They Are Brave And So You Can Respect Them,
Which Is An Essential Element In A Friendly Feeling.
They are on
the whole a fine race, particularly those in the mountain districts
of the Sierra del Cristal, where one continually sees magnificent
specimens of human beings, both male and female.
Their colour is
light bronze, many of the men have beards, and albinoes are rare
among them. The average height in the mountain districts is five
feet six to five feet eight, the difference in stature between men
and women not being great. Their countenances are very bright and
expressive, and if once you have been among them, you can never
mistake a Fan. But it is in their mental characteristics that their
difference from the lethargic, dying-out coast tribes is most
marked. The Fan is full of fire, temper, intelligence and go; very
teachable, rather difficult to manage, quick to take offence, and
utterly indifferent to human life. I ought to say that other
people, who should know him better than I, say he is a treacherous,
thievish, murderous cannibal. I never found him treacherous; but
then I never trusted him, remembering one of the aphorisms of my
great teacher Captain Boler of Bonny, "It's not safe to go among
bush tribes, but if you are such a fool as to go, you needn't go and
be a bigger fool still, you've done enough." And Captain Boler's
other great aphorism was: "Never be afraid of a black man." "What
if I can't help it?" said I. "Don't show it," said he.
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