It will be remembered that the country east of Cape Colony, extending along the slope of the Drachenberg Mountains to the Indian Ocean, as far as the southern border of the province of Natal, bears the name of British Kaffraria, or Kaffirland.
Doubtless, the European colonists, as they gradually extended their settlements eastward, gave this name to the home of the people whom they found inhabiting this maritime slope and the country beyond it. The term "Kaffir," or infidel, was first given to this people by the Moors or by the Arabs.
We must make a broad distinction between the coast Kaffirs and the Kaffirs of the plateau. Those of the coast are high-spirited and warlike, while those of the plateau are of a milder and more quiet temperament.
Early in the present century, the Zulus, a clan of the coast Kaffirs, began to imitate the military discipline and system of the Europeans. Forming themselves into well-organized and severely disciplined bands, they soon had all Kaffirland south of the Limpopo to the borders of Cape Colony under their sway.
These fierce warriors gave the Boers serious trouble when they first migrated to Natal.
Some of these bands of warriors marched to the north and conquered all that lay in their pathway. Their leaders not unfrequently founded extensive kingdoms in the range of country lying north of the Zambesi. Most of these kingdoms have remained strong military despotisms until the present time.
Zululand may be called the home of the Zulu Kaffirs. It comprises that portion of Southeast Africa which extends from the northern boundary stream of Natal towards Delagoa Bay. Until 1879 it was under the rule of a strong, warlike chief, and was well peopled. All men of adult age were placed under military discipline, so that the armies of the tribe were estimated at from thirty-five to forty thousand men.
ZULUS (NATIVES OF SOUTH AFRICA).ZULUS (NATIVES OF SOUTH AFRICA).
So strong a military power as this on the frontier made it imperative to place the Transvaal, or South African Republic, under more effective rule than that of the Boers. The British have succeeded in breaking up this military power and have divided the country into districts. Each district is governed by its own chief, subject to the supervision of British magistrates.
The Gasa country stretches north from Delagoa Bay to the Lower Zambesi, and is under the rule of a powerful Zulu chief. He has power over all this vast territory, with the exception of a few places on the coast under the protection of the Portuguese.
Inland from the Gasa country extends the kingdom of the Matabele Kaffirs. It is a complete military despotism.
The land of this kingdom rises higher than that of the Gasa country. The picturesque granite hills of the Matoppo and Mashona ranges often attain an elevation of forty-five hundred feet.
The king of this country has his residence at the kraal, or village, on the southern slope of the Matoppo hills.
A plateau Kaffir tribe, named the Makololo, having adopted the military system of government, marched northward, early in the present century, through the Transvaal to the central valley of the Zambesi, in search of conquest.
Having enslaved the natives of the river valleys, they established a powerful kingdom, which extended south and north across the Zambesi.
Disputes arose in the kingdom as to the right of succession. Those who had been conquered took up arms against their conquerors, and having revenged themselves for the years of servitude they had had to endure, completely destroyed the Makololo tribe.
The Kalahari Desert represents that portion of theinterior of South Africa which has the greatest deficiency in moisture. It may be termed the heart of Bechuanaland.
It reaches away in a northerly direction from the Orange River as far as Lake N'gami.
The change from the fertile, verdant plains of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State to the arid desert is a very gradual one, corresponding to the change from the Soudan to the Sahara in the north.
The Kalahari, as we know, has no running water. It is, for the most part, a dry, sandy region. It is not wholly lacking in vegetation, for it has tufty grass and creeping plants, together with deeply buried bulbous roots, except in the most central section.
The Bushmen are the nomads, or wandering tribes of the desert. They are of low figure, very thin and wiry. They make no attempt to cultivate the land and have no regular homes. Their chief occupation is to chase the herds of antelopes from place to place, and to lie in wait for them with their bows and poisoned arrows, in readiness to shoot them.
The Bushmen are sallow rather than black in color, and in their features and coloring are said to resemble the Chinese more than any other people. They may in reality be termed the children of the desert; for, owing to the march of civilization and colonization, they have sought refuge from the haunts of white men in the wastes and barren mountain ravines.
The locusts, which may well be looked upon as a scourge to any land, are hailed with joy by the Bushmen, for they form an important article of food with them.
The wild Bushman, happy in his nomadic life, sings a song, the words of which may thus be interpreted:—
"I plant no herb, nor pleasant fruits,I toil not for my cheer,The desert yields me juicy roots,And herds of bounding deer."Yea, even the wasting locusts' swarm,Which mighty nations dread,To me nor terror brings nor harm,I make of them my bread."
"I plant no herb, nor pleasant fruits,I toil not for my cheer,The desert yields me juicy roots,And herds of bounding deer.
"Yea, even the wasting locusts' swarm,Which mighty nations dread,To me nor terror brings nor harm,I make of them my bread."
The Bushmen are not fastidious in their tastes; for they eat many plants and bulbs which other people would despise as food. Grasshoppers and other insects, and even serpents, are eaten by them with much relish.
Their huts are very inferior to those of other tribes. They are usually mere holes in the ground. They sometimes serve the purpose of a bed. They are only a few inches deep, of rather an oval form, and no more than five or six feet wide.
In extremely cold weather these people gather twigs and earth, till they have a mound heaped up as a protection on the windward side of the hole. In summer they seek the beds of rivers and, lying under the shade of the mimosas, they draw down the branches to shield themselves from the glare of the sun.
The condition of the Bushmen has been very much changed by the circumstances which have governed their lives. Every one's hand has seemed against them, and theirs raised against every one. Like partridges in the mountains, they have been hunted forgenerations. Deprived of all that the bountiful hand of Nature had given them, they became at first desperate, then rebellious, wild, and fierce in their characters.
