PAM, /.rr.ic* PROGRESS IN AFRICA. -is WASHINGTON CITY, POLONIZATION ^UILDING, 45O PENNSYLVANIA ^VENUE, 1889 PROGRESS IN AFRICA. NINTH ANNUAL PAPER The powerful interest which has been awakened in Africa during the last decade, and which has turned to her the attention and desires of the whole civilized world, remains undiminished and unchanged. The eagerness with which the great Powers reach forth to possess themselves of her territory continues: exploration and commercial en¬ terprise were never more active ; the building of railroads and the development of her natural resources go on steadily, and Christianity and civilization are pressing forward. GOVERNMENTAL ANNEXATION. Another State has been added to the nations controlling the des¬ tinies of the “ Dark Continent.” It is to be known as “ The British East African Company,” and to it has been granted by Great Britain full powrnr to levy customs and taxes, and to maintain an armed force and assert authority throughout a vast area. The exact delimitation of the territory of the new State has not been fixed, but, generally speaking, it extends from a point northward of the region claimed by the German East African Society near Zanzibar, to the Somali country and westwards to lake Albert Nyanza. Within this wide range is much of the finest land in Central Africa, and in many places it is filled with industrious populations. Around the shores of the Victoria Nyanza alone there are said to be 12,000,000 people, whilst the other central lakes are also surrounded by numerous tribes. The affairs of the New State are to be managed by the East African Company, composed of commercial and philanthropic gentlemen in London, but these executive acts will be subject to revision and control by the British Colonial or Foreign office. * Thanks are cordially tendered to the M issionr ry Htrald of Rosttn: Chu chat Hone and Abroad of Philadelphia; Interior of Chicago; AJrican 'limes of Gordon, and X’ Afriquc of Geneva, for matter freely used in this paper. 2 GOVERNMENTAL ANNEXATION. Great Britain has long owned territory within the confines of the Sultan of Zanzibar, and has exercised protectorate rights over a large portion of that part. In consequence of an arrangement with Zanzibar, the German Society already mentioned were enabled to take over the government of some 123,000 square miles, consisting of Usagora and Wituland, with a considerable extent of seaboard. This new territory is under the protectorate of the Geman Empire, and the Society to whom it has delegated authority over this district have full power to carry on the government. A treaty of peace and friendship has been concluded between England and Lobengula, king of the Matabele, whose countrylies west of Umzila’s. Lobengula pledges himself to make every effort for a strict observance of the treaty, to make no treaty with any foreign Power, and to cede no land without first obtaining the sanction of the British high commissioner for Africa. At his request the South African Republic has appointed a consul to reside in the Matabele country. Travelers from the Republic, whatever their object, must get a permit from their government and send their names to the consul at Lobengula’s capital. The African king asks these things in order to prevent the invasion of adventurers, and to advertise those who come without the required permit that they do so at their own risk. Differences which may arise, whether with the natives or with others from the Republic, are to be brought before the consul. In South Africa the two countries called the “ South African Republic,” formerly the “ Transvaal,” and the “ New Republic” have negotiated a treaty by the terms of which they form themselves into one State. The New Republic joins itself to the South African Re¬ public and its territory becomes an integral part of the latter. It is to be incorporated under the name of the District of Vryheid, and its representatives at the Volksraad will be appointed as they are in the districts of the Transvaal. This “ New Republic” is a section of about sixteen hundred square miles between Natal, the Transvaal and St. Lucia Bay. The British government has “annexed” that part of the Gold Coast which lies between Cape Coast Castle and the delta of the Ni¬ ger. It will be governed as a Crown colony, with its own executive and chief. The region is washed by the waters of the Bight of Benin, and is intersected by several streams, which give access to the palm oil districts. These are not limited to the immediately adjacent states of Dahomey and Yoruba, but from the far interior the one article of export is brought down to the native intermediaries who traffic di¬ rect with the foreign merchants. The whole district has hitherto been GOVERNMENTAL ANNEXATION. 3 under the protectorate of England, exercised through the consular authorities of Cape Coast Castle. In consequence of the amount of sickness and consequent invalid- ings from the ships stationed on the west coast of Africa, the British Board of Admiralty has decided upon employing a new type of ship in those latitudes. The new vessels must be of light draught to navigate the tortuous courses of the coast rivers, and at the same time possess considerable speed. The rapidity with which France has lately been acquiring terri¬ tory in the northwest portion of Central Africa is, perhaps, not gener¬ ally appreciated. As the result of treaties and of recent little “military operations,” France is now either suzerain or “protector” of the territories lying between the Senegal river, the Niger, and Sier¬ ra Leone, with the exception of the lower valleys of the Gambia and the Rio Grande, which belong to England and to Portugal respective¬ ly. French desire for territory in this portion of Africa dates from several years ago, when M. Duponchel, a daring engineer, proposed that a railway should be constructed across the Sahara from Algeria to Timbuctoo. An expedition was dispatched to survey the route ; but as it ended in the massacre of some of his party, it was understood that the time for the trans-Saharan railway had not yet come. At¬ tention was then turned to the possibility of attaining the French ideal by way of the region of the Senegal; and Colonel Gallieni