Europeans often
pity the sex thus "doomed to perform the most laborious
drudgery;" but it is a waste of sentiment. The women are more
accustomed to labour in all senses of the word, and the result is
that they equal their mates in strength and stature; they enjoy
robust health, and their children, born without difficulty, are
sturdy and vigorous. The same was the case amongst the primitive
tribes of Europe; Zamacola (Anthrop. Mem. ii. 38), assures us
that the Basque women were physically powerful as the men, with
whom they engaged in prize-fights.
The master awakes about 3 P.M. and smokes, visits, plays with his
children, and dawdles away his time till the cool sunset, when a
second edition of the first meal is served up. If there be
neither dance nor festival, all then retire to their bens, light
the fire, and sit smoking tobacco or bhang, with frequent
interruptions of palm wine or rum, till joined by their partners.
Douville (ii. 113), says that the Pangue or chanvre, "croit
naturellement dans lepays" I believe the questions to be still
sub judice, whether the intoxicating cannabis be or be not
indigenous to Africa as well as to Asia; and whether smoking was
not known in the Old World, as it certainly was in the New,
before tobacco was introduced.
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