Truly, their condition is a most degraded one, yet it is not hopeless. The civilization of this people seems not only practicable, but there are reasons for feeling that it might be easily accomplished.
The Bushmen are not lacking in intellect, are moved by kindness, and manifest gratitude for favors. They are trustworthy if any service is expected of them, and ready and willing to receive instruction. Under proper management and through the right spirit there is little doubt that they could be easily persuaded to exchange their barbarous way of living for a life offering civilization and comfort.
Just west of the Kalahari we find the extensive countries of the Nama Hottentots and of the Damara tribes. These reach over the hilly border lands of the continent down to the arid shores of this part of the Atlantic.
Namaqualand may, generally speaking, be considered a dreary region, affording but a scanty vegetation of grasses and prickly shrubs. The land is furrowed by water channels. These flow for only a short time after the scanty showers have fallen. The coast land is of a sandy character and destitute of water. It is rendered still more disagreeable by an almost constant haze which overhangs it.
Damaraland is a little farther to the north. It has an aspect a little more favorable, on account of its hillslopes. Still, it, too, lacks any permanently flowing rivers.
Copper has been found in considerable deposits, and doubtless gold lies yet undiscovered.
Of the animal kingdom we find the ostrich in large numbers, and many specimens of cattle are seen.
The people of Damaraland are principally of two tribes, the Cattle Damaras, who probably migrated from the valley of the Zambesi, and a black, negro-like people, or aboriginal tribe. The latter were once slaves of the Namaquas, and adopted the Hottentot language. A few Bushmen and Griquas, together with German missionaries, are the remaining population.
There is but one highway, or regular track into Namaqualand from the Atlantic. This leads from Angra Pequena Bay to the mission station of Bethany on the plateau. It was formerly visited by guano ships. Recently it has been occupied by a German trading company. From Walfish Bay there are tracks which lead inland to a mission station in Damaraland.
Just north of Damaraland there are a number of tribes that bear a strong resemblance to the Damaras. These are classed together as Ovampos. They occupy the fertile tract of country south of the Cunene River, or the province of Mossamedes, belonging to the Portuguese.
We must not forget that most of these lands occupied by native tribes are, in a measure, governed by the nation to which they have been ceded; and hence these tribes, in many instances, come under the protection of Great Britain, Germany, or Portugal, as the case may be.
Western Africa comprises the west coast of the continent from the borders of the Great Desert to the Nourse River, together with a considerable amount of inland territory.
This inland territory varies considerably in its extent from the shores; and, in fact, is quite undefined as to its limits within the interior of the continent.
Senegambia is the country drained, you will remember, by the Senegal and Gambia, hence its name. It is generally understood to include the tract of country from the Senegal southward to the promontory of Sierra Leone.
The French, Portuguese, and British have settlements. France has the largest possessions. They extend all along the left bank of the lower Senegal River, and along the coast past Cape Verd to near the Gambia.
The seat of government of the French is St. Louis. It is situated at the mouth of the Senegal. The chief commercial town is Dâkir. It is situated on the peninsulaof Cape Verd. The islet fortress of Goric stands guard over it.
Farther to the south there are a number of smaller, isolated possessions. These, too, belong to the French. There are also several stations on the banks of the various smaller rivers.
Since 1880 these scattered possessions of the French have become consolidated. Several native states have placed themselves under a French protectorate. Thus no little progress has been made in consolidating the French possessions in Senegambia with those on the coast of Guinea.
Quite a large extent of seacoast is nominally claimed by the Portuguese; but their actual possessions are exceedingly small.
The Gambia River is navigable for three hundred miles up from the sea. The greater part of the river is held by the British. They have an important little colony at the mouth of the river, and several smaller stations higher up the stream.
Sherboro Island lies fifty miles south of the British colony, Sierra Leone. This island and the coast line as far as Liberia form a part of the British possessions.
The inhabitants of Senegambia, if we except the Europeans and the traders living in the towns and trading stations, are mainly native negroes. All are black in color and have good figures.
We find here, too, representatives of a remarkable people, called the Fellatah. They belong to a much more advanced family than the negro. They differ from the true negro type in their red-brown color, their finerfeatures, slim figures, and less woolly hair. These Fellatah are to be found, also, considerably farther inland. In the Soudan they are very zealous advocates of the Mohammedan faith.
NATIVES OF SENEGAMBIA.NATIVES OF SENEGAMBIA.
The western portion of Senegambia is very flat. The Great Desert, its near neighbor, affects it by the dry, hot winds; hence the atmosphere is often loaded with fine sand, and dark with clouds of locusts.
The eastern portion of the country is diversified by hills and elevated land. There are a great many rivers, the Senegal, Gambia, and Rio Grande being the most important.
In the heat of its climate Senegambia ranks with Egypt and Nubia. During the rainy season the heat is most oppressive. Then, from June to November, the country is completely drenched by the enormous fall of rain. During this season the prevailing wind is from the southwest; during the dry season it blows from the east.
The vegetation of Senegambia is very luxuriant and vigorous. The baobab, or monkey-bread tree, is found here. The cottonwood trees, a species of poplar, are very numerous. They rank among the loftiest trees in the world.
The chief trade of Senegambia is in the gums which the acacia forests yield. These forests cover the entire country north of the Senegal.
Farther south we find the factories for the manufacture of palm oil. These are all conducted by Europeans. The palm oil is exported to English ports and is used largely in the manufacture of a superior toilet soap.
The interior sections yield abundant quantities of groundnuts, hides, and wax. These are sent down the rivers and shipped from the coast. Many valuable products, as ginger, pepper, arrowroot, coffee, and rice, are capable of cultivation.
