The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-10-18
SLAVERY IN AMERICA.
Rv Pichord M M;lb,,r,
CHPTER ii.
The NEGRO IN AFRICA.

The NEGRO IN AFRICA.
10 understand the character of anyone is necessary
to know his origin and past training and what his ances
tors have been One cannot understand fully the char
acter of the early settlers either Virginia Massachu-
sets or New France without understanding the life from
which they came and having an intimate knowledge of
the condition of affairs in Europe at and prior to their
coming. Civilization is process of slow growth and ma
ton do not change their habits, customs, Of v
ing laws and religion in day.
We prone to ascrbe many of the present faults of
the negro and the faults that he had prior his emanc
patton to the system of servitude under which he
compelled to ive.I To whether not this is wholly
true 1t necessary to study the negro IN Africa and see
his life there
The continent of Africa has been compared to inverted
plate 1t being vast plateau The greater part of the
slaves sent to the United States from the Western
part of Africa, what is usually termed upper and lower
Guinea particularly from the countries of Senegambia
Sierra Leone Liberia and three regions which from their
principal products are called the Ivory coast the Gold
coast and the Slave coast The slave coast exported
slave than any other tract and the trade continued
longer than elsewhere for the that it possessed
cuar facilities for smuggling and evading the cruisers
sent out to suppress the traffic The other countries that
exported slaves were the CAMERON country which in
cludes Old and New Calabar The climate is intensely
hot and moist it lying entirely within the tod and
being subject to pronounced wet and dry seasons.
Du Chaillu says the following of this climate The
climate OF the west coast is scky and eXhauStng, not be-
cause of its extreme heats, but because of its high
average temperature and moisture and the uni
versal presence Of malaria Owing the pre- ire
mercury rarely higher than go in the shade but then it
rarely falls below S0o for nine months in the year and
even in the remaining three he dry season. it never gets
below 64O'"
Miss Mary Kingsley adds $50 great is the humidity
along the coast that all descriptions of wear
ing apparel rapidly SPOIL that which is not des troyed by
the avages of moth and cocroach being very quickly at
tackled by mdew and rust"
The testimony of George Mcdonald in his 1.-The Gold
Coast past and present published in 189S is to the same
effect "This wind blows with peculiar eff ect, drying
and parchng the skin and drying up the veg station.
fine dust comes with it. and during its contnu its pro-
is marked by the creakng of Madeira chairs and
Sofas the cracking OF veneered articles and the curling
up of papers and the coverings of books The air
becomes hot and dry with very cool mornings and
ngs which to the European are very bene cia though
nary times is a semi-qud state owing to the extreme
humidity of the air becomes solid and hard and glasses
have been known to crack and fall to pieces they stood
upon the table,"
ANIMALS AND PLANT OF THE SLAVE SEC ;ToN:-The nat
ura and productions of this section rich and
varied The native is effected both fave rab and unfa-
vorably by the animal life, the wild beast furnishes
food yet often destroys his e Here elephants, hip
poam bufaloes, crocodes, gorlas leopards venemous
snakesal of which furnish food for the native In ad-
quos of all sorts shapes and Sizes and the terrible driver
ant which is said to eat up everyth ing in sight, including
sick and weak adults and children.
The sea and all streams abOunt in fish among which
may be mentioned herring mack ,re muets, soles and
eels.
The natives had practically no domestic animals and at
the time of the slave exporatio MS these included only the
dog, cat, and and little poultry Goats kept
by tribes 1t probable, however that most if not
all Of these, all Euopea productions of the time
slightly preceding the discov cry of America.
The plant life is both var ed and uxuriant. In some
parts there extensive TO rests while in other sections
there open prares with forests only along the rivers
Scattered all this terr ory the small vii lges OF
the natives connected only by footpaths The ost val
liable tree of this region is the oil palm, which supplies oil
palm wine, material for huts boat riggngs and other
uses Paintan is a large fruit much like the bananna
and the coconu also used food In addition to thest
the native has the yam root something like sweet po
tato the carrot manoc the pineapple, pomegranate anc
one or two varieties of beans, cabbage and squash.
T4E NATIVES. Most nerSnnS who have made STUDY