was sent thither at the head of a small expedition, charged with the task of increasing French influence and adding to French territory. One of the most formidable adversaries with whom he had to deal was the marabout Mabmadou Lamine, who for some time gave much trouble; but the latest news from the expedition is that the marabout has been killed and his men dispersed, The result of Colonel Gallieni’s cam¬ paign—a campaign which has been conducted very quietly—is that the extent of territory under French protectorate has been doubled, It is expected that Gallic influence will shortly be increased in the Fonta Djallon, a State lying between the Gambia and the coast of Guinea, which has for some years been under the more or less nomi¬ nal protectorate of France. The success of a mission sent to that State has already assured an increase of trade to the French establish¬ ments on the Upper Niger. Colonel Gallieni has built a fort at Sigu- iri, the confluent of the Niger and the Tenkisso, in the heart of the Soudanese gold country. It has been placed in direct telegraphic com¬ munication with Paris, and a railway towards the coast is in course of construction. It is not to be supposed that France will now be con¬ tent to abandon the dream of extending her dominion from the Niger 4 GOVERNMENTAL ANNEXATION. to the Mediterranean. The Sahara has lost much of its terror and its mystery; and by means of a series of artesian wells it may be possible to overcome all difficulties connected with the supply of water, and to construct a line of railway across the desert from the Senegal or the Niger to Algiers. An arrangement has been concluded at Berlin between Germany and France for the introduction of a uniform customs system in their respective possessions on the slave coast. By the terms of this ar¬ rangement the German and French possessions in that region are to form one common customs territory, and spirituous liquors, tobacco, gunpowder and rifles are to be subjected to import duties at the fol¬ lowing rates :—Gin having an alcoholic strength of 40 per cent. (Tral¬ lies’s scale) 3-84d., up to 60 per cent. 5 76d., and above 60 per cent. 9.6od. Rum, according to the same scale, o 19b , 1 28d , and o.48d. respectively. Gunpowder per 100 pounds (English weight), 2s. 6d. Tobacco, per kilogramme, ).2od.; rifles, 6d. each. The payments may be made in German, English or French currency. Beyond these duties notransit 01 internal customs are to be levied, so that goods for which duty has been paid on the territory of the one nation may be imported into the territory of the other without a fresh duty being charged. Any articles not enumerated above are duty-f ee. The ar¬ rangement has been concluded for a period of two years from August 1, simultaneously in the German and French territories. It is ex¬ plained that the rules have been fixed for the present at a low figure in order not to weigh too heavily upon those trades which are still in their infancy. A proposal made by Germany to impose a higher duty on liquors was rejected by France. An expedition of land and sea forces has taken military occupa¬ tion in the name of the King of Portugal of a tract of land north of Loando and Anibriz, in the neighborhood of p.rallel 7 degrees south, and known as Ambrizette. The Movement Geographique reports that the queen of the Amatonga has recognized the sovereignty of Portu¬ gal over the territory claimed by the latter, so that the rights of Por¬ tugal are thus admitted to the whole bay of Lorenzo Marques. The Italian campaign in Abyssinia promises soon to come to a sat¬ isfactory ending, if, indeed, it has not already done so. For some weeks fighting has been in progress, and though it has been of a guerilla sort the general result has been to convince the Abyssinians of the futility of further opposition. The complete collapse of the expedition, how¬ ever, is doubtless due to the paucity of supplies, especially of water, and the consequent demoralization in camp, famine and desertion be¬ ing potent factors in the dissipation of a barbarian host. In any event EXPLORATIONS. O the King has been compelled to negotiate for peace, and although he has thus far refused the conditions imposed by the Italians, it is prob¬ able that the demoralization of his forces will induce him finally to accept them. These codiiions are an acknowledgment of the Italian coast occupation, apology for the attack at Sahati and a treaty of am¬ ity and commerce. The whole affair thus ends without a pitched battle and without unnecessary humiliation to Abyssinia, to which, it is said, Italy may grant freedom of transit for her trade through Mas- sowah to the sea, in return for the reparation demanded. Should this be done, both belligerents may be congratulated on the conclu¬ sion of peace, the Abyssinian monarchy preserving its organization, certain to be broken by an Italian invasion, and Italy left free to re¬ call a force the absence of which might seriously cripple it as a mili¬ tary power. After what The London Trnes calls the “ scramble for Africa,” which has been going on for years, only about four and one-half mil¬ lions of the eleven millions of square miles in Africa remain unat¬ tached to some European power. Of these unattached portions more than half lie within the desert of Sahara. France has about 700,000 square miles; Germany 740,000 square miles, to which should be ad¬ ded, if various disputed claims were admitted, another 200,000. Eng¬ land’s possessions and “ sphere of influence,” not including Egypt, are set down at about 1, 000,000 square miles. EXPLORATIONS. The Movement Geos/raphique contains an account of explorations on the Ubangi (or Mobangi) river, the northern affluent of the Con¬ go, made by two Belgian officers, Captain Van Gele and Lieutenant Lienert. The steamer of these Belgians, the En Avan/, was capable of being taken to pieces and carried overland. Leaving Equator station on the Congo, the explorers passed, after entering the Uban¬ gi, six rapids, between which were navigable stretches of the river. At the last of these rapids the river is three thousand feet wide with an average depth of eighteen feet. The country is spoken of as both fertile and picturesque. The inhabitants w r ere kindly