So great is the production of cotton that great quantities can be shipped to England at any time when the supply from other countries is so small as to raise the market price. No matter how extortionate the price may have been before the arrival of the Senegambia supply, it must soon become reasonable when the African cargo reaches English ports.
The west coast of Africa, from Senegambia to the Nourse River, is called the Guinea Coast. This name was derived from the Portuguese language.
The coast line is, generally speaking, very low. Navigators approaching it are obliged to make the tree tops along the shore their sailing guides until quite close to land; for only then is the outline of the coast visible.
GUINEA COAST NATIVE.GUINEA COAST NATIVE.
Just north of the equator, in the Bight of Benin, the coast loses this marked characteristic and becomes high and bold, with the Cameroon Mountains for a background. Again, near Sierra Leone it presents a bold front to the sea.
These rugged features in the coast line are, however, noticeable exceptions to its general character. Frequently it presents a dead level, which extends from thirty to fifty miles inland.
"The heights which skirt the northern coast line of the Gulf of Guinea, and which stretch as far as the head waters of the Senegal and Gambia, and in the inner slopes of which the Niger also has its sources, may be considered as an extension of the Great South African Plateau. But they are of less general elevation; and that best known part of the ridge, which has the nameof the Kong Mountains, is, apparently, not higher than from two thousand to three thousand feet."
This, perhaps, will help us to understand more clearly why one authentic author has stated that "the supposed Kong Mountains do not exist." Doubtless, he does not consider the ridge of a lofty enough elevation to be designated as a mountain range.
There are numerous rivers. Some of these extend far back into the deepest recesses of Central Africa.
The climate of the Guinea Coast is very fatal to Europeans; for the muddy creeks and inlets, the putrid swamps, and the mangrove jungles that line the banks of the rivers are all productive of pestilence and malaria.
There are two seasons, the wet and the dry. In the more southern portions the rainy season begins in March, but at Sierra Leone and farther north it begins a month later.
The vegetation is not only very luxuriant but varied. One of the most important trees is a species of palm. The covering of the seed, or nut, of this tree is used for the extraction of the palm oil of commerce.
A bunch of red and yellow fruit will often have a thousand oil-yielding plums, and weigh in some cases half a hundredweight.
It is no uncommon thing for several thousand tons to be exported in a year to English ports, as Liverpool, London, and Bristol.
The palm-oil tree is native to the country between the Gambia and the Congo, and is found in great abundance. The oil from the nuts, however, is manufactured chiefly in the country of the Gold and Slave coasts.
Nearly all the remarkable animals of Africa are found in the country along the Gold Coast. The domestic animals are mostly of an inferior order; but of the wild animals we find an abundance, as elephants, hippopotamuses, monkeys, lions, leopards, together with crocodiles, serpents, and parrots.
The principal minerals of the country are gold and iron. The chief exports are palm oil, ivory, gold, wax, and various kinds of timber, as well as spices, gums, and rice.
The population consists of a few European colonists and a variety of negro nations. These, though bearing a strong physical resemblance to one another, and holding many customs in common, differ widely in their dispositions and characters.
Guinea is usually divided into Northern, or Upper Guinea, and Lower Guinea.
Upper Guinea has several divisions, which still retain the characteristic names first given to them. These names were founded mostly on the productions of different sections, and becoming popular were retained.
Sierra Leone, named from its bold front "Lion Mountain," stretches from Rokelle River in the north to Kater River in the south, and for about twenty miles inland. It is a British colony, founded in 1787 for the suppression of the slave trade in West Africa, and has been maintained for that purpose.
SIERRA LEONE.SIERRA LEONE.
The larger portion of the colony is a rugged peninsula of mountains. This has a sterile soil, but it is surrounded by a belt of fertile coast land with a humid and pestilential climate.
The population consists mostly of those who were once slaves, but who have been liberated. In 1869 the population numbered over fifty-five thousand; of these only one hundred and twenty-nine were white men. Freetown is the capital. Next to St. Louis it is the largest European town on the western coast of the continent.
The Grain Coast is named from the grains of the Malaghetta pepper plant. This plant is a species of parasite, and yields very abundantly.
The Malaghetta, or Grain Coast, is often called the Windy, or Windward Coast, on account of the many brief but furious tornadoes which it experiences throughout the year.
The negro republic of Liberia occupies nearly four hundred miles of this coast. It was founded by the American Colonization Society in 1822, for the purpose of establishing a settlement for the freedmen of the United States. Its capital is Monrovia, named after Mr. Monroe, the president of the Colonization Society. It is situated on the rising ground of the coast, within the shelter of Cape Mesurado, which forms a breakwater against the incessant roll of the high surf from the Atlantic. It carries on quite a commerce with England, Holland, Germany, and the United States.
The Ivory Coast extends from Cape Palmas through three degrees of west longitude. It derived its name from the great quantities of ivory it afforded at one time. Now that the elephant is becoming extinct, the supply must, of course, cease.
Numerous French forts and settlements along this coast have, since 1871, been abandoned.
The Gold Coast is controlled entirely by the British government, and is, in fact, a Crown colony. It reaches from west of Cape Three Points to the river Volta.
The Gold Coast has long been visited for gold dust and other products. It has been described as an outer margin of plain, on the coast of which a roaring surf continually breaks. It extends east and west for about three hundred miles, and is bounded inland by hills covered with primeval forests. It is rich in the oil palm and oil-bearing groundnut, but the climate is exceedingly dangerous to Europeans.
Attempts have been made to introduce cattle and horses. These have all been unsuccessful, owing to that African scourge, the poisonous tsetse fly.
As far back as 1849 all the Dutch possessions along this coast were ceded to England, and by a treaty of 1871 all the Dutch possessions became British property.
