Gelegentlich meiner letzten Forschungsreise in Belgisch-Kongo durchquerte ich weite Gebiete dieser blühenden Kolonie, besuchte auch Ruanda und auf der Heimfahrt Rhodesia und Portugiesisch-Sambesi. Die längste Zeit hielt ich mich in der Ostprovinz der Kongo-Kolonie auf und durchreiste den Ituri-Urwald nach den verschiedensten Richtungen hin, stets auf der Fährte der Pygmäen, deren Wohngebiet der Urwald des Ituri und seiner Nebenflüsse Nepoko und Lenda ist. Obwohl der eigentliche Zweck der Reise die Erforschung der Pygmäen war, musste ich den umwohnenden Negern grösstmögliche Aufmerksamkeit widmen, da der kulturelle und sprachliche Einfluss, den sie auf die Pygmäen ausüben, ein nicht zu unterschätzender ist. Mehrere Monate brachte ich auch noch bei den Bacwa und ihrem Wirtsvolk den Nkundu in der ‘Province d'Équateur’ zu, brach aber die Arbeit dort ab, da es sich herausstellte, dass die genannten Bacwa keine reinrassigen Pygmäen sind.

The knowledge of the social organization and its changes, of the attitude of the average man towards his daily problems, of the emotional and intellectual background of conduct, must be the starting-point for every effort to influence a man in his particular world. The European missionary or teacher comes from another environment, he is accustomed to social conditions, mental ways, intellectual and emotional responses different from those of his pupils. This divergence in the mind of individuals and in the functioning of society often becomes a stumbling-block to the European, especially to a newcomer. A careful study of the situation he has to deal with is therefore essential for the missionary and teacher.

The North German Mission has for several decades had a series of readers in the vernacular for the school-children of the Ewe people (of Togo) among whom it works. The series comprises a primer and four readers of 80-180 pages, containing material suitable for seven consecutive classes. According to the opinion of experts these books are among the best of their kind for their time. However, it is fortunate that the introduction of the new orthography has compelled the issue of a new edition. This gives an opportunity of adapting the books to the demands of modern educational methods. The principles on which the work is being undertaken are here set forth briefly in the hope that they will not only help others, but will also provoke a fruitful discussion on the weighty problem of the creation of African readers.

‘One must be a native in order to understand the native.’ So we are categorically told by one of our prominent native leaders. Justified race-pride of an awakening people may have prompted that leader to say so, but he can hardly have meant to say that the native mind shall for ever be a sealed book to us. Otherwise we could retort and claim that one must be a European in order to understand the European mind which finds its expression in our culture, and we could quote instances where we see African people trying to do what they believe Europeans do, with but poor or deplorable results.

Résumé de préhistoire africaine. ‘L'Afrique à elle senle nous donnerait peut-être la clef du problème de l'homme’ disait en 1877 le docteur Paul Topinard dans L'Anthropologie. Il faut bien convenir que si la prophétie de l'éminent anthropologue ne s'est pas encore réalisée, l'Afrique a livré des documents qui sont du plus haut intérêt pour l'étude du lointain passé des races humaines primitives.

Because the African continent looks a solid block, and because most of its inhabitants are dark-skinned and woolly-haired, we are apt to treat it as if it were really homogeneous and devise some general plan for governing and educating the whole. For in one and the same man one rarely finds the capacity for both the wide and the detailed view. But how vastly different in character, customs, capacity, and life are the innumerable tribes and nations which make up Africa. Even in such a comparatively small area as Kenya, after grouping together the more similar tribes there are quite a number of divisions which, if the true interests of the people are not to be sacrificed, should have different treatment. Their future development will be different, and it is neither wise nor humane to attempt to coerce them all to a pattern, a pattern devised by a race so totally different, and without the requisite knowledge to consider what is truly best for each group of people, especially from its own point of view.

A young man named Nyagumbe starts off to seek a bride. He finds the girl he wants; but while he is staying at her parents' home, she shows no signs of returning his love. He therefore refuses to take the food she prepares for him. The girl's mother advises her to love the young man, and then all will be well. Nyagumbe is secretly amused at his own plans for winning the girl's affection.