nes if they did not take advantage of
their rainy season to lay in sufficient stores for the fine: and here we
touch on the misfortune of the country; for the negro is too lazy to do
so effectively, owing chiefly, as we shall see presently, to want of a
strong protecting government. One substantial fact has been established,
owing to our having crossed over ten degrees of latitude in the centre
of the continent, or from 5 deg. south to 5 deg. north latitude, which is this:
There exists a regular gradation of fertility, surprisingly rich on the
equator, but decreasing systematically from it; and the reason why this
great fertile zone is confined to the equatorial regions, is the same as
that which has constituted it the great focus of water or lake supply,
whence issue the principal rivers of Africa. On the equator lie the
rainbearing influences of the Mountains of the Moon. The equatorial line
is, in fact, the centre of atmospheric motion.

Fauna

In treating of this branch of natural history, we will first take
man--the true curly-head, flab-nosed, pouch-mouthed negro--not the
Wahuma. [2] They are well distributed all over these latitudes, but are
not found anywhere in dense communities. Their system of government is
mostly of the patriarchal character. Some are pastorals, but most are
agriculturalists; and this difference, I believe, originates solely from
want of a stable government, to enable them to reap what they produce;
for where the negro can save his cattle, which is his wealth, by eating
grain, he will do it. In the same way as all animals, whether wild or
tame, require a guide to lead their flocks, so do the negroes find it
necessary to have chiefs over their villages and little communities,
who are their referees on all domestic or political questions. They have
both their district and their village chiefs, but, in the countries we
are about to travel over, no kings such as we shall find that the Wahuma
have. The district chief is absolute, though guided in great measure by
his "grey-beards," who constantly attend his residence, and talk over
their affairs of state. These commonly concern petty internal matters;
for they are too selfish and too narrow-minded to care for anything but
their own private concerns. The grey-beards circulate the orders of the
chief amongst the village chiefs, who are fined when they do not comply
with them; and hence all orders are pretty well obeyed.

One thing only tend