Man, Past and Present Part 10

[184] See C. H. Robinson, _Hausaland, or Fifteen Hundred Miles through the Central Soudan_, 1896; _Specimens of Hausa Literature_, 1896; _Hausa Grammar_, 1897; _Hausa Dictionary_, 1899. Authorities are undecided whether to cla.s.s Hausa with the Semitic or the Hamitic family, or in an independent group by itself, and it must be admitted that some of its features are extremely puzzling. While Sudanese Negro in phonology and perhaps in most of its word roots, it is Hamitic in its grammatical features and p.r.o.nouns. But the Hamitic element is thought by experts to be as much Kus.h.i.te, or even Koptic, as Libyan. "On the whole, it seems probable," says H. H. Johnston, "that the Hausa speech was shaped by a double influence: from Egypt, and Hamiticized Nubia, as well as by Libyan immigrants from across the Sahara." "A Survey of the Ethnography of Africa," _Journ. Roy. Anthr. Soc._ XLIII. 1913, p. 385. Cf. also Julius Lippert, "uber die Stellung der Hausasprache," _Mitteilungen des Seminars fur Orientalische Sprachen_, 1906. It is noteworthy that Hausa is the only language in tropical Africa which has been reduced to writing by the natives themselves.

[185] _Campaigning on the Upper Nile and Niger_, by Lt Seymour Vandeleur, with an Introduction by Sir George Goldie, 1898. "In camp,"

writes Lt Vandeleur, "their conduct was exemplary, while pillaging and ill-treatment of the natives were unknown. As to their fighting qualities, it is enough to say that, little over 500 strong (on the Bida expedition of 1897), they withstood for two days 25,000 or 30,000 of the enemy; that, former slaves of the Fulahs, they defeated their dreaded masters," etc.

[186] The Kano Chronicle, translated by H. R. Palmer, _Journ. Roy.

Anthr. Inst._ x.x.xVIII. 1908, gives a list of Hausa kings (Sarkis) from 999 A.D.

[187] For references to recent literature see note on p. 58. Also R. S.

Rattray, _Hausa Folk-lore_, 1913; A. J. N. Tremearne, _Hausa Superst.i.tions and Customs_, 1913, and _Hausa Folk-Tales_, 1914.

[188] By a popular etymology these are _Ka-Nuri_, "People of Light."

But, as they are somewhat lukewarm Muhammadans, the zealous Fulahs say it should be _Ka-Nari_, "People of Fire," _i.e._ foredoomed to Gehenna!

[189] E. Gentil, _La Chute de l'Empire de Rabah_, 1902.

[190] The Buduma, who derive their legendary origin from the Fulahs whom they resemble in physique, worship the _Karraka_ tree (a kind of acacia). P. A. Talbot, "The Buduma of Lake Chad," _Journ. Roy. Anthr.

Inst._ XLI. 1911. The anthropology of the region has lately been dealt with in _Doc.u.ments Scientifiques de la Mission Tilho_ (1906-9), _Republique Francaise, Ministere des Colonies_, Vol. III. 1914; R.

Gaillard and L. Poutrin, _etude anthropologique des Populations des Regions du Tchad et du Kanem_, 1914.

[191] III. p. 194.

[192] _Sahara and Sudan_, II. p. 628.

[193] II. pp. 382-3.

[194] That is "Kanem-men," the postfix _bu_, _be_, as in _Ti-bu_, _Ful-be_, answering to the Bantu prefix _ba_, _wa_, as in _Ba-Suto_, _Wa-Swahili_, etc. Here may possibly be discovered a link between the Sudanese, Teda-Daza, and Bantu linguistic groups. The transposition of the agglutinated particles would present no difficulty; cf. Umbrian and Latin (_Eth._ p. 214). The Kanembu are described by Tilho, who explored the Chad basin, 1906-9. His reports were published in 1914. _Republique Francaise Ministere des Colonies, Doc.u.ments Scientifiques de la Mission Tilho_ (1906-9), Vol. III. 1914.

