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We learn that Marlow gives respect to these black workers. He calls them "men" on page 12. The other white men call them workers or niggers.
The group of black workers he sees are being ordered by a black man in a uniform with a rifle. Marlow describes this man and how "evil" Marlow thinks he is for treating the black men with such cruelty. He refers to white people as devils, "I've seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men -- men, i tell you!" (13)
He also points out how European culture is changing Africa.
Marlow learns about an interesting man, Mr Kurtz. He is also the first name given to us.
He had a white companion on his journey to the Central Station. The man gets sick later on and has to carried around.
He also realizes how greedy the Europeans are with their ivory business. "The word ivory rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse. By Jove! I've never seen anything so unreal in my life. And outside, the silent wilderness surrounding this cleared speck on the earth struck me as something great and invincible, like evil or truth, waiting patiently for the passing away of this fantastic invasion" (20) In this passage the ivory is a symbol of money, greed, and power; everything that can corrupt a man. He talks about a corpse. This is the corpse of a black worker and an elephant that is being killed to obtain the ivory. Marlow is shocked by this discovery.
We learn that Marlow does not favor lying and will never appreciate a liar, "you know I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie,...like biting something rotten would do." (23)