,

fic ienc y of oxygen lowers the N egro s vital energy in the

,
’

same way that the lack of fuel or w ater diminishes the ,

energy of an engine and finally to the subordination of his

,

1 Ellis Ew Speaking P eoples pp 2 5 9 2 62

, e H id p 1 0
, . P 42 5 42 7
, .
1
, . .
3
. , .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S IN TH E BANANA Z O N E 3 63

intellect to his passions which after the age of puberty

, ,

monopolize his thought and impoverish his vitality This .

tendency of the N egro to succumb to prolonged mental

e ffort is a matter of frequent comment F oa who admits .
,

that the intellect of the Negro is in many respects equal to

that of the white man says that it does not follow fro mthis
“

that we place the black on the same level as the European

in respect to mental energy and sense of order this com —
,

—
plement this motive power of the intelligence There he .

”
is inferior to the white race he is unable to struggle .

Thrust him among the thousands of obstacles that e nc u m

ber those who have an elevated aim and who give their life
in order to triumph in practical science politics or social ,

questions and he will founder become discouraged and give

,

”
up at the first check .

The N egroes of this zone have not the same whips and
spurs to their brain s that the pe 0 p 1e have in more favored
parts of the world They have no serious problems to solve
.

and no heavy brain work to undergo Their minds are .

?
therefore in a state of spontaneous reverie As in the child ,

their attention is reflex and passive and their train of ,

thought is followed because it is interesting per se The .

higher form of attention is what James calls derived atten

tion where the images or trains of thought are interesting
,

as a means to a remote end or because they are associated

,

” 3 ’
with something that makes them dear In every man s
.

life there are thousands of things external and internal daily

, ,

a n d hourly soliciting and beckoning him to look thither .

Whether he permits his mind to drift into reverie and like a

butterfly flit from one obj ect to another or fixes it continu ,

o usl upon one idea or one train of thought depends upon

y ,

the extent to which he is interested in one or more of the

’
many concerns of life A man s love for his family desire
.
,

to provide a home educate his children and leave them a

,

1
P 1 16
. . Bouche p 2 6
9
, . Psychology Vol 1 pp 4 1 7 4 1 8
.
3
,
”
.
, .
, .
3 64 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

competence or his general love of mankind fondness for

, ,

applause or mere intellectual curiosity give him definite ,

aspirations and a tendency to concentrate his attention upon

some special line of work His particular interest whatever
.
,

it may be is his rudder and compass If he is deeply inter

,
.

est e d in industrial lines he will think long a n d often upon

,

some kind of business ; if he is interested deeply in the aspect

of things he will direct his energies upon painting sculpture , ,

architecture and deco rative art ; if he is deeply interested in

the play of social forces he will fix his mind upon history ,

the drama novel or social science ; or if deeply interested

,

in the play of natural forces he will work in the field of ,

physics chemistry biology or other natural science H ence

, , .

in order to control his attention he must have certain pre

ponderating motives or interests which he has consciously
selected through the exercise of his will and j udgment and
, ,

which are stron g enough to exclude all irrelevant appeals

that may be made by the external or internal transient ex c i
ta ti o ns The people of the banana zone are absorbed
.

mostly in things which have only a spasmo dic allurement

and which do not result from conscious selection a n d j u dg
ment based upon an i n telligent weighing of the significance
of those things for the in dividual and social w elfare P e r .

haps man found for the first time in the hunting stage an , ,

interest which gave fix ity and duration to his attentio n and

served as a lesson in disciplining his mind to choose among
conflicting interests those which h ave a wide social S i gn ifi
cance since hunting is more c o Op era tive and S ocial than
,

living as man in the first stage of evolution must have

,

done upon the spontaneous products of nature The

,
.

banana zone people seem to represent a tra n sition from the

first sta ge to that of the hunting stage As man a dvances .

towards civilization the increased knowledge and wider

,

range of interests furnish more profound and lasting obj ects

for the mind to act upon and afford opportunity for more
,
3 6 6 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

C o n n e c ti o n B e tw ee n Ment a l a nd P h ysi c a l En e rgy .

There is an intimate connection between mental and phys

ical energy Other things being equal the man with the
.
,

larger brain power can put forth more physical energy than
the man of relatively small brain ? Therefore the lack of
mental energy among the N egroes of this zone partly ex
plains their lack of physical energy Referring to the .

Fantis Stanley says that they are the most indolent toil
, ,
” 2
hating tribe it has ever been my lot to see With one .

accord all authorities characterize the inhabitants of this zone

as indolent to the last degree But it is a mistake to sup .

pose that the N egro is lazy in the sense of being S lo w of

movement or averse to physical activity On the contrary .

he is agile and dances with the greatest spirit and vigor .

H e is only lazy in the sense of being indisposed to do dis

agreeable or continuous labor and this is due to lack of ,

mental incentive Every N egro tries to S hift his burden

.

upon the S houlders of another Indeed there is nothing so .

characteristic of man everywhere or so di fficult to eradicate

from his nature as this indisposition to do the work
,

necessary for his own support The survival of this trait is .

seen among civilized pe 0 p 1e in their mania for gambling ,

for lotteries and all manner of schemes for getting what

another possesses without giving anything in return Noth .

ing delights man more than a wind fall -

.

Me m o r y — In the matter of memory the Negroes of this

.
,

tellectua l faculties but only the moral or social motives can furnish the depth
, ,

breadth and duration of interest which ma k e for healthy mental growth Th im . e

moral and unsocial mot i ves are genera lly di sorgan i z i ng and hurt ful to the faculties
b y rea on of unfavorable reactions There fore inte ll ectu al prog ess is only com
s .
,
r

pati b le w ith moral progress It is unquest i ona bl y true that a highly intellectual
.

people may be also highly immora l but i t is only after the y have once been moral
,

and have begun to degenerate ; an d in proportion as morals decline the intel l ect will
decline also .

1 Spencer P rinciples of S ociology Vol 1 p 5 3

, ,
”
.
, . .

1
C oom a ssie p 53 ,
”
. .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E BANANA ZON E 367

zone seem to be exceptionally endowed ? The Negro ,

says H o vela c q ue “
has ordinarily a prodigious memory
,

and that is again an infantile S ide of his natural dispositions .

However the memory of th e N egro di ffers from that of the

,

civilized man in one important particular What the N egro .

remembers is relatively S imple and concrete whereas what ,

the civilized man remembers is involved and complex .

When the latter recalls an idea he usu a lly drags along with ,

it a host of other ideas This is because he is so accustomed

.

to combining ideas when they enter his brain that when he

happens to recall them they have a tendency to awaken all
other idea s with which they were originally associated and ,

even to recall ideas not previously associated The brain .

of the civilized man is more complex in that it has a more ,

intricate system of transverse and radiating channels for the

intercommunication of ideas .

I m a gi n a ti o n s e mi is c e
i R n n t — As in the ca se of th e mem
ory the imagination of the Negro di ffers very much from
,

that of the white man Accustomed to close observation .

and to receiving mere impressions through the medium of the

eye the ideas in the mind of the Negro are more visualized
, .

His mind is a picture gallery reflecting and calling up ,

images of the external phenomena Indeed so crowded .

,

is his mind with imagery that all of his thoughts tend to ,

express themselves in metaphor and his language itself b e ,

comes poetic Every manifestation of the natural world

.
,

such as rain thunder lightning earthquakes movement of

, , , ,

stars or actions of animals or growth of plants is personified , .

Every force in nature calls up in his mind the image of

some person or animal that has been photographed upon
his retina This habit of seeing and interpreting things in
.

terms of images gives to the imagination constan t exercise

,

and consequently extraordinary development Spencer as .

serts that the imagination of the savage is reminiscent while

1
Waitz Vol 2 pp 2 34
, .
, . . P 42 6 1
. .
3 6 8 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

that of the civilized man is constructive This is no doubt .

true but the fact must not be overlooked that the develop
,

ment of the reminiscent imagination is a necessary prepara

tion for the constructive The extraordinary development
.

of the imagination of the primitive man has been a necessary

and wise provision of nature for without it the higher stages
,

in the evolution of the mind would have been impossible .

Indeed it is n o w a serious question whether civilized people

,

are not su ffering from a decay of the reminiscent imagina

tion and consequently experiencing a decline in poetic
,

capacity and power of idealizing The statement of M a .

c a ula y that with the progress of civilization the imagination , ,

and with it poetry tends necessarily to decline is only true

, ,

in so far as he had in mind the imagination of the re min is

cent kind i e the power of calling up concrete images and
, . .
,

using them for descriptive purposes .

U n d e v e l o p e d C o n s tru c t i v e I ma gi n a ti o n — But if the

. ima gi
nation o fthe primitive man is more apt in imagery it is far ,

behind that of the civilized man in handling ideas which are

not mere direct reflections of sense impressions in power of ,

reconstruction and invention The philosopher or scientist

.

who formulates an hypothesis for the solution of a problem ,

must have an imagination as fertile as that of the poet but ,

of another sort The African does not employ his imagi

.

nation for scientific purposes because he has been accustomed

to c alling up in his mind only isolated concrete pictures or ,

ideas He has not analyze d classified and organized his

.
,

store of facts and hence in response to the call few ideas

, ,

come forth Facts or ideas which might be of service to

.

him lie in the detached cells and b y ways of the brain b e -

,

cause his reason has not analyzed their parts and his imagi ,

nation has not been accustomed to shu ffling them a n d es

ta b lish i n g connections b etween them What we call origi
.

n a lity is nothing b ut this power of the imagination of play

ing over a wide and intricate area of stored up facts — o i ,

37 6 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

a nd interests the more the imagination is likely to develop

,
.

H ere again we observe the dependence of intellectual de

ve lo p m e nt upon moral development .

I m it a t io n a n d L a ck o f I n v e n ti o n — The deficient constru e

tive power among the Africans of this zone partly explains ,

their great propensity to imitate and lack of origin ality and ,

inventive power Ellis says that the Ewe pe 0 p 1e can imi

.

” 1
tate but cannot invent or apply They have an antipathy .

to innovation and are S laves to habit and custom F or ex .

ample o n one occasion when an European was building a

,

house in Da h o m i he made some wheelbarrows and S howed

,

the N egroes how to use them to economize time and labor

in bringing rock When after some absence he returned
.
, ,

to see h o w the work was progressing he found the N egroes ,

carrying the loaded wheelbarrows on their heads ? The na

tive s of this zone have never dreamed of a cart although ,

they make long j ourneys to market with great loads on

their backs and heads ; and they have never dreamed of a
crutch although many cripples hobble about their villages
, .

They have not even enough originality to change their styles

of dress but wear the same S hapes and colors from century
,

to century except that the coast people out of vanity wear

, , ,

as decorations the cast o ff garments of Europeans But

,
-
.

another explanation of this lack of originality is found in the

large conglomerate groups into which the population is
divided Originality bears a close relation to the density of
.

population Where large numbers of people live in one

.

community the crowd exercises a coercive influence upon

,
’
the individual s dress manners thoughts beliefs and mor , , ,

als destroying his ori ginality and making him a S lave to

,

convention In a country where pe 0 p 1e live in small scat

.

te re d groups or isolate themselves as in the case of sc i en

,

t ific specialists by forming small circles within the crowd

, ,

the individual has less chance to imitate and therefore more ,

Ew Speak ing P eoples

1 “
e p 10 ,
”Duncan V L 1
.
P 34
.
, O : .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S IN THE BAN ANA ZON E 37 1

freely expresses his individuality and more often innovates

,

and invents No people in the world not excepting the

.
,

C hinese are so conglomerate and so little able to separate

,

themselves from the crowd as the N egroes .

D efic i e n t R e a s o n i n g P o w e r —That the inhabitants of this

.

zone are deficient in reasoning power is su fficiently attested,

by the absurd superstitions connected with their religion .

And not only is their reason deficient in power but di ffers ,

from that of the white man in its operations In the first .

place when the Negro reasons he employs almost altogether

, ,

concrete images or facts which he has experienced and ,

which seem to him to have some S imilarity or applica

b ility to the thing about which he is thinking As in the .

operation of his imagination the process is reproductive and

,

not constructive H e seizes and uses things stored up in

.

his mind j ust as they were at first seen or felt as wholes .

H e does not analyze the wholes and use the parts as links
in his train of thought This is the kind of reasoning also
.

manifested by the lower animals F or example the w riter .

,

once saw a dog p u t out of the door of a hotel and left in the
street The ej ected animal began to reason h o w he might
.

get in again H e first attempted to push open the door

.
,

but failing in this he ran around the house to see if he could

,

enter through some other door Failing in this also he re

.
,

turned and j umped up high enough before the front door to

be seen fro mthe inside through the glass panel but no one ,

seeming to take notice of him he then meditated a moment

,

and seemed to light upon a new idea H e knew that peo .

ple coming and going along the S idewalk frequently entered

the door from which he was shut out So he ran to meet .

eve ry pedestrian who happened to be coming in either direc

tion following him to see if he would enter the o ffice door
, .

At last he j oined a gentleman who happened to be heading

for the hotel and both entered together Now observe that
, .
,

a ll of the means of opening the door known to the dog were

37 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

merely those which he had learned by experience H e had .

,

w hen the front door was not tightly closed pushed it open ; ,

he had entered b y means of other doors ; he had been let in

frequently i n conseque n ce of some one having seen him
through the glass panel and he h a d many times entered
,

when the door was opened by a stranger If he had re .

mained outside till doomsday he could never have thought

of anything not previously experienced could never have —
,

thought of a key or the turning of a knob Another illus .

tra ti o n of the inability of animals to reason outside of ex p e

ri e n c e is found in the fact that while monkeys will gather
,

arou n d a fire which hunters have left in the forest all of ,

the monkeys in the world could not muster wisdom enough

—
to throw another stick upon the blaze S imply because that
,

is outside of their experience A similar limitation of rea

.

soning power is foun d among all of the lower human races ,

but nowhere to the extent as among the N egroes of this par

ti c ula r zone .

Th e P ec u l i a rit y o f th e R e a s o ni ng o ft h e C ivi l iz e d Ma n .

The reasoni n g of the civilized man goes beyond this In .

the first place he can think of things in other relations than

,

those in which they were originally experienced H e can .

divide his experiences or knowledge into fractions and re

combine the parts so as to discover the new and the no vel .

In the second place the civilized man can reason not only by
,

a di fferent method from that of the savage but he can select ,

as the obj ect of his reasoning some fact effect or cause

, , ,

which neither he nor any one else has ever observed felt or ,

thought of before The chemist searching for a new ele

.

ment or the physicist searching for a new force is an illus

tra ti o n
. When N ewton was seeking to discover why heavy
obj ects fall to the ground he employed the two processes of
,

reasoning which are usually absent in the lower races The .

idea that there might be some law or force explaining the

fall of obj ects was an entirely new obj ective point for in
,
3 74 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

H o w R e a s o n B egi n s —
The re a son of man begins by a .

simple process of analogy Any whole fact which resem b les .

another or is in proximity to it is supposed to act upon it ,

”
as cause or effect F urnishing parallel cases says James
.
, ,

“
is the necessary first step towards abstracting the reason
imbedded in the mall ” 1
The next step is where the wholes
.

are ana lyzed and th e connections analogies or similarities ,

are discovered which are common to the separate elements .

After the mind begins to reason outside of experience in ,

the manner set forth by J ames the further progress in rea ,

soning depends upon the general stock of knowledge I n .

proportion as men analyze classify and break up wholes ,

into par ts the number of common or connecting elements is

,

increased and therefore the materials for thoughts are multi

plied and the possibili ty of discovering causes and effects is
evoke d Th great di fference i n fact between that s i mpler kind f rational thin k
. e , ,
o

i ng which consists i n the concrete o bjects fpast experience merely suggesting each o

other and reasoning d i stinctivel y so calle d is this that wh i l st emp i rica l think i ng i s , ,

only reproductive reasoning is product i ve

, L t us make this ab i l i ty to deal
. e

w ith novel data the technical di fferent i a f reasoning It contains analysis

o .

and a b stract i on Whereas the mere l y empirical thinker stares at a fact in its n
. e

ti ty an d remains helpless or gets stuck if it suggests no concomitant or sim il ar the

re , ,

reasoner breaks it up an d notices some one f its separate attributes Th i s attribute o .

he takes to be the essential part f the whole fact be fore him This attribute h
o . as

propert i es or conse q uences w hich the fact until then was not known to have but ,

w hich now that it is not i ced to contain the attr i bute i t must have Reason , .

ing may then be very well d efined as the substitution fparts and their implications o

or consequences f w ho l es and the act f the reasoner w i l l consist ft w o stages

or , o o .

First sagacity or the a b i l i ty to discover w hat part M ( essent i al essence ) lies mbe d
,
I

d ed in the whole S wh i ch is be fore him ; Secon d learn i ng or the abil i ty to recall , ,

promptly M s conse q uences concomitants or implicat i ons

’
,
Th essence . e

of a th i ng i s that one of its properties w hich i s so important for m y i t t that i n n er es s

comparison with it I may neglect the rest Th first thing is to have seen . e

that every possible case of reason i ng involves the extract i on of a part i cular part i al
aspect of the phenomena thought about and that w hi l st Empirical Thought s i mply
assoc i ates phenomena in their ent i rety Reasoned Thought couples them by the con
,

scious use of th i s extract — V ol 2 pp 3 9 330 3 3 1 34 1 It is to b e noted that

.
”
.
,
. 2 , , , .

James would not consider the act of the d og above re ferred to as reason i ng Th . e

ideat i on fan animal or man l i mited to exper i ence he calls empirical th i nking
o .

1
Vol 2 p 3 64
.
, . .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S IN TH E BANANA ZON E 3 75

greatly enlarged The use of the microscope and telescope

.
,

the f urnace dissolving aci ds the dissecting knife and all

, ,

analyzing processes has with each step increase d the ma

, , ,

teri a ls for reasoning and at the same time the accuracy of

the conclusions F rom the foregoing considerations it is
.
,

very evident that th e reasoning of the Negroes of this zone ,

represents a low stage of development and could be i m

proved only by a slow evolutionary process such as the
civilized races have gone through and that it could never ,

be much improved under any circumstances in the unfavor

able environment o i this zone .

C o n n e c ti o n B e tw e e n t h e D e v e l o p m e n t o f R ea s o n a n d
Mo ra l s — But the most important fact to notice is that the
amount of stored up kn owledge and the quantity of things
-
,

analyzed out and made available for reasoning depend upon ,

the motive or stimulation without which no knowledge ,

would be accumulated and no investiga tions attempted In .

this respect the civilized man differs widely from the u nc iv

i liz e d and still more widely from the lower animals
, To a .

certain extent all animals are investigators but they are ,

guided mostly by their instincts and have a very narrow ,

range of interests The dog an alyzes with his nose and the
.

eagle with his eye b u t neither one has any interest except
,

that connected with food or sexual pleasure The savage .

has interests somewhat wider in range in that he investi ,

gates a greater v a riety of phenomena H e has aesthetic a p .

petites which are more intense and more varied than in the
case of animals H e likes to see beautiful things hear pleas
.
,

ing sounds and to taste and smell agreeable things but he

, ,

is not interested in them unless they appeal directly to his

senses whereas the civilized ma n takes delight in idealizing
, ,

and reproducing his experiences in some form of art as a ,

poem drama etc and in addition to these things that a p

, , .

peal to his senses he has an intellectual curiosity and in

,

terest in social life which furnish much subj ect matter for -
3 76 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

cogitation Thus the civilized man adds to aesthetic stim

. u

la tio ns those of the scientific a n d therefore he has a thou ,

sand motives to excite inquiry where the savage has one ,

and having more motives to reason he reasons more often ,

and with an ever improving technique James says that .

“
a creature which has few insti n ctive impulses or interests ,

practical or aesthetic will dissociate few characters and will

, , ,

at best have limited reasoning powers : whilst one whose

,

interests are very varied will reason much better? H ere

again the intimate connection between mental and moral
development comes to light showing that reason develops ,

in proportion as man feels deeply and extends his interests

and sympathies to all phases of life A man who has con .

tracted or intermittent interests is incapable of serial ,

thought H e can trace nothing to the e n d or bottom and

.
,

his half reasoned conclusions give him an unbalanced j udg

ment .

L a ck o f F o re si gh t — The N egroes of this zone have very

.

little foresight for the reason already in dicated in the dis

,

c ussi o n of their economic life Nature furn ishes them with .

the necessaries of existence and they do not aspire for much

in the way of luxuries on account of the enervating climate .

The Negro says H o vela c q ue is so sluggish that if he

, ,

works it is only through constraint H e works not to am a ss .

a fortune but to live , H e maintains a tranquillity

.

unknown among most men H e never regrets the past .

which he pretends to have well spent and he does not re ,

” 2
gard the future F oa referring to this same c h a ra c teris
.
,

“
tic says that The future has for him little importance He
, .

does not think of it In his old age when he has no more .

strength to work he dies of hunger and misery w ithout

, ,

succor or support H e has n ever helped his fello w men and

.
,
?
he knows that he has nothing to expect from any of them
The black works only from necessity a nd i n order
1
P sychology V ol 2 p 345 ,
”
P 42 4
.
,
1 15
. .
1
. .
3
3 78 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

is therefore a result of surplus energy and is the S port of a

mind that is athletic The French are an example of a race
.

that is highly intellectual a n d at the same time very witty .

K e e n S e n se o fH umo r — In respect to humor however

.
, ,

the people of this zone have an extraor dinary development .

A sense of humor does not depend upon a play of ideas but ,

may arise from any surprising incongruity perceived through

the eye or other sense and which does not excite along with
,

surprise any serious emotion F or example the S ight of a

.
,

man dresse d in some outlandish costume or meeting with ,

some unexpected accident as falling in a mud hole or doing

,
-
,

any strange thing as w al king on all fours is so palpably

,
-
,
-

absurd that to appreciate it requires no mental e ffort or in

sight A S the perceptive powers of the Negro are very
.

acute he is particularly alert for all obj ective incongruities

, ,

and takes a keen delight in them In this respect he is like

.

a child But there is a higher form of humor which con

.
,

S ists of seeing the incongruities of words or ideas and which ,

the N egro scarcely ever manifests and which is found only ,

among the highly enlightened races .

N evertheless the fact S hould not be overlooked that the

,

simpler kind of humor trains the min d for the more elevated
kind Any humor at all is an aid to both mind and morals
. .

A sense of what is incongruous in the aspect of things

strengthens the perception of the incongruities in the essence
of things and helps to distin guish between right and wrong
,
.

M en of very intense moral nature however are ofte n so a b, ,

sorbed in the moral incongru ities that they become i ndiffe r

ent and almost insensible to any other kind Also ab sence .
,

of humor is often noticed in people who have a consuming

malignant passion but from neither of these causes is humor
,

ever lacking in the people of this zone .

 C HA PTER XXXV

PS Y C H OL O G I C A L C HA R A C TE R I S T I CS IN THE
B A NA NA ZO NE (Conti nued )

F ee l i ngs R e l a tiv e l y Fe w , I n se n s it i v e a nd S im p l e .

Leaving now the subj ect of the intellectual capacity of the

Negroes and considering their sensitive nature i e their
, , . .
,

feelings and moral disposition the fact first to be noticed is ,

that their feelings are relatively few in number insensitive ,

and simple Among the lower races of men as among ani

.

m als there are a number of very fundamental feelings which

,

are necessary to the protection and propagation of the

species One of th e most fun damental of these is the feel
.

ing of fear This is instinctively felt in the presence of

.

danger and is the first step in self preservation It is mani -

.

feste d by a paralytic shock a suppression of movement or , ,

disposition to crouch withdraw or escape Another feel

, .

ing hardly less important and derived from fear is that of

, ,

anger which is characteristic of a higher stage in which an

,

animal or man instead of crouching or escaping prepares

, ,

to fight It causes a rush of blood to the extremities in

.

order to supply strength for sudden a nd extraordinary ex

erti o n Other of the more fundamental feelings are those
.

’
of sexual pleasure of pleasure in companionship of one s
,

kind of pleasure in play in adventure and in the sa tisfa c

, ,
’
tion of one s aesthetic wants In the civilized man to these . ,

fundamental feelings are added those connected with the

,

acquisition of knowledge with discoveries and inventions ;,

feelings of racial and national pride of consciousness of per ,

sonal vi rtue worth and achievements and many others

, ,
.

In the next place the feelings of the lower races are

,

3 79
3 8 0 TH E N EGRO RA C ES
’
relatively obtuse The sensitiveness of any one s feelings
.

depends very much upon the complexity of his brain In a .

highly organized brain every sensation which reaches the ,

consciousness awakens in its track a multitude of other

,

sensations and all combine to intensify the impression

, .

The biological law that the sensitiveness of impressions

varies according to the degree of integration and di fferentia
tion of the nervous organism is stated clearly by Ward who ,

says that the higher the organization the more intense the
sensations whether agreeable or disagreeable This is b e
, .

cause the more complicated the mechanism the more deli

cate it is and the greater damage occasioned by an equal
,

amount of violence A high degree of sensibility is unn ec

.

c e ssa r
y to a low degree of organization since the tenacity ,

of life is inversely proportioned to the degree of organiza

tion . H elix V ea tc hii which was observed to live
S ix years without food sta nds in no great need of a keen ,

sense of hunger The hydra lives as well after being turned

.

wrong side out Wheat eels and tra digra des revive after
.
-

’
twenty eight days desiccation by chloride of lime and
-

sulphuric acid in a vacuum and exposed to a temperature of

, ,

1 2 0 C ent while Octopus the highest of mollusks and

.
, , ,

lobsters the highest of c rusta c ia ns replace their arms and

, ,

legs when lost Such creatures have moderate powers both

.

of enj oyment and suffering because high powers are not ,

demanded by their physiological economy A S we rise in .

the scale the same law holds throughout that the degree of
, ,
”1
feeling increases with the degree of organization Refer .

ring to the N egroes of the banana zone S a n derva l says that ,

they are not much superior to animals in moral and phys

” 2
ical sensations According to F 0a the calm and resigna
.
,

tion which a N egro S hows when captured are in great part

“

” 3
due to his lack of moral sensibility In another connec .

1
D y namic Sociolog y Vol 2 p ,
”
.
, . 1
5 2.
1
Q uoted by H v l cq u p 3 2 4
o e a e, . .
3 P . 2 62 .
3 8 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

organization becomes more refined and his susceptibility to

happiness increases but w hether that possibility of greater
,

happiness is realize d or not depen ds of course upon the i m

provement of his morals .

Neverth eless N egroes as other peoples experience a

, ,

predominance of pleasure over pain and they are happy to ,

the extent that their nature and circumstances permit It is .

a mis take to suppose that savage people anywhere lead a

miserable existence They adapt themselves to their en
.

vi ro n m e n t and find j oy in it .

