STATE OF AFRICA. 
491 
of the surrounding country, are sufficient to trans- 
fer their largest towns from one spot to another. 
Agriculture forms another art, by which the 
progress of any people in civilization may be very 
accurately measured. The natives of Africa, with 
very few exceptions, cultivate the ground to a cer- 
tain extent. None of the native races, however, 
are acquainted with the plough, or any correspond- 
ing machine ; nor have they skill sufficient to draw 
any services from the lower animals. The human 
hand, aided by some rude implements, forms the 
only power employed in cultivation. Generally 
speaking, only a certain spot around every town or 
village is cleared, the rest belongs to the domain 
of the forest. There are few districts which do 
not afford large tracts of unoccupied land, that are 
considered the property of the sovereign or com- 
munity, and are readily granted to those who will 
undertake the labour of clearing and cultivating 
them. These observations do not apply to the 
countries on the Mediterranean, nor even to Abys- 
sinia. There the processes of agriculture have 
survived, in some degree, the revolutions of em- 
pire ; and though on a lower standard than in Eu- 
rope, they are conducted nearly on the same prin- 
ciples. 
An improved state of manufacturing industry 
is attached to a still more advanced stage ; we 
cannot, therefore, expect to find it in Africa. 