[195] Barth draws a vivid picture of the contrasts, physical and mental, between the Kanuri and the Hausa peoples; "Here we took leave of Hausa with its fine and beautiful country, and its cheerful and industrious population. It is remarkable what a difference there is between the character of the ba-Haushe and the Kanuri--the former lively, spirited, and cheerful, the latter melancholic, dejected, and brutal; and the same difference is visible in their physiognomies--the former having in general very pleasant and regular features, and more graceful forms, while the Kanuri, with his broad face, his wide nostrils and his large bones, makes a far less agreeable impression, especially the women, who are very plain and certainly among the ugliest in all Negroland" (II.

pp. 163-4).

[196] See Nachtigal, II. p. 690.

[197] For recent literature see Lady Lugard's _A Tropical Dependency_, 1905, and the references, note 3, p. 58.

[198] These are the same people as the _Tunjurs_ (_Tunzers_) of Darfur, regarding whose ethnical position so much doubt still prevails. Strange to say, they themselves claim to be Arabs, and the claim is allowed by their neighbours, although they are not Muhammadans. Lejean thinks they are Tibus from the north-west, while Nachtigal, who met some as far west as Kanem, concluded from their appearance and speech that they were really Arabs settled for hundreds of years in the country (_op. cit._ II. p. 256).

[199] A. H. Keane, "Wadai," _Travel and Exploration_, July, 1910; and H.

H. Johnston, on Lieut. Boyd Alexander, _Geog. Journ._ same date.

[200] H. A. MacMichael has investigated the value of these racial claims in the case of the Kababish and indicates the probable admixture of Negro, Mediterranean, Hamite and other strains in the Sudanese Arabs. He says, "Among the more settled tribes any important sheikh or faki can produce a table of his ancestors (_i.e._ a _nisba_) in support of his a.s.severations.... I asked a village sheikh if he could show me his pedigree, as I did not know from which of the exalted sources his particular tribe claimed descent. He replied that he did not know yet, but that his village had subscribed 60 piastres the month before to hire a faki to compose a _nisba_ for them, and that he would show me the result when it was finished." "The Kababish: Some Remarks on the Ethnology of a Sudan Arab Tribe," _Journ. Roy. Anthr. Inst._ XL. 1910, p. 216.

[201] See the Kababish types, Pl. x.x.xVII in C. G. Seligman's "Some Aspects of the Hamitic Problem in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan," _Journ.

Roy. Anthr. Inst._ XLIII. 1913, but cf. also p. 626 and n. 2.

[202] "The Physical Characters of the Nuba of Kordofan," _Journ. Roy.

Anthr. Inst._ XL. 1910, "Some Aspects of the Hamitic Problem," etc., _tom. cit._ XLIII. 1913.

[203] See H. A. MacMichael, _The Tribes of Northern and Central Kordofan_, 1912.

[204] Cf. A. W. Tucker and C. S. Myers, "A Contribution to the Anthropology of the Sudan," _Journ. Roy. Anthr. Inst._ XL. 1910, p. 149.

[205] This term, however, has by some authorities been identified with the _Barabara_, one of the 113 tribes recorded in the inscription on a gateway of Thutmes, by whom they were reduced about 1700 B.C. In a later inscription of Rameses II at Karnak (1400 B.C.) occurs the form _Beraberata_, name of a southern people conquered by him. Hence Brugsch (_Reisebericht aus aegypten_, pp. 127 and 155) is inclined to regard the modern _Barabra_ as a true ethnical name confused in cla.s.sical times with the Greek and Roman _Barbarus_, but revived in its proper sense since the Moslem conquest. See also the editorial note on the term _Berber_, in the new English ed. of Leo Africa.n.u.s, Vol. 1. p. 199.

[206] [Greek:'Ex aristeron de ruseos tou Neilou Noubai katoikousin en te Libue, mega ethnos], etc. (Book XVII. p. 1117, Oxford ed. 1807). Sayce, therefore, is quite wrong in stating that Strabo knew only of "Ethiopians," and not Nubians, "as dwelling northward along the banks of the Nile as far as Elephantine" (_Academy_, April 14, 1894).