F e e l i n gs O v e r w e l m
h R e a —
s o n a nd W i ll A striking fact .

about the people of this zone is that their feelings hold des
poti e sway over their reason or to state it in more scientific ,

terms their sensori motor actions predominate over their

,
-

idio motor actions In the animal organism any excitation

-
.

is transmitted to the brain by means of the afferent nerves ,

and is re fl ected back by means of the efferent nerves caus ,

ing a certain activity of some organ or muscle of the body .

In the lower organisms this process takes place unconsciously ,

and may even take place in a dead animal before its body
becomes cold In some animals as frogs the activity in
.
, ,

respect to food and sex may be excited after their heads are
severed from their bodies which shows that the actions are
,

entirely reflex the results of stimulations that reach only the

,

ganglionic centres of the spinal column and may be produced ,

independently of the brain ? But in the more highly devel

oped organisms there exists a more complicated system of
nerves having their centre in the brain where actions are
, ,

generated not directly from external stimulations but from

,

ideas conscious j udgment choice or will Actions ori gi

, , .

nating in this way are known as idio motor They repre - .

sent a later and higher development than the sensori motor -

activities and only in the highly disciplined human brain

,

are the idio motor activities able to obtain the mastery over
-

James V ol 1 p 1 7
1
, .
, . .
 C H ARA C TERISTI C S IN TH E BANANA Z O N E 3 83

th e o thers In all of th e lower races of men the idio motor

.
-

apparatus being less used is comparatively un developed

, ,

and impotent .

L a c k o f I nh i b iti o n — The N egroes of this zone have very

.

little power of inhibition Their wills are inundate d and .

paral yze d by the surging of every passion and impulse

towards immediate gratification The riotous clamor of .

their p a ssions explains their ungovernable temper propen ,

sity to murder steal lie deceive or to overindulge their sex

, , , ,

u al appetite their love for liquor tobacco or anything that

, , ,

may momen tarily strike their fancy It is this same lack of .

restraint among civilized pe 0 p 1e that fills their world with

trage dy strews the path of history with blo o d makes n ec es
, ,

sary wars armies navies police j ails reformatories and

, , , , ,

penitentiaries and fills to overflowing their insane asylums

, ,

hospitals and orphanages A S a consequence of the long .

thraldom of the Negroes to their passions they have become ,

afflicted with a kind of abulia i e a certain antipathy to , . .

,

whatever exacts resolution constraint or mental effort , .

They have acquired a disposition to lean on others or upon ,

the powers of imaginary spirits who relieve them of the ,

painful task of thinki n gand deciding for themselves Like .

the abulias among hysterics they have a wonderful attach ,

ment for their doctor helpful friend or other individu al who

,

may have str ong will power and decision of character?

-

They are therefore natural S laves in their mental c o nstitu

tion While they do not volunteer to become S laves (no
.

pe 0 p 1e do th at) they S eldom aspire to freedom They not .

only submit tamely to their economic masters but love them ,

and are unhappy without them N 0 people in the world so .

devoutly worship a superior or have a greater contempt for

an inferior This characteristic would not be altogether uh
.

fortunate ii the Negro masters were in any real sense superior

to Negro slaves for the attachment of the latter for the
,

Janet p 1 5 1 1
, . .
3 84 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

former would have a tendency through imitation to lift th e

,

slaves to a higher level .

Te p e R o i c k n g a n d U s
m r ll i n t a b l e — The unrestrained con .

’
dition of the N e gro s passions renders his temper and dispo
siti o n explosive anarchic and incalculable
,
Stimulate his .

mind in any way and the response is usually instantaneous

and unguarded and gives to his character a naturalness like
, ,

that of a child which is often very attractive ? H e has

,

no fixed standard of conduct and no general rules that ,

he is constantly afra id of violating as in the case of the

civilized man H e is unencumbered and careless and
.
,

hence possesses in contrast to the M ongolian Indian or

, ,

C aucasian a rollicking disposition and demonstr ative char

,

acter His j oys thro w him into outbursts of hilarity and his
.

“ ”
griefs call out the loudest lamentations The black says .
,

“
F 0a ,is excessively mournful When he is sick or wounded .

he cannot bear physical pain F or nothing he complains .

,

groans calls for the fetic h ma n and crams himself wi th na

,

” 2
tive drugs On account of his chaotic temper the Negro
.
,

i s often misunderstood and characterized by writers in the

most contradictory language At one moment or for a con .
,

si de ra b le time the N egro may be mild docile amiable and

, , , ,

hence will be so characterized At another time he will be .

peevish insolent w aspish and intractable and accordingly

, , ,

will be supposed to possess permanently these qualities At .

one time he w ill be faithful at another treacherous one time, ,

honest and again thievish H ence some writers say that .

the N egro is as mild as a lamb while others say that he is ,

an un go ve ma b le wild beast The truth is that he is neither .

the one nor the other but a compound of both his behavior
, ,

being determined by the circumstances of time and place .

Under favorable circumstances the Negro will be indefinitely ,

1 This
is generally true except among the Dahomans where the polit i cal des ,

poti m
s causes the people to hesitate and e x ercise caution in their conversation and
actions . p 1 07 2
. .
3 8 6 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

purchase the ill treatment of the wife the frequent separa

,
-
,

tions the short mourning period a n d almost immediate re

,

marriage after the death of either partner — all indicate that ,

the marriage bond is feeble and rather animal than senti ,

’
mental A man s affection is generally stronger for his
.

mother than for his wife and next to his mother he likes best
,

his S ister H e argues that if he loses a wife he can get

.

another but that he can never get a second mother? The

,

indifference of the husband for his wife is S hown in the fact

that instead of supporting her he permits her to support
him H e does not regard his wife as a companion but lives
.
,

apart from her and thinks it beneath his dignity even to eat
with her The a ffection of a mother for her children is j ust
.

strong enough to carry them over the period of their help

lessness It scarcely ever goes beyond this The father
. .

’
usually considers his children or his wife s children as bless , ,

ings but S hows little interest in them during their infancy

, ,

a n d only in exceptional cases manifests fondness for them

after they become adults The great difference between .

civilized and savage parents in feeling for offspring is that ,

the former see in their children a value that is potential re ,

sulti n g from the contemplation of what it is hoped they , ,

may one day become in the full bloom of their manhood and
womanhood and the acute pain which the civilized parents
feel over the death of a child is due to their faculty of seeing
in it not its real qualities but those which the hopes and as
, ,

pirations of the parents attribute to it The savage parents .

on the contrary not having much constructive imagination

, ,

generally see in their children only their real and present

personalities .

F ll
e o w ee —
F l in g A S a rule the pe 0 p 1e of this zone do not
seem to be very responsive to the distresses of their fellow
men Duncan says that they never attempt to render assist
.

ance if one of their number fall into the water Though .

Kingsley West A frican Studies p 320

1
, ,
”
. .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S IN TH E BANANA ZO N E 8
3 7

they be near in canoes they hasten o ff A native of Iddah .

fell overboard from the A lbe r t into the Niger and there ,

were several natives alongside the ship in canoes but not

one of his hard hearte d coun trymen put forth a helping hand
-

” 1
or o ffere d the least assistance Of the Niger people .
,

’
Lander says that they never b estow a moment s reflection on
public misery or in dividual distress or the calamities of their
neighbors ?
According to H o v ela c q ue a S ick man must re ,

main alone ii he has no slaves to serve him or no

“
money to procure them and this desertion by his parents
”
and friends is not even regarded as a fault Says F oa .
,

“
if a man debased himself by going from house to house
begging alms he would infallibly die of hunger N o one
,
.

would take pity on him for this sentiment is unknown

among the blacks a nd then they decline to give without an
,
”
equal return If a man in case o f illness happen to be
.
, ,

among distant relatives or strangers he is simply put out ,

” 4
side H e no longer works and no one owes him any thing
. .

Speaking in general of the West Africans Ratzel says that a ,

person who has no relatives will seldom be supplied even w ith

water in illness and when dead will be dragged out to b e
?
devoured by hyenas Among the Northern Ashantis says ,

Ellis servants or slaves who may fall sick are driven out
,

into the bush to die or recover as best they may : and the
infirm and helpless are invariably neglected if not ill ,

treated In the village A b a n ko ro the missionaries saw an

.
,

orphan boy about five years old who went about unnoticed
and reduced to a skeleton He cried for j oy when .

food was given him and the kindness of the missionaries to

” 6
the little sufferer astonished the people In this zone .

” “
the indivi dual says M iss Kingsley is supremely impor
, ,

1 A llen and Thomson Vol , . 1, p .

330 2 V OL 2’ p .
40 '

s
P .
440 .
4 P . 1 89 .

5 u
istory of M an k ind V OL 2 P
H ,
”
. 1
33 4
Tshi Speak i ng P eoples P 1 7 4 ,
"
1
3 88 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

ta nt to himself and he values his friends and relatives and so

on but ab stract affection for humanity at large or belief in
,

the sanctity of the lives of the people with whom he is unre

” 1
lated and unacquainted the African barely possesses In , .

this respect however the N egroes do not differ very much

, ,

from some civilized people for instance the Greeks who ,

manifested very little love for strangers Plato we are told .

, ,

placed outsi de of the law any one who left his country even
?
for educational purposes Accustomed as the N egroes are
to seeing their fellow men cut down in battle devoured by ,

wild beasts put to death by the poison ordeals offered as

, ,

sacrifices to the gods or otherwise meeting a horrible death , ,

they necessarily become too familiar with such tragedies to

?
be much moved by them Referring to the sacrifices among
the A shantis Freeman says that the people became so famil
,

iar with these awful and bloody scenes that they thought as
little of them yea not so much as they would of seeing a
, ,

?
dead sheep monkey or dog ,
P eople he says were walk , ,
?
ing about smoking their pipes among putrefying bodies
In war the N egroes treat the vanquished with great cruelty
,
.

“ ” “
Wounded prisoners says Ellis are denied all assistance , ,

and all prisoners who are not destined to S lavery are kept in
a condition of semi starvation that speedily reduces them to
-

” 6
mere skeletons .

R e l is h fo r H um a n S uffe ri n g — Indeed it cannot be doubted

that the people of this zone take real delight in human suf
feri n g . The most revolting scenes of cruelty and blood
shed says Ellis are regarded by the populace generally
, ,

with positive pleasure and no sooner is the death drum -

heard than an excited mob eager for the spectacle rushes

, , ,

to the spot and imbitters the last moments of the victims

” 7
with taunts and j eers The executioners to .

1 West A f ican Studies p 1 50

r , . .
2
Bouche p . .
3 99
1
Ellis Tshi Speaking P eop l es p
, ,
”
. 17 .
4P . 29 .
5 P .
54
Ew Speaking P eoples p 1 9 1
e ,
”
. .
7 Tshi Speaking Peoples p ,
”
. 1 7 4.
3 96 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

public sentiment law a nd religion to the duty of fighting

, , ,

and making sacrifices in the interest of the general welfare .

It depends largely upon the interdependence of the social

and economic life and it is an instinct that varies very much
,

even among the most civilized people While lack of fel .

low feeling is generally characteristic of the nations of this

zone there are some exceptions to the rule in individuals
,

and tribes It would be a horrible admission to make if

.
,

human beings anywhere were less sympathetic towards their

kind than the lower animals It is said even of ants that in .
,

case the feelers of one of their comrades be cut o ff they will ,

anoint the wound with the mucus of their own mouths ?

Occasionally travelers meet with people of this zone who
seem to be exceedingly hospitable and sympathetic a l ,

though these qualities are often supposed to be only a part

of their diplomacy when they expect to gain something .

The S lave trader Jos Hawkins says of the Ibo pe 0 p 1e that

-
, .
,

in friendship and benevolence no people are so truly stead ,

?
fast and that the unfortunate are sure of support But if as
a rule the natives of this zone are indi fferent to the m isfo r
tunes o i their fellows they are evidently fond of company ,

and keep open house It would be incomprehensibl e indeed .

in a country where nature is so lavish if a c erta i n generosity ,

”
were not S hown to strangers All travelers says Hovel .
,

acque are agreed in regard to the great hospitality that

,

” 2
the blacks S ho w to each o ther If they do not trouble .

themselves to minister to the S ick they are at least glad ,

to entertain the hale and hearty which involves no sac

ri fice .

ru l t
C e y to A n i ma l s — According to Duncan the natives ,

of this zone have no sympathy or feeling for the lower ani

4 5
mals . Lander says that dogs are always badly treated ,

“
and Wood states that there is hardly a village where the
1 L etourneau p 1 5 3 , P 1 05
. . P 4 39 3
. .
3 . .

1
‘
Vol 1 p 40 .
, . . P 349 5 . .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E BANANA ZON E 39 1

traveler does not come upon animals tied in some agonizing

”
positi on and left to die .

A l truis m th e
R
~
e su lt o f C o nst ru c tiv e A c ti viti es — It has
.

m
required a long time for human sympathy to reach beyond
the limits of one s fa ’
tribe or nation to say nothing of ,

extending to the real of dumb brutes Altruism is the .

result of multifarious mu a l help— o fconstructive activities ,

whereas it is al ways mothered by activities that are

destructive In this zon man is engaged in the destru ction
.

of animal life of villa

,
of granaries of homes and human ,

lives H e is seeking to live at the expense of others rather

.

than by helping o th é s and therefore his altruistic nature

'

has no opportunity to develop .

1 P . 60 1 .
 C HA PTER XXXV I

PSY C H OLO GI C A L C HA R A C TE R I ST I C S IN THE

BA NA NA Z O NE (Conti nued )

L y i ng a n d D e c ep ti o n — The Negroes of
P r o p en sit y fo r .

this zone are celebrated for lying and deception According .

“
to Ellis the N egro lies habitually and even in matters of
little moment or of absolute indi fference It is rare for him .

” 1
to speak the truth Waitz says with some j ustification
.
, ,

?
that this is due to distrust of the white man But other
explanations are more to the point of which one is that the ,

N egro does not distinguish clearly between a fact of e x peri

ence and an idea conceived in the mind A S imilar con .

fusion often arises in the minds of children among civilized

people causing them at a certain age to believe that
, , ,

something has really happened which they have only

imagined Another explanation is that lying is the result of
.

traits developed in the hunting life Deception is the essence .

of lying and is so necessary and habitual in hunting that it

becomes an instinct It is used by nearly all animals in
.

attacking and defending and is especially celebrated in the

,

“ “
fox. The cunning displayed by man says Ward in , ,

outwitting and circumventing animals is only a step higher ,

than the ruse by which predatory animals deceive and catch

” 2
their prey This deceptive quality of man is naturally
.

carried over into his relations with his fellow men and it is ,

so strong that it survives even among civilized people In .

fact it has been one of the chief methods used by man in all
of his economic and political activities The words by .

1“ Ew e Speaki ng P eoples p , . 11 .
2
V O1 2: P 2 57

Pure Soc i ology p

3
, .
486 .

39 3
3 94 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

custom a nd because he himself is deceived O ne .

reads between his words with practice as between the , ,

lines of a writing ”
W hen a Negro comes into a store to
.

buy a pipe h e will pretend to be after something else and

, ,

will seem to come accidentally upon the pipe H e will talk .

a long time of unimportant things and if the conversation

does not offer a proper turn to bring out accidentally his
phrase he will return rather than tell you why he had come
, .

If you discover it he feebly denies with a smile ,

which is an admission and which renders him more repug

” 2
nant to you The testimony of Ellis in this matter is to
.

the same effect H e says concealment of design is the

.
“

first element of safety and as this axiom has been con ,

siste ntly carried out for generations the national character ,

” 3
is strongly marked by duplicity .

P r op e nsit y fo r S t e a l i n g — Another characteristic of the

N egro is stealing which is partly acquired from the habit of
,

hunting and partly from living upon the spontaneous

products of nature In the banana zone pretty much every
.

thing belongs to nature and the people are in the habit of ,

taking without hesitation whatever they like

,
F ruits , .
,

plants and animals are all stolen so to S peak from nature , ,

.

Only where pro ducts are the result of human labor do the
pe 0 p 1e have occasion to restrain their inclination to appro
p ri a t e anything desired M ungo P ark asserts that the .

“
most notable defect of the Negro is an insurmoun table
” 4
propensity to stealing The same statement is made by
.

Duncan who says that the most p redominant passion of

” 5
the African is theft On one occasion out of charitable
.
,

considerations Duncan picked up a Negro who was in de s

,

titute circumstances being without food or means of procur ,

ing any but in a short time he began to steal everything in

,

” 6 “
reach . The b lack man steals says F o a every time , ,

1 P . 1 12 .
3
P . 1 13 .
3 “
Ew e Speaking Peoples p 1 1 , . .

4 P . 1 2 7. 5 Vol . 1, p . 1 41 . Vol 1 p 2 00
0 .
, . .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E BANANA ZON E 3 95

he can find a suitable occasion without the least scruple ;

what restrains him is not conscience but the fear of being
”
caught .

V a n it y — V anity is another universal characteristic of

.

the Negro It is very close akin to lying for the reason

. ,

that in most cases it is prompte d b y a desire to deceive to

, , ,

sail un der false colors But it di ffers from lying in that it .

often implies love of approbation The Negro seeks to .

win the applause of his fellows usually by a gau dy ex h ib i

tion of dress trinkets or boastful language The least word
,
.

of praise or flattery gives him a lively sense of pleasure ,

and this soft S pot in his character is one which the sh r ewd
white man soon learns to take advantage of H e knows .

that a fe w words of flattery wi ll ca use a Negro to do a great

deal more work a nd do it better than he could be persuaded
’
to do b y any other means So kee n is the Negro s vanity .

that if he happen to obtain any degree of superiority over

his fellows even in the matter of gau dy costume he is i n
, ,

c li n e d to be excee di n gly arrogant H e stru ts and puts on .

airs Bo w en says that vanity is the N egro s second

.
’

strongest passion and that to d ress a n d swagger are as

,

natural to him as breathing? V anity says Ellis “

is a , ,

common cause of debt a n d S lavery and the poor people ,

freque n tly pawn or enslave themselves in order to obta in ,

” 3
the means of making a respecta b le fu n eral .

L a c k o f C o u r e — M oral or physical courage is ma n i

a g
feste d only to a very slight degree in this zone U n der the .

spur of the moment the men o ften act desperately a nd in , ,

?
battle S how a capacity for spirited attack But the ge n eral
lassitude resulting from the humi dity of the climate and the ,

lack of self respect render them as a rule in disposed to face

-
,

dangers Sir Garnet W o lsle y once remarke d that it was

.

no wonder the king of Da h o mi kept a corps of amazons ,

1 P 247
. .
7
P .
9 1 .
3 Tsh i Speaking Peoples p , . 241 .
4 Ratzel , Hi story of M ankind Vol ,
”
. 2, p .
344 .
3 96 TH E N EG R O RA C ES

for the women were much less indolent and cowardly than
the men ? The soldiers of Benin says F eatherman , ,

“ ” 2
S how very little discipline and still less courage The .

N egro not being in the habit of reflecting and forecasting

, ,

does not realize what is at stake for himself or his fellows

when confronted with danger Habituated to act upon the .

S pur of the moment he naturally flees or succumbs when ,

ever anything threatens his life or brings him face to face

with a severe trial And courage depends not only upon
.

the ability to weigh what is at stake but upon having some ,

thing to stake The civilized man is general ly conscious

.

that he has much to lose S ince his life is more interwoven ,

with that of society and he has more contemporaneous and,

traditional ties This ever present consciousness arms hi m

.

for daring and dangerous deeds .

L a c k o f R e e n —
v ge As a rule the N egroes of this zon e
are not at all revengeful When anything provokes them .

to resentment they are accustomed to act at once blin dly

,

and impetuously They do not conceal their rancor and

.

wait for a future time to square the account A few hours .

or a fe w days are su fficient to obliterate any resentful im

pulse that they may have felt Revenge requires mental .

e ffort reflection and planning and such exertions are not

, ,

compatible with N egro indolence The inertia of the .

blacks says Bouche will survive their passion a n d

, ,

?
rancor In fact one of the most remarkable peculiarities
,

of the N egro is that he will submit to almost any amount

of ill treatment without murmur or retaliation
-
The .

”
native indolence says Bouche explains h o w he submits
, ,

without reaction to the ab solutism of the oligarchies or

fe tic h m en the despotism of ki n gs the exactions of the
, ,

chiefs the rigors of the master and even the horrible cus
,

” 4
toms o i human sacrifice A Dahoman proverb is very .

1
Brackenbury p , .
32 2 .
3 P . 22 8 .

3
P 3
. 2 .
‘
P
. 2 4.
39 8 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

The probabl e answer to such questions is that it may arise

from any privation voluntarily induced ; from a vision ,

based upon a moral motive of something desired but for

, ,

the present unattainable ; or from the su ffering entailed by

,

that healthy discontent which stimulates progress The .

cravings or visions of an immoral man for instance a man , ,

involuntarily made to su ffer for a crime do not create ,

ideals which are in their nature permanent acquisitions of

,

the mind but only fancies which perish and are reborn with
,

each gratification Whenever any individual through a

.
,

yearning to elevate his own life or that of others is con ,

strained to exercise continence in respect to food sex or ,

anything else— whenever things longed for and dear to life

are postponed or given up through altruistic and more
ultimate c onsiderations or when rendered futile by adversity
,

or even sometimes folly then the suffering that follows

,

excites the imagination and causes the su fferer to think of

himself in a pitying mood to dwell upon his privations to
‘

, ,

rehearse his misfortunes and nurse his aspirations H e

'
.

pictures to himself the realizatio n s which he covets but

must now forego and the more continence that the situation
,

requires the more vivid will be the imagery and the more ,

the imagery will crystallize into permanent and authoritative

guides to conduct In the meanwhile his pangs of con
.

te m p la t i o n begin to transform themselves into j oy because ,

of the gradual discovery that his trials work out the final
good of himself and race H e is like the w ounded oyster
.
,

of which Emerson speaks that mends its S hell with pearl

,
.

In the light of this explanation it is not di fficult to under

stand why it is that artists generally receive their inspira
tions from their poverty or some reverse or shock to their
, ,

feeli n gs or from su ffering sympathetically with others and

, ,

that great politica l revolutions or national catastrophes are

often foll owe d by an unusual development in art It is the .

wine from the presse d grape After ideal ism has once
.
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E BANANA Z O N E 3 99

been built up in a race and has produced a fe w great per

so na liti e s i t is further develope d as poi n ted out by R O SS
, , ,

through the i dealizing of the great personalities i e the , . .

,

obj ective mode ls are re duce d to a few ab stract qualities or

virtues ? Granting this to b e the true origin of idealism it ,

is easy to comprehend why there is so little of it in the

banana zone As the pe 0 p 1e scarcely exercise continence
.

in respect to anything whatever but are accustomed to ,

satis fying all of their passions and appetites without restraint ,

idealis m has no reason for existing The absence of this .

great faculty in any race is a deplorable fact for the reason

that it is the only means by which it can learn to substi tute
moral restraint for coercive restraint and to develop yeam ,

ings which raise its life to the plane of the heroic and
romantic The mere fact that a man abstains from ce rtain
.

forms of immorality is no evidence of moral progress if the

restraint is due to the vigilance of the police the strength ,

of locks and keys and the unpleasant contemplation of

yawning prisons Restraint is only a virtue when it is done
.

voluntarily and on account of attachment to some ideal

standard At best any kin d of restraint or inhibition that a
.
,

man may exercise concerns only the negative S ide of his

moral development while idealism has to do with the posi
“ ”
tive S ide . Kindle the inner genial life in him says ,

“
C arlyle , you have a flame that burns up all lower con
”
siderations .

C lose akin to idealism are the faculties of faith con ,

v i c ti o n and determination Faith is the conscious trust in

.

something that is not present or visible except to the

mind . It may be felt in reference to the attributes of
God or a person or in reference to some abstract truth to
which one is attached Faith in things leads to a conviction
.

—
about them to a sure knowledge that the person or thing
,

believed to have such and such quality has it in fact Then .

Social C ontrol pp 2 2 7 2 3 2
1 “
,
”
.
, .
46 6 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

conviction leads to determ i nation i e to a fixed purpose to

, . .
,

adhere to or be guided by the person or thing concerning

whom or which one h a s faith and conviction or to state it ,

in other words a conscious resolution to guide one s life by

,
’

its ideals F aith conviction and determination are the

.
,

dynamic forces behind all moral progress Psychologists

.

and theologians have made many attempts to point out

some clear distinction between the mind of man and that
of an animal and they have generally fallen back on the
,

worn out and untenable proposition that a man can reason

and a beast cannot The real distinction is that a man has
.

conscious faith conscious conviction and conscious deter

,

mination Animals have not these faculties and hence no

.

moral consciousness The lower races have these faculties

.

only feebly developed and their moral consciousness is

correspondingly weak .

The psychological powers of the N egroes of th e banana

zone have reached their present state of development as a
result of the limited exercise which the conditions of life
have prescribed for them and they coul d be strengthened
,

only by raci al intermixture or a S lo w evolution resulting ,

from a constantly increasing functional activity .

46 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

is shown in their larger stock of maxims and proverbs ,

b etter vocabulary better system of counting etc , Some of , .

the proverbs for example among the Yorubas are as follows

, ,

”
“
I t is easy to cut to pieces a dead elephant i e deeds a n d , . .
,

“
not wor ds count ; a hog that has wallowed in the mud
seeks a clean person to rub against a poor man has no
” “ “
relations an old dog cannot be taught he who claps
hands for a fool to dance is no better than a fool famil
”
i a rity induces contempt but distance secures respect
anger draws arrows from the quiver but goo d wo rds draw ,

”
cola nuts from the bag etc The missionary Bowen found
-
, .

no trouble in translating any abstract English word into the

Yoruba language H e found with ease corresponding .

words for S in atonement faith pardon and j ustification ?

, , ,

The progress of the Nupes in mathematics is Shown in the fact

?
that they have words that express numbers up to a million
The people generally in this zone are much more i nte lli
gent ? and have more mental energy of which the numero us ,

4
schools conducted by malams are an evidence They also .

have more physical energy Ellis says that the Yorubas are .

5
more industrious than the Ewe people and all explorers
comment upon the thrift and enterprise of the Hausas .

N evertheless in some localities of this zone the pe 0 p 1e are

, ,

exceedingly indolent especially those living near the coast ,

where the spontaneous product s of nature are more

abundan t
Mo r e F o r esigh t — Naturally more foresight is found
among the people of this zone for the reason that they have ,

to provide for a winter season A Bambara proverb says .

,

“ ” 6
C onserve always a bunch of sorgho in thy granary .

But foresight is b y n o means a universal characteristic and

many are the indivi duals that suffer from lack of it .

1
P . 281. 7 Rohl fs Vol , . 2, p . 2 48 . Staudinger p 5 5 1
3
, . .

4 p 56 . 2 .
5 u
Yoruba Speaking P eoples p 3 , . 2 .

