(9) CHA P. II. CHARACTER AND DISPOSITION OF THE AFRICANS. 11. IVIL and religious government is allowed to be the principal cause which affects (and even forms) the characters of nations. Climate, diet, occupation, and a variety of other lefs confiderable causes contribute their share to the general effect. It is not, however, by abstract reasonings alone, on the separate or combined influence of those causes that the character of a nation can be ascertained; but actual observations on their genius and conduct must also be attended to. Such observations cannot be too numerous; nor can general conclufions be too cautiously drawn from them. Govern ments, &c. form national character. ations of the 12. That this important moral balance may be struck Mifreprefentwith perfect impartiality, the obferver ought to difmifs character of every prejudice, and to leave his mind open to a full and the Africans. fair impreffion of all the circumftances. Every well disposed man will allow the neceffity of such procedure, who knows how grofsly the very people of whom we are treating, have been misrepresented by those who first made merchandize of their perfons, and then endeavoured, by calumny, to justify their own conduct towards them. The accounts of African governors and other flave merchants, have been but too implicity followed by authors of no small note, who never were in Africa, and who did not suspect that the writers they quoted were interested in misleading them. CHA P. them. Hence it is to be feared, that many well meaning perfons have been led to believe that the Africans are fo infenfible as not to feel their ill treatment, or fo wicked as not to deserve better; and have therefore, without farther examination, left them to what they think a merited fate. 13. The author, aware of the difficulty of this part of his subject, has all along laboured to observe as minutely and extensively, and to judge as impartially, as he could. But, after all his diligence, he is only able to offer some short and imperfect sketches. Imperfect, however, as they are, he is confcious they are faithfully copied from the original. 14. He believes every man, who has made it his business ed by reafon, to compare the conduct of civilized and uncivilized nations,. will admit that the former are governed by reason, and the latter by their will and affections, or what are commonly called their paffions-or at least that, upon the whole, reafon influences mankind in proportion as they are civilized. Civilized na tions govern uncivilized by paffions. 15. This obfervation may be applied very appofitely to the Africans. Their understandings have not been nearly so much cultivated as thofe of the Europeans; but their paffions, both defensive and social, are much stronger. No people are more fenfible of disrespect, contempt, or injury, or more prompt and violent in resenting them. They are also apt to retain a sense of injury, till they obtain fatisfaction, or gratify revenge. In this they refemble other imperfectly civilized tribes, and even the more refined Europeans, in whom that benevolent religion, which teaches forgiveness of enemics, has not yet produced it's full effect. For was not fatisfaction to offended honour; that is, was not a certain mode of revenge a diftinguishing part of the system of chivalry? And do not our modern duelists, the polite fucceffors of the ancient knights, still cherish a prin 11. ple which they will not allow to be called revenge; but for CHA P. which fober people cannot find a better name? Revenge causes wars in Africa: and are there no symptoms of its producing wars in Europe? But African wars are never protracted, with cold-blooded perfeverance, to the length of the fiege of Troy; nor is peace ever negociated with a view to future wars. The Africans have no particular tortures in reserve for their prifoners, like the North American Indians; nor do they ever devour them, like the natives of New Zealand. 16. But if they be charged with hatred to their enemies, kindness to their friends ought, in candour, to be stated to their credit; and their hofpitality to unprotected strangers is liberal, difinterested, and free from oftentation; as I myfelf and many others have experienced. Their kindness, and respectful attention to white perfons, with whose characters they are fatisfied, arises to a degree of partiality which, all things considered, is perfectly surprising. Perfons of this description may, and often do, reside among them in perfect fecurity, receiving the best possible proofs of their good will, namely the most preffing folicitations to fettle among them. This partiality to well disposed Europeans extends alfo to their drefs, manners, and commodities; in short, to every thing that is European-a disposition which might long ago have been improved to the best purposes. 17. On those parts of the coaft and country, where the flave-trade prevails, the inhabitants are shy and reserved, as well they may! and on all occafions go armed, left they fhould be way-laid and carried off. 18. In maternal, filial, and fraternal affection, I fcruple not to pronounce them fuperior to any Europeans I ever was among; II. CHA P. among; but, as they practice polygamy, their paternal and conjugal affections may be fuppofed less ardent. Africans corrupted by the European traders. 19. As many of them have not fufficient employment either for their heads or their hands, they are apt to relieve lifleffness by intoxication, when they can procure the means. So very fuccessful, indeed, have the European flave-dealers been, in exciting in them a thirst for spirits, that it is now become one of the principal pillars of their trade; for the chiefs, intoxicated by the liquor with which they are purposely bribed by the whites, often make bargains and give orders fatal to their subjects, and which, when fober, they would gladly retract. A defire for fpirituous liquors, however, is the failing of all uncivilized people. In particular, it has greatly thinned fome American tribes, and almost annihilated others. 20. Their notions and practices refpecting property are not more inaccurate or irregular than thofe of other men in the same stage of fociety; as is evident from the general conduct of fuch of them as are unconnected with this deftructive commerce. But those who are, may be expected to be tainted with it's concomitant vices. As the whites practice every fraud upon them, in the quantity and quality of the goods delivered, and in trepanning their persons, the blacks cannot carry on this trade, on equal terms, without reforting to fimilar practices. As to the injustice, cruelty and rapine which, at the instigation of the whites, they practice on one another, they are not more difgraceful than the well known trades of crimps, and kidnappers, and pressgangs, carried on, without foreign infligation, in several European countries, and even protected, or connived at, by their governments. At the worst, these practices are not fo difgrace 11. disgraceful to uncivilized men as to their civilized, Europe- CHA P. an inftigators. Menzel gives a horrid detail of the operations of the Zeelverkoopers, (foul-mongers) of Holland, whose infamous trade it is to trepan men for their East Indian settlements. By fuch means, the author affirms, that the population of the peftiferous city of Batavia is kept from total exftinction*. the conduct of an African chief. 21. Of the infamous arts of the Europeans, and the con- Inftance in sequent intoxication and violence of one of the African chiefs, I have had ocular proof. In order to promote the slave-trade, the French governors at Goree fend yearly presents to the black kings, who return a gift of flaves. In 1787, I attended an embaffy of this kind to the King of Barbefin at Joal, on the coast between Goree and Gambia. That chief having been unwilling to pillage, was kept constantly intoxicated, by the French and mulattoes, till they prevailed on him to issue the dreadful mandate. When fober, he expreffed extreme reluctance to harrass his people. He complained that the traders of Goree, after making him trifling presents, came upon him with long accounts, and endless pretenfions; that the governor listened too readily to their tales, thought too little of the sufferings of the negroes, and must have been imposed upon, when he allowed his name to be used on such occafions-An allegation which most probably was true; for the Chevalier de Boufflers then governor, I really believe, was ignorant of these knavish proceedings; but, like many other great men, was the dupe of his courtiers. I heard the king more than once hold this language, had it interpreted on the spot, and infert * Beschreibung von Cape de Bonne Esperance, (Description of the Cape of Good Hope) Vol. I. p. 351, 357, 369. |