1008 OF THE BRANCHES OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. 



psychical character of the Negro, which gives us a right to separate him from 

 other races of Mankind. It is true that those races which have the Negro 

 character in an exaggerated degree, are uniformly in the lowest stage of 

 society, being either ferocious savages, or stupid, sensual, and indolent ; such 

 are most of the tribes along the Slave Coast. But, on the other hand, there 

 are many Negro States, the inhabitants of which have attained a consider- 

 able degree of improvement in their social condition ; such are the Ashanti, 

 the Sulima, and the Dahornans of Western Africa, also the Guber of Cen- 

 tral Sudan, among which a considerable degree of civilization has long ex- 

 isted ; the physical characters of all these nations deviate considerably from 

 the strongly marked or exaggerated type of the Negro ; and the last are 

 perhaps the finest race of genuine Negroes on the whole continent, and pre- 

 sent in their language the most distinct traces of original relationship to the 

 Syro-Arabian nations. The highest civilization, and the greatest improve- 

 ment in physical characters, are to be found in those African nations which 

 have adopted the Mohammedan religion ; this Avas introduced, three or four 

 centuries since, into the eastern portion of Central Africa ; and it appears 

 that the same people, which were then existing in the savage condition still 

 exhibited by the pagan nations further south, have now adopted many of the 

 arts and institutions of civilized society, subjecting themselves to govern- 

 ments, practicing agriculture, and dwelling in towns of considerable extent, 

 many of which contain 10,000, and some even 30,000 inhabitants ;" a circum- 

 stance which implies a considerable advancement in industry, and in the 

 resources of subsistence. This last fact affords most striking evidence of the 

 improbability of the Negro races ; and, taken in connection with the many 

 instances that have presented themselves, of the advance of individuals, 

 under favorable circumstances, to at least the average degree of mental de- 

 velopment among the European nations, it affords clear proof that the line 

 of demarcation, which has been supposed to separate them intellectually and 

 morally from the races that have attained the greatest elevation, has no more 

 real existence than that which has been supposed to be justified by a differ- 

 ence in physical characters, and of which the fallacy has been previously 

 demonstrated. 



853. The southern portion of the African continent is inhabited by a 

 group of nations, which (as already mentioned) recede more or less decidedly 

 from the Negro type in physical characters, and which seem connected to- 

 gether by essential community of language, as branches of the stock of which 

 the Koffres may be considered the stem. In this warlike nomadic people, 

 which inhabit the eastern parts of South Africa, to the northward of the 

 Hottentot country, so great a departure from the ordinary Negro type pre- 

 sents itself, that many travellers have assigned to them a different origin. 

 The degree of this departure, however, varies greatly in the different Kati're 

 tribes ; for whilst some of them are black, woolly-headed, and decidedly 

 prognathous, so as obviously to approach the modified Negroes of Congo in 

 general aspect, others recede considerably from the typical prognathous races, 

 both in complexion, features, and form of head, presenting a light brown 

 color, a high forehead, a prominent nose, and a tall, robust, well-shaped 

 figure. The thick lips and black friz/led hair, however, are generally re- 

 tained ; though the hair is sometimes of a reddish color, and becomes flow- 

 ing ; and the features may present a European cast. But even among the 

 tribes which depart most widely from the Negro type, individuals are found 

 who present a return to it ; and it is interesting to remark, that the people 

 of Delagoa Hay, though of the Kaffre race (as indicated by their language), 

 having been degraded by subjugation, approach the people of the (Juiiiea 

 Coast in their physical characters. In fact, between the most elevated 



