WOMEN
In the dark continent, as in
1. Temporary unions: How should the European conduct
himself in
Health Precautions: A woman chosen in these
conditions is generally healthy; while black prostitutes, not being submitted
to medical inspection, are almost always infected. Many black women, especially
Fulas, are relatively faithful, whatever may have
been said about them; whether out of self-esteem or honesty they do not deceive
the European whom they have agreed to marry temporarily.
Respect: A marriage contracted with an influential
chief's daughter may serve to tighten the bonds of sympathy which bind the
Negro to the European and to facilitate the administration of the country.
Among certain peoples, the Baoulé for example, the
women, who are all-powerful, come readily to us, and will be one of our
strongest instruments of pacification. It should be remembered that most of the
treaties signed with great Negro chiefs have been ratified by a white man's
marriage with one of their daughters.
Discipline: The European who has no native wife is not well
regarded by
soldiers, servants and married natives placed under his orders, who
always dread that he will abuse his position. The Negroes are very
jealous of their
wives and examples may be cited of Europeans who have met their death
through
having, in a moment of aberration or oblivion, sought to possess
married negresses.
Hygiene: The European who has a native wife, if she is not too unintelligent,
finally becomes a little attached to her; she diverts him, cares for him,
dispels boredom and sometimes prevents him from indulging in alcoholism or
sexual debauchery, which are unfortunately so common in hot countries.
Instruction: Finally, a union with a native woman is one of the surest ways to learn the native language quickly, to penetrate to the heart of secret customs, to learn the songs and legends of these peoples (which are often very pretty) - in a word, to understand the black soul.
For all these reasons such unions have long been accepted within the colonial moral code; in order of racial preference Europeans generally choose: Fullahs, fair skinned with regular features and sometimes very pure; Apollonians, Pourognians, several Mande families (Kassonike, Malinke, etc), Tukolors, Baoules, Sousous... We took into account in this quick classification those qualities which please Europeans and not the true value of the women of these different races.
After deciding to take a wife, one conforms to the custom of the country in which one finds oneself. One asks the parents or masters of the young lady for her hand. The amount of bride-price payable is settled with them, and when agreement is reached the woman is taken away without further formality. This act must always be brought to the notice of the local Commandant.The love feasts and festivities usual in Negro marriages are not appropriate
when Europeans are involved.
On returning to
Former wives of Europeans are in
great demand among the Negroes and can generally make very good marriages.
Certainly, from the point of view of strict morality these unions are to be
condemned; but one must take account of the differences of civilisation
and environment of the country and of the conditions of life in which one finds
oneself in the colonies and apply to these temporary unions the formula we used
about polygamy: a necessary evil.
Of course, if these unions should lead to the birth of children, the father
(if he is sure of the fact) muast concern himself with their future. There are two
establishments subsidised by the State to receive and bring up mulatto boys and girls, one at Kita, one at Dinguiray.
Here for a modest sum, children of Europeans are
brought up and taught-manual trades, according to their aptitudes.
This instution remains insufficient; there is much [still] to do
along these lines. The problemof adapting our races to these climates lies there; it is
by creating mulatto races that we most easily Gallicise
2. Permanent Unions: When colonists finally decide to settle in
Africa, we advise them to choose a native wife and to create local families
which will be stronger and more resistant [to disease] than those exported
there [from
Initial cross-breeding between Europeans and Negroes, later successively attenuated by unions of whites and mulattoes, seems to us the essential condition of acclimatization.
These new races may be beautiful, strong and intelligent. We believe that if the mulattoes appear unfavorable in their relations with us, the fault lies partly in the unjust contempt which Europeans have shown them, and partly in the feelings of distrust that the Negroes have towards us. Hybrid individuals, isolated between two human groups, belittled by one and disowned by the other, have had to brace themselves to fight; we are responsible for their state of mind and we must do all we can to correct it. Those whose bias displays contempt for blacks or mulattoes reveal their own conceit and lack of intelligence; to deny the perfectibility of a living brain is to deny life itself, since human intelligence is only a superior form of adaptation of beings to their environment in order to improve their existence.
Source: Dr. Barot, Guide
Pratique de l'Europeen dans l'Afrique Occidentale (Paris: Ernest Flammarion, 1902): 328-331, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1156181 (accessed June 26, 2013).