THE PEOPLES OF AFRICA.—Several great divisions of the human family are represented among the peoples of Africa. To the north of the Sudan, various branches of what has been called the Mediter ranean race form the basis of the population. The Berbers in the Mediterranean States, the Egyptians in the valley of the Nile, and the inhabitants of north-east Africa, as far south as Somaliland, are all connected with one another, and pass under the general name of Harnites, though they have been diversely affected by various invaders from the neighbouring continent of Asia. Of these, the Arabs, who are of Semitic origin, form a large part of the population of the Mediterranean States, and are also found in many parts of the Sahara, though the Tuaregs, living within the French sphere of influence, are Berbers who have taken up a nomadic life. To the south of the Sahara, Africa is populated by various peoples of negro origin. The Sudan is the home of the true negro, but in places there is considerable intermixture, and the Fulani, who are of Hamitic origin, but with a strong infusion of negro blood, dominate the negro population in many places. The
Congo Forest is the home of the negrilloes, but is also occupied by other branches of the black race. The remainder of the negro population of Africa consists of Bantus, who differ greatly among themselves; as they have mingled with negrilloes and Hamites in the north, and with Hottentots and Bushmen in the south. They are found in West Africa from the Kameruns to Angola, in the highland regions of Fast Africa, and in South Africa where they are represented by the Kaffirs, Zulus, Bechuanas, and others. The Hottentots of south-west Africa are probably derived from an intermixture of a Hamitic stock and Bushmen, the latter of whom are woolly-haired, yellow-skinned people, now practically confined to the Kalahari region.