The Wasp — 1879 — page 128: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a one-act theatrical satire subtitled "An Extravagant Burlesque," mocking European attitudes toward African peoples. The play features "Black Hottentots" (a dehumanizing colonial-era term) alongside "White Hottentots"—seemingly contrasting "civilized" Europeans with Africans, though the satire's actual target is unclear from this page alone. The dramatic persona list and dialogue snippets suggest mockery of royal pretension and courtroom absurdity. The final illustration depicts chaotic, violent action among various figures, captioned "[CURTAIN FALLS RAPIDLY.]" The satire likely critiques either European colonial arrogance or Victorian social hypocrisy by rendering formal European institutions as ridiculous as the stereotyped "savage" Africans they portrayed as inferior. The exact satirical intent requires fuller context.