■ UNFOLDING AFRICA. UNFOLDING AFRICA.* EIGHTH ANNUAL PAPER. Africa retains its hold as the chief field of modern exploration,, commercial experiment, and philanthropic and religious zeal. En- lightened enterprise is penetrating it at every point. Colonies and trading posts are springing up along every river, valley, and port; steamships are running far inland on streams and lakes : railways are building in various sections, and almost every tribe and settlement are being connected by telegraph with Paris, London, and New York. Remembering the magical rise of States and cities in North America, it is not difficult to foresee, within a century, the erection of capitals and metropolitan centres throughout the African Continent. Governmental scramble for territory having apparently ceased,, divisions and adjustments of possessions and sovereignty are now taking place. The British Protectorate of the Niger districts is thus officially proclaimed under date of the Foreign Office, London, October 18,. 1887: — “It is hereby notified for public information that, under and by virtue of certain Treaties concluded between the month of July, 1884, and the present date, and by other lawful means, the territories in West Africa, hereinafter referred to as the Niger Districts, are under the Protectorate of Her Majesty the Queen. The British Protecto- rate of the Niger Districts comprises the territories on the line of coast between the British Protectorate of Lagos and the right or western river bank of the mouth of the Rio del Rey. It further com- prises all territories in the basin of the Niger and its affluents, which are, or may be for the time being, subject to the government of the •Acknowledgment is thankfully made to the Missionary Herald, of Boston, the Missionary , of Richmond, Va„ and the African Times , of London, for matter freely used in this paper. GOVERNMENTAL. 2 GOVERNMENTAL. National African Company, Limited, (now called the Royal Niger Company), in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the said Company, dated the ioth July, 1886. The measures in course of preparation for the administration of justice, and the maintenance of peace aud good order in the Niger Districts, will be duly notified and published.” On the 20th of February, the Governor of Natal gave notice that, with the approval of Her Majesty’s Government and the acquiescence of the Chiefs and people of Zuzuland, the authority of Queen Victo- ria had been extended over Eastern Zuzuland. A treaty has been signed by Lord Salisbury and M. Flourens, limiting the sphere of action of England and France in Eastern Africa. By the terms of this understanding England recognizes the rights of France over the Obock territory and the Gulf of Tadjourah, and cedes to that country the island of Mashah, situated in the middle of the gulf. The frontier line of the French territory extends from Cape Djiboujeh, beyond the district already under French protection, to Harrar, from which it runs in a westerly direction to Choa. France acknowledges the authority of England in the territories situate to the east of Cape Djiboujeh, including Dongaretta. An agreement concluded between Germany and England, relating to the Sultan of Zanzibar and German and English interests respec- tively in East Africa, has a double signification, first, in reference to the demarcating of the districts over which the Sultan of Zanzibar has imperial rights, and, secondly, in relation, as above, to the inter- ests of Germany and England. The Sultan claimed uninterrupted possession of the entire coast from Cape Delgado to 2.25 deg. lati- tude north, and the whole of the land behind that, extending to lakes Tanganyika and Nyassa. According to the agreement there has been allowed him the sole right to the coast from Cape Delgado to Kipini, a harbor 1 deg. south latitude, together with an unimportant allow- ance of mainland. The width of this coast line, which, by an agree- ment of England and France at Zanzibar, was to extend to forty sea miles, has been reduced to ten ; therefore the Sultan is obliged to renounce his claims to the whole of the mainland bordering thereto. To the German interests are assured the whole of the mainland pos- sessions between Cape Delgado and the port of Wanga, about 4 deg. 30 min. south latitude, extending to the inland seas; also the north- ern part of lake Nyassa, the whole of lake Tanganyika, and the southern part of the Victoria Nyanza lake to 1 deg. south latitude. Germany also takes possession of the mountainous land of Uzambara and the greater part of the Kilima-Ndaro district. GOVERNMENTAL. 3 In the Anglo-German West African treaty of 1885 a clause was Inserted to the effect that the district of Ambas Bay (Victoria), at that time in the possession of the British, should be turned over to the German Government as soon as the latter had come to an agree- ment with the English Baptist Missionaries, who had resided there. It now appears that the Basle Evangelical Missionary Society has purchased the possessions of the Baptists in Ambas Bay, and that the district has been formally handed over to the German Cameroon au- thorities. The German Cameroons will thus be extended from 3 deg. south hit. to the Rio del Roy. The treaty concluded with France gave the latter country the district south of the Campo river, which for- merly was a German possession, while in another treaty with England it was arranged that the Rio del Roy river should form the boundary of both districts, and in a still later agreement Yula, near Amu, was fixed as the inland boundary of the German colony. By this arrange- ment Germany is brought into close proximity to the borders of the Congo State. A Convention has been entered into between Fiance and the Congo Free State for the determination of the common frontier. Under this agreement the boundary will be the “thalweg” of the Oubrangi. The right bank of the river will belong to France ; the left back to the Congo State. The station known as Nkoundja, founded