The principal British station is Cape Coast Castle. It is named from its great church-like fort on the water's edge beside the filthy native town, above which the European residences peep out from among the woods. Elmina, "the mine," is situated about midway along the coast.
It was, doubtless, the earliest European settlement,and is to-day one of the largest towns. It has a population of about ten thousand.
Just behind the Gold Coast lies the country of the Ashantees, a warlike negro people. The greater part of the country consists of forest and jungle.
The river Volta forms the western boundary of the Ashantee country. Next to the Niger it is the most important river of this portion of the coast line of Africa. Both of its banks, in the vicinity of the mouth, are included in the Gold Coast colony. The Volta seems to be navigable for about two hundred miles. No doubt, in the near future it will become an important highway of trade.
East of the Volta is a small German territory named Togo. Farther up we find Popo, a French settlement, and Whydah. The latter is the port of the negro kingdom of Dahomey. This kingdom is noted for its cruel rites and barbarous customs.
Farther on is the British town Lagos. This is the largest seaport of the Yoruba country and of all this portion of West Africa. It is in direct communication with Liverpool by steamers. These carry out cargoes of palm oil and cotton, in an unfailing supply, to England.
The kingdoms of Ashantee, Dahomey, Yoruba, and others, occupy the interior of the Guinea Coast country.
Ashantee is about two hundred and eighty miles long and about as many broad. Although a mountainous region, it has no abrupt or precipitous elevations. It is well watered, notwithstanding that it does not lie in any of the basins of the great African rivers. Alongthe coast there are the mouths of several large streams, and the various affluents of these streams form a network over the country.
The Asinee River is a stream of some size. It is considered the boundary line between the Gold and the Ivory coasts. For a considerable distance from its mouth it forms the western boundary of Ashantee. The Volta, which is the largest river, is estimated to be four hundred miles in length. There are also several lakes in the country. These frequently overflow during the rainy season.
The heat and unhealthiness of the Guinea Coast are well known. This is partly due to the hot days succeeded by the chilly nights. The main cause, however, is the sulphurous mist which rises from the valleys and river sections in the mornings. This mist is particularly heavy during the rainy season. The kingdom of Ashantee has one dry season and two wet seasons.
The first rains occur near the end of May or the first of June. They are heralded by violent tornadoes. The rains are followed by fogs and haze. These are disagreeable enough at all times, but are particularly so in July and August. The second rains occur in October. These are followed by the hot, dry season, which lasts till April.
Elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, buffaloes, deer, antelopes, goats, apes, monkeys, and baboons are among the least harmful animals; but there are lions, tigers, leopards, jackals, wolves, and wild boars of the most ferocious nature. The rivers are found swarming with hippopotamuses and alligators, while serpents, scorpions, and lizards are found in great numbers.
The population of Ashantee proper has been estimated at one million. The whole empire, if we include the territories under the rule of the native king, is said to have a population of three millions.
The natives are well formed and in many respects do not show the peculiarities of form and feature found in the negro race. They are cleanly in their habits, and do not neglect their daily bath. After bathing they anoint themselves with the oil from the butter tree. This is a good cosmetic, and keeps the skin in fine condition in so hot and trying a climate.
Among the better class the clothing consists of an immense cloak. Sometimes it is made of the most costly silk. In time of warfare this dress is changed for a close vest covered with metal ornaments and scraps of Moorish writing. These are considered charms against danger. Loose cotton drawers, and large boots made of a dull red leather, complete the costume. The great chiefs wear gold breastplates; and as many of the natives as are able wear a profusion of gold ornaments.
The king of Ashantee has over three thousand women laborers, whom he has purchased from their parents for a small sum. During the working season these women are scattered over his numerous plantations. When they are at home, in the capital of the country, they live on two streets. Here they remain in seclusion, seeing only the king and his female relatives. So strict are the laws with regard to the seclusion of these women, who are practically slaves, that to look upon one, even by accident, is to be sentenced to death.
In every town well-stocked and well-regulated markets are held. These supply the natives with the necessaries of life and with the various European manufactures that are in demand. The poorer classes subsist almost wholly upon fish. The common drink of the people is palm wine.
At all festivals and public meetings the most cruel acts and brutal customs prevail. Should a chief die, many lives must be sacrificed in his honor; and, on the death of the king, all his personal attendants and many others, male and female, numbering often several thousands, are sacrificed.
The chief employment of the Ashantee agriculturist is clearing the ground from the rank, luxuriant growth which covers it. This he does by means of fire. In this way he clears his ground and spreads it over with a layer of rich fertilizer.
The only agricultural implement is the hoe. This is of the crudest description; but it answers the purpose in a country whose productive soil is flooded twice each year, yielding two crops of most kinds of corn, and an abundance of yams and rice.
The natives lay out the plantations with a good deal of regularity. The cultivated grounds are extensive, though not equal to the wants of the people.
The Ashantees do not smelt ores like some of the African tribes, yet they have blacksmiths and gold-smiths much superior to what we might expect to find among them. There are also dyers, potters, tanners, and carpenters.
The fineness of texture and the variety and brilliancyof coloring in the native cloths would do credit to an English or an American manufacturer. Several specimens of the handiwork of the Ashantees are to be found in the British Museum.
Various insurrections and frequent wars have occurred, in some of which the Ashantees have come into collision with the British nation. Finally, a few years ago, war was formally declared; for the Ashantees paid no regard to treaties formed with neighboring states under the protection of the British flag, and resented bitterly any interference on the part of Great Britain with the slave trade.
They not only insulted and robbed persons trading with the British settlements, but even killed them, in their bitter hatred. At last they took up arms against the British. A war followed, which terminated quite recently, and resulted in the defeat and disbandment of the Ashantees, and in the overthrow of the kingdom.
