The Tropical World; Aspects of Man and Nature in the Equatorial Regions of the Globe baixar o livro de graça

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1873. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XLI. THE AFRICAN NEGROES. Causes of the Inferiority of Negro Civilisation--Natural Capabilities of the Negro--Geographical Formation of Africa--Its Political Condition--Physical Conformation of the Negro--Fetishism--The Rain-Doctor--The Medicine-Man--Religious Observances--Gift-Offerings--Human Sacrifices--Ornaments--The Pelele--The Bonnians--Their Barbarous Condition--The Town of Okolloma--Negroes of the Lake Regions--The Iwanza--Slavery--A Miserable Group. WITH the exception of the narrow strip of territory fertilized by the annual inundations of the Nile, where stately pyramids and the ruins of vast palaces and temples proclaim the ancient glories of Egypt; or of the coast-lands of the Mediterranean, where once Carthage reigned and Utica nourished, Africa has ever been a region without influence on the progressive march of mankind. From the vast and still partly unknown countries inhabited by the Negro or the Kaffer no gleam of genius has ever shone forth to enlighten the world; no invention has ever proceeded for the benefit of the human race; no individual has ever risen to eminence in science or in art; but all, from generation to generation, has THE SOUTHERN KAFFERS. 510 ever been one dull monotonous scene of ignorance, barbarism, and stagnation. As to the causes of this stationary unprogressive state opinions are greatly divided, for while some authorities consider the African as decidedly inferior in intellect to the more favoured races of Europe, he is according to others merely the victim of unfortunate circumstances, which have never allowed the latent germs of improvement to quicken into life. That there is no defect in his organisation to account for his low condition, is sufficiently proved by the celebrated physiologist, Tiedemann, ..