by M. de Brazza, is handed over to the Free State. By this settlement the greater part of the basin of the Congo is assigned to France. At the same time the French Government admits that the right of pre-emption, which it obtained in 1883 over the Congo pos- sessions, can only be exercised after Belgium has resolved not to acquire the colony should its founders desire to cede it. The found- ers renounce the permission, granted by M. Ferry, to issue a lottery of 20.000.000f. in France for the benefit of the Free State, and acquire the right of having the shares of its loans quoted to the amount of 8o,coo,ooof. The agreement is understood to settle the last matter in dispute with reference to the French possessions of western Af- rica. A Convention has been signed, fixing the boundaries of the Ger- man and Portuguese possessions on the southwest coast of Africa, and defining the regions in central Africa, where the two Powers may henceforth have liberty of action. The central region embraces, so far as Portugal is concerned, the whole area situated between the two Portuguese provinces of Angola and Mozambique. The Portu- guese boundary in Southern Angola is as follows : — Following the course of the Cunene river from the mouth to the second cataract in 4 GOVERNMENTAL. the mountains of Chella or Canna, the line runs parallel to the river as far as the Cubango, when it follows the course of that river in a southerly direction as far as Andara. From this point the bQundary line runs along the parallel of lati ude as far as the Zambesi, crossing that river at the head of the Cetimo rapids. The limits in the north of Mozambique are determined by the course of the Rovuma as far as its confluence with the Msinge, the l>ne running thence as far as the banks of the Nyassa. By the terms of this Convention Germany undertakes to establish no domination over these territories, and nei- ther to accept a protectorate nor to interfere with Portuguese influ- ence in the entire region situated between Angola and Mozambique, excepting certain points previously acquired by other Powers. Ger- many also recognizes the right of Portugal to exercise her right of sovereignty and her civilizing influence in the territories referred to. By annexing the Saharan coast between capes Blanco and Pojador and about 1 50 miles of the interior, and by treaties recently made with the Sheikha of Adarer, still further east, Spain introduces a wedge between the French in Senegal and the southern frontier of Morocco, besides gaining an important flank position upon the projected rail- way from Algeria to Senegal. By the treaty of 1S14 France had re- turned to her all the Senegal coast which had been conceded to the French Senegal Company, whose extreme northern trading station was placed in the Bay of Arguin, slightly to the south of Cape Blan- co- Spain takes possession of Greyhound Bay, under the lee of Cape Blanco, and joining on the south the Bay of Arguin. If the north- ern limit of the annexed territory really reaches Cape Bojador at ar» angle, as the land lies, there will be 500 miles of coast, so that the new Spanish territory covers no less than 75,000 square miles. Italy is preparing for an active campaign for the establishment of its position in Africa, and Abyssinia is making ready fora deter- mined resistance. At Rome a formidable expedition is being organ- ized, volunteers are called for, and camels, indispensable to any cam- paign in Abyssinia, are being purchased in Egypt and at Aden. On the other hand King John has ordered Ras Alula to attack the Ital- ians the moment they emerge from Massowah, and has issued a proc- lamation justifying his action. Several skirmishes betwee.. outposts and natives are reported to have already occurred. That the cam- paign, if pushed, will end in the success of Italy there can be little doubt, though that the difficulties which will attend the undertaking are not to be despised is shown by the British expedition against King Theodore. The overthrow of that monarch involved an expe- ditionary force of 16,000 men, which the necessities of transport and THE CONGO. D supply increased to double that number, and as the Italians must ad- vance by a more difficult route than the British, and face a united instead of a divided people, a force of at least equal magnitude will be inevitable. A rising of the natives north and west of Inhambane against the Portuguese authorities on the coast appears to have been caused by the desire of the native King, Umgana, to punish certain chiefs who had been tributary to his father, Umzila, but who had recently sub- mitted to the Portuguese authorities. Several months ago the Por- tuguese officers were excited over the reports of the finding of gold in the interior, and they sent an embassy to Umoyamuhle, the capital of Umgana, seeking authority to dig for gold within his territory. Negotiations were regarded as favorable, and the treaty was drawn, which was sent to Lisbon for ratification. The Governor of the pro- vince of Inhambane, and Captain Moore, commander of the Portu- guese forces, set out for the king’s headquarters, for the purpose of assuming control over the whole country, even as far as the Zambezi. Tax collectors were sent into the districts adjoining Inhambane, and two small districts to the north were peacefully attached to the Inhambane province. This seems to have irritated King Umgana, and he immediately despatched a large force to regain his possessions and punish the chiefs who had submitted. This they succeeded in doing speedily. The town of Inhambane has been in the hands of the Portuguese for the last three hundred years, and formerly had an important trade in gold and slaves. It is situated some twelve miles up a tidal arm of the sea. The Portuguese have a custom house, barracks, governor's house, and a half-dozen shipping offices. The defences consist of two guns and their complement of artillerymen, and two or three companies cf infantry. The officers are drawn from the