The capital, as well as the palace, was burned, and the king, in spite of his cunning and duplicity, was finally forced to sue for peace.
A treaty was formed, the conditions of which were most important; human sacrifices were to be abolished, the slave trade discontinued, and honorable commerce protected. Well will it be for Ashantee land if these conditions can be enforced; for the defeat of a native king in Africa means, usually, political chaos and ruin.
Even at the present time many of the Ashantees have thrown off their allegiance to the king; and the kingdomwill, no doubt, resolve itself into a number of petty chieftainships similar to those from which it was formed.
The kingdom of Dahomey is the most celebrated of all the West African countries.
The limits of the kingdom are somewhat uncertain; but the whole country over which the king of Dahomey originally ruled cannot have been less than four thousand square miles.
Formerly, the kingdom was engaged in the slave trade. Whydah, its seaward outlet, was one of the ports where the slavers were loaded with their human cargoes. Now it is an insignificant little town of ruined factories.
The kingdom, since the abolishment of the slave trade, furnishes little of value to commerce, with the exception of olive oil.
The people, and the king in particular, have long furnished the subjects of the most marvelous of stories. Travelers have brought back accounts of the curious serpent house at Whydah. Here are kept the sacred fetich serpents.
The edifice is merely a round structure, with a conical thatched roof. The hut, as we should call it, is from ten to twelve yards in diameter and seven or eight in height. The walls consist of dried earth, similar to those of the dwellings. Two openings, on opposite sides, furnish the doorways through which these serpent divinities trail their hideous forms, in their passage in and out the sacred temple.
Strings of cotton yarn hang from the roof. On thefloor, which, like the walls, is whitewashed, are several pots of water.
One traveler found as many as one hundred serpents within the sacred house. Another found but twenty-two on his visit. They were harmless, for their fangs had been removed.
The length of these reptiles varied from one to three meters. They had spindle-shaped bodies, which terminated gradually in a tail one-third the entire length of the body.
They had large heads, somewhat flattened and triangular, but shaped as if the corners had been rounded off. Their necks were somewhat thinner than their bodies.
Their color varied, ranging from a clear yellow to yellow green. Most of them were marked with two brown lines down the back; a few were irregularly spotted. Dr. Répin believed them to belong to the species of non-poisonous reptiles classified as pythons and adders.
As he watched them, some ascended and descended the tree trunks placed within the sacred house for them. Others suspended themselves by their tails, balanced themselves above his head, and peered down at him with their narrow eyes. Some were coiled up asleep under the rafters which supported the roof, after a feast from the last offerings of the faithful worshipers.
Strangely, weirdly fascinating as the sight was, and wholly devoid of danger, yet he could but give a sigh of satisfaction as he stepped into the open air.
Every one of these serpents is held sacred. If one ofthem, astray from its home, is encountered by one of the superstitious negroes, it is approached in a most reverential manner, often on the knees, and then lifted carefully in the arms and carried back into the sacred house with the most humble apologies from the worshiping savage for the liberty he is taking in touching anything so sacred.
When, by accident, a European, unaware of its sacred character, has killed one of these serpents, it has been only with the greatest difficulty that his life has been saved from paying the forfeit for the sacrilegious act; so great has been the wrath of the priests and their fanatical people.
The serpent is thus reverenced because during a siege in war time it appeared to the army, and so inspired the soldiers with courage and ardor that a victory was won.
Abomey is the capital of Dahomey. It is situated seventy miles inland, and stands upon a level plateau. It is a walled city. The walls are of clay, and measure about eight miles in length. They are pierced by four gates, according to some writers; by six, according to others. Each has a double opening, one for the exclusive use of the king, the other for his subjects.
The walls of the town are twenty feet in height. A ditch from four to six feet deep is an added protection, in case an enemy should storm the walls. This ditch is crossed by means of light bridges of wood, which can easily be moved in case of danger.
The houses are widely separated, and in some instances are surrounded by small farms. Thestreets are broad and tolerably clean, but by no means crowded; many of them are shaded by magnificent trees.
Near the center of the city is a small edifice, with a round roof sustained by a wooden colonnade. This is the building in which the human sacrifices formerly took place.
Near this is the palace of the king, consisting of a number of ordinary dwellings separated by courts and gardens, and serving as the lodgings of the king's female soldiers and his domestic slaves.
These dwellings are made of clay dried in the sun, and roofed with bamboos, which extend over the fronts and form verandas; only one of them has a doorway which opens on the principal street. This is the royal treasure house and is two stories high. Its walls are festooned with strings of cowries, hanging from the eaves to the ground, an ornamentation which is found nowhere else.
The king has no special apartment out of the many that comprise his palace, but chooses any, from time to time, which suits his fancy.
Surrounding all these dwellings is a wall of clay. This is from fifteen to twenty feet high, and pierced with several gates. Here and there at intervals iron hooks project, and from these are suspended the heads of decapitated subjects, some whitened and bleached by time, others ghastly tokens of recent sacrifices in pagan worship.
In front of the doorways of the dwellings, piles of elephant bones may be found heaped up. These areprobably trophies of the chase, and yet they seem to be held in superstitious fear by the natives.
The Dahomans are tall, well formed, and intelligent. For an African race they are wonderfully honest, and are well advanced in a knowledge of agriculture. They are almost all pagans, and practice the most heathenish rites. The king is an absolute despot, having complete control over the lives and the possessions of his people.
One of the cruel practices, formerly, was the tremendous sacrifice of human lives during any of the religious ceremonies. One king caused seven thousand followers to be killed at the death of his father.
A peculiar feature of the army was the corps of Amazons, or female soldiers. They have been described as more effective than their male comrades in time of war. The flower of the corps perished in a siege in 1867, and the soldiers were greatly reduced in numbers. The remaining force since then has been divided into three brigades, each of which has a distinguishing mode of dressing the hair.