disposed until the travelers reached Bangasso, at which point the natives became hostile. The explorers lost two of their company in an attack, and later they w r ere assaulted both by land and by water, having reached a point a little short of twenty-two degrees east longitude, which is said to be within one degree of the place reached by junker upon the Welle river. Here the travelers were driven back by the difficulties which met them, especially the hostility of the natives. It seemed a 6 EXPLORATIONS. pity that they were not able to traverse this short distance nec¬ essary to settle the problem relating to the Ubangi and the Welle rivers, although it may now be regarded as practically solved. Only meagre accounts have yet come to hand of the complete ascent of Kilimanjaro, the loftiest peak in Africa, by Dr. A. Meyer, of Leipsig, but there is no question of the important achievement. This grand mountain was discovered by the missionary Rebmann, in 1848, and in the following year his colleague, Kraf, discovered its snow- c )vered companion, Kenia In 1862 Van der Decken attempted to ascend Kilimanjaro, but succeeded only in reaching a height of 14,000 feet. In 1871 Rev. Charles New ascended as far as the snow line, and in 1884 Mr. H H. Johnston reached a height of 16,000 feet. Dr. Meyer took six days to reach the summit of the crater of Kibo On the first day he reached the forest limit, on the second Johnston's camp, on the third, passing over extensive grass meadows, he attain¬ ed the snow line; and here, his native companions deserted him. On the fourth day, through broken up blocks of lava, Dr. Meyer reached the foot of the crater, and the edge of the crater itself on the fifth day. This he found to be thickly glaciated, as also the region which lies between Kibo, and its lower companion summit, Kimawezi. The sixth day Dr. Meyer spent in taking photographs and making collections around Kibo, and he spent several days lower down at the snow limit fora similar purpose. He estimates the height of the Ki¬ bo summit at close on 20,000 feet, considerably higher than the esti¬ mates of Mr. Johnston Dr. Casalis, from among the Bassutos, writes to his father, de¬ scribing a visit to a remarkable waterfall : “ The river has cut itself a bed 300 feet lower than the rest of the plateau, before arriving at a narrow gorge surrounded by frightful precipices, and there makes a perpendicular leap of 620 feet. I do not feel myself capable of de¬ scribing this wonder of nature. I have seen Niagara; I have visited the Staubbach, the Reichenbach, the Glessbach, etc., and nevertheless I have found the Maletsunyane more overpowering stdl. The gorges are something extraordinary, rising perpendicular almost 900 feet, like a titanic wall of a reddish granite veined with white quartz. Here again rises a tower of more than 5,600 feet ” Herr Gottlob Adolf Krause has returned from his travels in Af¬ rica, which have lasted two years, during which time he explored districts hitherto unvisited by Europeans. He brought home with him a new fever remedy which he declares to have proved effi¬ cacious when quinine failed. Dr. Zintgraff, the African traveler, is at lake Elephant, experimenting w th the planting of tobacco and STANLEY AND EMIN. 7 rice (from Monrovia), and making excursions for weeks at a time to the surrounding districts. The departure from the Cameroons to lake Elephant was in two parties. One of these, under Lieut. Zeu- ner, boated up the Mungo in a large Cameroon canoe with thirty rowers ; the other, under Dr. Zintgraff, marched from Rio del Key, otherwise Mene river, in a north-easterly direction as far as the wa¬ terfalls near Akumbi Naene, which are 125 metres broad and twenty- five metres in height, and the small falls near Dianga, through a dis¬ trict which has already been partially explored by the Swedish trav¬ elers, Kurtson and Vaidau. The army of African travelers has been increased by the accession of Dr. Gustav Mangold, a youthful savant of Kiel. Dr. Mangold was born in Sommerda, and studied in Ber¬ lin, Munich, and Kiel. He will entertain relations with the East Af¬ rican Society but, being a man of means, will conduct his expedi¬ tions largely at his own expense. Captain Becker has started from Brussels for the Congo, to take possession of and explore the un¬ known northern and eastern regions of the Congo State. The Vos- sische Zeitung , referring to the intended exploration of the Togo ter¬ ritory, in West Africa, by the German Government, states that two expeditions are to be despatched thither, one under the command of Dr. Wolff, a medical officer in the Saxon Army, and another under the direction of Lieutenant von Francis. The two expeditions will carry on their researches independently of each other. STANLEY AND EMIN. Wadelai, the stronghold and seat of government of Emin Bey, is at the present time the center around which the chief interest in equatori¬ al Africa revolves. Till quite recently Emin was unknown to fame, although since 1878, when he was appointed to his present post by General Gordon, he has held the key of the slave district of Lfpper Egypt with signal success and ability. Only a few scientists and of¬ ficials, however, knew anything of the details of the desperate and deadly struggle for liberty and civilization which he has carried on single handed as Gordon’s heir, in the very heart of African barbar¬ ism, since the fall of Khartoum and the tragic death of his illustrious friend and patron. Public attention was first drawn to Emin and his splendid efforts in the cause of humanity among the Lake tribes of the “ Dark Continent ” by the dispatch of the relief expedition in February, 1887, under Mr. Henry M. Stanley, who, a few days before he left England, thus described his mission in a farewell speech at the Mansion Llouse : “ I am preparing a new expedition into the center of Africa for the relief of an Egyptian official who is at present in THE COM JO. 8 somewhat straitened circumstances, and environed by breadths of unknown territories, populated by savage tribes. I go to relieve an officer who may be called the last white chief of the Soudan. Years ago Gordon sent him and his officers and their families up towards the sources of the Nile, and