Identifier: ridpathsuniversa08ridp (find matches)
Title: Ridpath's Universal history : an account of the origin, primitive condition and ethnic development of the great races of mankind, and of the principal events in the evolution and progress of the civilized life among men and nations, from recent and authentic sources with a preliminary inquiry on the time, place and manner of the beginning
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Ridpath, John Clark, 1840-1900
Subjects: World history
Publisher: Cincinnati : Jones
Contributing Library: University of Pittsburgh Library System
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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ians seemto have added an ethnic inaptitude forall kinds of structure. We are not to suppose that thesepeoples do not gather into Adllages andtowns, or that they do not possess certainkinds of barbaric Avealth. We speakonly of the absence of architecture andthe manifest present inability of the raceto produce it. Of huts and bungaloAv-like lodges they haA-e an abundance,but the symptoms of an architecturaldisplay and eAolution are not in them. The African towns along the Congoreach in some instances for half a mileor more up and down the character ofriver banks. The like fact SffiS^Smay be witnessed in the ivory,country of the Nyanzas. In such townsthe rude resources of the native nationsare gathered. Many articles are therefound which are in the request of com-merce. Here may be found the mostplentiful supply of ivory that the Avorldcan furnish. It is said that AfricanA^illages in some parts of the equatorialregions have hardly a house in Avhichthe rude vessels of the inhabitants are
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648 GREAT RACES OF MANKIND. edge of metallurgy; otherindustries. not made of ivory. The aggregate ofthis material, second only in its value tothe precious metals, is beyond estimate,and the astonishing fact is that the com-merce therein, under the auspices offoreign merchants, has hardly well be-gun ! A few of the Nigritian races have aknowledge of the simpler forms of met-Smaiiknowi- allurgy. They are ableto handle native copperand iron, and possibly toextract them from their ores. Themetals thus obtained are wrought intobarbarian weapons and implements;but the work done of this kind is invari-ably primitive and rude. Of the domes-tic arts known to the native Africans,spinning, weaving, and pottery are theprincipal. In none of these departmentsof industry, however, have the peopleattained to excellence. The principalmeans of subsistence are gathered every-where from the chase, from fishing, andfrom the simpler kinds of agriculture.The elephant hunt is the heroic sport ofall the natio

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