[207] _Nubische Grammatik_, 1881, _pa.s.sim._

[208] B. Z. Seligman, "Note on the Languages of the Nubas of S.

Kordofan," _Zeitschr. f. Kol.-spr._ I. 1910-11; C. G. Seligman, "Some Aspects of the Hamitic Problem," etc., _Journ. Roy. Anthr. Inst._ XLIII.

1913, p. 621 ff.

[209] See A. H. Keane, _Man, Past and Present_, 1900, p. 74.

[210] C. G. Seligman, "The Physical Characters of the Nuba of Kordofan,"

_Journ. Roy. Anthr. Inst._ XL. 1910, p. 512, and "Some Aspects of the Hamitic Problem," etc., _Journ. Roy. Anthr. Inst._ XLIII. 1913, _pa.s.sim_.

[211] _Archaeological Survey of India_, Bull. III. p. 25.

[212] See note 1, p. 44.

[213] _Op. cit._ I. p. 263.

[214] _Travels in Africa_, Keane's English ed., Vol. III. p. 247.

[215] _Ibid._ p. 246.

[216] C. G. Seligman, Art. "d.i.n.ka," _Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics._ See also the same author's "Cult of Nyakangano the Divine Kings of the Shilluk," _Fourth Report Wellcome Research Lab. Khartoum_, Vol.

B, 1911, p. 216; S. L. c.u.mmins, _Journ. Anthr. Inst._ x.x.xIV. 1904, and H. O'Sullivan, "d.i.n.ka Laws and Customs," _Journ. Roy. Anthr. Inst._ XL.

1910. Measurements of d.i.n.ka, Shilluk etc. are given by A. W. Tucker and C. S. Myers, "A Contribution to the Anthropology of the Sudan," _Journ.

Roy. Anthr. Inst._ XL. 1910. G. A. S. Northcote, "The Nilotic Kavirondo," _Journ. Roy. Anthr. Inst._ x.x.xVI. 1907, describes an allied people, the _Jaluo_.

[217] _Travels in Africa_, Keane's Eng. ed., III. p. 279. Thus the Bantu _Ba_, _Wa_, _Ama_, etc., correspond to the _A_ of the Welle lands, as in _A-Zandeh_, _A-Barmbo_, _A-Madi_, _A-Bangba_, _i.e._ Zandeh people, Barmbo people, etc. Cf. also Kanem_bu_, Ti_bu_, Ful_be_, etc., where the personal particle (_bu, be_) is postfixed. It would almost seem as if we had here a transition between the northern Sudanese and the southern Bantu groups in the very region where such transitions might be looked for.

[218] Schweinfurth, _op. cit._ II. p. 93.

[219] G. Elliot Smith denies that cannibalism occurred in Ancient Egypt, _The Ancient Egyptians_, 1911, p. 48.

[220] _Africa_, 1895, Vol. II. p. 58. In a carefully prepared monograph on "Endocannibalismus," Vienna, 1896, Dr Rudolf S. Steinmetz brings together a great body of evidence tending to show "da.s.s eine hohe Wahrscheinlichkeit dafur spricht den Endocannibalismus (indigenous anthropophagy) als standige Sitte der Urmenschen, sowie der niedrigen Wilden anzunehmen" (pp. 59, 60). It is surprising to learn from the ill-starred Bttego-Grixoni expedition of 1892-3 that anthropophagy is still rife even in Gallaland, and amongst the white ("floridi") Cormoso Gallas. Like the Fans, these prefer the meat "high," and it would appear that all the dead are eaten. Hence in their country Bttego found no graves, and one of his native guides explained that "questa gente seppellisce i suoi cari nel ventre, invece che nella terra," _i.e._ these people bury their dear ones in their stomach instead of in the ground. Vittorio Bttego, _Viaggi di Scoperta_, etc. Rome, 1895.

[221] I. p. 245.

[222] II. p. 140.

CHAPTER IV

THE AFRICAN NEGRO: II. BANTUS--NEGRILLOES--BUSHMEN--HOTTENTOTS