then came that terrible catastrophe which cleared out the heart of the Soudan, and wiped out all traces of civil¬ ization, and barred the way to return. His ammunition was spent, and between himself and the sea on either hand there were hosts of savages. We propose crossing the mainland, striking inland, and we shall not return till we have reached Emin, or perished in the at¬ tempt.” Trying to find Emin, Mr. Stanley ascended the Congo and the Aruwi- mi, one of its branches. Disinterested and competent judges believe that between the headwaters of the Aruwimi and Wadelai, his object¬ ive point, just north of lake Victoria Nvanza, he found his way blocked, and was compelled to make a wide detour to the west, from which to move eastward by a more northerly route. The possibility, is that this is true. If it is, there has not been sufficient time to hear from him. It is the expectation of many distinguished African explorers that the intrepid Stanley will yet march from Wadelai, Emin’s center of power, south-easterly to the eastern coast, strengthen British prestige and possessions, and perhaps establish a New African Free State under British protection. With this hopeful view of the African situation, as it now is, we must wait patiently until we have something besides mere conjecture. The death is announced of Major Bartelott, whom Mr. Stanley left as representative at the camp on the Aruwimi. Bartelott had or- i. mized an expedition for the purpose of following the track of Mr. Stanley, to learn, if possible what had become of him. All that is now known is that Bartelott was killed by some of his own party. There are rumors that he was of an imperious disposition and that he had never had the confidence and affection of his men. Mr. Stanley, if alive, is now alone in the great Continent. None of the expeditions organized or proposed for his relief can probably reach him in season to do him any good. THE CONGO. The officers of the Congo Free State are continuing their explor¬ ations of the Upper Valley, and find that the products of the country are rich and varied beyond the highest expectation. It is said to THE CONGO. 6 have been settled beyond a doubt that the Mobangi is the lower course of the river Welle, discovered by Dr. Schweinfurth ; and so a large part of the Soudan comes into the valley of the Congo, and will find the natural outlet for its products through that river. The engineers who are surveying the route for the railroad past the Livingstone Falls toLukunga river, report that it is not only possible, but easy. The road will run some distance south of the river Congo. The construction of a railroad will mark a new era in the development of Central Africa. Fleets of steamers can then find employment on the Upper Con¬ go and its branches in bringing to Stanley Pool the rubber, gums, spices, ivory, and agricultural products of the valley which are want¬ ed by the civilized world. The railroad also will bean important fac¬ tor in commerce, because it will bring to foreign markets large sup¬ plies of several articles which are now obtainable only in limited quantities. It is officially announced that the forces of the Congo Free State have re-captured the Stanley Falls station. It is two years since this station on the Congo fell into the hands of the Arabs. It is an im¬ portant point, 1,400 miles from the mouth of the river and 340 above Stanlev Pool. Mr. Stanley established it in 1883 on an island in the river just below the falls. The news of the death of the Governor of the Congo State has caused much regret, as also the report of the death of Lieutenant Charles Wallomont, and of Captain Lievin Van de Velde, by fever at Leopoldville. He was about to start for the Aruwimi. Capt Van de Velde was Stanley’s principal assistant on his first exploration. He him¬ self explored the Kiulu-Niadibasin, founded the station of Manyango, and commanded in Vivi. As secretary of the President of the Congo, he took part in the Berlin Congo Conference, and went to Africa again in 1885 to fix the line of the Congo railway between Vivi and Issan- guila. M. janssen has been appointed Governor of the Congo State. In future the post will be held by three functionaries, one in the Congo State, one in Brussels to attend to administrative duties, and a third on lea\e, ready to relieve either of the others. A commencement has been made at Brussels in the issue of the projected Congo State Loan of ryo.ooopoofr., with 100,000 obligations of ioofr. each. The Societe Generale and the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas, the Banque de Bruxelles, and the firms of Phillopson, Cas- sel, and Balser will receive subscriptions. 10 GERMAN ENTERPRISE. HERMAN ENTERPRISE. Herr Ludwig Conradt, the representative of the Deutsch- West- Afrikanisch Compagnie, presents some interesting details of the trade in the German Protectorates of Namaqualand and Damaraland. Owing to the presence of German missionaries in these two Protecto¬ rates for about half a century, the natives have gradually accustomed themselves to wear European clothing The percentage of those thus, dressed increases from year to year. Fc rmerly, mostly ready-made clothes were imported, but now the natives have begun to buy the stuff’s and cut their own attire for themselves, Of these stuff's various kinds and qualities are imported. It is necessary to keep as much as possible to the same classes of goods. Herr Halbig, a merchant in Otzymbique, purchased a large quantity of these goods in Germany, and disposed of them with rapidity and at prices considerably lowerthan thosequoted in Cape Town. Damarasand Nam- aquas are no longer childish savages who barter for gay toys and arti¬ cles they cannot utilize. On the contrary, they pay special attention to the quality and durability of their purchases, and when they have the choice, prefer expensive heavy goods to cheap articles. Dr. Peters gives an account of a journey he was then making to the bay of Tanga, on the northern limit of the German Protecto¬ rate. He describes the region around the bay as of marvelous'beau¬ ty and fertility, with extensive plantations of coco palms, and fields of maize and other grain extending far into the distance, The country is everywhere