3 B i nger Vol
, . 1, p . 1 94 .
 C HA RA C TERISTI C S IN TH E M I LLET ZON E 46 3
“
Nati ves of th e Gambia says M oore never dream of , ,

storing provisions for th e time of scarcity They prefer to .

sell all that they do not immediately consume When .

famine arrives it is necessary to fa st for two or three days

,

at a time a n d to compensate for lack of nourishment b y

,
”
smoking tobacco l Each year says B erenger Ferand
.
,
-
,

th e S érere s bring to the merchants ground nuts and sell

“ -
,

all that they have fo r some trinkets F our months after .

,

when it is necessary to cultivate the lan d they have sol d ,

even the last grai n a nd it is necessary for them to return to

,

the European trader to buy seed at an e n ormous price .

But the lesson avails nothing and each year they act with ,

” 2
the same improvidence .

F e e l i ngs Ma s t e r t h e Mi n d — The passions and appetites

of th e people of this zone maintain the mastery over their
intellectual faculties but not to the same extent as among
,

the people of the banan a zone In sexual practices the .

people are not so excessive indecent or public and

!
, ,

have not so many priestesses and superstitions to foster

public prost i tution The Hausas have a well developed
.

sense of modesty some appreciation of virtue and they

,

?
never perform acts of necessity in pu b lic N evertheless ,

the people of this zone have not built up their inhi b iting
power to any great extent They are impulsive and like .
,

others of their race incline d to yield to the solicitations of

,

the moment In the matter of in dulgence in liquor they are

.

more temperate than the people o fthe lower zone but still ,

in some localities they are incline d to over indulgence and -

,

we are told that women are freque n tly so b eso tte d that
?
babies becomes intoxicate d from their breasts In the mat
ter of drink however the converts to M ohammedanism ar e
, ,

generally exceptions because that religion enj oins total a b

,

sti n e nc e . As in the banana zone the people are strikingly ,

1 Q uoted by H o vela cq ue , p .
43 2 .
7 H id .

3 St udinger p
a , .
5 57 .
4 Binger Vol , . 1, p .
338 .
46 4 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

unstable and vacillating At one moment they are mild an d .

at another waspish one moment full of energy and at ,

another sluggish M iss Kingsley observe d this peculiarity

.

when she said of a K rub o y he remin ds me of that charm ,

ing personality the Irish peasant for though he lacks the

, ,

sparkle he is full of humor and is the laziest and most indus

,

tri o u s of mankind H e lies and tells the truth in such a

.

hopelessly uncertain manner that you cannot rely on him for

either H e is ungrateful and faithful to the death honest
.
,

” 1
and thievish all in one and the same S pecimen of him
, .

F a mi l y A ffe c ti o n s — A f
fection between members of the .

family is stronger in this zone as already indicated in the dis

c ussi o n of the family life but the consideration of the husband ,

for his wife and children is in some instances as conspicuousl y , ,

absent as in the banana zone F or example it is said that the .

,

Baris sometimes ransom stolen cattle with their own wives

and children ? A S a rule women perform most of the work ,

of supporting the family and live a n d eat apart from their ,

husbands In some districts consideration for old age is

.

“
remarkably lacki n g F or example among the M aghi if .
, ,

a person of old age dies his death is deemed a cause of ,

satisfaction and mirth while that of a young one is lamented ,

” 6
in tears . A peculiarity of the Y orubas is that while they
make loud lamentations over deceased relatives they find ,

it necessary to employ professional mourners to work up

?
the bereaved to a frenzie d grief H owever this practice ,

was common among the Hebre w s and is har dly worse than ,

the French custom of placi n g artificial flowers upon the

caskets and graves of their dead .

F e ll o w F e e l i n g — Generally fellow feeling is stronger in

this zone and cases are more often cite d of disinterested
,

kindness The proverbs of the p e o p le reve a 1 their more

.
.

“
generous nature for example F rom time to time give a
, ,

1 Travels in West A frica p , .

48 1 . Reclus Vol 1 p
3
, .
, . 101.
3
Barth Vol 2 p 2 1 6
, .
, . .
4 E llis , Yoruba Speaking P eoples p ,
”
. 1
57 .
40 6 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

show more feeling for animals This is because they use .

more domestic animals and find it to their interest to care

for them A Bambara proverb is significant of this solici
.

tude It says
. H e who drinks out of the same ca labash
,

” 1
as his horse will have many horses I n fact the Bambara .
,

custom is not only to drink out of the same calabash but to ,

d rink after the horse has had his fill The caring for ani .

’
mals has everywhere a softening influence upon man s
nature .

C o ur a ge a n d R e v e n ge — The pe 0 p 1e of this zone are de

c i de dly braver than those of the banana zone although ,

2
they are less ferocious They have put more of their .

energy into the soil made more sacrifices paid higher , ,

prices for their wives and they have accumulated more ,

capital and possess larger stores of provisions Therefore .

they have stronger motives to excite their pride and self

respect and greater incentives to defend their possessions
, .

Although they are sometimes described as persevering

3
mendicants they usually show more independence of char
,

4
acter and less servility than the people of the banana zone ,
5
a n d while many individu als prefer slavery to freedom the ,

p eople generally are more restless under slavery and more

frequently run away from their masters It is said that .

6
adult Krumen never resign themselves to become slaves .

The pe 0 p 1e of this zone are not conspicuously revengeful .

The Yorubas says Bowen are not revengeful and unfo r

, ,

7
giving but fight and forget like children
, .

L y i ng a n d S t e a l i n g — Throughout the mil let region the .

traveler often meets with very honest people especially ,

8
among the women but as a rule the people here as else , ,

1
Binger V ol I p 1 94 , .
, . . R eclus , Vol .
3 , p . 2 91 .

y u m l f n Afi n C u is p 1 20
’
3 o a o a z ca r er , . .

4 El li s Yoruba Speaking P eoples p 3 2

, ,
”
. .

5
Staud i nger p 5 70 , . . Foa p 5
, . 2 04.
7 P 2 85
. .
8 Staudinger pp 5 5 4 , .
, 55 6 .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E M I LLET ZON E 4 7
0

‘
where have a propensity for lying and stealing
, The .

truth says C la ppe rto n referring to the Ny fie es is not in

,
”
,
“
,

them and to be detected in a lie is not the smallest disgrace :

” 2
it only causes a laugh .

Staudinger p
, .
55 2 ; H o vela cq ue, p .
436 . Second Ex pe di tion p
, . 1 85 .
 C HA PTER XXXV III
PS Y C H O L O GI C A L C H A R A C TE R I ST I CS IN THE
C ATTLE Z O NE

Br a i n D e v el o p m en t — C orresponding to the more com .

plex activities of this zone the heads of the pe 0 p 1e are ,

1
larger and better formed except perhaps in the case of the ,

Dinkas and a fe w other populations The skulls of the

, .

” 2
S hillo o k s are well developed To j udge by the shape .

” “
of the skull says Schwei n furth this people belongs to the
, ,

less degraded races of C entral Africa which are distinguished ,

from the N egro stocks by a smaller breadth of j aw and by

” 3
a less decided narrowness of head The Kanuris have .

4
large heads and high foreheads The Latukas also have .

high foreheads 5
The skulls of the Fe lla ta h s are apparently
.

not much larger than those of the Nigritians of this zone but ,

6
are better formed and not so thick .

P o w e r o f C o n c ep ti o n — In power of conception and a h .

stract thinking the people of this zone are equal if not su

,

perior to those of the millet zone

, The Jo lo fs says .
,

Fe a th erm an
“
have produce d a few men who are phi
,

lo so p h ers in their way and have left behind them many ,

moral maxims and proverbs that have been traditionally

preserved and are universally repeated in all their conver
,
” 7
sa tio ns which are sprightly and somewhat spirited
,
.

1 p 2 4 1 F eatherman p 36 2
H o vela c q ue , .
, . .

2
Featherman p 6 3 Vo l I p 88 , . Featherman p 2 70
.
3 .
, . .
4
, . .

5H id p 7 8 ,
H v l cq u. places the brain capacity of the Kanuris b
. o e a e e

low that f the C l b but th i s is no doubt a m i stake result i ng from lack fe x

o a a a rs, o

aminat i on ftyp i cal sku ll s

o .

6 Deniker p 443 Stau di nger p 5 43 ; Duncan V ol 2 p 309

, . , .
, .
, . .

“P .
35 5 .
4 1 0 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

near the coast where fishing receives much attention fore ,

sigh t is not at all a common characteristic The Jo lo fs says .

,

H o ve la c q u e frequently squander their earnings

,
Then at .

the end of some days they appear sa d a n d dressed in rags

in the very streets where they have displayed so much arro
gance They no longer possess the least resources and if
.
,

the merchants do not consent to advance them a small sum

upon the probable gains of the next trade they are reduced ,
” 2
to beg some sous .

F e e l i n gs n o t s o S u p r e m e a s i n t h e Oth e r Z o n es — The
pe 0 p 1e generally have more control over their feelings and ,

are not so liable to give way to every passion and appetite .

They are mo re o riginal a n d less slaves to custom In this .

zone one meets with the first mention of a change of fash

ions A trader says Schwei n furth sometimes becomes
.
, ,

overstocked with beads for which there is n o longe r any

2
demand The disposition of the people is not so rollicking
.

” 3
but rather sullen and stu b born and their temper is more ,

steeled This is shown even in their countenance which

.

becomes more rigid a n d severe .

F a mi l i a l A ffe c t i o n Mo r e Ma rk ed —In family a ffection and .

in general development of the sympathetic nature the pe 0 p 1e

show a decided a dvance over the inhabitants of the other
zones Women are generally treated with more consider
.

4
ation and are not so often overworked The care of cattle .

and the weaving of cloth are mostly the work of men Of .

the Dinkas Schweinfurth says Parents do not desert their

, ,

children nor are brothers faithless to b rothe rs but are ever

, ,

”
prompt to ren der whatever aid is possible Eight days .
5

“
after the burial of a J olof a great dinner is p repared which ,

is sent to the schools of the ma mbo os a n d is distributed to ,

the poor that they may o ffe r their prayers for the deceased .

This act of charity is repeated on the anniversary day and ,

l
P .
43 1 .
2 Vol . I, p . 1 53 .
8 O gil by p, .
346 .

4
Feather mn p a , .
313 . V OL i , P 1 69 .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E C ATTLE ZON E 4 1 1

each evening during the current year the part of the food
which would have been eaten by the deceased member of
the family is either given to a poor man or to one of the
” 1
slaves who eats in the place of the dead person
,
This .

shows un doubted altruism and is a marked improvement on

anything to be o b served in the other zones The hospitality .

of the Ma li nko p s is most disinterested and most generous .

When a stranger enters their h ut at meal time and salutes

the master of the house he is immediately invited to sit ,

” 2 “
down . Among the jo lo fs the unfortunate the helpless ,

and the infirm are obj ects of commiseration ; they are re

c ei ve d in every household with the greatest alacrity and ,

they are instantly provided with food a n d even provided ,

” 3
with clothing if their condition requires it The Dinkas .
,

according to Schweinfurth while cruel often show tender , ,

ness and compassion H e mentions the case of a Bongo .

who was woun ded in an attack upon the Dinkas and lay
’
helpless near the Dinka s hut The magnanimous Dinka .

gave shelter and food to the wounded Bongo until he was

well and strong and then sent an escort to lea d him back to
,

4
his own pe 0 p 1e .

P i l fe ri ng H a b i t — The pilfering habit of the pe 0 p 1e of this

zone seems to be about on a level with that of the pe 0 p 1e of
the other zones At Lo ggun on the Shari Denham says
.
,

“
that nearly every one tried to steal something from him .

“
The Kanuris he says are much given to petty larceny
, , .

F eatherman states that the Dinkas rob and plunder when

” 7
ever a n opportunity presents itself Indeed pilfering is a .
,

common complaint which all travelers bring against the

natives of this as of every other zone of N egro Africa
, ,
.

C o u ra ge a n d R e v e n ge — Upon the average the pe 0 p 1e ,

of this zone are much more spirited and courageous than

those of the other zones F or example it is said that the .
,

Featherman p , .
3 50 .
2 Mid p , .
31 1.
3 P p .
3 49
. .

4 Vol 1 p 1 69
.
, . .
5 “ Narrative p , . 1 82 .
0 P . 24 1 . HM 28 . .
41 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

Kanuris fi ght bravely to maintain their independence ,

2
and that the Latukas are remarkably brave A n d since the .

in dolence of the people does not overcome their resentment‘

,
” 2
they are excessively revengeful .

The Fe lla ta h s differ very strikingly from the Nigritians

in psychological characteristics They are more ingenious .

and intelligent have greater energy of mind more will , ,

power and a better b alance between the reason and the

passions They are more courageous more stable in pur
.
,

pose more serious and less rollicking in disposition more

, ,

humane and generous and more considerate of animals , .

Having passe d from the coast to a F ellatah population ,

“
Lander remarked that the loud laugh that speaks the
” 4
vacant min d we have not heard these many days They .

have more self consciousness a high degree of pri de often

-
, ,

accompanied w ith insolence and greater foresight and ,

inhibiting power But they are rapacious reve n geful and .

,

much given to robbery The women are conspicuously .

“
more self assertive and virtuous
-
.

Me nt a l a n d Mo r a l S up e ri o rity Du e to Mo r e F a v o r a b l e
C o n dit i o n s — The mental and moral superiority of the people
of this zone is accounted for partly by the more favorable
climate and partly by the environmental conditions of the
,

pastoral mode of life ; and within this zone the superiority ,

of the Fe lla ta h s and Kanuris over the natives generally is ,

partly explained by the still more favorable climate and

more complex and diversified nature of the environment
“
in which these particular populations live The centres of .

the F ellatah populations are the F uta jallon highlands in

Featherman p 2 7 7
1
, . . ”ii p 2 7 1 2
, . .

l é bfi p 2 7
3 z Denham s Narrative p 2 4 1
, . 1 V ol 1 p 1 40
’
, . .
4 .
, . .

Staud i nger pp 5 45—5 46 5 60 Ratzel H i story f M ankind Vol 3 pp 98

5
, .
, , o ,
”
.
, . 2

2 99 ; L n t pp 4 8 7 0 ; L an d er V ol 1 pp 1 4 1 C
2,anot p 1 8 7 Dunc n a
as
5 e , .
, 5 1 , .
, . 0, , . ,

V ol p 3
. 2, . 1 1.

Ratzel A nthropogeograph i e V ol 1 pp 1 97 442 443

, ,
”
.
, .
, , .
 C HA PTER XXXIX
PS Y C H O L O G I C A L C HA R A C TE R I ST I CS IN THE C A MEL
Z O NE : A ND G E NE R A L C O NS I DE R A T I O NS
R ES PE C T I NG A LL Z O NES

Tr a its o f th e Tib b us — C oming now to the people of the

.

desert it seems that while the physical conditions are quite

,

favorable to mental and moral development the social con ,

ditio ns are unfavorable The many obstacles w hich the

.

people have to overcome develop a certa in mental strength ,

but little refinement of feeling A high degree of foresight

'

is absolutely necessary and also considerable power of ,

inhibition but the population is so scattered that social

,

virtues or humanitarian sentiments have little chance to

evolve The solitariness of the groups and their struggle
.

against each other rather favor a sort of coldness of heart .

“ ”
As plundering is a professional pursuit says F eather ,

” 1
man stealing is not considered reproachful among them
, .

They are tyrannical masters and show great indi fference to

the suffering of their slaves They start on expeditions .

without su ffi cient supplies and strew the desert with the

2
skeletons of the starved They are harsh greedy and .
,

suspicious Their features are hard and their expressions

.

3
cruel They have steel in their nature and kno w how
.

to revenge They have a serious cast of countenance and

.

seldom laugh or unbend .

G e n e r a l C o n s i de ra ti o ns— Me nt a l a n d Mo ra l C h a r a ct e r o f
t h e Ne gr o V a ri es i n t h e D if fe r e n t Z o n es — Stanford believes .

that the pro gress of the Hausas and Kanuris has been due
1 P 752 . .
Wood p 705
2
, . .

3 Reclus Vol , . 2, pp . 2
4 4 43 3 ;
- Ratzel , H istory of M an k ind Vol 3 pp
,
”
.
, . 2 63 ,
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E C A M EL ZON E 41 5

entirely to outsi de influences and that the stand a rd ,

“

attainable by pure N egro communities left to themselves

may be measure d by the social usages prevalent amongst
the people of Asha n ti Da h o mi a n d the Oil Rivers with
, ,

their degraded fetichism a n d now abolished sanguinary

,

”
customs l But Stanford overlooks the fact that the e n
.

v i ro n me n t of the millet and cattle zones is very di f ferent

from that of the banana zone and that if no race mixture ,

had taken place the N egroes in the more favored zones

,

would have made a decided advance over those near the

coast The literature bearing upon the Negro gives too
.

much emphasis to foreign i n fluences and not enough to

local environments It is quite evident that the N egroes
.

near the Equator coul d never evolve a civilization and ,

equally evident that in the millet and cattle zones north of

the Equator the gross forms of superstition and sanguinary
,

customs of the bana n a zone could never have existed In .

all likelihood the development of a civilization among the

,

N egroes anywhere in Africa would be possible only after

they had undergone such physical and mental transforma
tion as to constitute practically a di fferent race But per .

haps this transformation has already taken place and is now

taking place as the Negroes move from one environment to
another At any rate there are certain regions of Africa
.
,

and cer tain modes of life which seem to change the N egroes
into a race bearing a close resemblance to that which in
ancient times occupied the borders of the M editerranean
Sea and it is easily demonstrable that the N egroes of Africa
,

di ffer widely according to the di fferent environments in

which they live .

Looking back over the four zones it se em s th a t up to ,

'

the camel zone there is a gradual ascent of the mind from

,

the lowest state found anywhere in the world to that of a ,

mind in many respects comparable to the best ; from a state

V ol 1 p 332 1 .
, . .
4 1 6 THE N EGRO RA C ES

in which reason is completely subordinated to the passions ,

to a state in which the inhibiting power of the will begins

to gain the mastery over the passions That the ascent of .

the mind is gradual from the savage to th e civilized state ,

“
is attested by james who says that since nature never
,

makes a j ump it is evident that we should find the lowest

,

men occupying in this respect an intermediate position b e

tween the brutes and the highest men And so we do . .

Beyond the analogies which their own minds suggest by

breaking up the literal sequence of their experience there ,

is a world of analogies which they can appreciate when i m

parted to them by their betters but which they could never ,

excogitate alone This answers the question why Darwin

.

a n d N ewton had to be waited for so long The flash of .

similarity between an apple and the moon between the ,

’
rivalry for food in nature and the rivalry for man s selection ,

m
was too recondite to have occurred to any but exceptional
” 2
inds .

Inferring from the data bearing upon the economic and

political life the faculties of conception reason constructive
, , ,

imagination foresight and wit improve gradually as one a d

,

vances from the banana to the cattle zone while the fa c ul

ties o f perception and memory appear to be the same in all
of the zones and the faculty of humor to decline as the
,

other faculties expand Inferring from th e data bea ring

.

upon the family and social life it seems that the feelings of ,

the people become more varied complex and sensitive the , ,

inhibiting power stronger the temper more steady and

,

steeled fellow feeling more marked more self respect cour

, ,
-
,

age and idealism as one likewise advances from the banana

to the cattle zone But in propensity for lying and stealing
.

any di fference in the zones is hard to discover The highest .

mental and moral development seems to be reached in the

cattle zone where the pastoral Fella ta h s and Arabs come in
,

Psychology V l 2 p 3 60
1 “
,
”
o .
, . .
4 1 8 TH E N EGRO R A C ES

nomic enterprises usually look only to proximate ends while ,

the most distant ends come within the purvie w of the

philosopher moralist patriot a n d prophet Their vision
, , .

overlooks all time and all humanity Your cotton spin .

-

”
ning and thrice miraculous mechanism -
says C arlyle , ,
“
what is this too by itself but a larger kind of Animalism ?
, ,

Spiders can spin Beavers can build and show contrivance

,

the Ant lays up accumulation of capital and has for ought , ,

I know a Bank of A n tla nd If there is no soul in man

, .

higher than all that did it reach to sailing on cloud rack,

-

a n d spinning sea sand then I say man is but an animal a

-
, ,

more cunning kind of brute he has no soul but only a suc ,

c e da n e u m for s al t
”
It is to be remembered that M idas
.

longed for gold and got a pair of ears H erein sociology .

j ustifies the voices of all the ancient and modern seers and
prophets showing that economic prosperity is not a guar
,

antee of intellectual or moral progress but an ever present ,

menace to either u n less kept in the subordinate rank to

,

which it belongs This is not to deny that eco n omic a c tiv

.

ity up to a certain point may promote mind and morals

, ,
.

In the millet zone the pe 0 p 1e are interested mostly in

material things those of the cattle zone are somewhat more
,

interested in education morality state craft and social and , , ,

domestic felicity .

Effe c t U p o n th e N egr o o f E ur o p e a n C ivi l iz a ti o n — In

fl u e n c e o fth e S l a v e Tr a de rs —F rom the day of the first Visits
-
.

of the white man in the Sudan to the present there h a s ,

been very little change in the intellectual characteristics of

the natives but a very decided change in their moral char
, ,

a c teristic s The earliest European traders along the African

.

coast were slave hunters representing men of the lowest

-
,

type . They robbed and cheated and violated the most

solemn treaties In both their commercial and private life
.

they set bad exampl es M r Town testified before a com . .

mitte e of the House of C ommons that contact with the

 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E C A M EL ZO N E 4 9
1

l
European had improved the African in ro gue ry The traders .

who locate d at and about the European settlements pra c

ticed polygamy in a worse form than the natives sometimes ,

keeping extensive harems of black wenches They kept .

great supplies of rum and wines and for the most part were
2
revelers and drunkards They even went about like the .

natives almost naked It is related of Rev J ohn N ewton . .

,

an English clergyman but ex slave tra der that when he was ,

-
,

seventy nine years old and was having his boots put on one
-

“
morning by a servant he remarked Sir I had not this , , ,

trouble in Africa for I had no shoes Sir w h e n I rose in the

, .
,

” 3
morning and shook myself like a dog I was dressed .

However lo w the morals of the African may have been

originally they were made all the worse by contact with the
slave traders .

I nfl ue n c e o f Mi ssi o n a ri e s — I n div i du a l Ex a mp l e s o f U p l i ft .

—Since the abolition of the external slave trade it is di fficult

’
to say whether the influence of the white man s contact
with the N egro has been beneficial or otherwise On the .

one hand the missionaries can undoubtedly point to so me

,

good results They point with pride to the story of strong

.

and purified characters such as the Rev Thomas ! M ar ,

. .

shall o f P orto N ovo who was born in one of the blackest

, ,

spots in darkest Africa became an honored minister of a ,

native church and has been instrumental in leading a whole

people into the knowledge and practice of C hristianity .

There is the Rev jacob B Anaman a native minister of the

. .
,

Gold C oast who has been made a F ellow of the Royal

Geographica l Society There is Sir Samuel Lewis M ayor . ,

of Freetown a native of Sierra Leone who in 1 8 9 3 was a p

, ,

pointed a C ompanion of the Order of St M ichael and St . .

1
A bstract of Evidence before Select Co mmittee of H ouse of C ommons ,
1 7 90- 91,
p . 18 .

3 Joe H a w k i ns pp 1 5 1 1 5 5 1 5 8
, .
- - .

3 Williams L iverpool P rivateer

,
s,
”
L ondon , 1 89 7 , p .
5 24 .
42 0 TH E N EG R O RA C ES

George and whom the Q ueen of Great Britain has recently

distinguished by the Order of Knighthood who is the first ,

pure N egro in West Africa indeed in the world— o n whom

—

such honor has been conferred H e is a convert of the

.

Wesleyan M ethodist M ission and an exemplary follower of

C hrist . The story of Bishop C rowther has become a house
hol d word in mission annals On F ebruary 1 1 1 8 9 7 at
.
, ,

C line Town Sierra Leone was laid the foundation stone of

, ,

a memorial church w hich is to bea r his name The story of .

how the slave boy became the Bishop of the Niger is a

romance of modern missions F ollowing in his footsteps
.

we have at the present moment Bishop P hillips and Oluwole ,

two excellent and worthy natives connected with the C hurch

” 1
M issionary Society .

No w of these remarkable and truly good men two

, ,

things are to be said F irst all of them whose photo graphs

,

the w riter has examined show the physiognomy of mulattoes

,

in whom C aucasian features are strongly marked Second .

,

all of them have had advantages which are impossible to

any considerable number of native Africans They have .

been raised in close person al touch with a few rare mission

aries whose characters have been stamped upon their pupils ,

j ust as the good slave masters in America stamped their

personalities upon their domestic servants ; and some of
these celebrated Africans have been educated in an European
environment If the missionary work in Africa were upon
.
,

the whole a pronounced failure and if the natives as a

,

whole were ever so conspicuously degenerating there ,

would still be plenty of individu al examples of success of

the kind j ust mentioned ; and therefore they are not to be
accepted as significant of the general result .

I m p o t e n c e o f L e a de rs D e v e l o p ed A rt ific i a lly b y a R a c e
of a D iffe r e n t S t a ge o f C u l tur e — It is highly questionable
.

whether any race can be elevated through leaders developed

’ D ennis V l 2 p 17
,o .
, . .
4 2
2 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

Negro is left to himself or returns to live in the midst of his

”
kin he generally reverts to his original state
,
But says .
,

“
M iss Kingsley I need hardly assure you it is not the i n
,

variable custom and there have been in the past and there
are now living denizens of Europeanized Africans in West
Africa ministers lawyers and doctors who would no more
, ,

want to take o ff their store clothin g and go cannibalizing

and howling about the bush than you would Nevertheless .
,

the African who turns into a European ized man is the ex

c e p ti o n that proves the rule and whose isolated conduct

misleads the white man inducing him to go on on this old

,

line dazzled by the performance of one in a hun dred thou

,

sand ; we seem blind to the inertia of the great mass that ,

great mass that we have to deal with to day in a state -

practically unaltered by the white work of four hun dred

’ ” 1 “
years duration Says Reinsch To take a Tagalog and
.
,

make of him an American is the nai ve impulse of in ex p eri

ence F or though isolated individuals may adopt the best
.

thought of a higher civilization we need but think of the ,

Negro valedictorians in our universities and of the men like

—
M aharaj ah Dh ule e p Singh they cannot hold out against
the social influences of their race nor can they impart to it ,

” 2
the n acquired civilization .

Ef t v
fe c i e L e a de rs M us t A ris e S p o n t a n eo us l y
—The only .

way that leaders can arise that will uplift the masses is by
such elevation of the whole p opulation that the exceptional
few will spring spontaneously out of the general culture level .

Then there will be a leadership that is i n sympathy with and

that arouses the enthusiasm of the masses .

Mi st a ke o f Mis s i o n a ri es i n A tt a c ki n g Fi rst t h e P sy ch o
l o gi c a l L i fe o ft h e P e o p l e w it h R e su l ti n g Mo ra l D ege n e ra c y
, .

The missionaries make the mistake of begin n in g with the

’
people s psychological life seeking to overthrow all native,

l A rti cle i e in West A frica in B

L f , ri m/ Afi
z
’

vca , L ondon , 1 90 1 , Vol . 2, p .

