Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-11-11
NOT ALL NEGROES.
African Races as Dissimflar as Are Those
of Europe.

African Races as Dissimilar as Are Those
of Europe.
Not by any means are all Africans
negroes. Nor are all our colored peo-
pie in America descendants of African
negroes, though we are apt to regard
them as such. The diversity in the
population of Africa is as great as it
is in that of Europe. 1t is only
among the genuine negroes that can
nibalism exists as a custom, though
among some of the negroid people the
eating of human flesh is occasionally
INDUCED in.
Among the genuine negroes it has
always been custom to 60 to war for
provisions or for captives to be offered
as sacrifices 90 the ghosts OF the
Kings ancestors, as is still done in
Dahomey-often with great slaughter.
1t was this that convinced the phil
antnropist. Las Casas, that it would
be good thing to buy the captives
and bring them to America. He
argued that this would keep them
from;being eaten, while at the same
time it would prevent the Spaniards
from working to death the Indians.
who are incapable Of long enduring
sucn labor as the negro can stand
without great Inconvenience. This
theory was responsible for the opening
OF the slave trade.
The characteristics of the genuine
negro are sufficiently well known.
Occasionally it is possible to find
specimens in America, Though the
greater part Of our people of African
descent are far from the MICRO type.
This is not necessarily due to inter-
mixture in America for in Africa
many of the most numerous tribes
have long ago lost the characteristics
of the negro. The Kaffirs, for in.
stance, are generally classed as me-
groes, but they are not negroes at all
They have woolly hair, and occasion
ally thick lips are to be seen among
them, but their complexion is clear
and the red blood shows through in a
way which has been greatly admired
my many Europeans.
It is also worth remem bering that
the Hottentots, who are supposed to
be one of the lowest races in exist
ence, are not negroes at all, though
they have some negro blood. Their
complexion is yellow and their char
acteristics are those of the Mongol
rather than of the negro 1t is sup
posed by ethnologists that they are
descended from Chinese or Malay
colonists. probably from the former.
The Bushmen, the only people of
Africa who have no religion of any
kind, not even fetichism, are a tribe
of Hottentot origin and are Very much
unlike the genuine negro.
On the plateaus Of the eastern part
of Africa are shepherd tribes with
some negro blood, but with skins al
most white, and very tar removed
from the negroes of Dahomey or the
Guinea coast.
The African in Africa represents
the blood of many races, and it. is not
to be doubted that many Of the negro
tribes are capable of becoming highly
civilized. This is true of the Katfirs,
and though the genuine negro, of I'M
mixed blood, may seem almost hope
lessly barbarian, the native popula-
tion of Africa embraces thousands of
people who, though they have the
black skin and thick hair which show
negro admixture, are yet SO tar re-
moved from the negro type as to be
capable of adjusting themselves at
once to the great changes which are
promised ia the Ozark Continent"