IV.] THE AFRICAN NEGRO: IT. 117 



aborigines, except along the Atlantic coastlands and in parts of 

 the interior. Here the primitive Nature-worship, embodied in 

 Nzambi, held and still holds its ground, both meeting on equal 

 terms as shown in the above Table amongst the Bayanzi, 

 the Ova-Herero, and the Bechuanas (Mulungulu generally, but 

 Nyampe in Barotseland), and no doubt in other inland regions. 

 But the absolute supremacy of one on the east, 



i c i i i r i Conclusion. 



and of the other on the west, side of the continent, 



seems conclusive as to the general streams of migration, while the 



amazing uniformity of nomenclature is but another illustration of 



the almost incredible persistence of Bantu speech amongst these 



multitudinous illiterate populations for an incalculable period of 



time. 



THE NEGRITOES. 



Yet, during the whole of this period, a substratum of non-Bantu 

 Nesrrito, Bushman, and Hottentot elements has also 



The Negrito 



persisted throughout the same ethnical domain. Domain past 

 The affinities of these primitive peoples, both to 

 each other and collectively to the true Negro, have already been 

 discussed 1 . The proper domain of the African Negritoes is the 

 inter-tropical forest-land, although they appear to be at present 

 confined to somewhat narrow limits, between about six degrees 

 of latitude north and south of the equator, unless the Bushmen be 

 included. But formerly they probably ranged much farther north, 

 possibly in Neolithic times accompanying their "big brothers" 

 into central Europe (Switzerland), and in historic times finding 

 their way down the Nile valley to Egypt, where they were certainly 

 known some 4000 or 5000 years ago. This is evident from the 

 frequent references to them in the "Book of the Dead "as far 

 back as the 6th Dynasty. Like the dwarfs in mediaeval times, 

 they were in hio;h request at the courts of the 



Negritoes at 



Pharaohs, who sent expeditions to fetch these the Courts of 

 Danga (Tank) from the "Island of the Double," 

 that is, the fabulous region of Shade Land beyond Punt, where 

 they dwelt. The first of whom there is authentic record was 

 brought from this region, apparently the White Nile, to King 



1 Eth. Chap. XI. 



