Advice from an explorer

[wolfinthewood]

Women.—Natives’ Wives.—If some of the natives take their wives, it gives great life to the party. They are of very great service, and cause no delay; for the body of a caravan must always travel at a foot’s pace, and a woman will endure a long journey nearly as well as a man, and certainly better than a horse or a bullock. They are invaluable in picking up and retailing information and hearsay gossip, which will give clues to much of importance, that, unassisted, you might miss. Mr. Hearne the American traveller of the last century, in his charming book, writes as follows, and I can fully corroborate the faithfulness with which he gives us a savage’s view of the matter. After the account of his first attempt, which was unsuccessful, he goes on to say,—“The very plan which, by the desire of the Governor, we pursued, of not taking any women with us on the journey, was, as the chief said, the principal thing that occasioned all our want: ‘for,’ said he, ‘when all the men are heavy laden, they can neither hunt nor travel to any considerable distance; and if they meet with any success in hunting, who is to carry the produce of the labour?’ ‘Women,’ said he, ‘were made for labour: one of them can carry or haul as much as two men can do. They also pitch our tents, make and mend our clothing, keep us warm at night; and in fact there is no such thing as travelling any considerable distance, or for any length of time, in this country without their assistance.’ ‘Women,’ said he again, ‘though they do everything are maintained at a trifling expense: for, as they always stand cook, the very licking of their fingers, in scarce times, is sufficient for their subsistence.’ ”

Strength of Women.—I believe there are few greater popular errors than the idea we have mainly derived from chivalrous times, that woman is a weakly creature. Julius Caesar, who judged for himself, took a very different view of the powers of certain women of the northern races, about whom he wrote. I suppose, that in the days of baronial castles, when crowds of people herded together like pigs within the narrow enclosures of a fortification and the ladies did nothing but needlework in their boudoirs, the mode of life was very prejudicial to their nervous system and muscular powers. The women suffered from the effects of ill ventilation and bad drainage, and had none of the counteracting advantages of the military life that was led by the males. Consequently women really became the helpless dolls that they were considered to be, and which it is still the fashion to consider them. It always seems to me that a hard-worked woman is better and happier for her work. It is in the nature of women to be fond of carrying weights; you may see them in omnibuses and carriages, always preferring to hold their baskets or their babies on their knees, to setting them down on the seats by their sides. A woman, whose modern dress includes I know not how many cubic feet of space, has hardly ever pockets of a sufficient size to carry small articles; for she prefers to load her hands with a bag or other weighty object. A nursery-maid, who is on the move all day, seems the happiest specimen of her sex; and, after her, a maid-of-all work who is treated fairly by her mistress.

Sir Francis Galton (1822–1911)

from The Art of Travel (fifth edition, 1872)


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Comments

[readwrite.livejournal.com]

I want to read this whole book, especially based on its title.

[readwrite.livejournal.com]

...so I just downloaded it, complete with illustrations, from Project Gutenberg. It looks marvelous--like some old edition of the Junior Woodcheck Manual written by Sir Richard Burton...

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

I found a facsimile paperback reprint of it in a bookshop a few years ago, dipped into it, and was instantly hooked.

[readwrite.livejournal.com]

Been reading a bit more of it--the section on treatment of "savages" is a remarkable mix of classic White Man's Burden attitude and common sense. Do you know much about him? He seems to have gotten around a bit...

I love reading survival manuals and that sort of stuff, and have learned a bit about edible plants over the years. (I was more into that sort of thing when I lived in Seattle, conveniently near a variety of wilderness areas, than I am now that I live in New York City. But every now and then it's come in handy.)

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

I don't know a great deal about him, to be honest. I knew he was an explorer who travelled in Africa. But I see there is a whole website about him (http://galton.org/), with facsimiles of his books. He is clearly a very interesting bloke.

[readwrite.livejournal.com]

Oh....OK, I've definitely heard his name in connection with fingerprints. Seems to have been a pretty remarkable man.

[sheenaghpugh]

It is in the nature of women to be fond of carrying weights; you may see them in omnibuses and carriages, always preferring to hold their baskets or their babies on their knees, to setting them down on the seats by their sides.

Oh, gawd'elp us.. it is wonderful to see a man so completely misinterpreting what he sees.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

Galton is the man who notoriously took the measurements of native women in South Africa by using his surveying instruments.

Also, although coiner of the term 'eugenics', was without progeny himself.

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

Galton is the man who notoriously took the measurements of native women in South Africa by using his surveying instruments.

He doesn't mention that among his numerous tips and wrinkles.

[artnouveauho.livejournal.com]

I think that "as well as a man, and certainly better than a horse or a bullock" is my new motto. Thank you, Sir Francis, for giving me a renewed sense of self-worth.