THE GREAT RACES OF AFRICA
Before I begin to speak to you about the children of Africa, I would
like you to understand how the people of Africa are separated into
different families or divisions. There are in Africa nearly two hundred
millions of people, but they do not all belong to the same race. The
three big families are the Berbers in the north, the Negroes in the
middle, and the Bantus in the south. Besides these there are some
smaller divisions to which belong the Pigmies or Dwarfs, those strange
little people whom Stanley encountered on his famous journey through
the terrible forests of the Congo. Then there are the Hottentots and
the Bushmen of the south-west corner of Africa, who have been driven
into the desert and hilly places by the more powerful invading Bantu
tribes.
Many long years ago the whole of the northern part of Africa was
invaded by large numbers of fierce Arab tribes. They were very warlike
and soon overran the whole country and settled down in it, and lived
side by side with the original people of the country as their masters,
but with whom they afterwards mingled. So the North Africans of to-day
are, you see, a people of mixed race.
These hordes of conquering Arabs who overran the country were
Mohammedans, and they forced their religion upon the people among whom
they settled. Mohammedanism is therefore the chief religion of the
north of Africa. Now these Berber tribes are very dark-skinned when
compared with Europeans, but they do not belong to the black people.
They are, in fact, classed along with the white races.
The true black people are the Negroes, and their home is in the middle
part of Africa which stretches eastwards right across from the West
Coast. They are the people with the black skins, the woolly heads, the
thick lips, the flat noses, and the beautiful white teeth. It is they
whose forefathers were bought as slaves and taken to America where we
find their descendants to-day. They were a heathen people, and had many
cruel customs, and some of them were cannibals. Mohammedanism has come
upon them from the north and the east, and a great many of them now
belong to that religion.
The home of the Bantu people is the great southern portion of Africa.
The Bantus are not so black as are the Negroes, nor are they quite
so thick-lipped and flat-nosed. But in all other ways they are very
similar to their Negro neighbours. They are a heathen people although
Christianity has made good progress among them. They are brave and
intelligent, and are showing themselves able to adopt a higher and
better way of living.
The other smaller tribes, the Pigmies, the Hottentots, and the Bushmen
are far below the Negroes and Bantus in intelligence. The first of
these, the Pigmies or Dwarfs, inhabit the dense forest region of
the Congo, and not very much is known about them even to-day. The
Hottentots and the Bushmen live away down in the extreme south-west
of Africa and the Kalahari Desert. It is said that they are the
descendants of the older inhabitants of Africa, who had to seek refuge
in the hills and deserts from the powerful Bantu tribes who invaded and
seized their country.
Now I think this will be quite enough information about the different
races dwelling in Africa. What I want you to understand is that the
whole of the northern portion of Africa is Mohammedan, that the Negro
people are many already Mohammedan, and that others are rapidly being
converted to that religion, and that the Bantu people are mostly yet
heathen, while some have become Christian, especially those of the
south.
In Africa there is a great war going on. Three mighty forces or powers
are fighting against one another, and victory cannot go to them all.
These great forces are Mohammedanism, heathenism, and Christianity. But
to those of us who know the African, it is plain that the great fight
will be between the first and the last, that the Africans will be ruled
by the Cross or the Crescent, that the Bible or the Koran will be their
Holy Book, that Mohammed or Christ will be their guide in this life.
Already we see that the whole of the north follows the Prophet of
Mecca. The nature-worship of the Negro and Bantu, although yet strong,
will pass away with the passing years. The south is largely Christian,
and Christianity is pushing up northwards. Christian missions are
attacking the strongholds of Mohammedanism and heathenism in the north,
west, and east, in Egypt and the newly opened Soudan.