green and rich, covered with plantations and villages, and produces the finest tobacco. Landing at Pangani, and proceed¬ ing over the hills, he found plantation on plantation right and left, with sugar factories here and there, some of which are already making use of steam. Dr. Peters went to the plantation of Deutschenhof, which has been laid out by the Planters' Association, about two hours north of the Ruvu river. This station was founded in the beginning of September, and already more than 50,000 tobacco plants have been laid down, and seem to be flourishing. Deutschenhof lies in one of the richest and most beautiful landscapes on the LIsambora plateau. Dr. Peters states that he has purchased the right to all the stretch of country as far south as Saadani, a distance of 100 miles. After a visit to Saadani, Dr. Peters proceeded northwards to Witu, the German posession which lies north of the strip of coast just leased by the English company from the Sultan of Zanzibar. Monda bay, here, behind Monda and other islands, he describes as one of the best har¬ bors of the world. RAILROADS, CABLED ARB MIRES. IT The German East African Plantation Company have increased their capital by 250,000 marks, their entire capital now amounting to 1,500,000 marks. At one of its plantations, Sewa, in Usam- bora, about 20 miles from the coast, 100 natives are at work, besides 200 of the people from the surrounding villages. At M’Busine, in Useguha, about 40 miles from the coast, the position is equally favor¬ able. Here about 150 contract natives are at work, with a like number who have come in from the neighborhood. The country lies pretty high, and besides tobacc >, coffee has been planted at several points. A company has been formed in Berlin, which proposes to fit out an expedition to the gold fields of South-west Africa for the purpose of undertaking a scientific research. Efforts will be made to ascertain what economical value the newly discovered gold fields possess, and, supposing they possess any, to secure the mining rights upon the most favorable spot. The leadership of this expedition will be en¬ trusted to recognized authority upon geologicaland geographical mat¬ ters, a former lecturer at a German mining academy, who will be as¬ sisted by two mining engineers of practical experience. This organi¬ zation has adopted the title of the “German African Mines Compa¬ ny’’ It will direct its attention not only to the probable existence of gold in South-west Africa, but also to that of gems. It is believed that as South-west Africa shows a similar ground formation to the special diamond country, West Griqu iland, diamonds will also be found there. RAILROADS, ' ABLES AND MINES. The route of the railroad from the navigable waters of the Low¬ er Congo to Stanley Pool, past the Livingstone Falls, has been surveyed and foinl practicable. Information concerning the progress of the railway—the first on the West Coast of Africa south of that built by the French in Sene- gambia—which the Portuguese are constructing in the province of Angola, is communicated by Mr. R. S. Newton, British Consul at Lo- anda The Royal Trans-African Railway from Loanda to Ambaca, a distance of some 250 miles, is in course of construction and sixty kilometers of earthworks are completed. About 14,000 tons of mate¬ rial, including several locomotives and carriages, have arrived, and the work goes on with activity, although the contractor, Mr. John Burnay, of Lisbon, has great difficulties to contend with, both in the way of labor and the heat and unhealthiness of the climate. Nearly all the material used is from Belgium. The Government guarantee 6 12 RAILROADS, CABLES AND MINES. per cent., equal to 1,200 milreis per kilometre on the estimated cost of construction.” The Conference of the Delegates of Cape Colony, Natal and the Orange Free State, which met at Cape Town under the presidency of Sir Gordon Sprigg, to consider the question of intercolonial railways and customs union, has agreed to a report recommending the estab¬ lishment of a South African Customs Union upon defined lines, and also the extension of the colonial railways through the Free State to the Vaal river, the extension to be undertaken by the Free State government. According to this programme, the Cape Colony Rail¬ way system will be pressed from Colesberg, a point near the Orange river, about 550 miles northeast from Cape Town, and 355 miles north from Port Elizabeth to Bloemfontein, the Orange Free State, thence northeast to a point near the northern border of the Free State, where a junction is to be formed with the Natal line to be extended from Landismith, its present terminus. To effect this junc¬ tion of the two colonial branches, as above indicated, will require the construction of about 40a miles of railway which, for the greater part, will penetrate a country famous for its agricultural capabilities and its prodigious mineral wealth. The commercial public is aroused by the opening of a railroad from Lorenzo Marques, on Delagoa Bay, into the interior, to¬ ward the Transvaal. The section opened is 54 miles long, and cross¬ es the bonders of the Transvaal Republic. Thence the distance is somewhat over 200 miles to Pretoria. The importance of this enter¬ prise is seen from the fact that Delagoa Bay is the only harbor for large ships between the Cape of Good Hope and Mozambique, a range of 2.000 miles. It is not only the nearest port to the gold-bear¬ ing region of Africa, but the coal deposits are such as would make it a most important coaling station. Admiral De Horsey writes to The London Times that this port must be the naval key to that portion of the Indian Ocean, as well as the commercial emporium of southeast¬ ern Africa. The !