These lectures were given in the first quarter of 1921, at the Royal Colonial Institute, to a study circle of teachers of the London County Council. They do not pretend to cover the whole ground but are designedly somewhat discursive, with the intention of suggesting diverse points of view and a variety of subjects for further study in one direction or another. For the same reason a good many books and papers of different kinds are quoted or referred to. While the lectures have been awaiting publication various developments have taken place in Africa, but it has not been attempted to keep pace with changes which are still in complete by alteration of the text. I am much indebted to Mr. W. S. Tomkinson for very.