And the general _vis inertiae_, peculiar
to hepatic tropical settlements, together with the unwillingness, or
rather the inability, to undertake anything not absolutely necessary, made
many of the colonists look upon the proposal rather as a weariness to the
flesh than a benefit. A chosen few steadily looked forward to it; but they
contented themselves with a theoretical prospect, and, perhaps wisely, did
not attempt action.
The condition of the Coast, however, has radically changed during the last
two decades. The export slave-trade has died the death, never to
'resurrect.' The immense benefits of immigration are known to all men,
theoretically and practically. India and China have thrown open their
labour-markets. And, finally, the difficulty of finding hands, for
agriculture especially, in Western Africa has now come to a crisis.
Here I must be allowed a few words of preliminary explanation. In this
matter, the reverse of Europe, Africa, whose social system is built upon
slavery, holds field-work, and indeed all manual labour, degrading to the
free man. The idea of a 'bold peasantry, its country's pride,' is utterly
alien to Nigritia. The husband hunts, fights, and trades--that is to say,
peddles--he leaves sowing and reaping to his wives and his chattels.
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