3 77 .

3
P . 26 .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E C A M EL ZON E 42 3

beliefs and su b stituting for them the teachings of the com

mon school and university and the abstract doctrines of a
,

highly developed phase of C hristianity The weakness of .

this policy lies in the fact that the psychological life of a peo
ple is the flower of their moral life a n d develops out of their
economic familial and political traditions and institutions
, .

A backward race cannot with profit assimilate the intel

, ,

lectual acquisitions of a higher race until it has undergone

a preparatory evolution in its mora l life and in its social and
political institutions a n d any attempt to force such assimila
,

tion must be either futile or demoralizing .

”
M odern science is agree d says Reinsch , that i n ,

—
h e rite d psychological elements the constitution of the
mind —are the most persistent phen omena of which we
have any knowledge N ew ideas ma y be poured into the
.

consciousness may even be understoo d b y the rational

,

faculties but they will leave no trace upo n the mental con
,

stitutio n and upon the real spring of action The most con .

c lusi ve proof of this is found in the psychology of those

races which have come through the chance of history under

, ,

the control of different conquerors Through numberless .

generations under the most varied historical conditions and

environments the descendants of the race will continue to
,

develop similar psychological traits Thus parts of the .

M alay race have been for centuries under the rule of three
di fferent European peoples nevertheless the F ilipinos with
their Spanish instruction the javans traine d under the
,

Dutch colonial system and the M alays of the mainland who

,

have been under English tutelage all display identical ,

characteristics and have the same intellectual constitution

which the earliest e x plorers n oted in their day In the .

same way we may trace amo n g the Negroes of the U n ited

States of H ayti and of M artinique the same psychological
, , ,

tendencies which are found among their distant relatives in

the African forests The actual experience of colonizing
.
4 4
2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

nations and the results of scientific investigation leave

room for but one opinion upon the policy of assimilation ,

that it rests upon a purely ideological basis and runs counter

1
to the scientific laws of psychic development It
has been abundantly experienced that when the ordinary
members of a backward race are dissociated from the o r
g a n i sm to which they belong and a r e brought into direct
contact with a higher society they will usually lose their
,

native mor a le and adopt only the dangerous and even

” 2
vicious sides of the advanced civilization .

The one fact to be made clear in this connection is that

the sudden unsettling of the psychological life of any pe 0 p 1e ,

before their economic familial and political institutions have

been modified is a dangerous performance which exactly
,

reverses the natural process In the history of the H ebrews

.

th e sudden changes wrought successively in the p sy c h o lo g

ical life of the pe 0 p 1e by contact with Babylon and Assyria ,

brought about p eriods of moral degeneracy and history is

full of examples of a similar kind .

In order to understand more specifically how this de

g e n e r a c y is accomplished it is only necessary to observe the
results of the sudden psychological overturning which has
taken place in Africa .

L it e ra ry Educ a ti o n n o t G iv e n i n I ts P r o p e r O rder o f
Ti me — The educational policy of the missionaries has been
,

exactly the reverse of that which conduces to intellectu al

and moral improvement The same may be said of the
.

educational policy of colonial governments in general where

they have attempted to introduce a general system of edu
cation The usual educational policy has for its first obj ect
.

to give the natives a literary education and to have them

assimilate as rapidly as possible European ideas especially ,

those which cultivate a spirit of antagonism to native insti

tuti o ns and beliefs and a contempt for native tra ditions
,
.

1 Pp 20 2 2
.
- .
3
P 29
. .
42 6 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

of some theological doctrine are the only essential

c e p ta n c e

elements in religion and they have a corresponding i ndif

ference to their every day acts M r Ellis who has lived - . .

many years among the N egroes and has studied their life
“
more thoroughly than any other man says The u ne du , ,

ca te d N egroes of our colonies for instance who have been , ,

nominally C hristians for some three generations pra ctically ,

believe that the commission of grave moral o ffenses and

even crimes will not in the least a ffect their prospects of
,

future salvation provided they go to church or chapel regu

la rly and in fact pay their god all that ceremonial homage
, ,

and lip service which is in their View the essence of re

-
, ,
” 1
li gi o n .

A nd D e str o y N a ti v e F a ith
the next place a nd B el ief.
—
In ,

the gospel as taught by missionaries while failing to furnish ,

a guide for conduct undermines the native beliefs which do

,

have some restraining i n fluence The Sudan N egroes are .

at that stage of development where fear is the chief element

of religion and almost the only motive capable of control
ling their conduct The idea of a god of love and forgive
.

ness of S ins is foreign to African traditions and does not

appeal to the N egroes a s it does to people who stand at a
2
higher level of culture A very peculiar and important .

trait of the N egroes heretofore entirely overlooked but

, ,

repeatedly observed by Ellis is that they do not concern ,

themselves about any god that is exalted to a very great

3
distance above them Among the N egroes of the Sudan
.

the gods that are far o ffare not worshiped at all while those
near at han d and ever ready to inflict immediate pu n ish
,

ment comman d the most respect a n d obe die n ce The

, .

C hristian Go d is represente d as b eing too far away ; and

since the punishme n t which he inflicts will not be visited
upon the Negroes until after their death they do not think ,

1
Yoru b a Speak i ng P eopl es p 94 , . 2 .

2
Elli s Tsh i Speak i ng P eoples p 2 7
, ,
”
. .
3 1 5 1211, p . 18 .
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E C A M EL ZON E 42 7

much of the consequences of their conduct They have not .

the necessary foresight for such remote calculations The .

native religion has the merit of furnishing deities that are

believed in understood and feared and they act so power
, ,

fully upon the Negroes that they seldom violate their own
moral code No w it is very evident that if faith in their
.
,

native religion is destroyed and another religion substituted

which they do not comprehen d and which they interpret
to be mere conformity to ceremony and routine their moral ,

character will not only fail to develop to a higher plane but

S ink to a much lower one And that is precisely the result
.

of much missionary preaching All the trouble that the.

“
missionaries give themselves says F oa in performing
, ,

their task of philanthropy unfortunately has for result to

,

make half educated hypocrites much more to be avoided

” 1
than the ignorant Negro M r Harris who lived ten years
. .

at Sierra Leone said that all the C hristianized N egroes that

he employed were given to stealing that there was no
negro worse than a converted Negro and that the young
blacks raised in the missions were simply the worst of all
2
when they returned into the midst of the natives A .

”
Sierra Leone native says Brackenbury is great on going
, ,

to church and has his mouth full of sacred quotations but he

” 3
is generally as specious a knave as ever breathed In an .

European environment says Fo a the bad characteristics

, ,

of the blacks tend to disappear but on the A frican coast ,

among themselves the blacks use the knowledge given by

,

the missionaries only to bring out their bad characteristics .

With this limited education the black becomes much more

,

dangerous H e has preserved all of his bad qualities under

.

an appearance of varnish which an elementary instruction

i
g ves him . H e uses what h e has learned in order to deceive
” 4
better and lie better Staudinger observed that the edu
.

3
! uoted by H ovela cq ue, p .
45 1 .

4 P . 1 17 .
4 2 8 TH E N EGRO R AC ES

ca te d
1
natives are often the greatest thieves and cheats and
it has been long recognize d that the interior N egroes
farthest removed from European contact are th e most indus
2
trio ns friendly and hospitable
, .

A n d I gn o re S o c i a l L a w s — The bad effects of missionary

work are not due to any deficiency in the C hristian religion
e r se but to the manner in which it is interpreted and the
p
blindness of the missionaries to the fact that the regener
ation of a backwar d race necessitates a knowledge of social
laws and an appreciation of the merits and deficiencies of
the social stage to which the race belongs .

E rr o r o f Te a c h i n g F a l s e S o c i a l a n d P o l iti c a l D o c tri n e s
a n d I n s p iri n g F a l s e H o p e s . A final and fa ta l error of the
-

missionaries is in teaching false social and political doctrines

and holding out false hopes To teach the N egro that he is
.

the equal of the white man is to teach what every man of

S cience knows to be untrue and to teach him that he has a
,

natural right to all the privileges enj oyed by the w hite man
is also to teach what is untrue and more than that such , ,

privileges have never been exercised by any Negro race

in the presence of a white civilization So long as the .

N egro blood has in it a reversional tendency which through

inter mixture with the white would lower the quality of the
-

latter there can be no law or obligation divine or secular

, , ,

that would j ustify an intermixture leading to that result .

Therefore to the untruth of such teaching is adde d the bane

ful influence of inculcating a false hope the result is that those
N egroes who have been b e n e fitte d by contact with C iviliza
tion are deprived of a wholesome attitude of obligation and
gratitude to the white race for having lifted them out of the
depths of savagery and are made to hate the white man for
,

denying him what the missionary has promise d The ridica .

lous pretensions a nd demands of the masses excite the counter

antagonism of the white man and precipitate a racial con
3 P.
5 . Waitz
3 V
, ol
. 2 p 80
, . .
43 0 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

introduced certain institution al reforms which to them ,

seemed absolutely essential and not attended with any risk .

Thus who would not agree that the impartial enforcement

,

of contrac ts the system of j udicial appeals representative

, ,

government the institution of the j ury system a free press

, , ,

and liberal education are things about the usefulness of

which among us there can be no two opinions ? The
British introduced these institutions into India with the ,

b est of intentions and yet with such results that their o p

,

p o n e n ts can now plausibly argue that they must have been

animated with the sinister purpose of disrupting and un

derm i nin g Indian society The most unforeseen c o nse
.

q ue nc es have resulted Through the rigid enforcement of

.

contract the vast agricultural debtor class has been gradually

enslaved to the money lenders and is being ousted from its
ances tral holdings . As the government upholds the
principle of freedom of contract and will not fix the price of
grain in times of S hortage the calculating native capitalist
,

is enabled to hold his stock of food for higher prices regard

less o f the fact that people may be dying of famine by the
thousand in the neighborhood The scientific system of
.

appeals favors the machinations of unscrupulous native

pleaders who gain a livelihood by stirring up litigation
,

and making the most of j udicial delays with the result that
,

the confidence of the Indian population in the j ustice and

e fficiency of the law has been impaired The granting of.

representative government in municipalities has led to the

S harp accentuation of religious and racial animosities and
has especially increased the bitter feeli n g between M oham
meda ns and Hin dus the former of whom Oppose strongly
,

any system of representation based upon numbers The .

same result has been brought a b out by the creation of a free

press which uses its freedom not only for the purpose of
,

constant agitation against the British but also to stir up

,

and perpetuate the feeling of mutual hatred between the

 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E C A M EL ZON E 43 1

various great religions of India The j ury system has un .

de rm in ed the confidence of the natives in the j ustice of the

British because no white j ury can be found to condem n
,
” 1
a white man for the murder of a native European i n .

dividua listic institutions are suited neither to the African

climate nor people and any attempt to introduce them except
by a very gradual process can have only evil co use
q u e n c es .

In districts where the white population is considerable

the in t roduction of European laws and institutions is i n
evitable but fortunately by the time that the white p o pula
,

tion reaches to any considerable number the natives will ,

have had time to undergo a preparatory training In the .

Sudan however the white population nowhere amounts to

, ,

more than an insignificant fraction of th e total and the ,

natives are therefore least prepared to adj ust themselves to

a civilized régime .

()
b Tb e Afr i ca n C a n n ot oe A dva n ced A long til e L i n es of
E u r op ea n C u ltu r e —
The Sudan N egroes need to undergo a
transition stage before they can come in contact with
Western ideas institutions and modes of life without ruinous
,

consequences Ho vela c q ue says wisely that what one can

.
“

assure from acquired experience is that to pretend to impose

upon a black people the European C ivilization is a pure
aberration A black said one day to some white travellers
.

that the white C ivilization was good for the whites but bad
” 2
for the blacks N o utterance was ever more sensible
. .

Ellis says of the N egro that any endeavor to force upon

him our artificial conditions of existence must fail for racial ,

character cannot be suddenly transformed ; and even if it

were possible to impose our civilization upon him it would
not be lasting for the vari ous transitional stages b e
,

tween his position and ours woul d have been want

” 3
ing .

Pp 1 5 1 7
.
- P 459. Ew e Spea k ing P eoples p 1 2
3
. .
3
,
”
. .
43 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

C olonial policies are not primarily conceived or applied

in the interest of the natives but in the interest of European
exploiters and indeed as pointed out by Reinsch the spirit
, , ,

of our age is not in general di rected to the organization and

“
development of the psychic life of mankind but to the
” 1
mastery over the forces of nature So far as Africa is
.

concerned the policy is that of an exhaustive barbarian

” 2
exploitation . It is no wonder then that the results of
European contact in some localities have been inj uri ous
rather than beneficial to the natives .

()
c B o tlt S o ci o log i ca l a n d A n a to mi ca l Ob s ta c les — The
reader will observe that the obstacles to infusing European civ
i liz a ti o n into the N egro as thus far pointed out arise from the
, ,

peculiarities of his psychology and acquired characteristics ,

as outwardly manifested It no w remains to explain that

.

the unfavorable way in which he responds to civilization is

due to a cause that is organic or anatomica l His brain is .

so constituted that its sensori motor activities predominate -

over his idio motor activities i e his passions and natural

-
, . .
,

impulses are exceptionally potent and his inhibiting power

exceptionally feeble Therefore contact with civilization
.

multiplies the excitations of his passions and appetites by

reason of o ffering a greater range and quantity of obj ects
of desire ; and to restrain himself from gratifying his ih
ten si fi e d cravings calls for an i nhibiting power beyond the

strength of his present faculties The abolition of polygamy .

does not in the least remove his sexual incontinence but

, , ,

only makes it more capricious H e covets a thousand new

obj ects introduced by civilization and has an irresistible im
.

pulse to steal what he cannot buy Therefore it is evident .

that the mental constitution of the N egro is adapte d only

to a particular climate and stage of culture and any im
provement in his psychic nature can be e ffected only by
very slow and easy transitions It is necessary to bear in .

1
R einsch p 9
, . . 16171 p 3 1 3
” . .
434 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

special qualities to each the varieties of the human race ex

,

b ibit certain characters and qualifications which adapt them

for specific localities .

The history of the N egro has proved the correctness of

this theory In no instance has he evinced other than a ret
.

ro gressi o n when once freed from restraint Like a horse .

without harness he runs wild but if harnessed no animal is

, , , ,

more useful Unfortunately this is contrary to public opinion

.

in England where the vox pop a li assumes the right of dicta

,

tion upon matters and men in which it has had no ex p eri

ence The English insist upon their own weights and
.

measures as the scales for human excellence and it has been ,

directed by the multitude inexperienced in the N egro per ,

so n a lly that he has been a badly treated brother ; that he is

,

a worthy member of the human family placed in an inferior ,

position through the prej udice and ignorance of the white

man with whom he should be upon equality .

The N egro has been and still is thoroughly misunde r

, ,

stood H owever severely we may condemn the horrible

.

system o f slavery the results of emancipation have proved

,

that the N egro does not appreciate the blessings of freedom ,

nor does he S how the slightest feeling of gratitude to the

hand that broke the rivets of his fetters His narrow mind .

cannot embrace that feeling of pure philanthropy that

first prompted England to declare herself against slavery
and he only regards the anti slavery movement as a proof -

of his own importance In his limited horizon he is himself

.

the important obj ect and a s a sequel to his self conceit he

,
-
,

imagines that the whole world is at issue concerning the

black man The N egro therefore being the important
.
, ,

question must be an important person and he conducts

, ,

himself accordingly— h e is far too great a man to work .

Upon this point his natural character exhibits itself most

determinately Accordingly he resists any attempt at
.
,

coercion ; being free his first impulse is to claim an

,
 C HARA C TERISTI C S IN TH E C A M EL ZON E 43 5

equality with those whom he lately serve d and to usurp a ,

dignity with absurd pretensions that must inevitably insure ,

the disgust of the white community III will thus e n .

,

gendered a hatred and j ealousy is establ ished between the

,

two races combined with the errors that in such con ditions
,

must arise upon both sides The final question remains .

,

Why was the N egro first introduced into our colonies— and
to America ?
“
The su n is the great arbitrator between the white and
the black man There are productions necessary to civilized
.

countries that can alone be cultivated in tropical climates

,

where the white man cannot live if exposed to labor in the

sun Thus such fertile countries as the West In dies and
.
,

po rtions of America being without a native population the ,

N egro was originally imported as a S lave to fulfil the condi

tions of a laborer In his own country he was a wild.

savage and enslaved his brother man ; he thus became a

,

victim to his own system to the institution of slavery that is

indigenous to the soil of Africa and that has n ot been ta a glz t ,

to th e Afr i ca n by the white man as is currently repor ted , ,

but that has ever been the peculiar characteristic of African

tribes In his state of slavery the N egro was compelled to
.

work and through his labor every country prospered where

, , ,

he had been introduced H e was sudde n ly freed and from .

,

that moment he refused to work a n d instead of being a use ,

ful member of society he not only became a useless burden

,

to the community but a plotter and intriguer imbued with

, ,

a deadly hatred of the white man who had generously

declared him free .

Now as the Negro was originally importe d as a

,

lab orer but n o w refuses to labor it is evident that he is a

, ,

lamentable failure Either he must be compelled to work by

.
,

some stringent law against vagrancy or these beautiful ,

countries that prospered under the con ditions of Negro

forced industry must yield to ruin under Negro freedom and
43 6 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

idle independence F or an example of the results look to

.
,

St Domingo l
. .

Under peculiar guidance and subj ect to a certain ,

restraint the Negro may be an important and most useful

,

being ; but if treated as an Englishman he will affect the ,

vices but none O f the virtues of civilization and his natural ,

good qualities will be lost in his attempt to become a white

mna .
) 2

() e Testi m f
o ny o Mi ss K i n sle
g y
— Now note the almost
“
identical O pinions of M iss Kingsley : I preface my remarks
by stating that I have profound personal esteem for several
missionaries naturally for it is impossible to know such men
, ,

and women as M r and M rs Dennis Kemp of the Gold . .

,

C oast M me and M Jacot and M me and M F orget and

,
. .
, . .
,

M Ga c o n and Dr Nassau of Gaboon and many others with

.
,
.
, ,

out recognizing a t once the beauty of their natures and the

nobility of their intentions Indeed taken as a whole the .
, ,

missionaries must be regarded as superbly brave noble ,

minded men who go and risk their own lives and often those ,

of their wives and children and definitely sacrifice their ,

personal comfort and safety to do what from their point of ,

view is their S imple duty but it is their methods of working

,

that have produced in Africa the results which all truly i n

tereste d in West Africa must deplore ; and one is boun d to
’
make an admission that goes against one s insular p rej
udic e — that the P rotestant English missionaries have had
most to do with rendering the African useless .

The bad e ffects that have arisen from their teaching

have come primarily from the failure of the missionary to
recognize the difference between the African and themselves
l re ferring to the refusal of the Negro to work Sir Samuel Baker ha d in m i n d
In
the Negroes f the trop i cal countries only Th Negroes f the United States had
o . e o

just emerge d from s l avery an d i t w as then too early to form an opin i on as to ho w

they w ere using their free d om In the temperate zone the Negroes cannot live upon
.

the spontaneous p roducts fnature They must work or starve

o . .

3
V ol 1 p 2 94 .
, . .
43 8 TH E N EGR O RA C ES
’
portions . Shoul dn t wonder if there might be something in
the idea of the immortality of the soul and a future heaven , ,

—
you know but as for hell my dear sir that s rank super ’
, ,

sti ti o n no o n e believes in it now and as for Sabbath keep

, ,

—
ing and food restrictions what utter rubbish fo r enlight ‘

’
ened people ! So the b acksliding African deals with his
country fashion ideas he eliminates from them the i dea of
-

immediate retribution etc and keeps the polygamy a n d

, .
,

the dances and all the lazy hazy minded native ways The
, ,
-
.

education he has received at the mission school in reading

a n d writing fits him for a commercial career and as every

African is a born trader he embarks on it and there are ,

pretty goings on I On the West C oast he frequently sets up

in business for himself on the Southwest C oast he usually
becomes a sub tra der to one of the great English F rench or
-
,

German firms On both C oasts he gets himself di sliked

.
,

and brings down opprobrium on all black traders expressed ,

in language more powerful than select This wholesale .

denunciation of b lack traders is unfair because there are ,

man y perfectly straight trading natives ; still the maj ority are
recruited from missionary school failures and are utterly ,

ba d
The two things to which the missionary himself
ascribes his want of success are polygamy and the liquor
traffic Now polygamy is like most other subj ects a diffi
. ,

cult thing to form a j ust opinion on if before forming the ,

opinion you make a careful study of the facts bearing on

the case It is therefore advisable if you wish to produce
.
,

an opinion generally acceptable in C ivilized circles to follow ,

—
the usual recipe for making opinions j ust take a prej udice
of your own and fix it up with the so called opinion of that
,
-

class of people who go in for that sort of prej udice too I .

have got myself so entangled with the facts that I cannot

follow this plan and therefore am compelled to think
,

polygamy for the African is not an unmixed evil and that

 C HARA C TERISTI C S IN TH E C A M EL ZON E 43 9

at the present culture level of th e African it is not to be

-

eradicate d .

fi
f —
As regards the drink tra c no one seems inclined to
speak the truth about it in West Africa ; and what I say I
must b e understood to say only about West Africa because ,

I do not like to form opinions without having had o pp o r

tu n i ties for personal observation and the only part of
,

Africa I have had these opportunities in has been from

Sierra Leone to Angola .

I do not say every missionary on the West C oast who

makes untrue statements on this subj ect is an original liar
he is usually only following his leaders and repeating their
observations without going into the evidence aroun d him
and the missionary public in England and Scotland are
largely to blame for their perpetual thirst for thrilling details
of the amount of Baptisms and Experiences among the
people they pay other people to risk their lives to convert ,

or for thrilling details of the di fficulties these said mission

a ries have to contend with As for the general public who
.

swallow the statements I think they are prone from the

, ,

evidence of the evils they see around them directly arising

—
from drink to accept as true without bothering themselves
,

with calm investigation— statements of a like e ffect regard

ing other people I have no hesitation in saying that in
.

the whole of West Africa in one week there is not one

, ,

quarter the amount of drunkenness you can see any Satur

'

day night you choose in a couple of hours in the V auxhall

’
Road and you will not find in a whole year s investigation
on the C oast one seventieth part of the evil degradation
, , ,

and premature decay you can see any afternoon you choose
to take a walk in the more densely populated part s of any
of our own towns I own the whole affair is no business of
.

mine ; for I have no financial interest in the liquor traffic

whatever But I hate the preying upon emotional sympathy
.

by misrepresentation and I grieve to see thousands of

,
440 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

pounds wasted that are bitterly needed by our own cold ,

starving childre n I do not regard the money wasted.

because it goes to the African but because such an immense

” 1
percentage of it does no good and much harm to him .

M iss Kingsley goes on to say that owing to the extreme

dampness of the Niger region the moderate use of gin is ,

not deleterious and that it is a substitute for the native

palm wine a n d other intoxicants which are in several ways
-

very inj urious to health and which the natives drink if they
2
cannot get gin .

“
You may say— Well ! if it is not the polygamy and
not the drink that makes the West African as useless as he
now is as a developer or a means of developing the coun,

try what is i t ?
,
In my opinion it is the sort of instruction
he has received n o t that this instruction is necessarily bad
,

in itself but from being unsuited to the sort of man to

,

whom it has been given It has the tendency to develop .

his emotionalism his S loth and his vanity and it has no

, , ,

tendency to develop those parts of his C haracter which are

i n a rudimentary state and much want it ; thereby throwing
” 3
the whole character of the man out of gear .

There will be as there are now and as there were in the ,

past individual Africans who will rise to a high level of

,

culture but that will be all for a very long period To say
, .

that the African race will never advance beyond its present
culture level is saying too much in spite of the mass of
-
, ,

evidence supporting this V iew but I am certain he will never ,

advance ab ove it in the line of European culture The .

country he lives in is u n fitte d for it and the nature of the ,

man himself is all against i t— the truth is the West C oast

mi n d has got a great deal too much superstition about it ,

a n d too little of anything else Our own methods of in .

struction have not been of any real help to the African b e

cause what he wants teaching is how to work Bishop In .

1 P 664 . .
2 P 667
. .
8
P 669
. .
442 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

U n fa v o r a b l e R e su l ts Ma y b e Du e to Te p o r a ry R e a c ti o n m
Ex c e pt a s t o Negr o e s o f t h e B a n a n a Z o n e — M ay it not be that
the present backward tendency of the Sudan Negroes rep
resents only a natura l and temporary disorganization inci
dent to a too sudden introduction of civilized ideas and cus
toms ? It i s certainly a fact true of the white race that any , ,

revolutionary change of ideas a n d institutions is followed b y ,

a period of moral retrogression and then a period of favorable

reaction M ay it not be that the Negro is passing through
.

are numerous examples of the fact that since the beg i nn i ng fregu l ar support on the part o

o f the government g eater dependence accompanie d by greater poverty has gained

r ,

mo i e groun d In Si b eria the aban d onment fthe nomadic w andering for the bless
. o

i ngs f settled li fe has on ly hastened the retrogression Th m i ssions h ve o ften

o . e a

been able to prepare on ly a sl i ght check against this retrogress i on just because they
level and democrat i ze the or i gina l structure fsociety be fore the y have scattered their o

seed In the face fthese facts M allory s phrase adopted b y Gerland cannot be con
. o
’

firme d ; to w i t w hen the population disappears in the face of a civi l i zation it is dissi
,

pated not b y culture but by the bar b arism fthe w h i tes o .

Th higher culture generall y acts injurious l y as a matter fcourse wi thout

e , o ,

any purpose to do so when it cripp l es the native des i re to create an d the nat i ve im
, ,

p tu to work f a people stand i ng upon a lo w er an d especiall y upon a d i f

e s o ferent eco
nom i c basis What culture and C hrist i anit y w ishes f the best d estroy s the ex
. or ,

change s y stem f the economic foun d ation A pparent progress as the b u i l di ng of

o .

w oo d en houses the introduction f meta l s f European artic l es of c l othing an d the

, o , o

l i ke i s not al w ays progress in the econom i c l i fe f the natives Tra d e hastens the
,
o .

time fthe trans i t i on and at the same t i me s w eeps a w a y the poor aga i nst their w i l l
o .

O n that account the Tunguses fM i ddendorf wi th good reason complaine d that theo

tra d ers vis i te d them in their fixed quarters i nstead of confining themselves to the
markets A lmost as a rule the best hunters an d man y owners of herds fcattle in
. o

that country are involved in d ebts Th dw in dli ng f the once flourishing flocks f . e o o

cattle f the K i ghi and the i r i mpover i shme t through the purchasing f gra i n and
o r s n o

the frequent fam i nes are tt b t d l i ke wi se to the tra de A lso the y have lost in
a rI u e .

land Th tra d e not on ly bri ngs use ful things but floo d s the simple peop l e w ith
. e

commod i t i es f w h i ch they grasp as children a fter s w eetmeats ; bran d y op i um to

or , ,

bacco betel and with i mproved w eapons w h i ch make their w ars bloo dy an d i n a
, ,

mani fold sense more cost ly Things that had value lose i n value and apparently
.

worthless th i ngs gaine d are rapac i ously used up an d d estroy e d Th A ustra l i ans . e

compla i ned that the Europeans exterminated their game b urned do w n the reeds w i th ,

which the y built their huts and mo w ed down the grass upon wh i ch they slept .