non-commissioned ranks ol the Portuguese army, the rank and file consisting of Negroes, a large portion of whom are held as sol- diers, as a species of penal servitude for various offences. THE CONGO. Details relative to the evacuation of the station of Stanley Falls by the forces of the Congo State show that a female slave took refuge in the station, and that the Arab chief, her owner, demanded her surrender, which Mr. Deane, the chief of the station, refused. After some violent discussion peace was re-established, the steamer Stanley having, in the meantime, arrived at the station. A few days after- wards, however, the Arabs attacked the station. The Congo State soldiers— Houssas and Bangalas — fought well for three days, but 6 THE CONGO. their ammunition being exhausted they refused to continue the struggle, and embarked in pirogues in order to descend the river. Mr. Deane, Lieutenant Dubois, four Houssas, and four boys, then set the station on fire and retreated along the northern bank of the Congo. Lieutenant Dubois lost his balance on the steep bank and was drowned. Mr. Deane was hospitably received by some friendly natives, with whom he remained for a month. Captain Coquilhat, who commands the station of the Bangalas, on the arrival there of the disbanded Houssas and Bangalas, went immediately on board the steamer L’Association Internationale Africaine to the Falls, ar.d, not having sufficient forces to retake the station, he succeeded, after three days’ search, in finding Mr. Deane. Stanley Falls, on the Congo, has been the extreme point on the upper waters of the river occupied by the forces of the new State, and is about 1000 miles above Stanley Pool. Unfavorable intelligence has been received from the colony on the French portion of the Congo, where warlike tribes incessantly devastate the best parts of the basin of the Ogowe, attacking explor- ing parties and caravans and laying waste the settlements already founded. M. de Brazza, Governor General of tha French Congo, who left Libraville, on the roast, some months ago for the interior of the colony, was attacked by a body of Pahuins. who tried to prevent him from continuing his journey up the Ogowe, A fight ensued on the river, in which M. de Brazza repulsed his assailants. He lost some men, and several others who were wounded had to be sent back to the coast. M. de Brazza continued his journey. The general government of the Congo is now organized. The Governor- General resides at Boma, where he publishes the decrees which are issued at Brussels by King Leopold. The decrees up to the present refer chiefly to the organization of property and to respect for authority and law. The civil and criminal code of Belgium has been made obligatory for the whole Congo State. A tribunal has been established at Boma, and a postal service from Banana to Leo- poldville. The Governor- General administers the State with sover- eign powers, and can by his authority decide all difficulties which may arise. It is at Stanley Pool that the progress made by the Congo State, during the last six years, can best be appreciated. In 1 88 1 Mr. H. M. Stanley, who led the first expedition of the International Association, arrived there and founded Leopoldville, where the two Belgian offi- cers, M. Va'cke and M. Braconier, were installed. There are now at Stanley Pool nine establishments, containing some fifty Europeans STANLEY AND EMIN. 7 employed in either trading stations or missions. There are also the French station of Debrazzaville, a factory from Rotterdam, a French factory, and the two Belgian stations of Leopoldville and Kinchassa, containing fifteen Europeans, twenty workmen, and a garrison of Houssas and Bangalas. The great difficulty experienced by the Independent Congo State is the acclimatisation of Europeans. The services of many intelli- gent and devoted men have been lost because they were brought into a climate different from that of Europe. The losses have been nu ■ merous on the Congo. The difficulty remains as regards non-accli- matised European workmen, who cannot withstand the African cli- mate. It is for this reason that the Congo State has endeavored to take over Chinese to Central Africa. When General Scranch was at Berlin, in 1885, to assist in the labors of the Congo Conference, he had some conlerences with General Tcheng-ki-Tong, the Chinese Military Attache, to whom he proposed that 500 Chinamen, joiners, carpenters, gardeners, &c., should be sent to the Congo. They were to receive a fixed salary, a free passage to the Congo and back, and the assurance that in case of death their bodies would be sent to China for interment. The Chinese Military Attache promised to transmit this proposal to Pekin, but no reply has yet been made by the Chinese Government. STANLEY AND EMIN. Just now the world is interested in efforts made for the relief of the learned and brave Dr. Emin Bey, who has beer, for some years in the interior of Africa superintending the province of which he w s given direction by the English Government before General Gordon’s death. I.etters have been received from Dr. Etnin, dated at Wadeiai, showing that he is still holding his own, and that he has done much for the development of the province and for the suppression of the slave trade. Wadeiai is about one thousand miles south of Khar- toum, between Gondokoro and the Albert Nyanza. He speaks of his great confidence in the trustworthiness and ability of the Negro, and says that his experience has taught him “that the black race is second to none in capacity and excels many others in unselfishness,” and asks for succor — not for an armed force, but for supplies, includ- ing ammunition for his own forces. Emin Bey also states: “ I have passed twelve years here, and have succeeded in reoccupving nearly every station in the country which General Gordon intrusted to me. I have won the trust and confidence of the people, sowing the seed of a splendid future civilization. It is out of the question to ask me 8 STANLEY AND