Identifier: voicefromcongoco00ward (find matches)
Title: A voice from the Congo : comprising stories, anecdotes, and descriptive notes
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Ward, Herbert, 1863-1919
Subjects: Ward, Herbert, 1863-1919 Africa, Central -- Description and travel Africa, Central -- Social life and customs
Publisher: New York : Charles Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: University of Connecticut Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Connecticut Libraries

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ition ex-isting between the inhabitants of the open country ofthe Lower Congo and the forest dwellers of the farinterior. It is difficult at the present time to definitely ac-count for these variations of character, owing to ourabsolute lack of knowledge of native history; but hav-ing as an accounted fact that they are not aboriginal,we must naturally infer that admixture with formerraces, combined with the phenomena of environment,represent the main elements of influence to whichthese variations of character are to be attributed.Typically, the present native inhabitants of the Congoregion, to which I refer, are closely allied to the ne-gro race. The distinctive features however consistin a warm-toned skin, and small, well-proportionedthough slightly flat hands and feet. But the promi-nent brow-ridge, the flat, broad nose and evertedlips, small eyes, long arms and bowed legs, in moreor less decided forms, are characteristic, although inmany individual cases the negro type is in no way
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Photograph by Rowland Ward, Ltd. Congo arms In the Authors collection CONGO CHARACTERISTICS 255 pronounced. The mens hair appears to be moreluxuriant than the womens, and it is very rare to seeany hair upon the face of the Congo natives. Theireyes are generally bloodshot, a peculiarity that isprobably due to their sleeping in smoke-filled huts. Among the native tribes of the Congo basin thereexists no history of any kind. There is no writtenlanguage, no tradition of the past, and no indicationof an attempt to perpetuate any epoch in their livesby means of earth or stone erections. Thus con-fronted with insurmountable difficulties in the way oftribal classification, language is the only guide wehave to depend upon in determining racial affinities.The languages spoken by the native inhabitants ofthe Congo basin are nearly all of the same grammat-ical structure, one of the most remarkable features ofwhich is the alliterative concord. The various tribesof the Congo are for the most part a

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