Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-03-05
THE AFRICAN AT HOME.
The Negro Tribes of EquatO.
rial Africa--.Types and
Races of Mankind. loI
" Africa as he is i'm his Nat.
ural Jungles = His
...sH Condition. ..
A Very Interesting Article on
an Interestin z Subject.

Prof.DuC Chaillu lectured in New York q
few evenings since on the negro. 1t is fully
reported in the World of the 2sth, and
we reproduce it below. 1t will be read
with no little interest, as the (" African :"
just now is not to be sneezed at" Mr..
DuChalli said: lo
What struck me while travelling in
Africa was the seantiness of the popula-
ton and the number of tribes speaking
different languages and dialects, Tribes
bearing differing names, speaking the
same language, and considering them
selves different nations. These tribes
differed in the shades of their colors,
though all possessed incontestibly the
negro type. In some tribes cannibalism
was prevalent, while others had perfect
adherence of the horrid custom. And at
last came to the discovery of small
sized man, almost dwarf, called Obongo.
These latter were unlike any people l
had seen, and the account of which have
given in Ashango Land This Obongo
seemed to me to be a type between that
Of the negro and the Bushman-in fact
connecting link between the
two. They were the lowest people
l had ever met They did not
cultivate the soil, and never remained
long at the same spot. The language of
many of these tribes, though differing,
pointed to one common origin, from
which they had been chiefly derived. In
fact they seem to follow the same law of
language of which we have any knowl-
edge to have been derived from @ parent
stock, which parent stock, if it could be
traced in Africa, would be seen to have
been derived from some other language.
And as we push on our inquiries further
we find ourselves at loss. Languages,
like the races of men, disappear, become
entirely obliterated from the face OF the
earth never 10 come back again. In my
explorations in equatorial Africa and in
my last work, "a journal to Ashango
Land" / have shown how clans after
clans and tribes after tribes have dis
appeared in the very regions | have
explored. Without going to Africa we
will take this country. We know that In
the seventeenth century the language
of the red Indians of Massachusetts,,
into which Father Eliot had translated
the Bible and in which Christianity
was preached for several generations,
eeAsed to exist, the individual by whom
itrwas spoken having died at that period
without issue. The number Of languages
which have disappeared in Africa must
be numerous, as the people are continu'
ally dying away. All the negro tribes of
the present day must have been derived
from one parent stock, who like them
selves, must have been negroes. L be-
lieve the negro race to be of very great
antiquity, and one of the very Oldest
races of mankind. The study Of those
soicalled primitive men, Of their habits,
customs, and religious notions, has been
one of my chief objects while travelling
in Africa. Twas surprised at the analogy
of disintegration the negro population OF
Africa presented with that Of the abo-
rigines of America Both continents
possess a great number of languages, and
the population Of both is divided into
great number of tribes Only America
possesses remains showing that once its
inhabitants enjoyed a certain degree of
civilization, and that the race did possess
a certain saso1pt Of progressive power in
itself which was necessary to lead them
on to the state they did attain. This is
shown in the beautiful buildings found
in Central America, Peru, etc, etc,
while the researches Of all the travellers
in the negro portion OF Africa have not
led yet to the discovery that the negro
ever bad been in a higher state than be
10 at present. The Australian and the
PJiyuesian Of this day seems in no way
superior or inferior TO their progenitors.
This country showed that they have
always been 10 the same state The pop
disappearing. From one investigation
TO smother have been drawn 10 the sub
iect Of the antiquity Of man and the
races Of mankind. Geology has demon
strated TO us that there vas time when !