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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.— SUPPLEMENT. 



its of the monks in the middle ages, who, in re- 

 tiremeut and seclusion, pursued literature for its 

 own sake ; 1 and if the proceedings of chiefs in 

 council which we have witnessed were written 

 down in plain, unadorned style, the account 

 would read like descriptions in Caesar's " Commen- 

 taries " of the doings of the Celts in the days of 

 their unsophisticated habitudes. Now, if Greeks, 

 Romans, or Celts, had been smothered in the cra- 

 dle of their civilization by extraneous violence 

 perpetuated to this time, is it unreasonable to 

 suppose that they would be found at this day in 

 much the same condition that Stanley found some 

 of the African tribes ? That these tribes have 

 ever advanced so far is astounding, considering 

 what they have had to contend against. 



Through the labors of Mr. Herbert Spencer, 

 and other thinkers in that line, it has now come 

 to be regarded as an elementary fact among sci- 

 entific men that societies are determined in their 

 growth by their environment, whether physical 

 or human. " The self-development of a society 

 is limited by its environment." In primitive and 

 rudimentary societies there may occur excep- 

 tional cases of individual power, where mental 

 energy may introduce changes and begin improve- 

 ments, but, if surrounding circumstances are hos- 

 tile, the influence will die with the introducer, 

 and the improvements will not be perpetuated. 

 We are told by Mr. Spencer that among the Ka- 

 rens " now and then a little Napoleon arises, who 

 subdues a kingdom to himself and builds up an 

 empire. The dynasties, however, last only ivith 

 the controlling mind.'''' 2 There have been similar 

 experiences in Africa. Changes of vast impor- 

 tance have taken place in the interior as a result 

 of internal activity — of individual intelligence 

 and energy ; but, instead of being perpetuated, 

 they have been destroyed by the hostile influ- 

 ences from without. Dr. Barth tells of the ruins 

 of the ancient capital of Bornou, Ghasreggomo, 

 about 13° north latitude, 12° east longitude, situ- 

 ated in the finest country in Bornou, with a rich al- 

 luvial soil ; a country which formerly teemed with 

 hundreds of villages, and was laid out in cornfields, 

 but which is now (or was when he saw it) almost 

 deserted, and covered with dense forests and im- 

 penetrable jungle, and has become the haunt of 

 the monkey and the hog, the elephant and the 

 lion. Barth noticed also the admirable brick 

 structures of the ruins of former towns in this 

 neighborhood, so much more durable than the 



1 SceBarth's " Travels in Central Africa," vol. iii., 

 p. 373. 



a " Principles of Sociology," p. 485. 



frail buildings of the present day. All this is 

 proof that there was a beginning of social ad- 

 vancement and well-being in the days of securi- 

 ty ; but negro slaves were wanted for the Cau- 

 casians in North Africa and Southeastern Eu- 

 rope ; razzias were encouraged, the slave-hunting 

 Tawareks invaded the country, and all progress 

 was checked. And this is only one instance out 

 of thousands which might be recited. Thus the 

 African has gone on from generation to genera- 

 tion furnishing, in remote ages, materials to swell 

 the triumphal processions of Egyptian kings, and 

 in modern times strong arms for the plantations 

 of the western hemisphere, and taunted by his 

 persecutors (and his friends) with his inability to 

 rise against this pressure. 



In no part of Central Africa have any human 

 agencies from without exerted any uplifting pow- 

 er ; no planetary influences, according to medias- 

 val theory, have operated to produce any varia- 

 tion from the regular type ; and, as we have just 

 seen, there is no internal tendency in any indi- 

 vidual or race, as a rule, to vary from the ances- 

 tral organism. Africa needs wholesome inter- 

 ference from without. There has been inter- 

 ference, but it has been for the most part an 

 interference of violence which, through centuries, 

 has prevented the survival of any variation from 

 the original type, which would have pushed for- 

 ward improvements in the country. And now 

 that the effort of the enlightened portion of hu- 

 manity is to suppress the violent interference 

 and introduce agencies for the improvement of 

 the people, it is of the greatest possible impor- 

 tance that the people be understood. From the 

 want of appreciation of their capacities and sus- 

 ceptibilities, innumerable are the theories pro- 

 posed for the amelioration of their condition. 

 Sir Samuel Baker advocates military discipline. 

 He says : 



"I believe that if it were possible to convert 

 the greater portion of African savages into disci- 

 plined soldiers, it would be a most rapid stride 

 toward their future civilization. A savage who 

 has led a wild and uncontrolled life must first 

 learn to obey authority before any great improve- 

 ment can be effected." ' 



He would apply force everywhere. Civilize 

 Africa by force. They must be " regimented " 

 under captains of industry who will compel them 

 to their task. The scourge and the sword must 

 carry out the views which Sir Samuel thinks good. 

 He concludes a glowing account of one of his 

 military expeditions with the following flourish : 

 1 " Ismailia," vol. i., p. 302. 



