The inhabitants of Congo, their colour excepted, i which s commonly black, though not 'Infrequently also of an olive hue, have a great resemblance to the Por tuguese. Their hair is black and finely curled; some have it also ol a dark sandy colour. Their eyes are for the most part of a fine lively black ; in particular instances they are of a dark sea-colour. They have neither flat noses tor thick lips, like the Nubians and the most part of negroes. Their stature is mostly of the middle size. The general indolence of their disposition has been already noticed, which is such as to prevent them in a great measure from reaping the advantages easily within their reach from a soil which, if duly cul tivated, would yield not only two, but sometimes even three, crops in the year. These people seem to con sider it as unworthy of them to engage in any other exercises than those of dancing, leaping, shooting, and hunting, or on other occasions in smoking and more indolent recreations ; whilst the laborious part of their household affairs, as also the operations of digging, sow ing, reaping, and the like, arc left to the conduct of their slaves,* or in other instances of their wives ; and though they have plenty of domestic animals which might easily be trained to undergo the more laborious services, and it might be expected that the example of the Portuguese would incite them to endeavour to turn them in this manner to useful account, it does not appear that they have ever thought of taking the trouble which would be necessary for bringing them into a condition to yield them such valuable assistance. The backward state of things among this people seems not to be in any degree, or to be but little, the consequence of a want of a natural capacity ; on the contrary, it is said, that with all their repugnance to any kind of labour in the least degree painful, they have even a most happy disposition for the practice of the mechanical arts. This is exemplified in the singular aptness that has been remarked among the inhabitants of the eastern limits of the kingdom, for the fabrication of different sorts of stuffs, such as velvets, satins, tissues, &c. The thread which they make use of for preparing these stuffs, they draw from the leaves of different trees, which they prevent from rising to too great a height for their purpose, by cutting them annu ally, and which, by means of frequent watering, they cause to send forth leaves more tender than they would naturally yield, and consequently better fitted for the formation of soft and smooth cloths. The same barks, moreover, as well as other parts of the trees, and indeed generally the different natural productions of their coun try, they shew not a little ingenuity in turning to various other useful purposes for the arts, or for their better accommodation in life. There is something, it may be added, to be observed here, that is akin to a division of labour, and the prosecution in different situations of dif ferent modes of labour respectively the best adapted to them. Thus the inhabitants of the cities are seen sub sisting by the profits of their trade. Those who dwell in the country maintain themselves by the returns from agriculture, extremely simple and unimproved as this art indeed is among them, as well as by what they derive from their cattle. Those who border on the sea or on the great rivers, procure their maintenance by fishing.
The accounts given of the temper, affections, and dis position of mind and heart prevalent among the Con goese, are generally such as are indeed very little is their honour. They are said to be mistrustful, jealous, envious, treacherous, and much inclined to revenge. So devoid are they stated to be of natural affection, that a father will sell his son or daughter, or both, for a piece of cloth, a collar or girdle of coral or beads, a bottle of wine or brandy, or other matters of not greater intrinsic value,.or capable of yielding a more permanent satisfac
ton. A loan in this country, if a heathen, may take to himself as many wives as he pleases ; or if his Christian profession should prevent this indulgence, lie may have, what is the same thing in effect, as many concubines as he judges proper, and has over these such absolute and uncontiouled authority, that in whatever circumstances they may be, even in whatever stage of pregnaocy, he may repudiate or even sell them at pleasure. But great as may in reality be the defects of their character, or how much room soever there may be for improvement, either in that or in any thing else relating to their con dition, it has been remarked that there is perhaps hardly any nation on earth who have a higher opinion of them selves or of their country than this, or that are more hardened against all conviction to the contrary, from reason, experience, or any comparison of themselves with those Ivhom they may have had opportunities of seeing from different parts of the world. It is a funda mental article of their belief, that the rest of the world was the work of angels, but that the kingdom of Congo, in its full and ancient extent, was the immediate produc tion of the Supreme Architect himself, and of course has vast prerogatives and advantages over all others. \Wen told of the magnificence of the European and Asiatic courts, their immense revenues, the grandeur of their palaces and other edifices, the richness and hap piness of their subjects, the great progress they have made in arts and sciences, to which their own country is wholly a stranger, they coolly answer, that all this conies vastly short of the dignity and splendour of the kings and kingdom of Congo, and that there can be but one Congo in the world, to the happiness of whose mon arch and people the rest of mankind were created to contribute, and to whose treasury the sea and rivers con stantly bring their riches, whilst other princes and nations must condescend to dig through rocks and mountains in quest of the gold and silver which constitute their wealth, and as such are so generally and so supremely held in esteem amongst them. In conformity with these opinions, they imagine that the nations which come to traffic with them are forced upon that servile employ ment, from the badness and the poverty of their several countries, not incited to it by their luxury or avarice. For themselves, they consider it to be not a little to their honour, that they can with ease and contentment with stand the solicitations of the most pinching distress, rather than disgrace the nobleness of their blood by any kind of industry, which, however laudable and beneficial such industry may be, they arc still disposed to regard as a lesser degree of slavery. They are not, however, equally fastidious in respect to begging or stealing, being indeed the most shameless and importunate beg gars in the world, and such determined and outrageous robbers, that the only circumstance on account of which they deem any abstraction of property to be unlawful or scandalous, is its being committed in a private manner, and without the knowledge of .the person wronged. It is esteemed a piece of bravery and gallantt y to wrench any thing Iron) another by violence ; and this description impudent mpudent rapacily is so common, not merely among the vulgar, but also among the great, that they make no scruple in their travels from place to place, to seize not only upon all the provisions they meet with in the towns and villages, but on whatever else comes in their way. In consequence of these violences, the poor people are eager, when apprehensive of such danger, to conceal, in the best manner they can, their few valuables, and esteem themselves happy if noLeompelled by a severe bastonad ing to discover them to their oppressors.