The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-11-11
AFRICA.

'no Natiohai Uazette, from VIM. b. Hodgson
Esq, who, we believe, was American Consu
at Algiers, till recently reformed out of office.
ALGIERs, June 1, 1929.
The late travels of Capt. Clapperton il
the interior OF Africa, have made invauabl,
contributions to science. The geography
the political and natural history of Nigritia
( was heretofore as obscure as are the foun
tam and issue of its mysterious Nile. 81
ignorant were the ancients of this remot.
country, that in the Augustan age of Rome
the filth zone of the globe, comprehendine
the equatorial regions, was deemed inha6
'tGbatas estu--uninhabitabl from heat. I
was reserved for the British traveller II
visit and describe the populous kingdom.
of Soudan.
Associated with Maj. Denham in his frs
expedition from Tripoli, Capt. Clappertor
traversed Fezzan and desert of Tibbou
and reached Bornou, great negro empire
the extent and power of which was repre.
sented TO our own Ledyard, whilst at Cairo
Between Bornou and the river Niger OF
Guerra, to the east, lie the populous states
OF Haoussa, Gouber, and Sackatou. The
town of Sackatou, which was the limit Of
Capt. Clapperton's first expedition, is the
capital of the Fallatahs, and the residence
OF their Sultan, the renowned and learned
Bello.
In the latter part of 1925, Capt. Clapper-
ton proceeded to the Gulf of Benin, with
the OBJECT OF penetrating to Sackatou and
Bornou, in a direction opposite TO that of
his former expedition. He landed at Bada-
grl, west OF Dahomey, and his journey
thence to Sackatou, was marked by extreme
hospitality from the negro nations through
which he passed. His happy arrival at the
capital of the Sultan Bello, completed an
accurate survey of this continent from Trip
oil to Benin. The untimcly death of Capt.
Clapperton at Sackatou, leaves us deeply 10
regret that he had not survived to perform
other voyages of discovery in that Gimme
ran land, which has equally attracted the
curiosity OF science and the beneyolence of
philanthrophy. The great objects of both
will be much facilitated by the enterprise
OF this distinguished pioneer.
Of all the nations of Central Africa, de-
scrbed by Capt. Clapperton, the Fellatahs
are esteemed the most remarkable. The
publication of his first journey to Soudan,
represented this people as inhabitng the
country OF the negroes but differing from
them essentially in physical character
They have straight hair, noses moderately
elevated, the parietal bones rot so com
pressed 20 thasn- Of the, aAg-n, &c their
forehead mncn arehod- Tho -eels- Of
their skin is light bronze, and by this
Characteristic alone, can they be classed in
the Ethiopian variety of the human species.
The Fellatahs are a warlike race of shep-
herds, and have, within short period, sub
lugated an extensive portion of Soudan.
lapnopfo6 ,6o
Tombuctoo, assures us that they were in
possession of that far-famed city. It was
an order from the Fellatah governor, which
compelled him to leave Tombuctoo, and to
his instigation or conniyance, is his death,
probably, to be attributed. Mungo Park
was killed by party of these good people,
while descending the Quorra. They may
be supposed to occupy the banks of this
unknown river, from its rise TO its termina-
ton.
During the great visit of Capt. Clapper-
ton to Sackatou, his enquiries were particu-
larly addressed to the history, the social
and political condition of the Fellatahs.
The publication of his narrative will be re-
| ceived with unusual interest, for this nation
presents itself as a curious and important
subject of philosophic speculation. The
Felatahs will, probably, erect one vast en-
pire in Soudan, and the influence this power
may exercise in the great question of Afri-
can civilization, gives to them no ordinary
Importance. If the Sultan Bello should be
induced to abolish slavery, the most efficient
means will have been discovered for its en-
tire suppression. The example of so great
an empire, or the menace of its chief, would
effectually check the inhuman cupidity OF
barbarism of the lesser tribes of the coast
/ Such an event would cause great revolu-
ton in the commerce of these countries, and
the arts of civilized life would speedily be
adopted. Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and
Trpoli, would lose their lucrative trade
in slaves, which being no longer objects U
barter, commerce would seek the more con.
venient markets of the Atlantic coast, in
! preference to enconntering the horrors ant
perls of the desert. This view of the sub.
ject has not escaped the Moorish states.
men, who, it is known, have been using
their influence with the negro governments
to obstruct the free access of Christians
among them. The colony of Liberia is des
tined to have an agency in such revolu
Z ton of commerce, and will participate il
the great advantages thence to result.
i Negro languages possess peculiar char
acter. An investigation of the idioms o
Tibbou, Bornou, Haoussa, and Tombdctoo
discover that they have no distinctions o
gender and number. Perhaps verbs al,
not infected. If the complex languages o
the Tuarycks on the north, and the Fal
latahs to the south, which nations occupy
co-extcnsive parallels Of latitude, be com
pared with the simple rude dialect of Sou
dan, it might be inferred that the grea
Author Of the Universe has made as broaC
{ a difference in the speech as in the skins
of men. If full investigation establish
the fact that languages may he divided int
white and black, then philosophy will de
mand illustrations of the moral history o
man.
The exploration Of Africa. has been Al