The heart of Africa, Vol. 1 (of 2)Schweinfurth, Georg August
Science
The heart of Africa, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Schweinfurth, Georg August
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Schweinfurth, Georg August, 1836-1925 -- Travel -- Africa, Central
Still further proof of the superabundance of population of the
Shillooks is manifest from the emigration which goes forward in a
south-westerly direction, where considerable numbers of them, the
Dembo and Dyoor, have settled on the border-lands between the Bongo
and Dinka. Of these, however, I will speak hereafter; I will only
pause now to remark how, in vivid contrast to the monotonous
uniformity of nature which ordinarily asserts itself throughout vast
tracts of Central Africa, there are even exhibited diversities of
human development, differences of dialect, and peculiarities of bodily
conformation. In the Shillook territory there are probably no less
than 600 residents to the square mile, whilst in Bongo-land, within
180 miles to the south-west, there would be found hardly a dozen
occupants on an equal area. Again, between lat. 5° and 1° N., within a
range of not more than 300 miles, are to be found examples of the
largest and of the smallest races of mankind—the Bari and the Akkah,
of which the former might rival the Patagonians in stature, the latter
being scarcely taller than Esquimaux, and considerably below a medium
height.
[Sidenote: SHILLOOK VILLAGES.]
It should be appended to what has been said about the villages, that
the entire west bank of the Nile, as far as the confines of the
district reach, assumes the appearance of one single village, of which
the sections are separated by intervals varying from 300 to 1000
paces. These clusters of huts are built with surprising regularity,
and are so closely crowded together that they cannot fail to suggest
the comparison with a thick mass of fungus or mushrooms. Every village
has its overseer, whilst the overseers of fifty or seventy, or
sometimes of 100 villages, are subject to a superintendent, who has
the control of what may be called a “district,” and of such districts
there are well nigh a hundred, each of them distinguished by its
particular name. One of the descendants of the ancient kings had been
reduced to entire subjection under the Government; another at the
period of my first visit was still resisting to the utmost.
In the centre of each village there is a circular space where, evening
after evening, the inhabitants congregate, and, either stretched upon
hides or squatting down on mats of ambatch, inhale the vapour from
burning heaps of cow-dung to keep off the flies, or from pipes with
enormous clay bowls smoke the tobacco of the country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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