Th loosening brought about by influences so foreign and new in the whole

e

social structure fa people is certainly very noticeable In P ol y nesia where the pop
o .
,

ul ti n of a single i l nd of a single community and of a single tribe were in clo e

a o s a , s
 C HARA C TERISTI C S I N TH E C A M EL ZON E 443

the first of these transition periods preparatory to a re

awakening ? The view of the writer is that this may be true
of the N egroes of some portions of Africa or America but not
of those of the ban a n a region for the reason that they have ,

not the fundamental intellectual or moral stren gt h to react

from the decomposition which the clash with civilization has

contact the rapid change of rel i gion customs and usages has brought about a dis
, ,

tu b i g influence w hich
r n f course w e can scarcely picture to ourselves
, o It w asjust
, .

in the first decades a fter the m i ssionary work b ecame known i n H a w a i i that one f o

the worst i nfluences f civ i l i zat ion upon the people w as obse ve d to wi t the loosen
o r , ,

ing f the poor class f the populat i on from their condition fdependency (serfd om)
o o o

to the chie fs w ho forced them to w ork and gave them nour i shment i n return f i t or .

A n interesting example f the pro found alterat i ons w h i ch the influence fcu l
o o

ture produces in the l i fe and w el fare f natural pe p1e is the description which C p o 0 a

tain Wi l kes gi es of his vis i t to th chie fof L h ni upon the island f M aui H
v e a a a o . e

found h i m who was a natural son f K m h m I stan d ing w ith his w ife in h i s
, o a ea ea ,

permanent dwel li ng place a small grass hut Th ch i e f spoke fimprovements

, . e o

which he would willingly bring about in his dw el l ing but the means to d o so fa i led
him as he said No doubt his income from tapa and other native products w as con
, .

sid b l but the value f these art i cles ha d fa l len s i nce the intervention f Euro
e ra e, o o

pean tra d e to such a d egree that the chie f w ho had to represent his dign i ty by
,

nourishing a clientele fbeggars was almost as poor as any fhis subjects On account
o o .

of the retrogression or stagnat i on f the popu l ation the erect i on f great public bu i l d
o o

ings in M icrones i a has been l i ke w ise arreste d an d f that reason a source of ti mu , or s

lation to the emp l o y ment fthe i mag i nat i on and the hands has d ried up ; the people
o

produce less than formerl y the i r originality has died out and the y are in an th n
, , e o

logical sense be i ng impover i shed .

Just i n so f as th i s l oosen i ng of the inner cohes i on f the pe p1e fthis stage

“
ar o 0 o

renders it di ffi cu l t f them to retain the advantage fthe h i gher culture w e hold the
or o

question f Q uatre fages as j ust i fi ed whether a h i gh cu l ture does not carry w ith it
o

someth i ng that cannot be brought into harmon y w ith the ex i stence fsu b ordinate o

races Th chie f reason f this seems to be that the c l ture i s not taken up in i ts
e or u

proper connect i on and in its totalit y Th ev il fcu l ture l i es i n its hal fness It d oes . e o .

not ripen upon this so i l In all miss i on fiel d s the o b servat i on has been ma d e that
.

those w ho accept the European customs ent i rely as w e ll as those w ho l i ve in or i ginal , ,

unb unde d savagery su ffer less than those stra yi ng here and there an d vacil l at i ng
o ,

b et w een the settlements f the whites and the i r o w n hunt i ng groun d s Kerry
o .

Nicholls the latest visitor to free M aor i lan d on the North Is l and f New Zealand
, ,
o ,

found the younger generation among the free M aori physically deteriorated in com
parison with the powerfu l statures of the older H found an immoderate use of to . e ~

bacco and attr i bute d the decline from

, in 1 85 9 to essentially to th e
h alf wild and hal fcivilized life -Vol 2 pp 349 35 2 .
”
.
, .
- .
444 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

produced N o signs of reaction have been noticed withi n

.

the last four centuries .

The presence of uniformed o fficers maxim guns mis

, ,

si o na ri es and tra ders here and there may stop many savage
, ,

practices and upon the surface there may be the appearance

of an uplift M any artificial restraints may be imposed by
.

means of coercion but if past policies continue to be carried

,

out the fundamental moral nature of the masses will remain

,

disorganized The on ly noticeab le chan ge will be the devel

.

o pm e nt of intellectual and moral characteristics which will

make the N egroes more a nd mor e criminal and less and less
able to survive in the struggle for existence Even if the
.

white race should never be ab le to populate this zone the ,

blacks will gradually die out from the e ffects of the disrupt
ing of the native institutions which formerly saved them .
446 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

its progress from savagery to civilization F irst the mis.

si o na ry arrives upon the scene and attempts to change the

psychological life of the people by imparting literary educa

tion and cramming the N egro brain with the highly a b
stract doctrines and philosophy of C hristianity but leaving ,

his in dustrial life untouche d N ext come the colonial

.

o fficials with their brass buttons red trousers and other gew
,

gaws who make some e ffort to maintain peace and protect

,

commerce but upset native institutions and issue formal

proclamations of emancipation to a p eople who have not
learned the first principle of economic independence and
who interpret the proclamation to mean that no one need
work if he does not wish to Then having set the natives
.

free and created a labor famine these same champions of

,

emancipation turn around and re énsla ve the natives under

the disguise of penal labor contracts and a variety of other
cunning subterfuges F inally when the psychological life
.
,

of the people is disorganized the native institutions over

,

thrown the economic life paralyzed and the labor problem

,

reaches an acute stage the mIS S IOna rIes and brass buttoned
,
-

colonial Officials awake to the need of introducing technical

and industrial schools and attempting to do something by
way of giving to the native societies some kind of industrial
—
foundation all of which is putting the horse behind the
cart and its stupidity is only equaled by its absurdity
, .

The first duty of European governments is to suppress

intertribal warfare and aid the natives in defining their
national boundaries and maintaining peace Instead of this.

the Europeans have been busy in defacing native political

divisions and substituting for them arbitrary administrative
districts fashioned after European models The result is to
.

destroy the national existence and also the national pride of

the natives and to deprive them of any opportunity to learn
the art of government The only wise policy is to leave the
.

native government and o ffici als as far as possible undis

 N EGRO P ROB LE M I N TH E SU DAN 44 7

turb ed and to aid them in the administration of public

affairs especially in revising the criminal code and dispens
,

ing j ustice M r Williams of Lagos said at a banquet in

. .

London that the English law was too highly developed

and subtle to be understood by the bulk of his countrymen :
therefore any development of the native laws a nd c ustoms
” 1
to meet present day needs should be carried out gradually .

“
Again he said Their own laws and customs were the best
,

for them and th ey S hould be allowed to grow on these

” 2
lines . As a safeguard to the rights and interests of Eu
ro ea n residents it is proper that a veto power be vested in
p ,

the colonial governor .

Ec o n o m i c R e n o v a ti o n F ollowing the establishment of .

-

peace and order the next obj ect of colonial governments

,

should be to place the economic life of the pe 0 p 1e upon a

more substantial basis To this end the institution of .

slavery should be left intact and only modified as the

natives reach the point of volunteering to work in such
number as to meet the demands for labor .

E du c a ti o n a l N ee ds — The N egroes should be educated

in mechanical industrial and agricultural arts by daily
,

practice and experiment and not by the theoretical process .

There should be no book learning until the demand for it is -

such that the natives begin to organize schools on their own

account Theoretical teaching should be limited to impart
.

ing practical information on the subj ect of sanitation .

When the natives have gained for themselves a solid

economic footing z e have learned to work with regularity
, . .
, ,

to maintain themselves in comfort and to accumulate some

thing then a system of literary and general education can
,

be introduced that may do some good and not as it has , ,

done in the past disqualify the people for industrial pur ,

suits and destroy their native mor a le The Negroes of

, .

America especially in the Southern United States were put

, ,

3Af n W ld November 4 1 90
’

r z ca or
5 p 5
, 86 p 5 3 8 , , . .
2
.
448 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

through a course of training which corresponded more

nearly to the natural evolution of things than the training
which the black people have received in any other part of
the world F irst of all they were trained to habits of
.
,

industry and instructed in a variety of trades and crafts .

The white man concerned himself very little about the t e

li gi o n of the N egroes except the practical side of it and ,

made almost no e ffort to eradicate but rather humored , ,

their superstitions many of which exercised a wholesome

,

restraint ; but he insisted by precept and by the lash upon ,

their conformity to the moral code i e taught them to , . .

,

respect property rights to give up polygamy to tell the

, ,

truth and be courteous and obedient Thus when the time .

came for them to enter the schools and colleges they had
already gone through a period of training which gave them
an industrial and moral foundation that saved them from
many of the disintegratin g e ffects so conspicuous in Africa
, ,

where education is begun too soon at the wrong end This .

order of development was purely accidental but it was

fortunate and the American N egroes owe to it whatever
progress they have made or hope still to make .

As for university e ducation that may be encouraged

,

for the fe w mostly mulattoes who may aspire to something

, ,

exceptional ; and it would produce only good results if the

motive to hate the white man and to turn against their own
race could be eliminated from the N egroes in the way a l
,

ready indicated .

C h a n ge s S h o u l d b e G r a du a l a n d A c c o mp l i sh e d Th r o ugh
N a t i v e L e a de r s — It is very evident that the economic moral ,

and intellectu al development of the African can be brought

about only by a gradual modification of native character
and institutions through the instrumentality of native lead
ers i e chiefs princes magistrates medicine men etc
, . .
, , , , ,
.
,

who are the main supports of the existing structure and the
natural moulders of the characters of the masses Every race .
45 0 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

character rather than to disorganize it The great fault of .

missionary e ffort everywhere is that it measures its success

by the rapidity with which it demolishes native faith and
beliefs a nd minimizes the essential and final thing by which
,

1
a ll men are to be j udged to wit conduct , .

The very notable sociological study of missions by

2
Dr De n nis gives hope of some improvement in missionary
.

methods and results although it lends too much sanction to

,

“
a ruthless destruction of native faiths and beliefs M any .

’
African superstitions are not only as harmless as a child s
belief in Santa C laus but beautiful and temporarily bene
,

fic ia l in cultivating the poetic faculties and even in p ro mo t

ing good conduct The belief in spirits has not been i nc o m
.

patible with the progress of civilization and C hristianity

among the w hites but may have been in many ways not
, ,

yet known to us necessary and valuable The wise mis

,
.

si o na ry therefore will begin his work by attending to the

, ,

native s daily life especially to his sanitary needs (which by

’
,

4
the way are emphasized by C hrist) and attacking first ,

and gradually those fictions only which have an inj urious

e ffect upon conduct .

The missionary methods employed by C hrist were pre

c isely those here recommended and those which harmonize

with the general evolutionary process C hrist did not b e .

gin his ministry by attacking the traditional philosophy or

p olitical institutions of his age nor by recommending a ,

system of literary education When a certain man asked.

what he should do to inherit eternal life C hrist did not reply

as the modern missionary or evangelist would do by say ,

ing you must first give up all traditional beliefs and accept
,

without quibble such and such doctrines ; but he simply

told the man he must regulate his condu ct so that he should
M tth ew 1 2 5 0 ; 2 5 1 46
l a : - .

3 “
C hrist i an M issions and Social P rogr ess .
” 3 V ol . 1, p .
319 .

3 M atthew 2
5 3 5—4 1 .
 N EGRO P ROB LE M IN TH E SU DAN 45 1

obey the social obligations of a good citizen and learn to

1
love his fellow men C hrist declared that he di d not come
.

to destroy the law or the prophets H e did not a dvise men .

to tear down the institutions under which they were living

but to render to C aesar the tribute that was due him In .

stead o i preaching metaphysical doctrines and plotting

against the state he first gathered around him a few fish
,

ermen and went about among the common people visiting ,

and helping the sick and giving simple practical talks on

,

the most commonplace and elementary virtues about which ,

2
there could be the least division of opinion What he a t .

tacked was not the old doctrines of the priests and prophets
but the old morality of an eye for an eye and a tooth for
” “
a tooth and the evil life of the scribes and P harisees
,
He .

’
said ,
The scribes and P harisees sit in M oses seat : all
therefore whatsoever they bid you observe tit a t observe
, ,

”
and do ; but do not ye after their w or ks H e spoke many .

parables emphasizing the duties and obligations of daily

4
life especially enj oining that men be industrious frugal
, , ,

“ “
make use of their talents bear good fruit and serve it to ,

7
those who need it The missionary idea is shown clearly
.

by C hrist in his parable of the leaven which a woman

took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was ,

“
leavened and that of the mustard seed Which indeed is
, ,

the least of all seeds but when it is grown it is the greatest

, ,

among herbs and becometh a tree so that the birds of the

,

”
air come and lodge in the branches thereof .

The C hristianity of C hrist is the inculcation of a prin

c i ple of life which regenerates and gradually develops as a

little seed and bears fruit in a ripening of the whole eco

n omic social political and philosophic powers of the human
, ,

race Its simplicity and freedom from confusing and dis

.

1 M atthew 2 1 6—2 1 0 .
3 F or example the Sermon on th M ount
,
e .

3
M atthe w chapter 2 3
, .
4 J oioi , 25 1- 1
3 .
5 [ b i o/2, 25 1 4- 2 3 .

G l ozoi
,
7 [ t ial , B i l let ,
45 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

tracting dogmas explain why it took root amon g the people

a n d revolutionize d Western civilization In this con n ec .

tion it woul d be well to say that the recent complaint of the

decline of C hristianity is du e alone to the fact that the
teachings o f C hrist have been departed from a n d buried
un der the weight of twenty centuries of accumulated do g
mas cree ds a n d obligatory confessions The best people
,
.

of our age are becoming weary of sectarian competition

and antagonisms like the competition and antagonisms
,

already discredited in the commercial world and of the ,

wrangle a n d j angle and divisions over philosophical qu es

tions which were never mentioned or thought of by C hrist
, ,

but develope d only in the metaphysical schools of Rome

and Western Europe centuries after his death .

The reason of the success of M ohammedanism among

the blacks is that it does not e ffect a radical modifica tion of
native institutions The M ussulman does not as the C hris
.
,

tian missionary attempt as the first thing to antagonize

, , ,

old doctrines and infuse new ones but he begins by living ,

among the natives working and trading among them H e

,
.

is unobtrusive and tolerant and thus the natives convert

‘
themselves by imitation Whatever other obj ections may
.

’
be raised against M ohammedanism the truth of Sevin s
statement cannot be questioned to wit that it is certainly a , ,

“
step towards civilization F or the present the extension of
.

M ohammedanism among fetich tribes ought not to be dis

“
c o ura ge d for that would probably alienate the people The .

Negroes of the Sudan can be converted to C hristianity

most e ffectively a n d speedily by a general improvement of
their political economic and social life as above outlined
, ,

relegating to the background such secondary matte rs as ,

the doctrines of the Trinity Apostolic Succession Pre des , ,

ti na tio n Baptism F inal P erseverance of the Saints

, , and ,

1
C h a pi sea u, pp . 1 64 , 1 65 Jack son , M orocco p
, .
300 .

3
P . 2 19 .
3 Ch a pi sea u, p . 1 67 .
45 4 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

thir d of the total number of representatives Thus political .

and racial conflict woul d be eliminated and a door of o p

p o rt u n i ty opened to the natives to enter politics and to
render service to their race This policy should continue
.

until such time in the distant future as the masses of the

blacks S hall have developed that mastery of self which shall
place them upon a moral equality with the whites A S hare .

in the government of this kind would be a valuable school

ing for the race and would be better in every way than the
political equality which they possess only theoretically
in America and which practically excludes them from all
,

halls of legislation and renders them only so many dice

and trump cards for white demagogues
-
.

But what the Africans need as much as a wise colonial

policy is the in fl uence of example in the personnel of Euro
pean administrators and entrepreneurs Sevin says .
,
’ ’
L A fri q ue a surtout besoin d h o nn étes gens dans l a ccep
’

”
tion la plus rigoureuse du mot .

The carrying out of the policies j ust outlined might

not at all insure the survival of the N egro races in the zone
of the banana but would bring about the conditions most
favorable to their peace happiness and moral and intel
,

lectual advancement .

The same general policies should apply to the pe 0 p1e

of the millet and cattle zones where the possibilities of
progress are somewhat greater The natives of the millet
.

zone have industrious habits and talents for trade and

handicrafts which promise well for them under British rule ;
and in the cattle zone the people especially the F ella ta h s
, ,

and Kanuris have a relatively high order of intellectual

capacity a spirit of pride and independence and an indus
,

trial adaptability which argue well for their future if the ,

past mistakes in dealing with the Negro are not continued

a n d thus bring to naught these bri ght prospects In many .

P 2 29
3 . .
 N EGRO P ROB LE M IN TH E SU DAN 45 5

localities the Negroes have some good natural qualities and

under proper control are capable of becoming useful pro
duc ers and developing into a race that should command
respect The chief reason that the N egro race has fallen S o
.

’
low in the world s estimation is simply because it has been
theoretically treated as the equal of the white race and ,

consequently while assimilating all of the vices of the white

,

man it has fallen under the condemnation of the white

man S high standards .

A F i n a l W o rd — A S a final word the wri ter wishes to say

that it is di fficult for him or any one accustomed to C ivilized
surroundings to do j ustice to the savage The books deal
,
.

ing with him have so generally emphasized and e x a gge r

ated his vices and bestiality that the civilized reader has
come to regard all of the characteristics ideas a nd institu ,

tions of the savage as wholly bad whereas they represent

,

only the inevitable conditions of a stage of development

through which the human race has had to pass It is there .

fore no more rational to despise the savage than to de sp IS e

the seedling because it has not yet become a plant with
fruit and flower If the Sudan Negroes are far behind the
.

other races of the world it is in a measure due to an adverse

,

environment which in the economy of nature was hardly

, ,

intended to do more than carry them through a preliminary

stage of development In some measure they are c ensur
.

able for their backwardness since races as individuals have

, , ,

teleological power — i e a certain freedom to choose and

. .
,

carve out their destiny But the teleological power of the

.

Su dan natives is relatively feeble and their responsibility is

therefore not the same as that of civilized peo p le .
45 8 TH E N EGRO RA C ES
“
Bowen : M issionary Labor in Africa C harleston 1 8 5 7 , , .

”
Brackenbury : The Ashanti War Edinburgh and Lon ,

don 1 8 7 4 , .

“
Bryce : I mpressions of South Africa N ew York 1 900 , . .

Buckle : H istory of C ivilization in England V ol 1 , . .

“ ”
Burrows : Land of the P igmies N ew York C rowell , .

C ompany .

Buxton The African Slave Trade P hiladelphia 1 8 39 , , .

C A NOT : Twenty Years of an African Slaver edited by ,

M ayor N ew York 1 8 5 4, , .

C ampbell : A Pilgrimage to M e M otherland

“
New York , ,

1 86 1 .

C asati :
“
Ten Years in Equatoria and the Return with
Emin Pasha London and Ne w York 1 8 9 1
”
, , .

C h a p isea u ”
Au Pays de L Escla va ge Paris 1 900’
, , .

”
C la pp erto n “
J ourney to Kouka and S a cka to o Boston , ,

1 82 6 .

C la pp erto n Second Expedition into the Interior of

Africa Philadelphia 1 8 2 9
, , .

C lark The African Slave Trade Boston 1 8 60 , , .

D A RW I N Descent of M an N ew York , .

”
Decle z Three Years in Savage Africa London 1 8 98 , , .

Denham : Narrative of Travels and Discoveri es in North !

e mand C entral Africa

”
Boston 1 8 2 6 , , .

Dennis A Sociological Study of M issions N Y 1 903—6 , . .

, .

”
Deniker : The Races of M an London 1 900 , , .

”
Drake : Revelations of a Slave Smuggler N ew York , ,

1 8 60 .

”
Du C ha illu : M y A p in gi Kingdom N ew York 1 8 7 1 , , .

”
Duncan Travels in Western Africa London 1 847 , ,
.

E L LI S The Ewe Speaking Peoples London 1 8 90 , ,

.

”
Ellis The Tshi Speaking P eoples London 1 8 8 7 , ,
.

“ ”
Ellis The Yoru ba Speaking P eoples London 1 8 94 , ,
.

”
Ely : Outlines of Economics N ew York 1 8 93 , , .

”
Ely Elements of P olitical Economy New York 1 90 1 , ,
 BOO KS RE F ERRED TO I N TEXT 45 9

FA LC O MB R IDG E Account of the Slave Trade on the C oas t

”
of Africa London 1 7 8 7 , , .

Farini H uit M ois a u Kalahari P aris 1 8 8 7 , , .

Featherman : Social H istory of the Races of M a nkind ,

Nigritians Lon don 1 8 8 7

, , .

F oa : Le Dahomey P aris 1 8 9 5 , , .

F orbes : Dahomy and the Dahomans London 1 8 5 1 , , .

Freeman : V isit to Ashanti Da h o mi

“
London 1 8 44 , , , .

”
Geil A Yankee in Pigmy Land N ew York 1 90 5 , , .

“
Giddings : P rinciples of Sociology N ew York 1 8 96 , , .

”
Grosse Beginnings of Art N ew York 1 8 9 7 , , .

Gu m
”
plo w i c z : Outlines of Sociology P hiladelph i a 1 8 99 , , .

”
Gurney : M yers and Po dro se : Phantasms of the Living
“
,

London 1 8 8 6 , .

H A EC K EL The Evolution of M an N ew York 1 8 9 7 , , .

”
Hawkins J oseph : V oyage to the C oast of Africa Troy
,
“
, ,

1 797
H a z z le din e “
The White M an in Nigeria London 1 904 , , .

Ho vela c q ue :
’
Les N egres de L A friq ue S uS Equatoriale -
,

P aris , 1 88 9 .

J A M ES P rinciples of P sych o logy N ew York 1 904 , , .

Janet : The M enta l State of Hy sterica ls N ew York and

“
,

London 1 90 1 , .

“
Jastrow : Fact and Fable in P sychology Boston and ,

N ew York 1 900 , .

j o u r n a l f
o a n Af r i ca n C r u i ser by an O fficer of the U S ,
. .

Navy Ne w York 1 8 45
, , .

KA Y “
Travels and Researches in Ca f
fa ria ,
”
New York ,

1 83 4 .

Keane : M an : Past and Present C ambridge 1 8 99 , , .

“ ”
Keane : The Boer States London 1 900 , , .

“ ”
Kelbe : V oyage en Afrique Paris 1 8 42 , , .

“ ”
Kingsley : Travels in West Africa London 1 900 , ,
.

”
Ki ngsley : West African Studies London 1 90 1 , , .
46 0 TH E N EG R O RA C ES

LA N D ER R I C H A RD A ND J O H N
,
Expe dition to Niger ,

Ne w York 1 8 5 8 ,
.

La sne t e t a l
,
U ne M ission a u S en egal P aris 1 90 0 , , .

”
Letourneau : Sociology Lon don 1 8 9 3
“
, , .

Livingstone M issionary Travels and Researches in South

”
Africa N ew York 1 8 5 8
, , .

’
Lorin L A fri q ue a u XX Si ecle 1 90 1 , .

M A C K EN Z I E Ten Years N orth of the Orange River ,

1 8 5 9—6 9
”
E dinburgh 1 8 7 1 , , .

“
M ason : Telepathy a nd The Subliminal Self N ew York , ,

1 89 7 .

’
M arkham : Hawkins V oyages (Sir Thomas) ,
London
1 8 78
M offat M issionary Labors and Scenes in Southern
Africa London 1 842 , , .

M ontesquieu The Spirit of Laws London 1 7 7 3 , , .

M yers : Human P ersonality and its Survival of Bodily

”
Death N ew York and Bombay 1 903
, , .

NIEB OER : Slavery as an Industrial System , The Hague ,

1 9 00 .

“
O G I L B Y : Africa London 1 6 7 0 , ,
.

Osler : The P rinciples and Practice of M edicine

“
, New
York .

PA R K :Life and Travels of New York 1 8 5 8 , ,

.

P ost : Ueber die Aufgaben einer Allgemeinen R ec h tsw is

”
se nsc h a f
t Leipzig 1 8 9 1 , ,
.

”
En tw i c klun gs geschichte des Familienrechts ,

Leipzig 1 8 8 9 , .

P reville : “
S o c éités Africaines Paris 1 8 94 , ,
.

“
Q U A TR EFA G ES : The P ygmies , N ew York , 1 895 .

“
R A TZ EL The History of M ankind London 1 8 9 7 , , .

”
Ratzel : Anthropogeog ra phie Stuttgart 1 8 9 1 , ,
.
46 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

WA I TZ : Anthropologie der Na turvo lker Leipzig 1 860

“
, , .

“ ”
Ward : P ure Sociology N ew York 1 90 3
, , .

Ward : The P sychic F actors of C ivilization Boston 1 90 1

, , .

“ ”
Ward : Dynamic Sociology New York 1 8 9 8
, , .

Wissmann : M eine Zweite Durchquerung A q ua to ria l Afri

”
kas F rankfurt 1 8 90
, , .
 B ri ef A c c o unt o f th e Disc o ve ry o f A fri c a , w i th
B i o gra phi c a l Sk e t c h es f th e Pri n c ipa l
'

Ex plo rers M n ti
e o ne d i n t h is B o o k

IN the earliest historic times when civilization centred

around the M editerranean Africa known then as Libya, , ,

was one of the three great divisions of the earth of which ,

Europe and Asia were the other two Whether the Libyan .

or Hamitic peoples of Africa were or were not autochthonous

is a problem for the settlement of which no su fficient data
exists The knowledge possessed by the ancients of the
.

continent as a whole can be briefly stated The rulers of .

Egypt as subsequently those of C arthage attempted to

, ,

extend their in fl uence towards the south and west ; but the
physical and climatic conditions and the savage tribes e n
countered presented a n e ffective bar to extended progress at
that time An inscription assigned to the period of the
.

Eleventh (Theban) Dynasty tells of a voyage made by the

command of one of the rulers of that dynasty to the land of
P unt probably Somaliland
, Recent discoveries also seem
.

to increase the credibility of traditions which assigned the

biblical lands of Ophir to the eastern coast of Africa .

About thirty centuries ago the enterprising P h oenicians

planted Utica ( 1 1 00 B C arthage (8 2 6 B C ) and other
. . .

colonies along the M editerranean coast and the Greeks b e , ,

ginning i n th e eighth century planted colonies in C yrenaica

,

and points east of C arthage .