‘Third Ordinary General Meeting” of the West African Tele¬ graph Company,Limited, was held in London, July 13th. Major General Sir F. J. Goldsmid, C. B., who presided, said that the traffic had not increased to the extent they would have been glad to see, but in oth¬ er respects he thought they would find that the working had been satisfactory, and the whole line was at that moment in good order and condition. The P'rench subsidy had been paid to the end of 1887, and the Portuguese guarantee had been paid to the end of Septem¬ ber last. With reference to the traffic, statistics for the complete line TRADE. IS were available from September, 1886, but it would hardly be fair to compare the first three months’ working of the complete line with the corresponding period in 1887. Taking, however, the first five months of the present year, and comparing the number of words with that of the corresponding period of 1887, after making due allowance for the loss resulting from the interruption on the St. Thome-Loanda sec¬ tion. they might fairly consider that the volume of traffic had in¬ creased at least 15 percent For the present they must re’y on their guarantee and subsidy, hoping for better results in the future when the system was connected with the Cape of Good Hope ; and Mr. Matthew Gray, of the India-rubber, Gutta-percha, & Tele¬ graph Works Co., had sent him a letter stating that that Company was working earnestly t awards completing the section from Loanda to the Cape, and that they had every hope that the connection would be made by the end of ihe year. He concluded by moving "he adop¬ tion of the report and the payment of 33 a share ; which motion was unanimously adopted. From September 1, 1882, to Decem'o r 31, 1887, the comparative yearly exports of diamonds from South Africa were as follows : Carats. Declared Value. Ave. price per t £ s d 1887 .. ■ 3 . 599. 0 36 . 4.251.837 . 23 7 % 1886 .. • -• 3 M 35432 . 3.507.210 . 7 7 4 1885... . . . 2,440,788 . .. 2,492,755 .. 20 5 1884 .. 2,263,686 . 2,807,288 . 24 18S3 .. • -• 2,413,953 . 2,742,521 .. 7 7 8 % Total.. 13,852,897 .15,801,613 Showing the very considerable total of _£[ 5,801,613, which does not seem to have been considered in comparative tables of exports and imports, though it has as much influence on trade by increasing the purchasing power of South Africa, as if, instead of articles of lux¬ ury, they were ingots of copper or lumps of pig-iron. It is estimated that since the beginning of the mines, in 1871-2, not less than forty millions sterling value of gems has been exported—all in the first in¬ stance to England. TRADE. The year 1887 has witnessed about the same depression in trade which existed in 1886. The average prices in Europe of leading Afri¬ can products have stood even lower than during the previous twelve 14 TRADE. months, while the prolonged continuance of^low^prices’ in Africa has apparently disheartened the native producer and tended to diminish the quantity as well as the value of his offerings. At the “Eighth Ordinary General Meeting” of the Royal Niger Company, held at the offices in London, July 31, Lord Abedare, Governor of the Company, presided and said:— “ The year which has passed since we last met has been, as you may well imagine, not only a busy, but an anxious one. It is true that the anticipations I then ventured to express of the speedy restor¬ ation of our finances to a sound basis have been thoroughly realized. The debt then remaining has been wiped away, and although the bal¬ ance-sheet now submitted to you for the year I887 does not justify any dividend for that year ; still the fact that we venture, in full confidence of the prudence of such a measure, to propose a dividend at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum on account of the first half of 1888, is a proof that we look forward to the future more hopefully than we have done for some years past.” Governor Abedare proposed, and Mr. John Edgar seconded, a resolution for an interim dividend, at the rate of five per cent, per an¬ num, for the half year ended June 30th last; and it was unanimously agreed to. British trade with Africa is estimated to be worth about $125,000,000 annually, while that of France is about $100,000,000. The commerce of Germany with the great Continent is as yet insignificant. The total value of the exports and imports of Africa is estimated at $375,000,000 annually. An enormous sum truly. What a field for commercial enterprise the African Continent is ! A society has been formed in Liverpool to develop the produc¬ tion of indigo on the West Coast of Africa. It has for years been known that a superior quality of the plant which produces indigo ex¬ ists on the West Coast, and that the product of this plant, which grows without cultivation, is even better than that which is raised in India with great care Mr, E. W. Parsons, an attache of the West African Telegraph Company, has sent to the Royal Geographical So¬ ciety of London an account of a new species of caoutchouc. Mr. Par¬ sons thinks it as “ pure as possible.” Like all the other African caoutchoucs, there are two qualities, one an extract from the plant, the other from its root. Formerly caravans took eight or nine months to return to the coast with their loads of the ordinary caout¬ chouc gathered from forest trees; now they come back in about three months, bringing an abundance of this superior article, which com¬ mands a high price in the coast market. Considerable attention has THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC. 15 been paid lately to the export trade from Namaqualand in gum arab- ic, which has proved, highly profitable. Herr Raedecker, of Otzym- binque, has agreed to supply 10,000 lbs. of this article every year. Narakernels, the fruit of the nara, are also exported in large quantites aud converted in Cape Town into confectionery, which forms an ac- aceptable substitute for sweet almonds Arrangements have been made for another line of steamers from Liverpool and Continental p^rts to the West Coast by some of the leading- houses in the trade. A second line is to start from Bordeaux, calling at Algiers, Morocco, Senegal, Bulama, Sierra Leone. Lagos and all parts of the West South-west Coast of Africa. It is stated that the carrying trade has given evidence of considerable prosperity, and that one of the steamship comp inies was able last year not only to de¬ clare a dividend, but also to return to its shareholders 15 per cent, of capital out of profits. THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC. This subject is recurring continually, and it ought to, until the ter¬ rible curse which civilized nations are permitting to come upon Africa is checked. Let united action be taken to induce Christian