Leaving the Dahomey kingdom, we reach the dead levels of the delta of the Niger, which has twenty-two main channels, separated by swamps of mangrove trees.
The navigation of the Niger is now carried on by a half dozen or more light steamers. These ascend the current from the Atlantic to the factories situated at the junction with the Binue, and even farther up both streams. These steamers carry on an exchange of European goods for ivory, palm oil, and butter from the olivelike seeds of the butter tree. All these steamersneed to be well armed, in case of an attack from hostile natives.
Abo, at the head of the delta, is in the very heart of the oil section. There are two or three important native towns farther up the river, and at the mouth of the Binue is an important mission station. This is under the management of a negro bishop. This mission station, Lukoja, is also a great depot and trading station of the British Niger Company, which has control over the government of the river.
Egga, a large Mohammedan town a day's journey by steamer above Lukoja, is at present the limit of the European trade on the Niger.
Beyond the delta of the Niger we find the estuaries of the Old Calabar and Cameroons rivers. These are famed as being the "oil rivers" of West Africa, owing to the great supply of oil which is brought down their currents from the interior.
At the coast all kinds of European goods are given in barter for the oil in a crude form. This crude oil is then melted and stored in sheds, ready for transportation.
The oil rivers, as far as Rio del Rey, are controlled by the British. The Cameroons coast has been ceded to Germany.
Southern, or Lower Guinea, begins at the equator. It is generally understood to include the maritime coast line of West Africa. For about fifteen hundred miles it extends in a north and south direction from the head of the Bight of Biafra to Cape Frio.
On the northern part of the coast, out from the high peaks of the Cameroons, which stand on a peninsula of the mainland, are four volcanic islands in line.
The largest of these is Fernando Po, which belongs to Spain. Its perfectly conical summit, which rises to an elevation of over ten thousand feet, is wooded completely over. Its harbor of Clarence Cove is one of the most picturesque points in West Africa. At one time it was a place of banishment for political offenders from Spain.
Prince's Island, which has been compared to a volcanic garden, and St. Thomas, beyond it, whose lofty peak rises over seven thousand feet above the sea, belong to Portugal. The little rugged island of Annobon, which is the last of the chain, belongs to Spain.
The section around the Cameroon peaks has, within a short period, been occupied by the Germans. Near the equator, on the coast of Lower Guinea, the Spaniards have some small settlements in the beautiful Bay of Corisco, and on the promontory of San Juan, which adjoins it. The French, too, hold not only the inlet ofthe Gaboon, but a large portion of the coast, together with an extensive inland section, which was ceded to them by the Berlin Conference, when the Congo State was established.
A NATIVE OF THE GABOON RIVER.A NATIVE OF THE GABOON RIVER.
One of the chief negro tribes of West Africa, the Fans, occupy the coast line of Lower Guinea. They are a fine race, but are pronounced cannibals. Since they have come in contact with Europeans this revolting practice has been less prevalent.
The Fans have long been famed for their skill in forging weapons and making poisoned arrows. These occupations have declined since the advent of Europeans.
Du Chaillu, the explorer, relates his experience upon arriving at one of the Fan villages. So alarmed were the men, women, and children, that they fled in terror the moment they perceived the white "spirit," as they called him.
In his journal he writes: "If I was not frightened,I was at least as much surprised by all I saw as the Fans could be. These fellows, who now for the first time saw a white man with straight hair, were to me an equal surprise, for they are real, unmistakable cannibals. And they were by long odds the most remarkable people I had thus far seen in Africa. They were much lighter in shade than any of the coast tribes, strong, tall, well made, and evidently active; and they seemed to me to have a more intelligent look than is usual to the African unacquainted with white men."
He describes these people as almost without clothing. Such as they had was made from the soft inside bark of a tree, while from the waist was suspended the skin of some wild animal. Their teeth were filed, which gave the face not only a ghastly but a ferocious appearance; and, in addition to filing, some had blackened the teeth.
The hair, or rather wool, was pulled out into long, stiff, thin plaits; and on the end of each, white beads or rings of copper or iron were strung.
Some of these natives wore caps made of feathers. Others wore long queues. These were made of their own wool, lengthened out by a kind of tow, which had been dyed black and mixed with it. This gave the wearers a very droll appearance.
Over the shoulders they wore suspended the huge, long knife of the country, and in their hands they bore spears and an immense shield made of elephant hide. About their necks they wore various charms and ornaments, which rattled constantly as they walked.
The shield the Fan carries is made of the hide of avery aged elephant. Only the part which lies across the back of the animal is used. It is dried and smoked, and thus rendered as hard and impenetrable as iron. The shield when finished is about three feet long and two and a half feet wide.
The charms, or fetiches, which are worn suspended around the neck by the Fans, consist of the fingers and tails of monkeys; human hair, skin, teeth, and bones; clay, old nails, copper chains, shells; feathers, claws, and skulls of birds; pieces of iron, copper, or wood; seeds of plants; and ashes of various substances. This belief in charms indicated to Du Chaillu the highly superstitious nature of the people.
The women of the Fan tribe wear still less clothing than the men. They are small and hideously ugly. They wear their teeth filed like the men, and, in place of clothing, decorate their bodies with red dye.
The babies of this tribe were carried by the mothers in a sling, or rest, which was made of the bark of a tree and worn suspended from the neck.
Du Chaillu writes of these people that they crowded about him as soon as they became convinced that he meant them no harm, calling him "spirit," and examining every detail of his person and dress that he would permit them to touch. They seemed especially impressed by his hair and feet. They could not sufficiently admire the former. On his feet he wore boots, and, as his pantaloons hid the tops of these, they very naturally drew the conclusion that his boots were his feet, and expressed wonder that they should be of so different a color from his face.