EMIN. to leave. All I want England to do is to make a free trading way to the coast.” The Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society gives a brief rsketch of Emin Pasha, whose true name is Eduard Schneitzer, born March 28, 1840, in Prussian Silesia. After graduating in medicine he became attached to the household of Ismail Pasha, and visited Trebizonri, Erzroom, and Constantinople. In 1875 he started for Egypt as surgeon in the army. Attracting the attention of Gen. Gordon he was made Governor of the Equatorial Province, and his subse- •qent history is now well known. Mr. H. M. Stanley is leading an expedition for the relief of Emin Pasha. It consists of about 700 men, provided with ample supplies. Starting from Zanzibar it moved by steamers to and up the Congo, and thence is marching by land from the Arnwhimi to Wadelai. The anxiety felt concerning the expedition is allayed by recently received telegrams. There w r as previously abundance of evidence to refute the report that the explorer had been killed, and the most re- cent despatch conveys the assurance that the march through the un- known region to be traversed between the Aruwhimi and Wadelai was proceeding without interruption from the natives, and with ample food supplies. Mr. Stanley has probably by this date fulfilled the lead- ing object of his mission, as he was expected to be at Wadelai by the middle of October, if not sooner. Almost the next news we receive should apprise us of this most happy consummation. The Egyptian Government has contributed $50,000 toward the expenses of the ex- pedition, and the British Geographical Society has given $5,000, wfith the expectation that when the immediate object of tl e undertaking shall have been accomplished, Mr. Stanley will spend some time in ex- plorations. The problem of African hydrography, which the prince of explorers is expected to solve, is one of extreme importance. It is no exaggeration to say that the secret w r hich may be disclosed will surpass in importance the discovery that the Lualaba and the Congo form one continuous waterway from the Atlantic to lake Tanganyika. The question is whether there is not an equally mighty waterway from the same point on the Atlantic coast of Africa — the Congo mouth — right up to those southern provinces of Egypt which General Gordon and his lieutenants sought to rescue from the horrors of the slave traffic, and over a portion of which Emin rules. It has been said that a shower falling over a particular area in the interior of Brazil will contribute to the waters of the North and South Atlantic, and to the Pacific. By a similar chain of rivers there is reason to believe a small shower falling in the vicinity of the Albert Nyanza EXPLORATIONS. 9 would flow alike to the Mediterranean and to the Atlantic far south of the equator. In a few months we may expect to learn that the north-western half of Africa is almost an island, separated from the southeast portion by the Congo, the Mobangi, and the Nile. EXPLORATIONS. Thereturn of Dr. Oscar Lenz to Europe after a journey of an unus- ually short duration from the mouth of the Congo to that of the Zam- besi is a notable event in the annals of Afiican travel. Starting from Banana, he advanced along the Congo to Stanley Falls, where he spent some time and from which he proceeded to Nyangwe, and thence to Kasonge, where Dr. Bohndorff, Dr. Lenz’s companion, was pros- trated, and several of his men fell ill and died of small-pox ; in con* sequence the projected expedition was abandoned, and Dr. Lenz de- termined to make his way to the coast. He went from the Congo to lake Tanganyika, and taking boat to the southern end of the lake, he crossed another high plateau to lake Nyassa, encountering many difficulties in this portion of the route. From the southern end of lake Nyassa he followed the river Shire to the Zambesi, and thence reached the Eastern coast, his whole journey from the mouth of the Congo to that of the Zambesi having occupied but seventeen months- Dr. Emil Holub has reached England after four years of explora- tion and although his expedition was broken up and plurdered by the Mashukulurobe, a tribe far north of the Zambesi, he has saved a large and interesting collection which should prove of much scientific value. This collection — a wreck only of what was gather- ed by the industrious exploier — fills 147 cases. In it there are 692 skins of quadrupeds ready for stuffing, of which seventy are of ani- mals as large as the koodoo— an antelope heavier than the red deer! of birds there are 2,221 specimens, of insects 27,000, including 21,000 beetles and 3,000 moths and butterflies. There also 6,500 specimens of plants. There are 1,600 recorded observations in meteorology and more than that number of the measurements of elevations. Al- together it seems probable that a more important collection was nev- er dispatched from Africa at one time. Few African explorers have accomplished so much that is of scientific value witti such limited resources as Dr. Junker, and the re- sults of his researches already made public are a sufficient warrant for the enthusiasm with which his return is welcomed. Without a base of operation from which to work, or goods or following to pur- chase or force a right of passage, he has pushed his way through the heart of Africa under circumstances the most adverse It is his in- timacy with and friendship for the isolated remnant of Gordon’s staff 10 EXPLORATIONS. in the Soudan, however, that invests him with most interest, as his safe return indicates the possibility that they, too, may yet emerge from the region in which for years .they have been lost. According to a letter received in Brussels, Lieut. Wissman, con- cerning whose whereabouts considerable uneasiness had been felt, ar- rived safely in the beginning of April at lake Tanganyika. He left the station at Luluaburg on the Kassai river in November, 1886, and proceeded into the unexplored region containing the sources of the Luiongo.Tshuapa, and