21.2. 2. Of the People of Africa.
The greatest part of the people on the
coast of Africa are savages and barbarians. The principal reason, I
believe, of this is, because the small countries capable of being
inhabited are separated from each other by large and almost
uninhabitable tracts of land. They are without industry or arts. They
have gold in abundance, which they receive immediately from the hand of
nature. Every civilised state is therefore in a condition to traffic
with them to advantage, by raising their esteem for things of no value,
and receiving a very high price in return.
