The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-04
COURAGE OF NEGRO IN AFRICA
Natives of the Race Have Proven Their
Valor in Contests.

Nalor in Contests.
So far as the question of courage is
concerned, the negro has proved his
value in every quarter Of Africa, with
the white man against him. Certain
races. like the Kroo boys of the Llberian
coast, appear to have no stomach Tor
fight, although the Krooman is remark
able for physical strength. We have
never heard Of distinguished proves
among any natives Of the Congo re-
gion. though the Fans, who inhabrt the
Gaboon and Ogowa districts. are said
to be brave, as indeed their profession
of elephant hunting requires
But, admitting that in some parts of
Africa men can only be made soldiers,
as the Egyptians have been, against the
grain and by the slow growth of conf
dence in the superiority of their officers
and their armament, there is no want OF
material to pick from. The Seedee bows
of the Somali seaboard have great
name as fighters, and are said to be the
only population which instinctively hits
from the shoulder in the English fash
ion, characteristic which endears
them, we believe, to the British sailor.
ct is notable, by the way, that large
percentage Of professional pugilists are
negroes). Yet we never heard of Seedee
boys enlisted under British colors.
The Nasal, who live inland, and Nom
basa have proved their courage against
us as well as to the sorrow of their
neighbors, and they are essentially a
fighting tribe for whose energies in this
direction some outlet will have to be
provided. When civilization comes into
contact with race of this kind it must
either enlist or exterminate-as we have
done with the dervishes, many of whom
took service in the Egyptian army after
the Atbara. But South Africa affords
the most striking instance of neglected
opportunity.
Here, as our frontier advanced, we
came into contact with two branches OF
an exceptionally fine race, the Zulus.
1t is hardly necessary to recall how
Shaka deliberately organized his people
for war; he made military service COM
pulsory on all males and actually for
babe marriage among the young men
except with his permission. The war
riors, enrolled in different imps, were
kept in military kraaAsss which were, in
effect, barracks, undels a savage disci-
pline, and cowardice was more danger
Gus than valor, for after every cam
paign the troops were assembled at the
! towards tree and inquiry held if any
had been slack in action. Cetewayo re-
vived the Dragonic spirit of this disci-
pine. though he reorganized his army
for the use of firearms.
The result was that many fled over
| the border to escape the service, and
| these men We're not infrequently en-
| ployed against the Zulus. Serving with
! white men as half-drilled troops, they
| did not distinguish themselves, and il
has been inferred that, if Cetewayo's
! men charged, as they often charged, w
to the very muzzles of guns, it was from
a fear of punishment.
This we hold to be q mistake. Elk.
perience points to the fact that the AT.
rican of fighting tribe, when entirely
free from European influence, is brave
as a man can be; that the African wht
has fairly settled down among Euro
peans is not less brave, but that the ne
gro when just touched with civilization
is very hard to train.-London Specta
| tor