The known explorations of the Dark C ontinent may be

said to begin with the famous voyage made by P h oenician s
about 600 B C an account of which is preserved by
. .
,

6
4 3
464 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

Herodotus There is no reason for doubting the general

.

accuracy of the account which describes the voyage as

made by command of Necho king of Egypt who had j ust , ,

completed a canal from the Nile to the Red Sea The ex .

e diti o n sailed down the Red Sea and along the coast of
p
“
Africa until the sun for many weeks rose on their right
,
”
han d . After a long absence the explorers returned to Egypt
through the P illars of H ercules so that they must have cir ,

c um na vi ga te d the continent A hundred years later also

.
,

according to H erodotus a P ersian of noble birth S a ta sp es

, , ,

started with a C arthaginian crew down the west coast of

, ,

Africa but was compelled to turn back It is doubtful if he

, .

went far beyond the Ph oenician settlements which begin ,

ning at Gades j ust without the P illars of Hercules already

, ,

extended well down the coast of M orocco along which ,

Hanno about 45 0 B C planted a seri es of colonies The

, . .
, .

M adeira and C anary Islands w ere probably within the scope

of the seagoing trade of the P h oenicians and C arthaginians .

The C arthaginian traders tra fficked by sea with the Gold

C oast and by land along the caravan routes w hich com
mun ic a te d with the flourishing regions of Upper Egypt and
the Niger It is probable that almost contemporaneously
.

with the P h oenician settlements in N orthern Africa Arabs ,

entered the country South of the Zanzibar and going in , ,

land found and worked the gold mines which have been
,

recently rediscovered The Greeks began to colonize

.

Northern Africa in the se venth century B C After the ,

. .

conquest and destruction of C arthage by Rome ( 1 46 B C ) . .

all Northern Africa was gra dually drawn into the growing
’
empire ; but Rome s interest lay in the known and o r
g a n i z e d regions upon which
,
she strengthened the hold of
civilization i gn oring all that lay beyond her well defined
,

boundaries a policy which was accentuated as the empire

,

tended towards decay .

C hristianity was introduced into Africa in the earliest

466 TH E NEGRO RA C ES

discoveries in Northern and C entral Africa H e was born .

at Granada Spain about 1 48 5 of M oorish parents who

, , ,

emigrated to F ez in M orocco a fter the capture of Granada

by the Spaniards At sixteen he accompanied an uncle on
.

an embassy to T i mb uc tu and afterwards traveled through

several countries of North C entral Africa penetrating Bornu ,

to N ubia descending the Nile and extending his explo ra

,

tions into P ersia Returning from C onstantinople by sea

.

in 1 5 1 7 he was captured by corsairs and taken to Rome

where he became a C hristian was patronized by P ope Leo X
,

whose name he took his original name being Al Hassan Ibu

,

”
M ohamme d His great work the Description of Africa
.
, ,

was written in Arabic and published in

Among the modern Explorers the following are those
most prominently mentioned in this volume and whose lives
and works awaken the most universal interest .

B A K ER S I R S A M U EL W H I TE was equipped in 1 8 69
, ,

by the Khedive of Egypt at the request of the P rince of

Wales to suppress the slave trade in the Upper N ile regions .

H e was constituted pasha and governor of C entral Africa

for four years and was commanded to annex the countries
,

he visited to open up navigation and to establish military

,

and trade stations at intervals throughout the region with ,

Gondokoro as the base of operations He arrived at .

Khartum in 1 8 7 0 with six steel steamers built in sections ,

native troops and a corps of artisans and vast quantities

, ,

of goods for trading purposes His j ourney up the N ile was

.

impeded by the drifting vegetation or sudd through which

he had to cut channels with swords H e was attacked by .

croco diles wild beasts and every species of tropical insect

, ,

but most of all by the Arab slave traders particularly one ,

A b ow S a o o d the greatest slave trader of C entral Africa a

,
-
,

representative of the house of Agad C o of Khartum .

, ,

1 Universal C yclop dia and A tlas Vol 7 p 1 5 1

14
ae ,
”
.
, . .
 BIOGRA P H I C AL SKET C H ES 6
4 7

who stirred up the natives to make war on him F inally .

,

however on April 1 5 1 8 7 0 Baker reached Gondokoro a

, , , ,

distance of miles from Khartum With his forces t e .

duc e d to 600 having sent back to Khartum the wounded

,

and sick and some women and children to the number of

one thousand he pushed on to M asinda the capital of
, ,

U ny o ro Here his forces were greatly depleted by an up

.

rising o fthe natives and he won the day only after a fierce
’
fight and the total destruction of the town Baker s further .

career in Africa was marked by numerous and dramatic

incidents He returned t o Khartum June 2 9 1 8 7 3 and pro
.
, ,

ce e de d then to C airo where he was received with numerous ,

marks of honor by the Khedive The results of the ex pe .

dition were of immediate and great importa nce to the future

of C entral Africa The infamous slave hunter Abow S a o o d.
-
, ,

was subsequently removed to C airo in chains The o cc u .

p a ti o n of the equatorial provinces was continued by the

1
Khedive who appointed C olonel Gordon to command .

B A R TH H EIN R I C H was born at Hamburg in 1 8 2 1

, , ,

educated at the University of Berlin and spent the rest of

his life in travel and exploration except the last few years , ,

during which he was professor of geography in the uni

versity from which he had graduated H e made his first .

trip to North Africa in 1 845 visiting Tunis Tripoli Ben , , ,

ghasi and C yrenaica and traveled down the valley of the ,

Nile In 1 8 49 he visited Africa again spending five years

.
,

in explorations in the S udan H e died in .

B IN G ER C A P TA I N L O UI S G U S TA V E native of F rance
, , ,

born in 1 8 5 6 explored the whole region from the Senegal

,

to the Ivory C oast in an expedition 1 88 7—8 9 Sta rting ,

.

from Bamaku he traveled southeastward through S ika so ,

3 “
Encyclopae d ia Britannica ,
”
A merican Supplement Vol , . 1, p . 61 .

2
l ai d V ol 3 p 40 1
, .
, . .
46 8 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

capital of Tieba to the famous town of Kong which he was

the first European to enter thence north to Wakara in the ,

Da fina district crossing the upper course of the C omoe and

,

Black V olta thence through the wasted Gurunsi country to

,

Wagadugu capital of the flat M ossi country After making

,
.

a comple t e circuit of the Gold C oast he followed the Akba

‘
River due south to Grand Bassam .

D U C H A ILLU PA U L B ELLO NI a French traveler natu

, , ,

ra liz e d as a citizen of the U nited States was born in P aris , ,

J uly 3 1 1 8 3 5
, H e was the son of a F rench merchant of
.

Equatorial Africa trading near the mouth of the River

,

Gaboon Having become familiar in his youth with the

.

neighboring tribes young D u C h a illu undertook an ex p lo r

ing expedition at the age of twenty into the interior of the
country H e made important discoveries and added greatly
.

to our knowle dge of the Dark C onti n ent H e was one of .

the first travelers to describe th e gorilla of which he collected

a number of specimens H e also collected many previously
.

unknown birds A s a result of his extensive explorations

.

he published the following works Explorations and A d

ventures i n Equatorial Africa 1 8 6 1 A J ourney to ,

“ ”
A sh a n go Land 1 86 7 Wild Life U nder the Equator
, ,

1 8 69 Lost in the Jungle 1 8 6 9 M y A p in gi Kingdom

, ,

” “
1 8 70 ; Stories of the Gorilla C ountry 1 868 ; The ,

”
C ountry of the Dwarfs 1 8 7 1 and Western Africa 1 8 74
, , ,
.

H U G H native of Dumfriesshire Eng

C LA P PER TO N, , ,

land commissioned by the British government to a c co m

,

pany Dr O udn e y and C olonel Denham to make an ex

.

ploration of Northern Africa Setting out in 1 8 2 2 they .

passed through Tripoli then crossed the desert by way of,

M urzuk to Kouka the capital of Bornu C la pp erto n and

, .

Denham thence traveled westward to investigate the course

Stan ford Vol , . 1, p . 2 70 .
4 7 0 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

of the equatori al provinces in southern Sudan H e pers on .

ally conducted exploring expeditions and secured valuable

collections of botanical and Z o Olo gi c al specimens .

After the revolt of the Dervishes under M ahdi in 1 88 1 he

was completely cut o ff from Egypt and the rest of the world ,

but was able to mainta in himself and keep his provinces

under control While still isolated from the civilized world
.

he was made a Pasha by the Egyptian Government in 1 8 8 7 .

In the following year he was rescued by an expedition led

by H enry M Stanley who tried in vain to induce Emin to
.

return with him to Egypt but the Pasha would not leave his
,

people to whom he was devoted In the following year .

,

however influenced by representatives of the Dervishes the

, ,

provinces rose in revolt and Emin was deposed and i m

prisoned . On being released he reluctantly returned to
Egypt and resigned his o ffi ce In 1 8 90 he entered the serv .

ice o i the German East African C ompany and followed Dr .

S tuh lm a nn on an expedition to C entra l Africa It was while .

engaged in this work which he prosecu ted with heroic

,

energy in spite of almost extinct eyesight that he was as

, ,

sa ssi na te d by two Arabs l .

G O RD ON C H A R LES G EO R G E (1 8 3 3
, fa miliarly
known as C hinese Gordon and Gordon Pasha was born at
Woolwich educated at Taunton and the Royal M ilitary
,

Academy Among the many events of his life it may be

.

mentioned that he served through the C rimean War : in

1 8 60 he j oined the Anglo F rench forces in C hina and was-

present at the capture of P eking H e made expeditions into .

the interior of C hina and on account of various services the

C hinese Emperor conferred upon him the highest C hinese
military title In 1 8 7 4 he was sent by Ismail P asha to e s
.

ta b lish authority in Egypt in the Upper Nile basin and was

appointed governor of the Equatorial Provinces Sub .

3 Th e New Interna tional Encyclop edia Vol a ,

”
. 6, p . 694 .
 BIOGRA P H I C AL SKET C H ES 47 1

sequently he was created a Pasha and in 1 8 7 7 the Khedive

appointed him Govern or of the Sudan His administration .

was marked by wonderful energy and activity in establish

ing communications developing natural resources and sup
,

pressing rebellion and slavery The deposition of Ismail in .

1 8 7 9 led to his resignation .

’
When later Hicks Pasha s army had been overwhelmed
by the forces of the M ahdi and the Gladstone Government
’
had insisted on the Khedive s abandonment of the Sudan ,

Gordon was commissioned to e ffect the withdrawal of the

scattered garrisons and the evacuation of the country H e .

arrived at Khartum in 1 88 4 and after being beleaguered

.

there and meeting with m a ny reverses and much treache ry ,

the city finally was captured and the heroic commander

slain l
.

K IN G S LEY M A R Y H daughter of George Henry Kings

, .
,

ley and niece of C harles Kingsley was born in London 1 8 6 2 , , .

When a mere girl she became interested in science and later

studied Darwin Huxley Lubbock and other sci entists
, ,
In .

1 8 9 3 she went to Saint P aul de Loanda in P ortuguese West ,

Africa to study biology and returned the next year after en

,

countering many di fficulties and traveling through parts of

the country known only to the natives In the latter part of .

1 8 9 6 she returned to Africa for the purpose of exploring the

lower Niger region and studying its flora In the elephant .

and gorilla countries she had several narrow escapes travel ,

ing frequently up the rivers and through the bush with only
native attendants She traveled through the N iger C oast
.

Protectorate C ameroon and Gaboon

,
The results of her .

j ourneys were published in the exceedingly interesting

“ ”
Travels in West Africa 1 89 7 and West African , ,

”
Studies , 1 8 99 Early in 1 900 she we n t to South Africa
.

and was attached to the military hospital at Simons Town ,

3 Th e New International Encyclop edia Vol a ,

”
. 8, p .
5 2 6.
4 7 2 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

where after nursing sick Boer prisoners she fell ill and di ed
, ,

J une 3 ,

L A N D ER R I C HA RD ( 1 8 04 1 8 3 4) and J ohn ( 1 80 7
,
-

his brother were natives of C ornwall England Richard , .

accompanied C la pp erto n on his second expediti on and upon

'

the latter s death at Sokoto 1 8 2 7 returne d to England and , ,

published an account of the expedition .

In 1 8 3 0 the British Government sent him to explore the

course of the Niger his brother J ohn j oining him as an un ,

salaried volunteer They landed at Ba dagry and travele d

.

inland to B o o sa on the N iger and thence as far up the river ,

as Ya o o rie They then descended the river to its mouth

.

proving that it discharged into the Delta of the Gulf of

Guinea They publishe d a narrative of their travels in 1 8 3 2
.

and the same year Richard was sent out by some Liverpool
merchants for the purpose of opening up trade in the Niger
and founding a commercial settlement at the j unction of the
Benue with the main river After making several success .

ful j ourneys he was on his way up the river in January 1 8 3 4 , ,

when on the 2 0 th the party were attacked by natives and

,

Lander was wounded H e died of his wounds at F ernando .

P o F ebruary
,

L I V IN G S TO N E D A V I D (1 8 1 3 was born in Lanark

,

S hire Scotland of poor but self respecting parents typical

, ,
-
,

examples of all that is best among the humbler families of

his country At the age of twenty three years after having
.
-
,

worked a long time in a neighboring cotton mill he began -

,

his college education which among other things included , ,

courses in medicine theology a n d natural science After ,

.

receiving his me dical degree he volunteere d for missionary

service and was sent to Africa in 1 8 40 a n d proceeded direct
1
Th eNew Intern tional Enc y c l op ed i a
a a ,
”
V ol . 1 0, p .
713 .

3 “ Encyclop e d ia Br i tann i ca
a Vol 1 4 p ,
”
.
, . 2 72 .
47 4 THE N EGRO RA C ES

expedition partly for geographical researches and par tly for

,

the purpose of suppressing the slave trade H e lan ded at .

the mouth of the Rovuma in M arch 1 8 6 6 a n d with a , ,

company of ab out twenty five natives and a supply of -

camels bu ffaloes mules a n d donkeys started for the interior

, , , .

This imposing outfit melted away to four or five b oys .

Roun ding the south e nd of La ke Nyassa he advanced to ,

wards the south end of Ta n gan yika O n December the .

1 5 th he lost the last of his animals four goats and in the

, , ,

following January his me dicine chest was stolen F ever and .

other climatic diseases n o w attacked him against which he ,

had no medicines to combat N evertheless he dragged him .

self along reachi n g Lake Mo e ro and then the Lualaba River

,

which he believed was the u pper part of the Nile In July .

he returned eastward and discovered Lake B a n gw eo la .

P roceeding then up the west coast of Tanga n yika he reached

”
Uj ij i a ruckle of bones
,
Some supplies had been for
.

warded to him at that point but the natives to whom they

were intrusted made way with them Undaunted however .
, ,

he recrossed Tanganyika and marched back to the Lualaba

where he remained four months vainly trying to get a canoe
to take him over to the west shore Discouraged now and .

physically exhausted he made his way back to Uj ij i F ive

,
.

days after his arrival there he was cheered and inspired with
new life and completely set up again by the timely arrival of
H enry M Stanley who had been sent out by James Gordon
.
,

Bennet of the N ew York H e r a ld to find the apparently lost

’
missionary Stanley s soj ourn with Livingstone was almost
.

the o n ly bright episode of these last sad years With .

Stanley Livingstone explored the north end of Tanganyika

,

and then starte d eastward for Unyanyembe where Stanley

provided Livingstone with an ample supply of goods and
bade him farewell .

Livingstone now set out for Lake B a n gw e o la proceeding

along the east S ide of Tanganyi ka The j ourney was .
 B IOGRA P H I C AL SKET C H ES 47 5

through swamps and under an endless downpour of rain

and the brave missionary was agai n attacked by disease .

By the middle of Ap ril he h a d to b e carrie d on a litter and ,

early on the morning of M ay I st the boys foun d the great

”
master as they called him kneeli n g by the si de of his
, ,

b e d dead
, His faithful men preserved his body in the sun
.

as well as they could and wrapping it carefully up carried

, ,

it and all his papers instruments and other things across

,

Africa to Za n zibar It was h o me to England with all honor

.

and on April 1 8 1 8 7 4 was deposited in Westminster Abbey

, ,

amid tokens of mourning and admiration such as England

accords only to her greatest sons It will be a long time b e .

fore the tradition o i his soj ourn dies out among the African
people who almost without exception regarded him as a
superior being H is treatment of them was always tender
.
,

gentle and gentlemanly P ersonally Livingstone was a .

pure and tender hearted ma n full of humanity and sym

-
,

pathy and as S Imple min ded as a child The motto of his

-
.

life was the advice he gave to some school children in Scot -

” 1
land , F ear God and work hard .

M OFFA T R O B ER T (1 7 9 5
,
was born in Scotland
of hum b le parentage H e learned th e craft of gardening
.

but in 1 8 1 4 o ffered himself to the London M issionary S o

c i e ty which two years later sent him to South Africa After .

spending a year in Namaqualand he married M iss M ary ,

Smith of C ape Town

,
“
a remarkable woman a n d most ,

”
helpful wife In 1 8 2 0 h e and his wife left C ape Town
.

and settled among the Bechuana tri b es lying to the west of

the V aa l River H e made frequent j ourneys to the neigh
.

boring regions as far north as the M atabele country H e

,
.

translated the whole Bible into the Bechuana langua ge .

While solicitous to turn the people to C hristian belief he

was th e first to take a broad View of the missionary function
1 Encylco paedi a Britannica Vol ,
”
. 1 4, p .
7 2 0.
47 6 THE N EGRO RA C ES

and to realize the importance of induci n g the savage to

adopt the arts of civilization H e himself was a builder .
,

carpenter smith gardener and farmer all in one and by pre

, , ,

cept and example succee de d in turning a horde of blood

thirsty savages into a people appreciating and cultivating
the arts and habits of civilize d life with a written lan guage ,

”
of their own It was largely due to him that the work of
.

Livingstone his son in law took the direction which it di d

,
- -
, .

In 1 8 7 0 M o ffat returned finally to his native land where he

died August 9 ,

PA RK , M UN G O (1 7 7 was a native of Selkirk —

1 1 80 6

shire Scotland H e was sent out by the African Associa

, .

tion in 1 7 9 5 to explore the Niger H e set out from the .

River Gambia and proceeded into the interior reaching the

Niger at Segu H e returned to England in December
.
,

1 796 ,
with the distinction of being the first European to
reach the well nigh fabulous waters of the Niger H e pub .

lish ed an account of his travels in 1 7 9 9 H e married a .

daughter of his old master M r Anderson and commenced , .

,

practice as a country doctor .

’
In 1 8 0 5 he accepted Lord H obart s proposal that he
S hould take command of another Niger expedition In .

M ay of that year he reached P isa nia (on the Gambia) and

—
advanced with his caravan to the N iger but the bad sea
son caused nearly all of his men to die by the time he had
reached Sansanding Then he set sail down the river with
.

the resolution to find the termination of the river or perish

in the attempt When he reached as far as Boussa he was
.

attacked by some natives and drowned in the e ffort to

2
escape .

R OH LFS F R I ED R I C H G ER H A R D was born at V egesack

, , ,

Germany April 1 4 1 8 3 1 After studying me dicine he went

, , .

1 ncyclop ed i a Britann i ca Vol

E a ,
”
. 1 6, p .
5 43 .
”H id
, Vol . 1 8, p . 2 7 8.
47 8 TH E N EGR O RA C ES

shipped as a cabin boy to New Orleans There a merchant

-
.

named Stanley gave him employment and eventually

adopted him But the merchant died intestate and his
.

property passed to other heirs Thereafter Stanley led a .

roving life among Indians and C alifornia miners until the

civil war broke out H e enlisted in the C onfederate army
.
,

but being soon taken prisoner offered to take service on ,

the other S ide H e was sent to the iron clad Ti con der oga
.
-

and there became acting ensign At the close of the war .

he went to C rete as correspondent for the New York

H era ld but soon left and travele d in Turkey and Asia
,

M inor In 1 869 M r James Gordon Bennett the proprietor

. .

of the H era ld sent him to C entral Africa to search for

Livingstone who had been reported killed in 1 8 66 but ,

whom M r Bennett believed to be still alive Arriving at

. .

Zanzibar he set out for the interior F ebruary 1 8 7 1 with a

, , , ,

company of 1 9 2 men divided into five caravans In the , .

middle of April he met an Arab C hief bound eastward who , ,

informed him that Livingstone was at Uj ij i After man y .

di fficulties and hardships Stanley reached Uj ij i November

1 0 1 8 7 1 where he found Livingstone and remained with
, ,

him for four months Livingstone refused to return to .

Europe as his work of exploration was not yet completed .

Having discovered Livingstone which was the only obj ect ,

of his j ourney Stanley returned to England and wrote his

,
”
book H ow I F ound Livingstone
,
.

In his next famous expedition in 1 8 7 4 Stanley starting ,

again from Zanzibar turned off to V ictoria Lake which he ,

thoroughly explored then made his way to Uj ij i crossed to

, ,

th e Lualaba River and there embarking proved its identity ,

with the C ongo by sailing down that mighty stream to the

Atlantic Ocean H e reache d the coast in August 1 8 7 7
.
, ,

after perils far surpassing those of his first famous expedi

tion . His secon d heroic e n terprise and the wonderful
geographical discoveries which were then accomplished are
 BI OGRA P H I C AL SKET C H ES 47 9
“
narrated in The Dark C ontinent H e went again to .

Africa in 1 8 7 9 under the auspices of the African Internation al

Association of which the king of Belgium was the chief
,

patron to explore the basin of the C ongo River In the

,
.

course of four years Stanley had established trading stations

along the river for a distance of
,
miles and founded a
1
government for the region .

In 1 8 8 6 Stanley was placed at the head of an expedi

tion for the relief of Emin Pasha governor of the Equatorial ,

P rovince of Egyptian Sudan In M arch 1 8 8 7 he ascended

.
, ,

the C ongo to the Aruwimi and followed this tributary to its

headwaters Then he struck out through the equatorial
.

wilderness in the direction of the Albert Nyanza and

reached there December of the same year Out of 3 8 9 men .

who had set out with him only 1 7 4 were left and they were
little more than skeletons In April of the following year
.

he met Emin Pasha on the S hores of the lake Stanley re .

turned home by way o f Zanzibar thus completing his ,

second j ourney across the Dark C ontinent .

Stanley was married to th e artist Dorothy Tennant in

1 8 90 . H e became a naturalize d citizen of Great Britain ,

2
entered Parliament and received the knighthood of the Bath .

S TU H LMA NNF R A N Z was born in Hamburg 1 8 63

, , ,
.

After receiving his education he went to East Africa and

during the revolt of the Arabs in 1 8 90 entered the German
corps of defense as lieutenant and was severely wounded at
M lembule Recovering from this he j oined the expedition
.
,

of Emin Pasha to the lake region and was sent to Lake

V ictoria H e returned to Germany with valuable carto
.

graphic material and rich collections to which he added

copiously on another trip to German East Africa undertaken
— “
in 1 8 93 94 by order of th e government .

1 Enc y clop e d ia Bri tan i ca A mer i can Supp l ement

a n , , V o l 5 . P 37 4
.

9“ Th New Interna ti o a l E cyclop e di a V ol 6 p

e n n a ,
”
. 1 , . 1 37 .[ b id-r p 2 79
480 TH E N EGRO RA C ES

W I S S M A N N H ER M A N N V O N a native of Germany born

, , ,

in 1 8 5 3 H e entered the army and in 1 8 8 0 accompanied

.

Dr P ogge in the service of the German African Society on

.
, ,

an expedition into C entral Africa Setting out from Saint .

P aul de Loanda on the West C oast they reached N y a n gw e ,

in April 1 8 8 2 Thence P ogge returned to the coast but

, .

Wissmann kept on eastward and reached Zanzibar In .

1 8 8 3 —8 5 he explored the region of the Kassai River and

other parts of the C ongo Basin for the Belgian Government

—
and in 1 88 6 8 7 traveled from Lubuk a on the C ongo to
M ozambique by way of Nyangwe and Lake Tanganyika and
Nyassa In 1 88 9 9 0 as Imperial commissioner he sup
.
-
, ,

pressed the Arab uprising under Bushiri in German East

—
Africa In 1 8 9 5 9 6 he was Governor of German East
.