Lomani rivers, intending to reach lake Tangan- yika via Nyangwe. Lieut. Wissman’s letter, dated at Kavala, an Eng- lish missionary station at lake Tanganyika, shows that the explorer has so far been successful in carrying out his programme. He in- tends to return via the Nyassa and Zambesi rivers. In a debate in the German Reichstag, Prince Bismarck stated’ that the budget item of £ 7 , 500 lor colonial exploration, would be granted to well-known Alrican travelers for the purpose of making scentific explorations in Africa, having chiefly for their object the opening up of German trade. It is now stated that the Government has resolved to hand over a part of this amount to Lieutenant Kund, who will proceed to the Cameroons and found a station which shall serve as the starting and return point of the explorations which wfllfc be made into the interior in the interests of science and commerce. Lieutenant Kund, who has already achieved fame by his travels with Lieutenant Tappenbeck in the Southern Congo, will be accompanied by a physician and a botanist. The Lieutenant will, in thefirst place, conduct expeditions into the land behind the Cameroons. Another slice of the fund is to support Dr. Zintgraff, who is to be sent by the Foreign office to the Cameroons to establish a station on Lake Ele- phant. Lake Elephant (Mbu) lies north of the Cameroons district,, about 5 deg. north latitude and 9 deg. 30 min. east longitude. The lake was discovered by Tomczek, the companion of Scholz Rogozin- ski. Dr. Zintgraff was attached to the staff of the Governor of the Cameroons for a year, and then made numerous investigations on the slopes of the southern mountains and on the delta. His intention is to sojourn some time in the north, and there to make observations, as the northern district is at present unexplored. From the con- temporaneous observations in Batanga (3 deg. north latitude) in the south, and by Lake Elephant'in the north, a thorough knowfledge of the entire district of the Cameroons may soon be obtained. Major Serpa Pinto, the well-known Portuguese explorer, who three years ago made the brilliant passage through Africa, has again arrived in Lisbon after the fulfillment of a mission from the CABLES, RAILROADS AND STEAMERS. 11 Government. He was appointed consul-general for Africa, that his official position might give him influence and authority in arranging for his explorations, and especially foi an approach to the Sultan of Zanzibar in favor of Portuguese interests. His instructions ordered him mainly to explore the Nyassa lake and become better acquainted with the tribes on its shores, in order to enter into tiading relations with them, and to open up, if poss ble, a commercial route to their region. This same object was also the animus of the mission of Mess. Capello and Tvens, who lately crossed Africa from the west to the east coast. In view of the energeiic character of Major Pinto, his Government was prepared to see him pass the Nyassa, and come to light again in the west, but he was twice detained by sickness and then obliged to give up the idea of commanding the expedition through the interior. His representative and companion, naval officer Cordoso, took the party to Nyassa, and his geographical investigations are of much scientific interest. CABLES, RAILROADS AND STEAMERS. A sub-marine cable has been completed to St. Paul de Loando* thus placing West Central Africa in direct telegraphic communica- tion with the world. The Portuguese Government has authorized the construction of a railroad from St. Paul de Loando, on the west coast, to Ambaca* on the east coast, to be completed in four years. Mr. K. P. Crandall, of Ithaca. N. Y., is chief engineeer, and Mr. George A. Steele, of Bir- mingham, Ala., is chief assistant, engineer. Captain Thys, of the Belgian General Staff, who has been surveying at the Congo with a view to the building of a railway, declares that the part which he has examined offers no insurmountable difficulty. Another Port- uguese line of steamers has been established for the west coast of Africa, and hereafter communication will be much more rapid than formerly. At present the time between Lisbon and Mossamedes is 2& days, which by the new line will be reduced to 18. while the time be- tweeen Lisbon and St. Paul de Loando will be shortened from 23 to 13 days. The Government of the Congo State has accepted the offer of Messrs Walford & Co., of Antwerp, to run a monthly line of Begi- an steamers between Antwerp and the Congo. When the Govern- ment of the Congo brought into existence a regular direct line of steamers between Antwe p and the Congo, through the contract made with Messrs. Walford, the English lines, which do most of the carrying trade between Liverpool and the West Coast of Africa, be- came uneasy. The new line was calculated to deprive them of a por- 12 GOLD AND DIAMONDS. tion of the traffic, and as Antwerp may become an entrepot for goods to be exported to and imported from Africa, it might also affect the Liverpool market unfavorably. It has been determined, therefore, to let the Liverpool steamers touch at Antwerp every month with a view to pick up cargo. At the same time the rates of freight have been reduced — that from Liverpool to St. Paul de Loando, which was hitherto 35s. per ton, has been redaced to 17s. per ton. Commercial relations between Aden and East Africa, north of Zanzibar, are de- veloped by a regular line of steamers between Aden and the Somali ports. GOLD AND DIAMONDS. The quartz from the Sheba reef in the De Kaap Valley, Trans- vaal, yields ftom 10 to 30 ounces gold to the ton. The amount of gold that mining experts claim this reef contains is fabulous. But even this wonderful reef has been eclipsed by another reef discover- ed shortly after and known as the Thomas reef, samples of quartz weighing 3.000 pounds from which, it is claimed, yielded 148 ounces of gold. These discoveries naturally gave an impetus to prospecting on a large scale, resulting in the discovery of