II. noe. For this fevere labour the villagers look for no other CHA P. reward than a feast and merry-making, which they enjoy in the true ftyle of rural fimplicity. 28. The fame happy mixture of united labour and festivity takes place at building their houfes; alfo in cultivating, planting or fowing their fields, belonging to the fame village, and in reaping the crop, which is confidered as the common property of the inhabitants. Such a practice in Europe would generate endless disputes; but among this fimple people, is the best bond of good neighbourhood. Such indeed is the amiable fimplicity of manners which reigns in the villages remote from the flave-trade, that European visitors are ready to imagine themselves carried into a new world, governed by the pureft maxims of patriarchal innocence. 29. But though few of them unite their ftrength, except on these, and a few fimilar, occafions, and most of them turn their hands to different occupations, we are not thence to conclude unfavourably of their intellects, any more than of the intellects of thofe European peasants, (in Sweden, Norway, Scotland, &c.) whofe practices are fimilar. On the contrary, Lord Kaimes has obferved, I think with much truth, that such peasants are generally more intelligent than artificers, to whom the divifion of labour, in manufacturing countries, has affigned one, fimple operation. A peasant, who makes and repairs his ploughs, harrows, and harness, his household furniture, and even his cloaths, has an ampler scope for his understanding, and really becomes a more intelligent being than he who spends his whole life in forging horsefhoes, making nails, or burnishing buttons. Such a being, confined for life to a few fimple motions, may be said, in fome degree, to lose the use of all his powers, but that of the CHA P. the muscles which perform those motions. His intellect III. lies dormant, for it's ufe is fuperfeded by a mere animal habit. He becomes, in fhort, a kind of live machine, in the hands of fome monied man, to contribute to the pride and luxury of drones, who poffefs no other talent than that of turning to their own account the activity of their poor brethren of mankind*. 30. go. I am unwilling to refine too much; but as the fituation of the Africans approaches much nearer to that of intelligent peasants than that of stupid mechanics, I am inclined to think that their intellects may have been improved by being fo variously exercised; for the natural way of improving the human intellect, is to afford it an ample field of action; and the fure way to cramp and contract it, is to keep it inceffantly plodding in one dull purfuit. Certain it is, that though, on the whole, paffion is more predominant in the African character than reason; yet their intellects are so far from being of an inferior order, that one finds it difficult to account for their acutenefs, which fo far tranfcends their apparent means of improvement. CHA P. III. 31. Will and un- 31. faculties of No CIVILIZATION IN GENERAL. one will deny that the will and the understanding are the leading faculties of the human mind. The will is actuated by love for, or affections to, fome objects in * See Lord Kaimes's Sketches of the Hiftory of Man. pre III. preference to others, and thofe affections being poffeffed by CHA P. man in common with other animals, he would become a deftructive being, if in fociety he had not an opportunity of giving a focial bias to his understanding, which is capable of infinite elevation. But when this latter faculty is matured, it then acquires a right of governing and directing the affections and the will in the way most conformable to focial order. and civiliza tion defined and their re 32. The establishment of this dominion of the underfland- Education ing over the will, as influenced by the affections, is the effect of what we call education or civilization-Education with respect to every man in particular, and civilization with respect to mankind in general. 33. Societies may be divided into the civilized and the uncivilized; and the duties of the former to the latter are fimilar to those of parents to children; for uncivilized nations, like children, are governed by their affections, their understanding being uncultivated. 34. If we feel within ourselves a principle which teaches us to feek our own happiness in that of our offspring; af cending from particulars to generals, we fhall alfo find, that civilized nations ought, for their own advantage, sincerely to promote the happinefs of the uncivilized. 35. As the tutelage of children is a state of subjection; so it would feem that civilized nations have perhaps fome right to exercise a similar dominion over the uncivilized, provided that this dominion be confidered and exercised as a mild paternal yoke; provided also that it be strictly limited to acts conducive to their happiness, and that it cease when they arrive at maturity. These provifos, it is hoped, will prevent my meaning from being misunderstood: for, by this paternal dominion, I am far from intending any fpe lations ex plained. CHA P. cies of arbitrary power, which cannot be too cautiously guarded against, in any form, especially in a distant colony. The experience of all ages tells us, that the governors of remote provinces have ever been with difficulty restrained within the limits prescribed to them by the laws. Africans would be im ry. 36. The active and intellectual principles of the Africans proved by in- have never been completely unfolded, except perhaps in nocent luxu- the case of the Foolahs, the natives of Fernando Po, a great part of the Mandingoes, and one or two other tribes. The Europeans have addressed themselves chiefly to the evil affections of their princes, and have fucceeded to admiration in exciting among them a defire for gunpowder and brandy. The defire which fome African nations have for more ufeful European goods has been accidental, rather than intentional, on the part of the whites. Yet this defire confpires with the reason of the thing, to point out the method of forming them to the habits of civilized life. In order to improve their intellects, we must endeavour to fet their active powers in motion. New objects must be prefented to them, which will excite new defires, and call forth those faculties which have hitherto, in a great measure, lain dormant, merely for want of exercise. Thus, to promote their improvement, by ftimulating them to industry, it will be necessary to introduce among them a certain degree of what I beg leave to call luxury; by which I do not mean effeminacy, but that relifh for the comforts of civilized life which excites men to action, without enervating them. In other words, by luxury, I understand all innocent enjoyments beyond the neceffaries of mere animal life. Interefting behavicur 37. The behaviour of the King of Barbefin, on an occaof African fion apparently trivial, may serve to exemplify this doctrine, and to fhew that this beneficial kind of luxury might be in chiefs, troduced troduced with lefs difficulty than one would at firft fight CHA P. expect. I gave his majesty a pair of common enamelled Birmingham sleeve-buttons, with which, though ignorant of their use, he was infinitely delighted. On my fhewing him for what purpose they were intended, he appeared much mortified that his fhirt had no button-holes; but observing that that of a mulatto from Goree was furnished with them, he infifted on exchanging fhirts with him, in our prefence; a demand with which the man was forced to comply. Transported with his new ornaments, the king held up his hands to difplay them to the people. His courtiers foon surrounded my hut, entreating me to furnish them alfo with buttons, which I did with pleasure, reflecting that this fondness of the natives for European baubles might one day come to be made subservient to the noblest purpofes. Another inftance of innocent luxury in point. The Eaft India fhip, that conveyed out a judge to Bengal, touched at the coast of Madagascar. The king of that district, being invited on board, became enamoured with the judge's wig, and nothing but the gift in fee simple, of that venerable ornament, could fatisfy the cupidity of his duskycoloured majefty. The poor judge, who had but one wig in store, and was refolved not to disgrace the feat of justice in a night cáp, refused to part with the wig. What expedient could be thought of in this dilemma ?-The king was promised the wig the next day. An ingenious failor, in the mean time, wove and frizzled up a handful of oakum in the best imitation. The hempen ornament was carried ashore the next morning with due folemnity, and his majesty's pate covered, to the glory and delight of himself and all his fubjects, who attended the ceremony. This anecdote was related E |