GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 369 
Strate or Soctety.—The state of society among the 
negro nations seems to be pretty nearly the same, and their 
moral character not very different; the people of Congo 
would appear, however, to be among the lowest of the ne- 
gro tribes. The African black is by nature of a kindly, cheer- 
ful, and humane disposition, entirely free from that quick, 
vengeful and ferocious temper which distinguishes the sava- 
ges of the Pacific and South Sea islands, particularly those 
of New Guinea, which most resemble the negroes in ex- 
ternal appearance. Contented with very humble tare, his 
happiness seems to consist ina total relaxation from all bo- 
dily exertion ; excepting when animated by the sound of 
his rude native music calling him to the dance, in which he 
is always ready to join with the greatest alacrity. But in- 
dolence is the negroe’s bane ; and until some strong motive 
for shaking it off shall take possession of his mind, and 
convince him of the utility of industrious pursuits, by bet- 
tering his condition, littke hope can be entertained of the 
civilization of Africa, even should a total and radical aboli- 
tion of the slave trade be effected. The vast shoals of Catho- 
lic missionaries poured into Congo and the neighbouring 
parts of Southern Africa, from Italy, Spain, and Portugal, in 
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, appear not to have 
advanced the natives one single step in civilization ; and the 
rude mixture of Catholic with Pagan superstitions, which 
were found among the Sognio people on the left bank of the 
Zaire, close to the sea coast, was all that could be discovered 
of any trace of Christianity, after the labours of these pious 
men for three hundred years. Some of these people came 
3B 