marvelously extensive and rich gold-quartz veins. The territory within which gold quartz has been found extends fiom Witwatersrand, 30 miles from the capi- tal, Pretoria, easterly 200 miles to the De Kaap Valley, with a varv- ing width of from 30 to 150 miles. These gold-bearing veins or reefs occur in patches of a more or less rich or payable character. Quartz taken from the Witwatersrand gold fields has yielded from 41030 ounces gold to the ton. It is impossible, considering the embryonic state of these gold fields, to give anything like an accurate account of their extent or capabilities, but it may be safely claimed that the Transvaal fields will prove among the richest in the world. These discoveries have naturally given rise to no end of speculation and mining ventures, and a great rush of capitalists, miners, and advent- urers has set in for the fields. Near the Shelba reef a city, Barberton, has sprung up as if by magic, numbering already 7,000 to 8,000 popu- lation, and is rapidly increasing. Barberton is situated in the De Kaap Valley in the northeastern portion of the Transvaal between latitude 25 and 26 south. The nearest seaport is Delagoa Bry, ir. the Portuguese possessions on the east coast, from which it isdistant about 200 miles. This rou f e is only available in the winter months, the pre- valence of fever in the summer time effectually closing it to traffic A railway between Delagoa Bay and Pretoria is in course of construction and its completion will greatly facilitate communication with the fields. The next nearest route to Baiberton is via Port Natal, dis- TRADE. 13 tant 481 miles, of which 189 miles is by railway and the remainder by wagon. The best and most popular route at present is by way of Cape Town to Kimberly, 646 miles by rail, and from Kimberly to Pretoria, 360 miles by wagon. The journey is made by this route in from six to twenty days, at a cost of from $75 to$i2o, according to class and style of traveling. It seems probable that the gold-bearing reefs which have proved so productive in the Transvaal, extend into Natal. Within the past few weeks a reef rich in gold has been dis- covered at Umzinto, on the borders of the Ifafa reserve, and it is be- lieved that there is a similar deposit near Umtwalume station of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. There is much excitment throughout Natal. The exports of diamonds from South Africa for the month of September, 1887, amounted to 253.391 carats, valued at .£330,947. TRADE. Since the Berlin Conference allotted the upper part of the river to the care of France, and placed the lower portion, with the Binue, under the protection of Great Britain, little has been heard of the Ni- ger. It was to an Englishman that the discovery of the river was due, and the Royal Niger Company may be spoken of as t,he direct repre- sentative of the traders who, forty years ago, endeavored to open up the Niger basin to commerce. After the death of M'Gregor Laird, the actual pioneer of British trade on the Niger, the ground was oc- cupied by the West Africa Company and other firms. The amalga- mation of these into one large private Company in 1879 followed, and in 1882 this Company was further developed as a public joint-stock association under the title of the National Afiican Company. Of the two large French Companies which were the chief competitois of the new organization, one was driven from the field and the other was bought up. Thus the present Company, having retained its po- sition by the operation of the law of the survival of the fittest, and having grown by absorbing all its most persistent and energetic competitors, may be considered to have earned the Royal Charter which was bestowed in July, 1886. Its claim to respect, however, is not based merely on its proved supremacy as a trading organization, it has made 237 treaties with native tribes, and it is asserted that it has so established itself in the good-will of the natives that no single tribe has refused to join the confederation which it is forming for trading and administrative purposes. The limits of its influence are being constantly extended. Already it has a station within 200 miles of the inland sea— lake Chad — which is supposed to feed some of 14 TRADE. the western tributaries of the Nile, and it has made treaties with the extensive empires of Sokoto and Gando, which travelers have spok- en of as offering practically unlimited opportunities for trade. It is reported that the Company has decided to send a mission inland to lake Chad itself, in order to establish trading relations on its shores and connecting waterways which will enable it to tap regions at pres- ent trading with the other outer world only by way of the Mediter- ranean ana Red Sea coasts. Finally, by way of the Binue the Com- pany seems likely to be brought almost in touch with the north-west- ern portion of the Congo Free State and the waterways which join the Congo in that region. At the “ Seventh Ordinary General Meeting of the Shareholders of the Royal Niger Company,” held in London, June 16, 1887, Lord Aberdare, Governor of the Company, presided and in a speech of re- markable clearness and fulness of detail, unfolded the origin, pres- ent status and methods of the Companv. Among other things he said : — “ What I wish 'o tell you is this — that whereas we have de- pended hitherto on rather a small numoer of articles, we shall look heareafter to reap the benefit of a very extended trade in articles not before taken into account. You must not suppose with respect to the past that we have been idle. I believe I am strictly within the truth when I say that since the formation of the Company, which has not had a very long existence, the whole volume of our trade has been fully doubled. What has happened, unfortunately, has been that there has been a very considerable reduction in the price of this produce. We published for your information, last year, what that reduction had been between 1884 and 1886, and I think we showed