The above are the fundamental traits of all Bantu languages, but only rarely is the uniformity carried out as rigidly as in our example.
Very often the prefix of a class takes the place of a certain other word VOL. 1.-20 with the verb. Thus, in this sentence of the Suaheli language (Steere), ' Fiat' is, "' This =youth in is. the sign of the first class of substantives, which signifies living beings; a in is the sign of the third person which conies before the verb when the subject is a noun of the first class; ka signifies the past tense; fula, to draw. In u indicates a noun of the seventh class, which signifies utensils; also the ze-(u) in his.
Se-suto is the language of the Basuto, one individual of whom is called one of the 0-va-hereros; their language is called 0/shi-herero (Bleek). Thus one can draw an outline of all these languages, and can also explain the apparently changing name of one and the same tribe. Bleek calls the whole race the Bantu tribe, because the syllable ba (ma, zuz) always precedes the names of these nations, indicating the plural; in the language of the Caffirs signifies "people, persons." to Bleek, the whole family of the Bantu is divided into " The branch, which includes the Caffirs (A-ma-kosa, Ama-pondo, Fingos, Zulus), next the Tekes.a tribes (Ma-tongo and others), and finally the Betchuanas (Basuto, Barolong, Mal(ololo, etc.), and is bounded by the Limpopos, only the Makololo extending in the interior as far as the Zambesi.
2. The Eastern division, which comprises first of all the tribes as far as Cape Delgado; the inhabitants of the Sofala coast, the il/akuas, the inhabitants of Ouilimane, Mozambique, and Kisanga; in the interior the Maravi, the BaroIse, and the tribes around Lake Nvassa; farther to the north the TUanyamwezi, the Balunda, and the _lianas, and finally the northern group of the Suahells around Zanzibar, the Tshagas, and other tribes farther to the north.
3. The TT estern division, which is formed by the Hereros (the Damaras of the plain), the Ovampu, the population of Benguela and Angola (Bundy nations), as also by the Congo tribes and the J./Aon,_,Tzve.
4. The branch, which includes the nations from the Gaboon to the Cameroon Mountains and the Niger Delta, the Dike/is, the Bengas, /cubits, Duallas, and the Ediyahs on the island of Fernando Po.
Our illustrations show individuals of the South-eastern branch, Plate 84 (figs. 1-7), Basuto; and Plate 83 (fig. t), Plate 85 (fig. 6, 7, 9), Zulus; of the Eastern branch, Plates 87, 88, 89, Suahelis, Tshagas, and .Kambas
(the latter two tribes dwelling to the north and north-west of the first named); the Ma-bongu (Mbongu), the Mukomanga, and the Ma-Nyassa (that is, inhabitants of Lake Nyassa), the latter of which belong to the Makna (pl. 87, figs. 2, 3, 4, 5; /5/. 88, fig. 2; pl. 89, Jigs. 8, 9, 13). The Wanyamwezi (Monomoezi, Uniamoezi), to the north of Lake Nyassa and east of Lake Tanganyika (pl. 87, fig. 1), are closely related to the Ma Nyassa. Mozambique Negroes are seen ou Plate 86 (figs. 18, 19, 2o); to these are related the Manganyas, who have their seats in the interior off the coast of Mozambique (i5/. 89, figs. 1, 2, 6). The illustrations on Plate 89 (jigs. 3, 5, 6) also relate to the Eastern tribes, Figure 3 to the Suahelis, while the Benguela and Congo Negroes of Cabinda (fl. go, jigs. 1-5, 8) are representatives of the Western branch.
Similarity of comparatively great similarity exhibited within this widespread family is striking. The inhabitants of Mozam bique are in language so much like the Congo and the Angola Negroes that the assertion that they can easily understand one another seems probable. Physically also we find such great resemblance among these tribes that one description will apply to them all; and indeed our plates show at once this universal similarity.
our description we must take into consideration the numerous mixed forms which occur at the boundaries of this district; for example, in the south between the Caffirs and Iletchuanas on the one hand, and on the other between the Hottentots and Bushmen, and in the east between the nations of the coast and the Arabians. Thus the father of the Suaheli family on Plate 87 (jig. 3) shows this Arabian influence by his strong beard (comp. pl. SS, jig. I). It is natural that toward the north west intermixtures with Negroes should have taken place, but to attribute the black color of the Bantu peoples to an intermingling with Negroes, as has been recently done, is clearly incorrect. Negro slaves have not unfrequently intermingled with individuals of the different Bantu tribes, but such intermixtures, as well as others with Indian merchants, are only single cases which could have no effect upon the entire people. The influence of the Europeans in this direction is of greater importance; and of still more importance is that of the Malays, who have frequently come to the eastern coast, and of late also to the Cape, but they have not effected a change of the whole type.