426 



REMARKS 



N 



THE 



MANNERS fons, the generality of children are boHi females. This obfervation 



is really confirmed by fad ; for all the voyagers unanimoufly agree. 



that among all the African nations polygyny is cuftomary * • nor has 



one 



bferved, that there are many men 



g thefe 



any 



without wives -f*, for every one is matched to one or more females 



When a polygamous nation 1 



the neighbourhood of monog 



1 



mous nations, there is always a probability, that the women necef- 

 fary for fo many men, who have more than one wife, are obtained 

 by Health, by force, or by commerce from the neighbouring 

 nations : but in Africa all the nations are polygamous, every man is 

 married, and has more than one wife; he cannot procure thefe nu- 

 merous wives from the neighbouring tribes, where the fame cufloni 

 prevails -, it is therefore, in my opinion, a clear and fettled point, 

 that the women born among thefe nations mufl be more numerous 



than the males 



V 



\ 



Though 



/" 



'^' OUemhrpy 



Hijlory of the Mijfion of 



IJle. 



Thomas^ St.Croix^ and St, John. Barby, 1777. 8vo.) fays, vol. I. p. 293., '^ Polygamy is 

 *> introduced araong all the tribes of African negroes; thofe of Congo only, who are ac- 



r 



*' quainted With the Chriftian doftrines and are baptized, are monooamous." But Lord 



monogamous. 



Hijlory of Ma 



197, fays, '^ Among the Chriftians of 



*^ Congo, polygamy is in nfe as formerly when they were pagans. To be confined to one 

 *' wife during life, is held by "the mofl: zealous Chriftians there, to be altof^ethcr irrational : 

 *' rather than be fo confined, they would renounce Chrillianity.'* 



f Bofman's Defcription of the Coaft of Guinea, p. 180; who likewife p. iSr, exprcfsly 

 declares, that " the number of women much exceeds that of the men." 



