110 National Geographic Magazine. 



are undoubtedly derived. The idioms of this family are generally- 

 known as the alliteral class of languages. North of the Bantu 

 are the Negroes proper, occupying the greater part of Africa 

 between 5° and 15° north latitude. The negro tribes are multi- 

 tudinous, and, though alike in their main physical features, are 

 diverse in their speech. 



North of the Negro are the Nuba Fulah group, apparently in- 

 digenous to Africa, but without any thing in common with the 

 other indigenous groups. Their name, " Pullo," or " Fulah,"' 

 means " yellow," and their color serves to distinguish them from 

 the Negro. The Hottentot, Bantu, Negro, and Fulah, though 

 distinct, have each of them the agglutinative forms of speech. 

 The Hamites are found along the valley of the Nile, in Abyssinia,, 

 and portions of the Sudan. The Shemitic tribes occupy the 

 larger part of the Sudan, bounded on the east by the Nile, and 

 on the north by the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. 



About one-half of the population are Negroes proper, one- 

 fourth Bantu, one-fourth Shemites and Hamites, a few Nuba 

 Fulahs and Hottentots. The Negroes and Bantu are Pagans ; 

 the Shemites and Hamites, Mohammedans. There are, almost, 

 innumerable tribes, speaking different languages or different 

 dialects. Over six hundred tribes and languages have been clas- 

 sified by Shilo, yet each is generally unintelligible to the other. 

 Practically speaking, there are but two great divisions, — the 

 Negroes and Bantu, occupying equatorial and southern Africa ; 

 and the Hamites and Shemites, northern Africa. But there is no 

 clear-cut line even between the Mohammedan and Negro. For 

 many hundred years ttfe Negroes have been taken as slaves, and 

 carried into the north of Africa, and have furnished the harems 

 with wives, and the families with servants. The servants are 

 often adopted into the families, so that the Negro blood now 

 largely predominates even among the Shemites and Hamites. 



A broader and more practical distinction than that of language 

 or blood is made by the religion of the African. The Moham- 

 medan religion was probably brought from Arabia by the Shem- 

 ites. They conquered the country along the coast, and exter- 

 minated or pushed to the south the former inhabitants. Then, 

 more slowly but steadily, Mohammedanism forced its way south 

 by the sword or by proselyting. Within the last thirty years 

 it has re-assumed its proselyting character, and is now more 

 rapidly extending than at any previous time. 



