Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-07-27


Of other blood. They are strong
physically, with black akias, prog
nathic jaws, and woody hair. The,
are mostly Mohammedans, and main
tain a rigid system of castles, based
principally on occupation. They are
active in commerce, agricultural in
pursuits. both men and wcmen work
lag IN the fields.
The Guinean group are in "A condition
If lowest Savagery. The petty king
doms of Ashantee, Fanti and Dahomey
have been often heard OF by The civilized
world in connection with some bloody
rite or massacre. They have been for
generations the seat of the slave trade
in Africa, and this fact has probably
rendered them more savage than they
would otherwise have been. In this
region is Liberia, republic founded
by negroes who have returned to their
ancient home from the United States.
Their country has a population of over
20, 900, and is fairly well governed.
THE NEGRoIDs
are in all probability mixture OF
negro with Hamitic and Semitic types
This fusion, however. occurred So re-
motely back that they have developed
into II distinct type. Their color is II
dark reddish, or coppery brown. Their
hair is crisp aud frizzly, but not woolly.
Their nose is straight and better formed
than that of the negro. Their lips are
thick and the skull is long. They are
divided into two groups, the Nubiau
Bantu groups. and are all found in
east Africa where they have been ioI
thousands of years in contact with the
white race, both Hamites and Semitcs.
and have developed many types. Theil
occupations are both pastoral and az
ricultural. Their religion is kind of
fetichism, and they are governed by
petty chiefs.
The low intellectual condition of the
Austafrican race is shown by the facl
that they have erected no walls OF
stone, they domesticated no animals
and have developed no important food
plant. Their food plants and domesti-
Gated animals were introduced from the
Egyptians and Asiatics. Their brick
cities were due 70 Arab influence and
genius among them. The art Of smelt-
ing ore and the making of steel nipple
ments has been known among them
from the earliest known time and may
have been developed among them. but
it has not been sufficient to Int them
from the most degraded barbarism
they have never vOlun arily en-
croached ON the territory of the whites.
vet il i estimated that over 20 1000. 000
of them are living among the whites.
with seven million in the United States.
This large deportation has resulted from
the slave trade which has been carrie d
on for thousands of years. Those in the
United States are mostly descended
from west African tribes, the MandigoeS
of jenegambia and west Sudan. The
contact of the race with the whites i'm
America has resulted in large admix-
ture of white blood. and of raising them
to condition of civilization approx
mating our own. though what their
power of pl Ogress would be if isolated
from the white race is a question
difficult To answer. Sure il Is that
opportunities of the negro are "A thou
sand fold better in Ameraca than on the
African continent. though European
occupation of Africa during the las,
half century has added greatly TO the
opportunities of the African in his
native land.