Their color is dark brown, rather than black, and they tattoo themselves more than any of the other tribes north of the equator, though south of it there are tribes that pursue this practice to a much greater extent. The men do not disfigure themselves as much as the women, who take pride in the many blue lines and curves with which they cover their bodies. Their cheeks, too, they mark with various designs, and to add to their hideous appearance they wear in their ears huge copper and iron rings, which are so heavy as to weigh down the lobes to an ugly length.
The men of this tribe are very expert blacksmiths. The tools they make are rude, but they are far superior to those made by any other African tribe. Their weapons are very effective. Their battle-axe is a terrible instrument. One blow from it will split open a human skull. Another weapon is a singular pointed axe. This is thrown from a distance, very much as the American Indian used the tomahawk when on the war-path.
The war knife carried by this tribe is a cruel weapon when used in a hand-to-hand conflict. When not in use it is worn suspended from the side. Another deadly weapon is a huge knife, over a foot long and two-thirds of a foot wide. This is used to cut through the shoulders of an enemy.
The spears, which are fully seven feet long, are thrown with wonderful skill and accuracy to the distance of thirty yards. Crossbows are used in war and on hunting expeditions. Some of the larger arrows, which are used in the hunt, are about two feet in length, and aretipped with an iron head resembling the sharp barbs of a harpoon.
Some of the axes and knives are decorated with a kind of scroll work. This is wrought in iron with graceful lines and curves, showing considerable artistic taste on the part of the native workmen.
The most deadly of all weapons used by the Fans is a small, insignificant-looking rod of bamboo. It is not more than a foot long, and is simply sharpened at one end. This is the famous poison arrow, a single pin's point prick of which means death. The poison for these arrows is obtained from the sap of a plant which grows in the forests. The point of each arrow is carefully dipped several times in the sap and allowed to dry, when it turns a red color.
These arrows are carried in a small bag made from the skin of some wild beast. They are much dreaded by the tribes at war with the Fans, for they can be thrown with great force at a distance of fifteen feet, and with such velocity that they cannot be evaded. There is no possible cure for a wound inflicted by one of these deadly yet harmless-looking missiles. Death soon follows in its wake.
In addition to skill in iron work, the Fans show considerable ingenuity in making vessels of clay. These they make surprisingly regular in shape, considering that they have no lathe, like ordinary potters.
Just beyond the low coasts above the delta of the Ogowé lies the hilly, thickly wooded shore of Loango. Here oil palms, gum trees, copper, ivory, coffee, cotton, and bananas are found in abundance.
The great river Congo, or Zaire, forms a line of division across West Africa; and the coast lands south of this line are very different from those which lie north of it.
In place of the lagoons and swamps, backed by evergreen forests, which lie north of the great river, level sandy bays appear along the shores farther south, and the forest vegetation is more distant from the coast; so that only long stretches of coarse grass, with here and there a tall tree, are seen from the ocean.
Behind the coast plain, however, the land rises in terraces, each of which is marked by a change of vegetation, from the first, with its larger shady trees and broad-leaved grasses, to the second, in which creeping plants abound, clasping the biggest trees with a mass of foliage and flowers, up to the third, where the plains are covered with gigantic grasses. Each of these changes of level corresponds to a change of climate, from the hot coast land up to the cool interior.
Here, in the Congo State, under the rule of the King of the Belgians, we find Banana Point, Boma, Vivi, names familiar to us in our reading of the Congo River district. Higher up the river, we find Leopoldville, on Stanley Pool, the principal station amongst the many that dot the river along this part of its course.
All the country for a great distance south of the river was once subject to the king of Congo, from whose dominion the river is named; his capital became the center from which the early Jesuit missionaries spread cultivation and industry far and wide.
Here they built the cathedral and monasteries of SanSalvador, the ruins of which still exist, and by their influence extended the territory of the king of Congo.
On their expulsion, however, the kingdom gradually diminished, till its territory now includes little more than the neighborhood of the capital; though its king still controls several of the chief trade routes to the interior.
Portuguese West Africa is generally called the Province of Angola. It is divided from north to south into five districts. Each district has its chief town corresponding to it in name.
In former times the slave trade was the main traffic of this coast. Since the cessation of that traffic the ivory trade has also declined. The groundnut is now largely cultivated for the oil it yields. Coffee grows wild, cotton is cultivated, and palm oil is brought down the Kuanza River in considerable quantity. Iron has long been smelted in the district of Cazengo, a little north of the Kuanza, and copper and gold appear in small quantity in many parts.
Most of the smaller kinds of game abound, but the elephant has disappeared from the mountain districts.
The capital of the colony is St. Paul de Loanda. It is mainly a European town, situated on a fine bay. It has large houses roofed over with tiles. The open verandas, so characteristic of these houses, give an artistic and beautiful finish to them, and are a source of pleasure and comfort to the owners, since they give free admission to the cool sea breezes.
Benguela, a large port on the coast, was formerly one of the great slave marts, from which thousands ofunfortunates were sent to Brazil and to the island of Cuba. Mossamedes lies farther south. It is a pretty town, built of stone houses and commanded by a fort. Ambriz is the northern port, but is sadly neglected, and presents a desolate picture of ruin and decay.
It is a matter of much interest to note the spread of Christianity in different sections of the dark continent, which, once shrouded in the gloom of superstition and barbarism, now receive the light of the Gospel. To quote from a daily paper:—
"Along the west coast of Africa there are now about two hundred and twenty-five churches, forty thousand converts, one hundred thousand adherents, three hundred schools, forty thousand pupils. Thirty-five languages or dialects have been mastered, and parts of the Bible and other books have been printed in these languages, while it is estimated that eight million of the natives have more or less knowledge of the gospel of Christ."
