-,-20 Tllh: TliUl'K'AL WOKLD. 



might be added, sufficiently prove that there, is no wide im- 

 passable gulf between the negro and the white races. 



The aboriginal Africans are indeed averse to all abstract 

 discussions, but they have excellent memories, lively imagina- 

 tions, much instinctiveness, and very close observation. With 

 the exception of the Veys, wlio have recently invented an 

 alphabet for themselves (a circumstance in itself sufficient to 

 establish their claims to a high degree of intelligence), none of 

 the nations along the sea coast regions liave any written literature, 

 but this is not to be set down as a mark of mental imbecility. 

 Their thoughts, as a matter of necessity, must operate in a com- 

 paratively narrow circle ; but it does not follow that they are 

 less active on that account. They have abundant stores of 

 unwritten lore, allegories, legends, traditionary stores, fables — 

 and many of their proverbs bear testimony to their sound good 

 sense. 



Men of remarkable ability have ri-sen up among the Africans 

 from time to time, as well as amongst other portions of the 

 human family. Some have excited the admiration of large 

 districts by their wisdom, others have been the wonder of their 

 generation by their personal prowess and deeds of arms, but 

 the total absence of literature leads to the lofis of all former 

 experience and the lessons of the sage and the feats of the hero 

 have been alike forgotten. 



The detractors of the Negroes have generally formed their 

 opinion upon the most unfavourable specimens of the race, 

 upon tribes living in a pestilential climate along the sultry 

 coasts of Gruinea, upon the victims of oppression, upon slaves 

 or the descendants of slaves. But everywhere we find physical 

 and moral inferiority resulting from conditions which cramp 

 tlie natural energies of man, and among the most highly 

 civilised nations a considerable part of th-e population shows 

 the fatal stigmas of ignorance and want in a stunted growth 

 and a blighted intellect. It is evidently a« erroneous to judge 

 of the whole Negro race by its inferior representatives, as it 

 would be to measure the English nation by the low standard of 

 the refuse of our cities. The reasons for the torpid state of 

 Africa, when compared with the ancient civilisation of Asia or 

 the progressive march of Europe, must therefore be sought 

 for, not in an organic and consequently incurable incapacity 