govern¬ ments to rise in their might and put a stop to a traffic which is proving more detrimental to Africa than even the slave-trade. There are no specially new facts to be presented. Probably no Christian na- tiorj. is free from blame in this matter. Although we may properly claim that at the Berlin Congress the representatives of the United States, Great Britain, Belgium, and Italy took a decided stand against the admission of intoxicating liquors into the Congo Free State, and were defeated, largely through the influence of Germany and the Netherlands, yet we are constrained to admit that Great Britain and the United States suffer their citizens to engage in this desolating traffic. The King of the Belgians, who is also sovereign of the Congo Free State, has placed stringent restrictions on the sale of alcoholic liquors on the upper Congo, since under the terms of the Berlin Con¬ ference treaty he cannot altogether prohibit the importation,. The Royal Niger Company, having control of trade upon the Niger, has al¬ so imposed heavy duties upon foreign liquors in the hope of restrict¬ ing their use; and this solely for commercial reasons, because it is found that the industries on which commerce can live are being de¬ stroyed by the intemperance of the natives. A debate took place in the British Parliament, April 24, on the question of the liquor traffic and native races. The debate was long and was participated in by prominent men like Sue J. Kennaway, Sir THE SLAVE TRADE. 16 G. Baden-Powell, Baiou H. De Worms, Under Secretary of the Colo¬ onies, Sir Wilfred Lawson, Sir G. Campbell, Mr. Bryce, Mr. McArthur, Sir Richard Temple, and others. The disastrous results of the liquor traffic with native races were universally admitted and deplored. The necessity for prompt and energetic action, if the natives are to be saved from extermination, was clearly set forth. Sir J. Kennaway urged that measures be taken to call a convention for united action on the part of the Powers of Europe In the course of the debate a statement was made by the Under Secretary of the Colonies, that the United States government had not responded favorably to proposals for an international agreement on this subject, and that Secretary Bayard had declared, in a letter of April, 1885, that while our govern¬ ment recognized the moral force and general pr jpriety of the proposed regu'ations, “the government of the LInited States does m t feel en¬ tirely prepared to join in the international understanding proposed.’* This debate in the British House of Commons indicates a purpose to take hold with vigor of this great problem, and the fallowing motion received the assent of the government and was agreed to without a di¬ vision : “That this H -use, having regard to the disastrous physi¬ cal and moral effects of the liquor traffic among uncivilized races, as well as the injury it inflicts on legitimate commerce, will cordially support the Imperial and Colonial governments in endeavors to sup¬ press the traffic in all the native territories and gi vernmer.ts unde- their influence and control." * THE SLAVE TRADE. A meeting was held in London, August 1, by the British and For- e gn Anti-Slavery Society, to listen to an address from Cardinal Lav- igerie, the archbishop of Algiers and Carthage, on the subject of Af¬ rican slavery. The meeting was presided over by Lord Granville, and eminent men were present from the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, and all other Christian bodies. The chairman well remarked that the presence on the same platform of most distinguish¬ ed persons, ministers and laymen of all denominations, accentuated the fact that, though in many things they differed, there was cordial agreement among them in reference to slavery and the slave-trade. Cardinal Lavigerie, made a striking address, in which he affirmed that Commander Cameron understated the case when he said that half a million of slaves, at least, are sold every year in the interi¬ or of Africa Within ten years whole provinces have been absolutely depopulated by the massacres of the slave-hunters. Things have come to such a pass in the vicinity of the Great Lakes that every wo- LITERATURE. 17 man or child who strays ten rods away from the village has no cer¬ tainty of ever returning to it. He depicted in a most striking way the terrible sufferings which the slave captives have to endure on their way to the markets. Cardinal Manning, Bishop Smythies, of the Universities Mission, Rev. Horaee Waller, and Commander Cam¬ eron followed the address of the cardinal with stirring words, and a resolution was passed calling upon the nations of Europe to take needful steps to secure the suppression of Arab marauders throughout all territories over which they have any control. An International Conference is announced to be held in Belgium to devise measures for the suppression of the African slave trade. The Conference is mainly the outcome of the efforts of Cardinal Lav- igerie. Pope Leo, who is deeply interested in the movement, has signi¬ fied his willingness to accept the honorary Presidency of the Confer¬ ence. It now seems quite certain that a united effort will be made by the leading European Powers towards the suppression of the Afri¬ can slave-trade. England, France, Germany and Portugal have sig¬ nified their willingness to co-operate in the good work. The discussion in the House of Lords on East Central Africa has served a good purpose in drawing public attention to the serious dangers to which, by reason of recent events at Zanzibar and on the Zambesi, British commerce and missionary enterprise are now expssed, and also in eliciting from the Government a declaration of its inten¬ tion to protect these interests. The civilizing and Christianizing of this vast tract of country must, as the Prime Minister intimated, be mainly the work of individuals and private organizations; but these agencies have a right to demand that the government shall render them, all possible legitimate and peaceful assistance and protection, and es¬ pecially shall do all that honorable statesmanship can do in suppress¬ ing spirit-selling and slave-hunting, the latter of which is now display¬ ing renewed vitality. The assurances of Lord Salisbury