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Hereditary Genius
339
that of the travellers who visit them. The latter, no doubt, bring with
them the knowledge current in civilized lands, but that is an advantage
of less importance than we are apt to suppose. A native chief has as
good an education in the art of ruling men, as can be desired; he is
continually exercised in personal government, and usually maintains
his place by the ascendency of his character, shown every day over
his subjects and rivals. A traveller in wild countries also fills, to a
certain degree, the position of a commander, and has to confront
native chiefs at every inhabited place. The result is familiar enough—
the white traveller almost invariably holds his own in their presence.
It is seldom that we hear of a white traveller meeting with a black
chief whom he feels to be the better man. I have often discussed this
subject with competent persons, and can only recall a few cases of
the inferiority of the white man,—certainly not more than might be
ascribed to an average actual difference of three grades, of which
one may be due to the relative demerits of native education, and the
remaining two to a difference in natural gifts.
Fourthly, the number among the negroes of those whom we should
call half-witted men, is very large. Every book alluding to negro
servants in America is full of instances. I was myself much
impressed by this fact during my travels in Africa. The mistakes the
negroes made in their own matters, were so childish, stupid, and
simpleton-like, as frequently to make me ashamed of my own
species, I do not think it any exaggeration to say, that their c is as low
as our e, which would be a difference of two grades, as before. I
have no information as to actual idiocy among the negroes—I mean,
of course, of that class of idiocy which is not due to disease.
The Australian type is at least one grade below the African negro. I
possess a few serviceable data about the
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