We have considered the climate of Africa but incidentally in connection with the sections which we have viewed. It will be of interest to note the changes in its character in connection with the form of the continent.
While Africa lies almost entirely within the torrid zone, and is therefore the hottest country known to us,yet it presents three great varieties of climate. These correspond with its physical structure. Hence, we find the plateaus, the terraces which lead to them, and the coasts, showing great varieties of climate, though lying very nearly in the same latitude.
The highest temperature is to the north of the equator. In Nubia and in Upper Egypt the intense heat of the sun, acting upon the sands, renders it possible to roast eggs in them; while, along the shores of the Mediterranean the influence of the sea makes the climate much more temperate.
In the vast desert of Sahara, which has an area equal in extent to that of the Mediterranean Sea, and yet is almost destitute of water and well-nigh barren of vegetation, we find the climate showing a uniform yet striking contrast between the heat of the day and the coldness of the night. Towards the south of the Sahara the country is more elevated and consequently somewhat cooler. Some of the more elevated portions near the equator reach the altitude of perpetual snow.
There is no regular fall of snow even in the northern or southern portions of the continent. Radiation of the heat is very great in some parts of Africa, as in the northern sections. The soil of the Sahara, for instance, absorbs heat very rapidly during the day, but during the night it radiates the heat still more rapidly, thus making a great fall in temperature. So rapid is this radiation of heat that ice is said to be formed sometimes during the night when water is left exposed to the atmosphere.
In strong contrast to the hot days and cool nights ofthe Sahara is the climate of the terraces of Limbu, situated behind the region of the Sierra Leone. Here we find the climate not only temperate but wholesome; while in the region behind the Slave Coast there are beautiful landscapes, abundant springs, new forms of vegetation to delight eye or palate, and an atmosphere as mild and balmy as that of sunny Italy.
In the regions of the Congo the natives call their terrace lands, which are under cultivation and thickly populated, "The Paradise of the World," suggestive of every detail of the beauty of the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve were permitted to dwell in it.
The flat coasts of Africa are often flooded over in the rainy season. This renders the climate very oppressive, owing to the humidity of the atmosphere. From the morasses found around the mouths of the rivers a malarious vapor arises, which is most destructive to health. Malarial fever, when it attacks Europeans, is much of the nature of a pestilence in its destruction of life.
This pestilential air along the coast region is supposed to be caused by the decaying vegetable matter brought down from the dense mangrove woods through which the rivers take their course in their journey to the sea.
As this decaying vegetable matter mingles with the salt water of the sea, it forms a poisonous gas, sulphureted hydrogen, most fatal to health. The air of these regions, freighted with this pestilential gas, often extends for one hundred miles inland.
Out at sea we find this gas poisoning the air for about forty miles from the coast, while it affects theatmosphere for about four hundred feet above sea level. Hence, it would seem desirable to take up one's abode either in the interior of such regions, far out at sea, or even in a balloon, were it possible, rather than to breathe the pestilential atmosphere of these coast terraces.
The influence of the regular winds is felt very little in Africa, with the exception of what comes from the monsoons of the Indian Ocean. These extend over possibly a third of the eastern shores, but they affect to a considerable extent the whole of Africa. Hurricanes are sometimes felt in the southeastern extremity, but rarely in any other portion.
The northern part of Africa is exposed to the hot winds and the storms which sweep from the Sahara. These winds have a distinctive character and are noted for their extreme dryness and heat. They often prove to be most disagreeable and disastrous; for they not only lift the sand in great volumes and fill the air with dust, but they prove fatal to animal life and vegetation in any region over which they sweep.
The supply of rain in Africa is very scanty. As we have seen, the Sahara is almost rainless, as is also the Kalahari Desert.
The clearness of the atmosphere of Africa exceeds that of any other known parts of the globe. It has been a constant surprise and delight to European astronomers, when making their explorations. With wonder and amazement they have beheld the glory and the splendor of the African heavens. With awe and admiration they have gazed at the planets shiningwith great brilliancy and often making well-defined shadows, such as we are accustomed to look for from our nearest neighbor, the moon, when it is most brilliant during the harvest months.
The amount of rain which falls in Africa varies not only in the different sections of the continent, as we have seen, but with the season of the year.
To the regions between the Kawara and the Senegal the southeast trade winds bring copious rains. It has been stated that at Sierra Leone as much as one hundred and thirteen inches of rain have been known to fall during the year. These summer monsoons, however, bring the largest supply of rain to Africa upon its eastern coast. They last from April till October, and bring rain to drench the extensive plains and elevated grounds of the great eastern extremity of Africa.
The force of these winds becomes somewhat broken, and their influence diminished, by the vast table-lands of Abyssinia. When the monsoon comes from the Asiatic continent no rain falls in these regions.
The southeast monsoon extends north as far as Lake Tchad and Kordofan, and even farther north. The influence of this monsoon is felt in May, though along the coast it is usually felt a month later in the season.
This fact, it is believed, disproves the old theory that Central Africa has a connected chain of high mountains. For, at the east, where lofty mountains do exist, these same rain-bearing winds become seriously interrupted and retarded. Hence, they do not reach the most northern portions of Abyssinia until fully a month later than they reach Lake Tchad.
The upper basin of the Nile, not far from the coast, no doubt receives its supply of water with the beginning of the monsoon, and continues to rise till September.
The many extremes of climate necessarily affect the vegetation of Africa. In connection with such views of Africa as we have had, we have gained some little knowledge of the vegetation, but it will be interesting to gain a broader and more comprehensive knowledge in order to understand the great diversity of animal life to be found in Africa.