1
Africa .

1 New International Encyclopaedia ,

V OL 1 7. P 81 5 ;
z u
32 I N DEX

35 3 ; relation of to morals 5 7 3 5 1 ; , , , Bry ce on the future of the H ottentots 62

, ,

id eal and a bstract 3 5 4 ; ten d s to be , Buckle on the relat i on fw ealt h to p

, o o
superse d e d b y sc i ence 3 7 ,
2 li ti l po w er
ca 37 ,
2

A shant i s d escr i pt i on fthe 8

, h i stor y o , 1 Burial customs 1 5 3 8 2 5 3 (See M ourn , , , ,

f the
o 7 ; sun d ry d i scussion f the
, 1 2 o , ing C ustoms )
Bur y i ng a l ive 3 6 1 44 or i gin f 1 44 , , o ,

A sp i rat i on con d i t i ons favor i ng 1 3

, , 2 Bushmen general d i scussion f the 2 2 ; , o ,

A ssociat i on f parents an d ch i ldren 1 4 , o , , i nfluence f c i vil i zation upon the 47 o ,

55 1
, 4 8 ; i nfluence f upon orig i nality o , , ou tlook for the 48 ,

3 7 ; influence of upon art 3 5 0 3 5 4

0 , , , ,

(See Integration ) CAM E LS intro d uced from the East 7

, , 12
A ttention facu l ty f 3 62 ; influences that
, o ,
C amel Zone d esc i ption an d d efin i t i on ,
r

contro l the 363 ,

of the 1 6 , 2
A ttorneys Negro 09 , ,
2 C annibalism in the banana zone 93 , , ,

B AK E R on the in fl uence f civilization

, o C ap i tal re l ation f to slavery 5 3 ; rela
, o , ,

upon the Negro 43 2 , tion f to the sa l e f ch ild ren b y

o , o

Bal dwi n on the re l at i on f re l igion to

, o parents 5 4 ; relation f to the fam i ly , o ,

mora l i t y 3 3 ,
2 l i fe 3 5 5 4 5 4 1 5 5 5 6
, , , 1 , , 1
Banana Zone d efinition and d escription , C apture fWomen ( See Ra idi ng ) o ,

fthe 9
o , 0 C attle f the F e ll atahs 1 6 ;
, o f the , 1 o

Bantus compare d to H ottentots 5 7 60

, , , Dinkas 1 1 7 not go d f food unless ,
o or
Bean on the character f the Negro
, o fattene d 1 1 8 ; prospects f export i ng , o ,

b ra i n 3 5 6 , 12 ; as money 1 2 5 1 5 4 ; not eaten

1 , ,

Beaut y love f 44 3 2 6 ; nature an d

, o , , un l ess they d i e a natura l d eath 1 2 8 ,

or i g i n f 3 5 ; i nfluence f upon o ,
0 o , C att l e Zone d escr i pt i on and d efin i tion ,

progress 3 5 relation of to art 3 5 1 1 of the 6 1 1

relat i on f to m l 35 1
, , , ,

o , o ra s, C aucasian mixed w ith the F ellatahs 7 9 ; , ,

Beggars i n the mil l et zone 1 0 6

, ,
compared to the Negro 3 7 1 4 1 35 6 , , , ,

Beg gi g a Negro trait 3 97

n , ,

Ber bers suppose d ancestors f the F el

,
o C ava l ry po w er f among the F el l atahs
, o , ,

latahs 9 ; confl i ct wi th the A rabs

,
2 1 , 1 9 the Kanuris
2 ,
23 the Yorubas , 2 , ,

21 9 ; i n d epe d ence f their w omen n o , 7 1 the H ausas

1 ,
1 ( See A rmy
) , 20 ,

55 , 6 ; ama1l gamat i on 1f the w ith o ,

C eremonies C ustoms an d the S p t cu , ec a

the Negroes 5 7 the i r w omen averse , 1 I n the several zones

a r, I 1 43 2 39 ; , ,

to marryi ng Negroes 1 5 7 ,
relation f to po li t i cal and economic o ,

Boers exterm i nate the Bushmen 47 ;

, ,
inequa li ty 2 5 4 and to i ntellectual , ,

demoral i ze the H ottentots 6 , 1 culture 2 5 5 ,

Bord er States resistance f as a factor , o , C haracter and Intelligence as i nflu nc , e

fpol i tica l expan i on

o 7 73 2 8 s , 1 1, 1 ,
1 ing the form fgovernment 1 7 6 2 03 o , , ,

Bornu struggle aga i nst the F ll t h

, e a a s, 2 5 ; 2 as a ffecting p li ti l stab il ity o ca ,

2
2 2; sun d ry di scuss i on f 6 2 22 2 2 13 2 9 the human countenance 8 7
2
5 o , , , , , , ,

312 the temper an d general physiognom y , ,

Brain fthe Negro and C auc s i an com

, o a 8 7 —88
pare d 3 5 6 3 63 3 67 433 ; i nfluences
, , , , C haracterist i cs (See Ps y cholog i cal C har ,

the form an d i ze f the hea d 3 5 6 S o , , a cte ri sti cs )

4 01; re l at i on fthe const i tut i on fthe o o C harms mens and S i gns 1 7 1 8 2 68
, O , , , ,

b ra i n to W i ll po w er reason inh ibi t i on -

, , , 2 8 3 3 3 (See M ag i c Rel i g i on )
, 0 ,
:

35 7 35
— 8 an d to feel i ngs an d pass i ons
, , C hast i t y id eas concerning 3 5 1 3 6
, , 1 , ,

3 5 9 an d to eth i ca l an d esthet i c ju d g
, a 1 49 1 5 5 e ffect of cl i mate upon 35
, , 1

ment 3 5 8 ; f the A mer i can Negro

, o , e ffect fsuperstition upon 1 3 7 e ffect
o ,

3 5 6 ; complex i t y f the b ra i n convo o o f econom i c con d it i ons upon 1 3 7 1 5 5 , ,

l ut i ons 3 5 9 ; d eve l opment f i fl

, o , n u C h ild ren sa l e f by parents 1 4 3 6 5 4
, o , , , , ,

e n ce d by c li mate 3 60 ; a ffecte d by the , 14 1 5 4 ; deve l opme n t

2, f in propor o ,

character f the b l oo d 3 60 ; t t o , co ns i u t i on to the prol ongat i on fin fa cy 3 8 o n , ,

t i on fthe Negro bra i n as an o b stac l e

o
55 ; di sregar d f for parents 1
5 3 6 o , , , ,

to the ass i m i lat i on of c i v i lization 43 2 , 55 1 4,3 ; nam i ng f 5 4 1 44 ; be l o ng o , ,

 I N DEX 8
4 3
to th mother 1 44 ; num b er per f m
e , a toms 4 2 2 9 6 ; b y f ti h mn 5 8 ; by
, 2 , e c e ,

ily 1 4 1 4 2 ; ceremon i es f i n pres

, , o ,
.
pr i es ts 5 9 2 9 3 8 : by conscience
, ,
2, 0 ,

ence fparents 4 ; p o uy f 3 6 , 2 2 re co c o , , 2 3 8 ; re l i g i ous 5 8 66 ; po l i t i ca l 5 6 , ,

2 , ,

3 60 ; cost of rear i ng a f
fects the pur , 1 75 85 , 89 ; f A frica by the w h i te
1 , 1 o

chase price as w ives 5 4 5 4 ; ear ly , ,

1 man 43 8 ,

betrotha l f 1 4 5 4 ; w e l come d i nto o , , C onv i ct i on faculty f 3 9 9 , o ,

the w orld by parents 5 4 1 43 ; w ork , , C ooperat i on factors d etermining the ex ,

o f 1 4 ; pun i shment f 1 4 2 ; a b an d on
, 2 o , tent f 7 1 7 3 20 1 2 1 8 2 34
o ,
1 0, , , ,

parents 36 5 5 abandoned by parents

, , , C otton cu l t i vat i on
, f 1 3 ; export f o , 0 o ,

3 6 ; the pla y f 1 4 ; b orn to s l aves o , , 1 4— 5

0 compet i t i on fA frican w ith
10 o ,

1 46 A merican 1 5 ; manu facturing f i n , 0 o ,

C hr i stianity essence f 45 1 ; the best , o ,

the Su d an 1 3 , 1

metho d f converting the Negro to o , C ourage f the Bushmen 46 ; f the

,
o , o

4 5 2 ; b ad e f
fects f upon the Negro o , ,
H ottentots 60 ; fthe N i g i ti 39 5 , o r a n s, ,

436 4 1 1 con d i t i ons favoring the d evelop

C iv i li zation e ffect of upon the Py gmies , , ,
ment f 39 6 40 6 o , ,

2 0 the Bushmen 48 the H ottentots

, , , ,
C ourtship 1 4 3 5 1 34 1 5 4 , , , ,

6 1, and N i gr i t i ans 4 1 8 43 1 ; poss i , , C r i me tribal an d fam ily responsibility

,

b i li ty f nat i ve 4 1 5 ; e f
o fect of upon , ,
f o r, 1 7 9 1 8 7 (See P un i shment )
, ,

the l o w er races generally 44 1 , C ruelty i nstances ,

f 39 1 4 15 2 32 o , , 0, 2, ,

C lass d eve l opment f 9 8 1 7 5

, o , ,

C l ass contro l 75 3 7 2 4 2 2 47 , 1 , 2 , , Culture i nter al and external aspects f

,
n o ,

C l i mate e f fect f upon the white man

, o , 44 7 8 . 53 5
—2 6 .3 99 ; compar i son f
2 . o .

in the Su d an 7 ; upon the ph y i g 2 s o i n the several zones 1 1 5 2 9 4 5 , 1 1

n m
, , , ,

o
y f the Negro 5 85 ; upon
o
( See C ivil i zat i on )
fD h m
, ,

economic deve l opment 6 9 1 1 5 , , 0, , C ustoms pu bl ic ,

i 2 44 2 7 4 , o a o , , ,

1 2 9 ; upon chast i ty 1 3 5 ; upon men , ( See C eremon i es )

tal gro w th 3 60 4 1 2 ; upon mental , ,

facu l t i es 5 9 3 60 ; upon famil y li fe

, , , D A H O MA NS h i story of the 67 ; the i r , ,
1
1 34 4 ; upon revenge 2 3 6 ; upon
,
1 2 , ph y s i ognom y 8 1 ; their fam i ly li fe , ,

the d i str ib ution fw ea l t h d pol i t i cal o an 1 3 3 1 44 ; their pol i tical li f

, e 1 67 7 1 , , 1 ,

po w er 1 7 6 37 ; upon rel i g i on 5 9
, ,
2 , ,
1
7 7 1 8 3 ; their ceremon i ous l i fe 2 4 1
, ,

3 9 ; upon courage 9
1
3 9 5 ; upon , 1, 2 49 ; the i r rel i gion 2 6
7 95 ,
- 2
human sacr i fi ces 3 6 3 7 (See Eu 0 1 Danc i ng f the Pygmies 6 ; f the o 1 o
ment)
, , , , ,

vi ro n Bushmen 4 ; f the H ottentots 5 7 , 2 o ,

C oercion the evolut i on f 37 (See

, o ,
2 , of the N i gr i tia s 33 34 3 48 n ,
1, 0,
S l aver y ) or i g i n f 33 ; soc i a l va l ue f 3 5 1
o , 2 o ,

C o l on i al P ol i c i es cr i t i c i sm f 1 30 4 2 9 o at funerals 45 1
D w m on the evolution f the bra i n
, , , , ,

446 ar , o ,

C olon i zati on of the w h i te man i n A fr i ca ,

D eath ( See Sp i r i ts Future L i fe )

, :
C ommon Ties as factors f pol i tical , o Decept i on a Negro tra i t 39 , ,
0
stabi li t y 1 8 1 88 4 2 9 3 5 , 2, , 2 1 ,
2 ,
2 Decorations f the person 1 6 4 1 , o , , , 5 7,
n fect i ng
C ommu i cat i on fac ili t y f as a f , o , 2
3 7, 3 2 99
33 7 , 3 3 89 3 45
the form fgovernment 1 7 5 3 o 20 De format i ons , of the person 3 7,
2 3 20,
mmuni m a bsence f i n A frican
, , ,

o s , o , so 338
i ti
c e 5 6 1 3 2 5 (See Indiv id ual
e s, , , 1 1, De generacy fthe Fellatah s 2 32 o ,

i sm ) Democrac y con d it i ons favor i ng 1 7 6 , , ,

C onception facu l t y i 3 6 4 1 4 8 , o , 1, 0 0 ( See Forms fGovernment) o

D m li
,

C onfl i ct a cause f integrat i on

, 5 65 o , 1 ,
1 ,
e on the persistence f the
o n s, o

1 8 3 ; social value f 4 (See Inte o ,

2 1 , hunt i ng i nstinct 3 3 ; on the in fluence ,

g ti n Strugg l e f Ex i stence )
ra o : or foccupat i on upon ph y s i ognomy 8 5
o ,

C onsc i ence as a means f contro l 6 , o ,

1, Deserts i nfluence f upon the human
,
o ,

2 37 . 39 9 m i n d 87 and u pon soc i al develop

, ,

C onsc i ousness fk ind 83 o , 1 ment 1 8 1 6 1 ,

2 ,

C ont i nence relat i on f to i d ea l ism 39 8

,
o , ,
Despotism con di t i ons favoring 1 7 6 (See
, , ,

C ontrol origi n f 2 5 3 ; through cus

,
o , Forms of Government )
 8
4 4 IN DEX
Determ i nation faculty f 399 , o , Ely, on the division f lab or 1 ; on o , 1 1

D i fferent i at i on factors f 7 5 , o , 1 s l avery 1 1 1 ,

D i nkas catt l e f the 1 7 ; econom y of

, o ,
1 Emanc i pation f s l aves in the several o

the 2 4 ; fam ily l i fe fthe 5 9— 60

, 1 o , 1 1 zones 1 0 1 premature 446
, ,

D i sc i p li ne va l ue f 4 5 , o , 0 Eng li sh lack f ceremony among th

, o e,
D i sease i d eas concern i ng 6 ; treat
, , 2 1 2
55 ; w omen compared to A frican in , ,

ment f ( See Sp i r i ts W i tch Doctor )

o , : energy 34 ; ar i stocracy influence d
, 1 ,

D i i nat i on relat i on f to fores i ght 7

v , o , , 1 ,
by c l i mate 8 2 ,
1

Env i ronment e ffect of upon rel i g i on ,

5 9 3 9 4 1 5 ; up n Physiogn omy 5
, ,

Di vl S l o n of labor , 12, 5 5 97, , 1 1 0, 1 2 2 , , 0 , o , ,

1 74 7 8 84 88 ; upon the i maginat i o

, , n,
D i vorce 1 40 , 3 1 9 upon reason 3 1 9 4 ; upon the , , 12
Dou bl e p n li ty idea f 2 5 8 2 63e i so a , o , , temper 8 8 ; upon economic deve l op
,

Drama or i g i n f the 45 33 3 348 con

, o , , , ment 6 1 2 3 3 5 9 6 1 1 6 ; upon
, , , , ,
10 ,

t b uti
ri of the to cu l ture 3 34 3 5 2 ;
on , , , pol i t i cal development 3 8 1 65 1 68 , ,
-

examples fthe 34 1 o , 1 69 ; upon f ami ly li fe 34 1 35 1 42 , 1 , , ,

Dreams id eas concerning 2 5 8 2 63

, , , 1
55 ; upon art 6 44 1 5 3 34 ,
1 , , 0,
Dress f the Negr i tos 6 6 5 1 ; of
o 1 2 upon love of nature 3 36 ( See
Tm
, , , , , ,

the N i gr i t i ans 330 3 39 346 ; f the , , , o C li mate Lan d Water Ai

: : : r : e

F e ll atahs 348 (See Decorat i ons ) , , p tu

e ra Flora Fauna )
re :

Drummon d on the or i g i n f stringed , o Et i quette (See C eremon i es) ,

instruments 43 ; on the relation f , o Europea ni ze d Negroes character of 4 7 , ,

2 ,

ind i vi d ual development to the pro 4 3 7 ; d isp l a y contempt f their o w n or

l n g ti n f i n fancy 3 8
o a o o , race 42 1 ,

Drunkenness (See Intemperance ) , volut i on favored by sl avery 1 1 1 ; f

, , o
Dry ness f C l i mate (See A i Temper
o r: the priest 2 86 ; f re li g i on 2 5 7 ; f o o

the ph y s i cal mn 84 ; f the fam i ly

, , ,

ature ) a ,
o ,

D w el l ings (See H omes A rchitecture )

, : 16 ; 1 f the ju di c i ary
o 7 8 8 2 6
3 ; , 1 ,
20 ,

Dynam i c forces 400 , o f coercion nd free d om 2 3 8 ; fcon a , o

trol 2 3 8 ; of reason 3 74 f morals

, , o ,

EC O NOMI C C ond i tions e ffect f up n , o , o 3 1 9 ; f music 1 6 4 2 43 3 5 2 (See

o , , , , ,

sexual moral i ty 3 5 1 5 5 ; upon the , , Or i g i n )

fam il y 1 4 3 5 5 4 1 47 1 4 8 1 5 4 1 5 6
, , , , , , , , Exports from the Sudan 9 6 ; from the
, ,

1 61 d pon the human ph y i g

an u s o Sahara 8 ; prospects f exporting 12 o

my
,

no , 8 5 , 86 A fr i can catt l e 1 2 1 an d cotton 1 3 , , ,

0

E conom i c the Negritos 6 1 3

L f, ie of ,
-
, Ey es color f a ffected by light an d l
,
o , a

28 5 ,53 ; f the Nigrit

1- i ans in the o ti tude, 86, 2 20

banana zone 9 f the mi l let zone , 0, o ,

1 2 0 f the cattle zone 1 1 6

, o f the , , o FA ITH faculty f 399
,
o ,

came l zone 1 6 of the F el l atahs 1 1 6 ,

2 , , ,
Familial C eremon i es 2 4 1 2 50 2 5 2 , , ,

1 8 1 1 ; genera li zat i ons concern i ng

, 22 Family support of th 1 39 1 5 1 1 5 8
,
e, , , ,

the 1 2 9 , 1 61 stages fthe 1 6 1 o ,

Economic P rogress as related to moral ,

Family Li fe fthe Pygmies 1 4 ; f the , o , o

progress 4 1 7 445 and to p y h l g , , , s c o o Bushmen 3 5 ; of the H ottentot 5 4 ; , s,

i ca l progress 4 8 ,
1 o f the Nigr i tians in the b a n ana zo n e,

Econom i c Resources as factors f p ,

o o 1 3 3 ; of the mil l et zone 1 47 ; f the , o

li ti l expansion 1 69 200 2 1 8
ca , , , cattle zone 1 54 ; of the camel zo e ,
n ,

Economic Stages 1 3 2 , 161 ; f the F ellatahs 1 5 4 1 5 7 1 5 8 ;

o , , ,

Econom i c Status f the Nigr i tians com , o generalizat i ons respect ing 1 6 , 2
pared to their moral status 1 3 ,
0 Fami l y Status as a factor f polit i cal ,
o
Ed ucat i o n e ffect f upon the Negroes, o , , sta bili t y 1 83 1 88 2 1 4 2 2 9 ; e ffect f
, , , , o ,

4 5 43 7 ; e f
2 fect f pon the n at i ves
, o , u upon revenge 2 36 ; upon ceremonies , ,

f Jamaica 4 5 ; must b e g i ven i n i ts

o , 2 2 4 ; upon a ffect i on 3 5 3 6 3 7 5 5
2 , , , , ,

proper or d er f t i me shou ld o ,
1 40
b e prece d ed b y econom i c tra i i ng n , Far i n i on the future f the Bushmen
, o ,

447 ; the k i nd of nee d e d i n A fr i ca , , ide l it y f Py gm y 1 9

4 8 ; on the f o a ,

447 F ash i ons change f 37 4 1 , o , 0, 0

4
1865 IN DEX
Gurney on the phantasms
, of the living , Il l eg i t i mate l ild n w ell d for
c i i e , as ca i e
2 63 as the l eg i timate 1 3 7 ; i ncrease d b y ,

the h i gh p f W i ves 55 ; treat i i ce o , 1

H A B ITS , infl uence of

, upon physiognomy ,
ment f by the D i nkas 5 5
o , , 1

86 Imag i nat i on rem i n i scent 3 67 construe, ,

H aeckel on the evolution

, of the brain , tive 368 ; i nfluence f nature upon
, o

358 the 1 8 5 9 3 9 ; f the Negro de

, , , 1 o ,

H a i r color f a ffected by climate 86

, o
H am i t i c Race 7 9
, ,
fi i t i n constructive po w er 3 68
c en , re
, lation f to morals 369 ; d ecl i ne f
o
, , o

H app i ness dependence f upon morals ,

o , the among civ il ized people connected
, ,

382 w ith dec l i ne fpoetry 3 68 o ,

H ausas d escr i pti on

, of the , 83 ; sundry Imitation a character i st i c f the Negro
, o ,

di scuss i on f the o , 1 5 1 , 1 5 2 , 1 7 1 , 20 1 , 3 7
0 ; f the w hite race by the Negro
o

not a d v i sabl e 4 5 3 ; in art influenced , ,

H a w ai i ans , i njur i ous e ffects of civ ili za b y feel i ng an d imagination 349 ,

t i on upon the 44 2 , Immolation (See Sacrifices ) ,

H e b re w s relat i on fthe i r moral to their

, o Improv i de ce lea d s to slavery 1 0 7
n , ,

econom i c d eve l opment 4 7 pro 1 Incest 1 4

l m n
, ,

f i ess o n a among the 4 4 ; our ei s ,

0 Incontinence f the passions 46 60 o , , ,

e ffect f sud d en changes in their

o 1 36 , 1 49 155 ; d estroys sentiment
, ,

ps y cho l og i cal l i fe 42 4 14 0

In d i ans of A mer i ca failure to t n f m

,

H omes f the Negritos 1 1

, o 6 52 ; f , ,
2 , o , ia s or ,

the N i gr i t i ans 1 3 8 1 5 0 1 5 7 1 6 1 ; of 34 , , , ,

the F e ll atahs 1 5 7 In d iv id ua li sm f the Negritos 8 1 4

, ,
o , , ,

H orse i ntro d uced from the East 7 4 ; a

, 5 6 ; of the N i gritians 1 2 5 3 2 1 39 , , ,
1 , ,

factor fpol i t i cal expans i on 2 0 1 2 2

o 44 1 46 5 152 , ,
0 ,
1 , ,
1 1,
2 18 2 19 , Indo l ence f the Negr i tos 6 ; f the , o , 0 o

H ottentots general discussion f the 49 ; ,

Nig i t i ans 6 5 3 66 3 7 6 ; of o ,
r ,
10 , 1 1, ,

influence f i vilizat i on upon the 6 1 o w omen favors pol y gamy 1 34 ; i nflu

C , ,

outlook f the 6 1 or ence f upon po li t i cal cond i t i ons 1 7 6

,
o , , ,

H ouses influence f upon the status f

,
18 39 6 ; upon sexual moral i t y 1 3 6 ;
o ,
o 1, ,

the fam ily 1 39 (See H omes ) ,

upon human sacrifices 3 96 ; upon
, ,

H l qu
o ve a c on the civ i lizat i on f the
e, slaver y 9 8 39 6 o , ,

Negro 43 ,
1 Inequality e ffect f upon ceremonies , o , ,

H um idi t y f the air e f fect of the upon 2 4 ; upon pol i tical condit i ons 1 7
o 5 , 5 , ,

courage 395 upon energy 9 1 upon In fant i c id e 3 6 5 4 1 44 2 69

, , , , , ,

ph y siognomy 86 Inh i bit i on lack f among Negroes 3 83

, , o , , ,

H umor fthe Negro 3 7 8

, o 3 99 4 0
3 34 2 ; negative character,
of , , ,

H unt i ng l i fe fasc i nat i on of the 34 ; 99

tra i ts deve l oped by the 34 39 2 ; f In s
, ,

tinct to torture 3 89 ; to save li fe , , e , , ,

feet f upon mental d eve l opment 1 8

o , 3 89 ,

H us b ands consideration ,f f the i r Inst i tutions bound up with psychologi cal o , or ,

wi ves 34 1 44 5 ; supported by
, ,
character i st i cs 4 9 ; European i n
, 1 2 ,
2 ,

th eir wi ves i n the b anana zone 39 j urio ns to lo w er races 4 2 9 ,

1 ,

he l p to support the fam ily in the m ill et Integrat i on factors f 1 65 1 9 6 2 6 2 34 ,

o , , ,
1 ,

an d catt l e zones 1 5 1 5 8 ; l i ve wi th Intemperance 40 3 43 8 442 ,

2, , , ,

the i r w i ves in H u l d 1 5 2 ; live Inter d ependence influences the d e a sa a n

v l pm t
, ,

apart from their wi ves i n the b anana f sympathy 3 9 ; and e o en o ,

0

an d mil let zones 1 44 1 5 courage 3 9 6 , , 1 ,

Intermarr i age f N i gritians an d F ella , o

I DE A LI S M origi n f 45 397 as a su b
, tab s 8 2 83 2 3 1 ; of Nigr i t i ans and
o , , , , ,

s titut f coerc i on 3 99 l ack f 3 9 7

e or Ber b ers 8 8 ; f Nigritians and , o , , 0- 2 o
In di a e ffects fBritish po li c y in 43 1
, oA r b s 8 1 83 , a , ,

I d o l s a bsence f among the Negri tos Invas i on as a factor f integration 1 65

, o , , ,
o , ,

1 7 46, 9 ; foun d among the N i g i ti

, r a n s,

1 74 6 2 9 1 3 7 3 7 ; relat i on f
, 2 , , 0 , 1 o ,

to climate 3 1 9 , J A MES on double consc i ousnes 64 ; on , s, 2

 I N DEX 43 7

the reasoning facult y 3 7 3 3 7 6 ; on , , Leadership basis f 5 39 5 5 1 9 5 , o ,

1 , , ,

the gra d ual ascent f the m i n d 4 1 6 ; O , L eg i sl at i on among the Py gm i es 1 5 ;

, ,

on th facu l t y fattent i on 3 65
e o , among the H ottentots 5 6 among the ,

j l f
o o s,sundr y d i scuss i on f the 80 1 18 o , , , N i gr i t i ans 7 7 86 7 6 , 1 , 1 , 20 , 22
1 20 , 2 2 6, 3 1 3, 3 1 4, 40 9 , 4 1 0 , 4 1 1 L i b er i ans p i n i ons concerning the 42
, O , 1,
J udi c i a l procee di ngs , 1 7 9 , 1 8 7 , 1 90, 2 07 , 440
2 2 7 , 2 3 2 , 2 3 6, 2 7 I L ibert y evo l ut i on f 2 37 —2 3 8
, o ,

Li cent i ousness among the N ig iti , r a ns,

KA NO great trade and manu facturing

,

centre 1 8 e ffect upon physiognom y

f
Li t, of

g
0 i
, , , 5 ,

Kanuris d escription of the 83 ; h i sto y

, ,
r c
f the 2 3
o po li tical an d socia l l i fe
, 2 L iterature i nfluence f cl i mate an d
, o

f the 1 5 4 1 5 6 1 5 7 5 9 2 3
o , 7 , ,
- 1 ,
2 ,
22 , mo d e fl i fe upon 45 o ,

—3 47 L i v i ngstone on life in th e K lahari , a

Keane on the future fthe H ottentots 6 1
, o ,
Desert 3 ,
2

K i dnapp i ng 1 44 ( See Raiding ) , ,

Love feel i ng
,
f in the Negro and C u o , a

King d oms ear ly f the Su d an 64 ;, , O , 1 cas i an contrasted 1 45 ,

recent fthe Sudan 1 65 1 96 2 1 6

, o , , ,
L g d L a d y ( See Shaw )
u ar , ,

Kings l e y on th e ffects of m i ssionary

, e Luxur y enervat i on f 2 5 6
, O ,

w ork i n A fr i ca 436 ; on the di fl n ,

e re ce Ly ing trait or i gin f the 3 92 ,
o ,

b et w een the w h i te an d bl ack man ,

43 6 ; on the e f fect f e d ucat i on upon o M A C K ENZ I E on the i nfluence of the ,

the Negro 44 44 1 , 0, w h i te man upon the Bushmen 48 ,

K i gh i i njur i ous e ffects f civil i zation

r s, o M agic as a method of pol i t i ca l d e fense
, ,

upon the 44 2 , 714 in judic i al procee di ngs 1 87 , ,

Kno wl e d ge relation f to morals 46 ; , o , , 91

( See
2, Re l igion W i tch doctors ) : -

an d to re li gion 3 4 , 2 M an di ngos sundry di scuss i on fthe 80, o , ,

Krumen ce l e b rated as la borers 1 5 1 ;

, ,
1 12, 1 49 , 1
5 0 , 1 5 3, 2 0 2 , 2 0 5 , 209 , 2 5 0
sund r y d iscussion fthe 80 1 47 1 5 1 o , , , , M anners ( See eremonies ) , C
I 5 3, 40 6 M aor i s i njurious e ffects f civilizat i on
, o
Kuka great trade and manu facturing
, upon the 442 ,

centre 1 2 0 1 2 1 , , M arr i age by purchase or by giving

,

presents 1 4 3 5 1 3 3 5 5 1 5 7—1 5 8 ;
, , , ,
1 ,

LA B OR , i ntensity of
, i n the several zones , by serv i ce 1 48 1 5 5 b y capture 1 48 , , ,

1 12, 1 23 ; monotonous fit man f , un s or tr i al 1 5 6 ; early favors pol y gamy