that in one of the principal articles, oil, the fail in price had been from £37 to ,£18 10s. At this moment I believe the price is £17 1 os. I feel that a meeting of this sort can never terminate satisfactorily unless with the announcement of a dividend, and as you well know, I have no such announcement to make to-day. I should be very cautious indeed of giving any undue encouragement; but, on the other hand, I think it is my duty, on this occasion, to call attention to certain facts which should encourage us as to the future. When I stood here last year the accounts 1 had present showed that our liabilities on loans were ,£111,000. It is true that I was enabled to assure you that in the six months that had passed between the date of the accounts and the date of the meeting those liabilities had been reduced to ^78,000. But such was our position then, that we were obliged to warn the shareholders that it might be necessary — though we did not deem it probable— to make a call in the course TRADE. 15 of a few months. I am happy to say there has been no necessity for such call. You find a reduction in our accounts on the 31st of December, of those liabilities to ^48,000, and I am happy now to an- nounce to you that the whole of those liabilities, with the exception of a few hundred pounds, will, at the end of this month, have entire- ly disappeared ; we shall have got rid of the whole of that incubus of debt. There is another point. Last year we were obliged most sor- rowfully to admit that, so far from making our usual profit, we had made a loss of ,£38,000; but this included a sum of over ,£20,000 for depreciation. The present state of the accounts shows that we have made a profit, in fact, of ,£28,000 this year, though about ,£20,000 has been applied in providing, as has been done very fully, lor deprecia- tion of our stock. There is a third point to which I would call your attention. You will see the report says that the ordinary trade lia- bilities on open accounts and bills payable, which in the previous balance-sheet stood at the moderate amount of £ 72 , 000 , were reduced by the 31st of December, 1886, to ,£46,000. Now I can easily under- stand that gentlemen before me might say, “Yes, that is apparently satisfactory, and there is a diminution there between ,£20,000 and ^30,000 of our ordinary trade liabilities, but does not that show rath- er a diminished volume of trade, because those accounts show, in fact, what were the purchases we were making for the purpose of bartering in those countries? ” To that I have to give the explana- tion that the purchasing power of the goods is necessarily larger when the prices of produce are low than when they are high. Take, for instance, the price of oil, which has fallen 50 per cent. It does not require the same amount o f goods for us to purchase the same amount of produce that we formerly had to give. There is another point which is of interest and importance, which is, that since we were here last year, we have obtained telegraphic communication with the Niger, and the result is that we are able to adapt stocks of goods much more closely than formerly to the requirements of trade. Formerly, when communication was slow, we were obliged to have large quantities of stock on hand; we were obliged to provide for possibilities. Now, with telegraphic communication, it is not neces- sary to keep this large stock-in-trade. These are favorable matters, which should not be kept back. I am as adverse as any man can be to giving undue encouragement, but on the other hand I do not think that we ought to adopt the report without fully considering what are the encouraging circumstance since I had last the honor of addressing you in this position.’’ During the discussion on the adoption of the Report, Mr. H. H. Howorth, M. P., said: “I feel that this company is not altogether a 16 TRADE. trading company, but a very great political undertaking, that will have to be developed very much upon the lines of the East India Company.” Mr. Ho worth seems to have expressed the feeling of the meeting. Those familiar with Livingstone’s later explorations will remem- ber that his investigations resulted in the discovery of lake Nyassa, which empties its waters into the Zambesi, the Shire serving as a conduit. The dream of his life was to utilize the extensive water- way for the introduction of commerce, in order that the tribes there might have an opportunity uf turning the wealth of their country to good account, and not be dependent for every yard of calico or string of beads. In common with all African rivers, the Shire has its cata- racts, and thus a clear run from the Indian Ocean from the Zam- besi to lake Nyassa is impossible. A “ portage ” of 75 miles half- way between the lake and the Zambesi is a necessity. However, with the help of some old comrades, a new attempt was resolved upon in the year 1878. Mr. E. D. Young, a gunner in the English Navy, had seen just where the breaking point lay previously, and when he was invited to assist in resuscitating plans, he rendered in- valuable service. Sent out by the Royal Geographical Society to investigate the story of Livingstone’s reported murder in ’.876, he was able to try thoroughly the experiment of transporting boats in sections. His vessel, the Search, was put together under the super- vision of the Admiralty authorities, and proved a success during Mr. Young's successful adventure. With the experience of this last trip, Mr. Young received a commission from the Established and Free Churches of Scotland to provide them with a similar steam vessel, and the Ilala was built and placed on lake Nyassa, at the service of the missionaries. It speaks well for the future that Emin Pasha has the above-named vessel still afloat. The Ilala is reported “as “ tight as a bottle,” after ten years’ seamanship, during which she has had to weather many a heavy gale. The African Lakes Company was formed in 1878, to assist the various missions then established, and to work out Livingstone’s schemes. It had its days of small things and its successes, but it can boast steady development through all. Twenty-five Europeans are dotted about at trading stations stretching from Quillimane, on the coast, to a point half-way between the lakes Nyassa and Tanganyika. These stations are twelve in number, and three steamers ply on lake and river with regularity. The company has shown itself equal to conveying a steam vessel in sections across from lake Nyassa, and she is now on lake Tanganyika with the staff of the London Mission- ary Society. But the point which the company has settled is this : TRADE. 