, ,

free d om 2
3 ; ava il a bil it y fA fr i can
, 1 o , 1 3 5 ; bond f 1 34 1 4 8
3 5 ; cere o , ,
0,
61 3 , 3 1
3 43 5 446 ; va l ue f
0, 1 1, 1 2, , o mon y f 34 ; between freemen and
o 1
s l aves rare 1 48 ; ro mantic in the cat
,

menta l st i mulation to 2 3 , 1 , ,

L an d e ffect f al i enat i ng 6 1 30 ;
, o , 1, tl e zone 5 4 ; age f 1 4 3 5 54 1 33
, 1 o , , , , ,

o w nership f necessar y to progress o 1 3 4 1 48

, 5 5 1 61 , , , 1 ,

1 3 ; masses an d di v i s i ons
0 f as f M ason on dou bl e personal i ty 2 6 o , a , ,
2
f ti ng race ty pes 7 8 ; re l at i on
ec f M atriarchate prevalence f the 5 3 ; , o ,
o , 1
free to slavery 5 3 1 1
, ; ef fect trans i t i on f the to the patr i archate
, , 1 , 122 o , ,

o f upon pol i t i ca l i ntegrat i on 1 7 2 ;

, 1 6 2 ; not f avorable to poli ti cal stab il ,

product i veness f as influenc i ng the i ty 1 9 5 O , ,

form f government 1 7 7 ; and as f

o M L n n on the evolution of the fam , a c e na ,

f ti ng econom i c deve l opment

ec 91 ily 1 6 1 , , ,

M e d i cal Schoo l s 2 8 1 ,

L anguage as a basis f pol i t i cal u n i ty

, M emory faculty f 366 o , ,
o ,

I 9S M ental an d moral character ( See ,

L l y
a ve e Emile de on the re l at i on of
e, Ps y cho l ogi cal C haracteri stics)
M t l and Phys i cal Energy 366 40 1
,

cu l ture to w ants 2 5 6 , en a , , ,

La wy ers A frican 2 0 9 2 1 0 , 40 9 , ,

Lea d ers impotence f w hen developed

,
M eteorological P henomena e ffect of
o , , ,

by an al i en race 420 ; Europeanized upon m i n d 8 5 9 2 5 7

, , 1 , ,

Negro not in sympath y wi th their M i grat i ons from stepp e regions 2 20 ;

, , ,

own race 42 1 need fnative 44 9 ,

the phenomena of 20 2 2 3 o , ,
2 ,
48 8 IN D EX
M ilitar y life effect f u pon the famil y , o , , M ot i ves governing intellectual activities
, ,

1 47 ; and upon the form f gov

14 0, o 3 63 3 69 37 5 ; f pol i t i cal d e fense o

n mn t 1 7 7
, , ,

er 1 85
e , , 166 ; fpol i t i cal aggress i on 1 66
o ,

M i li tary strength as a factor f p n , o ex a M ourn i ng customs 1 5 3 8 1 44 , , ,

s i on 1 70 7 3 0 1 2 8
, , 1 ,
2 , 1 M usic ( See A t [Esthet i c L i fe )
, r :

M i l l et zone description and de fi nition of

, M usical instruments ( See [Esthet i c ,

the 1 0 2
, L i fe )
M i nd f man as d i stingu i shed from that
, o M y ers on double personalit y 2 63
, ,

of the anima l 3 7 1 4 ; gradual as , , 00 M ythology origin f 44 3 1 0 , o , ,

cent fthe 4 1 5 o ,

M instrels 1 7 3 34 342 , , , NA TIONA L boundaries as factors f p , o o

M issionar i es i nfluence f 4 1 9 436 44 1 , o , , , li ti l expans i on 1 6 8 1 7
ca 200 , , 2,
m i stakes f 4 2 ; impart the wrong o ,
2 Nat i onal resources as factors f integra , o

k in d of education 42 4 ; lay too much , t i on 1 65 1 9 6 2 1 6

, , ,

stress upon cree d and ceremo y 4 5 n ,

2 Nature worship 5 8 30 5 ; aspects f
, , , o ,

destroy native fa i th and be li e f 4 3 , 2 , a ffect i ng the human m i nd 87 ; love ,

42 6 44 1 449 ; i gnore soc i al l aws

, , , of
, 3 3 6, 3 5 4
4 2 8 ; teac h false doctrines 4 8 ; sug , 2 Negro the aboriginal in A frica 6 2 6
, , , , ,

gest i ons to 449 , 87 ; t y pes f the 7 8 ; high econom i c o ,

M i ssionary work among the Pygmies , , an d l o w moral status Of the 1 30 ; ,

2 0 ; among the Bushmen 47 among , progress f the must not be along o ,

the H ottentots 6 1 among the N i gr i , European l i nes 4 3 1 440 ; e f fect f , , o

tians 4 1 9 436 446 ; not to b e ju d ge d c i v i l i zat i on upon the 48 6 1 1 30 43 1

by a f w isolated exa mp l es 4 2 ;
, , , , , , , ,

e , 0 43 6 ; progress f the should be s l o w o , ,

leaves the masses untouche d 42 1 as , 43 2,448 ; favorable situation of the ,

exempl i fie d by C hr i st 45 of the 0 in A mer i ca 44 2 447 ; and C aucas i an

not fitted f the same egim 433 ;
, , ,

M ohamme d ans 45 ,
2 or r e,

M odesty no w ord f in th Tshi lan

,
o r, e an d C aucasian compared i n love f o

guage 1 37 ; conspicuous in the m i llet parents f ch il dren 37 1 4 1 3 86 ; or

n d in ph y s i cal and m
, , , ,

and cattle zones 1 49 1 5 6 40 3 , , , a oral courage ,

M ohamme dans missionar y work f the , o , 3 9 6 ; an d i n menta l const i tution 3 5 6 , ,

3 1 2 3 8 ef
,
fect ftheir religion upon
1 O 4 3 6 ; an d in respect to sens i t i veness f o

the character f the Negro 309 4 3 o , , 0 fee li ngs 3 8 ; a bil it y f the to d e

,
1 o ,

e ffect f their g ligi n upon pol i tical

o re o v l p independent fother races 4 1 5
e o o ,

expansion 2 00 2 1 7 2 2 1 , , , cu l ture of the varies in the several ,

M one y f the Sudan 96 1 09 1 2 1 2 5

o , , ,
1, , zones 4 1 5 culture f the l i mited by
, o ,

1 28 env i ronment 4 1 5 ; e ffect f treating ,

o

M ongolian compare d to the Negro , , the as the equal of the white man
, ,

84 43 3 , 4 3 5
g my
M no ga , 1 4, 35 , 1
5 6 Negro P roblem in A fr i ca solut i on of
,

M onotheism , 319 th e , 445

M ontesquieu on the e ffect f climate , o Negro Traits that of lying 1 8 60 39 , , , ,
2,

upon chast i t y 35 and upon p 1 o 4 6 ; of steal i ng 1 8 46 60 39 4 40 6

0
lyg m
, , , , , , ,

a y 1 3 5 ; on the e f
fect,f so i ls o 4 1 ; 1 f van i t y 3 9 5 ; Of cruelt y to , o

upon the form fgovernment 1 7 7 o ,

their fe l lo w s 80 44 2 74 37 6 ; f ,
1 ,
2 , ,
o

M oral development re l ated to i ntel , in d olence 60 3 7 6 ; f incont i nence , ,

o ,

lectua l development 365 3 7 ; , , 0 re 60 1 3 6 1 49 3 85 4 3 2 ; fs y cophancy

, , , ,
o ,

lated to the re l igi ous deve l opment ,

2 47 51 fus i g cutler y as w eapons
, 2 o n ,

3 1 9 ; ma y overcome the un favorable 17 0,

3 35 ; f d esp
22i sing an i f ,
2 o n e

i nfluences fenvironment 3 6 O , 1 r i or 3 83 ; fw orship i ng a super i or 1 9

, o , ,

M oral ity related to re li gion 60 3 1 9 ;

, , ,
2 47 38 3 ; of making a d i sp l ay at
,

to kno w ledge 46 3 4 ; to economic , ,

2 funera l s 1 45 2 5 1 ; f begg i ng 1 0 6 , , o , ,

progress 4 1 7 d ependent upon , 3 9 7 ; f improv id ence 1 O 6 1 1 1 13 ,

0 ,
1 , ,

id ea li sm 39 9 , 37 6 ; f perm i tt i ng the women to

o
M organ on the evolution f the family
, o , support the men 9 7 1 39 1 5 1 ; f , , ,
o

161 fi d elit y 1 9 60 ; f hosp i tal i ty 390 o

M ortal i ty of white mn i n A fr i ca
, , , ,

e , 7 2 4 5 41 1
0 f cruelty to animals 390 ;
, o ,
4G“) I N D EX
economic 4 1 7 stages f 445 di d , o , sa psychological characterist i cs in a race ,

vantages of rapi d 4 4 4 2 9 43 1 ,
2 , , 4 2 3 ; on the i nfluence f mis ionary o s

P romiscu i ty as a stage i n the evolution ,

e d ucat i on upon the Negro 4 2 42 5 , 2,

ofthe family 1 6 1 ,
on the i nfluence f European i n ti tu o s

P roperty as a ffecting the soli d ity of the

,
tions upon the pe p 1e of Ind i a 42 9 0 ,

fam il y 1 46 1 6 , , 2 Rel i gion fthe Negr i tos 7 45 5 7 of

, o ,
1 , ,

Proverbs native 45 3 6 40 2 , , ,
1, the N i gr i tians 2 5 7 f the Fel l atahs , o ,

P sycho l ogical characteristics f the N , o e 3 1 2 ; as a factor of social stab i l i ty ,

gritos 1 8 46 5 9 ; f the N i gritians o 18 2,2 14 9 2 3 ; ef fect f upon 22 0 o

forms f government 2 5 ; upon f m

, , , , , ,

1 45 35 6 ; , f the F ellatahs 4 ; gen o , 12 o ,

2 a
li ti n respect i ng 4 1 4
e ra za o s ,
i l y l i fe 1 49 re l at i on f to moralit y
, o , ,

P sycho l o gica l l i fe d angers fsu d den un , o 60 3 1 9 445 ; to i d ea li sm 3

, , ; i nflu , 22

settl i ng fthe 42 4 o ,
e n ce d b y env i ronment 1 8 3 8 3 9 ; , , 1 , 1
P ubert y e ffect f upon mental d evelop
, o , i nfluenced by kno wl e d ge 3 24 ( See , ,

ment 360 , Sp i rits I d ol s P r i ests )

: :

P unishment f cr i m i nals 1 7 9 1 87 2 0 8 o , , , ,
Rel i g i ous ceremon i es 2 48 2 99 , ,

Reve ge as a jud i c i al process 39 2 36 ;

n , , ,

P urchase f women ( See Women o , relat i on f to fami ly status 3 6 ; to o , , 2

Wives ) in d o l ence 3 9 6 ; to fear 39 7 , ,

Pygmies general di scuss i on f 3 i flu

, o , n Revenue 1 8 1 88 1 1 2 2 8 2 3 3
, 0, ,
2 , ,

ence fc i v i l i zation upon the 2 0 ; out

o , Reverence moral va l ue f 8 (See ,
o ,
1 2,
look f the 1 or , 2 A ge d )
Reversion to savager y 3 1 433 ,
2 ,

RA C E conflict value of , , 2 15 ; e ffect of ,

Revo l utions (See Pol i tica l) ,

2 0, 47 , 6 1 , 2 30 , 2 3 1 Ribot on the e l ementary human feel

,

Race mixture e ffect of , , 1 2 9, 231, 415, ings 3 8 on the relat i on f re li gion

, 1 o
to morals 3 1 9 ,

Race pri de 446 45 3 , ,

Roh l fs on the future f the F el l atahs
,
o ,

Races fthe Sudan 65 7 8 2 2

gon i d eali sm
o , ,

Race solidarity lack f among the N , o e Ros , , 3 99

groes 45 3 ,
Rul i ng c l asses (See A ristocracy) ,

Ra i ding to obta i n w omen an d slaves

, ,

I
1 1 1, 1 1 4, 1 2 4, 1 3 3, 1 69, 1 9 8, 2 00 , SAC R IFIC E S human , , 2 45 , 2 7 3 , 2 7 4 , 2 7 ,
5
2 12 ; to obtain tri b ute , 1 99 , 2 1 2 , 2 1 3 , 2 87 , 2 8 8, 2 90 , 2 9 1 , 3 6,
0 316 ; animal ,

2 33 , to obtain booty , 1
5 3 9,60, , 16
5 , 5 9, 2 66, 2 68, 2 7 8, 2 88 ,
3 0 6,
317
1 98 Schools native 3 3 409 , , 1 ,

Railroa d s 97 1 1 0 , ,
Schopenhauer on the i nfluence f cul , o

R ain regi ons e ffect of upon the color of ture and env i ronment upon the ph ys
i g m
, ,

the human s ki n 5 e ffect f upon ar , o , o y 8

no 7 —88 ,

h t tu
c i ec fect f upon fam i l y
1 39 ; e f re , o Sch w ein furth on the i nfluence f n o e

m nt upon the human figure 85

, ,

li fe 1 3 9, i
v ro n e ,

Rape f ch i ldren 1 37 ; condemnation

, o ,
Sc i e nce development f 8
,
84 ; o , 2 2, 2

of 1 3 8
,
tends to superse d e art 3 2 7 compare d ,

Ratzel on the influence f the slave

, o to art 3 5 3 ,

trade 94 ; on the e ffect f forest an d

, o Sculpture ( See fE th ti Li fe),
s e c
steppe regions upon man 6 4 1 7 ; on , ,
Secret soc i et i es 1 9 1 ,
0, 2 1

the status f the Negro 1 3 ; on the o ,

0 Se d uction penalt y f 1 3 6 ,
o r,

e ffect fcontact of a h i gher and l o w er

o Se l fcontrol ( See Inh ib it i on)
-
,

cu l ture 44 1 ; on the e ffect f race

,
o Se l frespect conditions favoring 4 6
-
, ,
0

mixture 2 3 1 , lack f 39 7 o
,
Reason i ng fthe Negro an d w h i te man, o Sem i t i c Race ta i nted w ith Negro b loo d , ,

compare d 3 7 1 influence d b y morals 1

é lity (See L i cent i ousness )

, , 7
37 5 ; beg i nn i ng f 3 7 4 ; in an i ma l s o , , S en ua

37 1 Sha w ( La dy Lug d) on the ea ly em ar ,

r

Re i ncarnat i on 1 8 5 9 2 6 2 3 3 , , 2 , , 0 pires fA fr i ca 64 ; on the degener

o , 1
Reinsch on the w h i te man s po li c y in
,
’
ac y fthe F el l atahs 3
o ,
2 2
A fr i ca 43 1 ; on the persistence
, f o Si di s on d ouble persona l i ty 2 64
, ,
 IN DEX 49 1

Signs (See C harms)

, Sokoto a trade and manufacturing cen
,

Sk i n color of a ffected by climate 6 86

, , , , tre 1 0 , 2
Slave raiding (See Rai di ng ) , Sorcerers (See W i tch doctors) ,
-

Slavery as i nfluenced b y the hunting

, Specia li zat i on (See D i vis i on of Labor ) ,

l i fe 1 2 ; and b y li fe d ependent upon

, Spectacu l ar regal 2 43 ; p latial 2 46 , , a , ,
spontaneous products 9 8 ; as fuflu , 2
5 ; in1 dress 2 46 ; relation f to , o ,

e nc d b y the agricultural li f
e e 11 ; , 1 cu l ture 2 5 5 ,

b y the pastoral l i fe 5 3 1 2 1 2 8 ; , ,
2, Spencer on the comp l exity fthe human
, o
or i g i n of 9 8 ; relation f to free land
, o , , feelings 3 8 ; on the e f fect f di et
, 1 o

53 9 8
, 1 1 1 1 2 2 ;,relat i on of to cap i , , upon the human figure 84 ; on the ,

tal 9 8 ; among savage and civilized e ffect f activity upon the phy i g o s o
n m
,

people contraste d 9 9 1 00 1 1 ; as a 0 o y 84 ; on the connect i on bet w een

,

stage in econo mic evo l ut i on 1 1 in

, , ,

,
1 tyranny and ceremon y 2 5 4 ; on the ,

creasing hardships f lea d to free d om o , , relation frel i g i on to morals 3 1 9 ; on o ,

1 2 3 ; a b ol i t i on f 1 1 ; advantages o ,
0 ceremon i al contro l 2 5 3 ; on the value ,

of
, 1 69
of mus i c 3 5 2 ; on the orig i n of the ,

Slaves general status f 99 1 1 2 1 2 2

, o , , , ,
drama 334 ; on the rapi d i ty f the
, o

1 6 1 ; export f 1 2 2 ; manner of b o , o gro w th f simp l e organisms 3 60 ; on o ,

taining 99 1 1 1 1 4 1 4 ; cases of
, , 1, ,
2 the imagination of the savage 3 67 ,

their un w il li ngness to accept free d om ,

Spi its origi n f 2 5 7 ; preva l ence of
r ,
o , ,

1 4 99 ; l ack
, f aspirat i on f in the o o , 17 45 5 8 2 5 7 2 9 6 ; in economic
, , , ,

banana zone 9 9 0 ; use f f , , 1 1 o , or activ i t i es 2 66 2 96 3 1 4 ; in fam i ly , , ,

food 1 00 ; sacr i fice d to the go ds 1 ;

, , 00 a ffa i rs 2 68 2 9 7 3 1 4 ; in political
, , ,

proportion f to freemen 99 1 2 ; o , , , 1 a ffairs 2 7 2 98 3 1 4 in judicial

,
0, ,

appointed to o ffice 1 ; marr i age f , 12 o ,

a ffairs 2 7 1 2 99 3 1 4 ; as policemen
, , ,

1 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 4 ; d i spos i t i on
, f to run
, o , and detectives 2 70 2 89 2 99 ; in , , ,

a w ay 1 4 ; f sale at the markets

, 1 or , d i plomat i c a ffairs 2 7 2 ; as military ,

1 2 1 ; in th arm y 1 2 ; intensit y f e , 2 o strateg i sts 2 7 4 ; as causes of disease , ,

the labor f 99 1 49 ; asp i re to o 45 5 9 2 6 1 2 7 6 2 87 300 ; belief in

freedo mi n the mi ll et and cattle zones
, , , , , , , ,

, among civilized peopl e 2 6 2 82 ,

2,

99 1 3 1 2 4 ; bas i s of polit i cal po w er

,
2 , , Stan for d on the cultural possibilities of
,

1 69 export duty on 1 80 ; tri b ute in , , th Negro 4 1 4

e ,

2 2 8 2 3 3 ; o w n and inherit property

, , Stature in fl uenced by environment nd
, a

99 1 1 2 ; protection f from ill treat o habits 84

-
, , ,

ment 1 1 ; lot f the contrasted in

,
2 o Steal i ng or i gin of 394 ; prev lence of
, , a ,

th sever l zones 1 1 4 1 2 2 ; ta ught to

e a 7 46 394 4 1 : , , , . .

read and write 409 S teppe regions political in fl uence of

, , ,

Slave trade formerly protected by , 2 17 223 2 2 5 ; social i n fl uence of , , ,

geographical condit i ons 67 ; caused 1 54 1 6 2 ; produc e mighty men nd , , a

i ndustr i al decline 94 1 08 ; e ffect f states 4 1 7 , , o ,

the upon the family li fe of the Negro Stimulation value of ment l 44 1 0 1

, , , a , , ,

1 44 ; upon criminal la w s 1 80 ; pro 6 6 i nter l an d e x

7
g
12 9 3 n

g
3 3 a

t fl
; , , ,

moted w ar 1 99 2 2 ; e x p nsion of , c t , r 4 5 22
3 8 ( S ee a er i a as e s , , ,

th contemporaneous w ith the polit

e, M otives )
ical expansion fD h mi an d Ash nt i Struggle for x istence fl ct of the upo n
o a o a ,
e , e
'
e ,

1 68 1 7 2 1 7 ; arrest
,3 f the , 9 6 economic development 9 2 1
o 24 ; , , ,

Sl ve traders pa y ta x to the ki ngs 1 8 1 fl t f u pon slavery 1 2 1 07 ; upon

'

a , , e ec o , , ,

cor upt t morals f th natives 4 1 8

r he mental development 1 8 ; upon moral
o e
S mall on the functions of the family
, ,

, d evelopment 9 2 ; upon th chasti ty , , e

1 46 ; on the importance f stu dy ing of w omen 1 3 5 1 5 ; upon pol i tic l o , , a

the l structure an d functi ons ( S

so c1 a po w er 93 ; upon e form of govern , ee ,

Preface to th i s book ) ment 1 7 7 ; upon re l igion 1 8 309 , , , ,

Social evolution order of 445 1

3 9 ; upon
, art 44 5 ; upon ideal i sm
, , ,

Socialization function f in th fami ly , 45 3 9 8 ; upon the form fthe family o e , . o ,

1 46 1 1 4 , 1 4, 1 47 , 1 48, 1 5 6
3
S ciology
o , sc ope a nd method , (S ee Subl ime sense of , th e, a b se nt mong the
a

P efa c e )
r Negroes 354 ,
49 2 IN DEX
Su d an limits an d description of the
, , 65 , mental and social d evelopment , 1 2 9,

90 41 2
Su er i ng e ffect f upon id eal i sm 3 9 8 ;
ff o ,
V egetarian argument re fute d 9 4 ,
,

and up n moral d eve l opment 40 5 o

,

,
V incent on the funct i ons of the family
, ,

pleasure fNegro in nfl i cting 3 88 o i ,

1 46

Superst i ti on d efin i tion f 5 va l ue f ,

o , 2 1 o ,

4 2 7 45 ; e f fect f upon the family

0 o , ,
,
W GE earners ar i se from monopoly f
fi
Rel i g i on C harms)
1 47 S ee : A , o

S u vi v
r
,

( Seea O ut l ook ) land and cap i tal 5 3 2 2 , , 1

Sycophanc y 47 5 2 5 2 ,
2 ,
2 0, Wa i tz on the cu l ture f the A mer i ca ns
, o

Systems fadm i n i strat i on 1 7 7 1 86 1 89

o , , , ,
and A fricans compared 1 9 ; on the ,
2

2 07, 2 2 6 lot f slaves among savage and civi

o
li d people compared 1 0 1
ze ,

Wants e ffect f upon culture 2 5 6 o

TA B OO 2 39
, , ,

, War as d eterminat i ve f the form of o

Tah i tians b eauty of the attri buted to ,

, government 1 7 7 2 04 2 2 5 i nfluence
occupat i on 85 , of upon the fam i ly l i fe 4 1 47 ; as
, , ,

1 0,
Tattoo i ng 4 5 7 3 2 7 3 37
, ,

Teachers nat i ve 3 3
Teleological po w er 45 5
,
2, » » a factor i n the trans i t i on from the ma
, ,
1
tr i archate to the patr i archate 1 63
, ,

Telepath y me ntal 2 62
,
(See A rmy )
, , W ar d on the evolution f man s sensi o
’

Temper influenced by natural and social

,
, t i ve nature 380 ; on the d ecept i ve
conditions 8 7 3 84 4 4 , , , 0
trait in man 39 2
,

Temperature e ffect f upon hab i ts 1 34 ;

,
, o , , Water q uant i ty and d i stribution of as
upon industry 1 2 9 ; upon mind 5 9 ; , ,
,

affecting political and econom i c de

,

upon art 44 ( See C limate ) , , v l p mn t

e o 1 27 1 66 17
e 1 74 1 96 2,
Temples as places of prostitution 1 3 7
, , , , ,

, , , 2 00 , 2 1 8
2 68
Wealth relation f to pol i tical power o
Theal on the e ffects of civilization upon , , ,

, 1 7 5 2 36 and to form fgovernment o

the Bushmen 48 ,
,

1 7 6 2 0 3 ; movab l e a weak basis f or

,

Theft (See Stealing)

, ,

, polit i ca l po w er 2 36
Thomas on the gaming instinct in man
,

, , W i t facu l ty f absent among the Ne

, o ,

groes 37 7
Tibbus sundry di scussion of the ,

, , 83 , W i tch Doctors among the Negritos 45

-
, , ,
1 2 6, 1 6 1 , 2 4, 2
3 5 3, 3 1 8, 3 50 , 4 1 4 5 8 ; among the N i grit i ans 2 6 1 3 17 ;
Timbuctu a trade centre
, ,

, ,
1 20
scope an d methods of the 45 5 9 2 6 1
Totem 1 7 1 63
, , , ,

, , 2 7 6 2 7 9 2 8 3 3 4 ; fees f the 2 8 1 ; 1 o
Trade origin of 95 in fl uence f , , , ,

, , o schools for 2 8 1 ; transition of to

European upon the Negro 1 8 ; and
, ,

, ,
0 priests 2 86 ; qua l ificat i ons of 2 8 1 ;
upon other natura l races 44 2 a sub ,
,

d uties and responsibilities f 3 2 i o

,

0 h
ti tut f ro b bery 9 5 ( See Econom i c
,
s e or , , flu n efcl i mate upon 3 1 7
ce o
Li fe)
, ,

Wives of the king entice men to commit

Trad i t i ons absence of among the Negri , , adultery 1 8 1 means fobtain i ng 1 4 o
tos 1 3 47 ; value f 5 5 5 9 narra
, , o , ,
3 5 5 2 1 3 3 I 47 1 5 4
,

5 5 ; numb r 1
,

e
,

tors f 33 3 349 o , , o
. ,

f possessed b y k i ngs priests and

, , ,

Trophies 2 46
, ,

, common people 1 35 ; a bject i on f o

Twi ns superstit i on regarding 2 68
, ,

, , 14 152
0, 1 59 2 5 ; cost f 3 5 1 33 0 o ,
treatment of 5 4 2 69 , , 1 47 1 4 ; paid f
5 i
,

n iron 1 47 ; in
,

or
, ,

Ty l or on the convo l ut i ons f the brain

, ,

, o , catt l e 5 4 1 5 4 ; in la bor 1 48 ; treat

3 5 9 on the origin f str i nged i n t u
, , ,

ments 43
o s r
ment f 35 1 4 1 5 2 1 5 4 1 5 8 430 ;
o , , 0, , , ,

, l ack f jealous y amo n g 1 3 4 1 3 5 ;

o , ,

choose substitute husban d s 1 3 5 fond ,

UNIFOR MITY of phenomena as e ffecting , of intr i gues 1 3 6 1 3 7 ; l i ve apart from

, ,

m i nd 87 , the i r hus b an d s 5 4 1 39 1 44 1 5 1 , , , ,

1
5 ; 2o w n in di v id ual property 1 46 , ,

VANITY a Negro trait 39 5 1

5 ; 1provide d wi th a d o w ry among
the Fellatahs 1 54 ; sup port the f m
, ,

V a ri ety f phenomena e f
fect o , of,
upon ,
a