17 It has proved that it is possible to trade in India-rubber, wax, oil- seeds and ivory to an enormous amount without defiling the list of their barter with a single keg of trade rum, or the all representative “ square-face ” of the West Coast trade. In the meeting held recently at Brussels to constitute the Congo Company the capital required was more than subscribed. The shares were for the most part taken by the industrial houses, the banking establishments, and the maufacturers of Gand, Verviers, Namur and Liege. Robaix and Antwerp, Morlanwelz, and and other industrial centres are represented on the board of directors. M. de Brazza not only purchased a large quantity of goods during his re- cent visit to Rouen, but he ordered a new screw steamer, called the Alima, to carry them on the waters of the upper Congo. For centuries Zanzibar was the chief mart of ivory, which was brought partly from the coast and partly from the interior. But with the increased consumption of that article elephants are being exterminat- 'cd, and have to be sought far away in the interior to the west of Tanganyika and northwest of Victoria Nvanza. The chief trading centre in the interior is Tabara, in Myamwesi, where various car- avan routes meet. The practice at present is for traders to equip a caravan in Zanzibar, and place it in charge of a trustworthy Arab, who takes it from Bagamoyo, opposite Zanzibar, to Tabara. If he finds enough ivory there he exchanges goods which he has brought for the purpose, and starts for the return journey ; but, as a rule, the caravan has to go further, and by the information he re- ceives from returning caravans the conductor judges where he can go with most chance of speedy success. Large quantities of ivory are usually in the hands of native chiefs, with whom it is a kind of treasure, and sometimes, it is said, the Arab conductors, who are accompanied by well-armed escorts, will make war on a chief, seize his ivory, and sell his people into slavery. If force cannot be used, the trader must patiently purchase small quantities from time to time as occasion arises, and sometimes he is forced to wait for years in the interior before he can part with all his merchandise and obtain his loads of ivory. The greater part of the ivory arrives in Zanzibar in July and August ; the Indian merchants go to Bagamoyo to meet their conductors, and then a settlement takes place. The cost of the caravan, with 15 per cent, per annum, is charged to the Arab, the Indian takes the ivory, sells it on ac- count of the Arab and pays the latter the balance. Arrived in Zanzi- bar, the ivory is either sent by the Indian merchants direct to Bom- bay or to London, or it is sold to Hamburg or American merchants on the spot. 18 GERMAN ENTERPRISE. The close connection between the ivory and the slave trade in the interior must always act as a hindrance to Europeans trading at first hand in ivory. The Arabs usually transport the ivory to the coast by means of natives whom they have enslaved or purchased at very low prices, and then can sell the latter on the coast at a profit of ten dollars a head. European traders, on the other hand, must pay the bearers five dollars a month and an arm’s length of cotton stuff per day. No statistics exist respecting the annual export from Zanzibar, but for ten years past it has been pretty regular. In the past thirty-five years the price has trebled. About 1840, ivory cost one dollar a pound ; now it costs three dollars. Large tusks weighing 150 lbs. to 190 lbs, are much rarer than they were ten years since, and the number of smaller tusks has greatly increased. Zanzibar ivory stands higher in the market than that from Abyssinia, Egypt, or the West coast. The export from Mozambique and the north and south Somali coasts is comparatively small. GERMAN ENTERPRISE. Since the middle of 1884, Germany's establishments in Africa have made much progress. It already has under its dominions three extensive regions, the bonndaries of which were fixed by treaties concluded with England, France, and Portugal. On the west coast the Germans possess the Cameroons, giving them the command of the most direct road from the sea toward lake Tchad ; and they also hold Namaqualand, where Herr Luderhtz, at Angra Pequena, founded an establishment. The future of the latter colony is not so promis- ing as that of the Cameroons, but it is bounded on the east by the Zambesi, which is an extensive waterway. The principal German colony in Africa is that on the eastern side, which extends from the coast to the three great central lakes— Tanganyika, Nyassa and Victoria Nyanza — and by which Germany holds, in a political sense, one-half of Central Africa. Intelligence has been received from Zan- zibar that the Germans are about to establish custom-houses and the seat of their political operations on the east coast at Dar-es-Salam, a port which promises to control Zanzibar. The German East African Company has established another sta- tion — viz., at Port Durnford, at the mouth of the Wubuschi ; so that it now possesses the following stations: 1, Usagarahaus, Zanzibar, (officers in charge, Hornecke and Rhule); 2, Bagamoyo, depot for Usaramo and Usagara, (von Bulow ;) 3, Danda, (Lieut Krenzler); 4, Madimola, (von St. Paul and Groke); 5, Usaungula, (von Zelewski and Graham); 6, Sima (Liedtke); 7, Kiora (v. Wittich); 8, Mbusini, GERMAN ENTERPRISE. 19