were satisfactory. LITERATURE. Tropical Africa,” by Professor Henry Drummond, will great¬ ly interest and instruct all classes of readers. It is not strictly a book of travels or of science, but in a charming style Profeessor Drum¬ mond details briefly what he saw in his excursion up the Zambesi, crossing lake Nyasa to the high plateau between Nyasa and Tangan¬ yika. Professor Drummond evidently believes in the African and in the possibilities of a development within the bounds of his own Continent. This is altogether a charming book; and its six colored 18 LITERATURE. maps of Central and Southern Africa are worth more than the price of the volume. “Emin Pasha in Central Africa,” is one of the most fascina¬ ting as well as valuable books relating to Africa; and a remarkable fact connected with it is, that though the author, so far as known, is not only alive but in active service, he is not even aware of the exist¬ ence of the volume. In the centre of his Equatorial Province Emin Pasha has been practically shut away from the world, and for years at a time he has received no communication from without. But he has nevertheless been able to send to his special friends, Professors Schweinfurth and Ratzel, and Doctors Felkin and Hartlaub, letters which have reached them, and which they feel to be of such value to the world that they have arranged and presented them in this comely volume of 547 pages. The journals cover the period from 1877 to April, 1887, although there are many gaps. The contributions to nat¬ ural history contained in this volume would be sufficient to give fame to any man, but when we add to this the service of Emin Pasha as a military leader and governor, and his protracted and energetic efforts for the suppression of the slave-trade and the amelioration of the condition of the people of the Equatorial Province, we are constrain¬ ed to admit that he is one of the most wonderful men of our times. The story of his life is briefly given, from which we learn that his real name is Eduard Schnitzer, the son of Protestants, born in Op- peln, Silesia, in 1840. After obtaining a medical education at Berlin, he sought practice in Turkey, traveling through Armenia, Syria and Arabia. He entered the Egytian service in 1876 and became chief medical officer of the Equatorial Province under General Gordon. It was there that he assumed the name of Emin Effendi, for the pur¬ pose of removing all obstacles to his intercourse with the natives, at the same time assuring his friends that “ an honest German is disguis¬ ed behind the Turkish name. Don’t be afraid; I have only adopted the name, I have not become a Turk.” Aside from his extraordinary gifts in scientific studies. Dr. Emin has remarkable ability in the ac¬ quisition of languages, so that he not only speaks the principal lan¬ guages of Europe, but has mastered several Slavonic tongues as well as the Turkish and Arabic. His acquisitions in the line of language in Central Africa must be a matter of conjecture. It was in 1878 that Gordon made Emin governor of the Equato¬ rial Province, and the new ruler immediately undertook to redeem the district from the domination of slave-traders. With great energy and patience he wrought until he had trained a native soldiery and had ban shed the slave-traders from the Province; and in 1882 LITERATURE. 19 he was able to show a net profit through his administration of $40,000 in place of the preceeding annual deficit of not far from $160,000. Re¬ garding his administrative duties as of prime importance, he never suffered h is intense love for scientific investigations to interfere with his work as a ruler. While throughout these letters to his friends there is a singular mingling of records of his administration with ac¬ counts of the wonderful flora and fauna of the Province, it is clear that his heart is first of all fixed upon securing good government for the people over whom he is placed. Dr. Hartlaub, referring to the zoological collections and observations which Emin Pasha has made, declares that they are astonishing in the highest degree. But they cannot be more’astonishing than are the results of his administration among the people. To be sure, in the troubles that ensued after 1882, and in the enlargement of his domain, the slave-trade was again re¬ vived and Dr. Emin, having no help from without found it impossible to restrain the rapacity and lust of the slave dealers in the new districts committed to his care. But he has patiently wrought at his work, dealing with the people in wise and just ways, and has won their re¬ gard to a surprising degree And now this wise and brave man stands at his post, unwilling to leave it even were some broad way opened for him to flee from a trust which he would gladly lay down if a stern conviction of duty would allow him so to do. “German Work in Africa ” is a book of interest concerning the “Dark Continent.” ft is by Goyau.x, the well-known German traveler and-is far superior to the ordinary literature on that subject. It is mostly the result of years of observation and practical experience of the author, and therein has special worth. It is written largely as an aid to the present efforts of the Germans in the line of African colonization. One chapter is devoted to the climate of German Africa, and in this the author has no very satifactory experience. He says : “ German Africa will never be the seat of large emigration ; on¬ ly individual Germans who go there under the most favorable condi¬ tions, as merchants, overseers of workmen, or government officials, will be able to remain long.” The third section is devoted to the sub¬ ject of plantations in tropical Africa. Here we learn in full the nec¬ essary modus operandi of clearing the ground and preparing the soil with the labor there at command, and establishing experimental agri¬ cultural colonies. The chapter on the education of the natives is val¬ uable, as it is the practical experience of the author of several years of labor on a large plantation. Suffice it to say on this point that he considers the Negro capable of being educated, but the instruction 20 LITERATURE. must be wholly practical—must be virtually object-teaching on a large scale. The African is imitative, but his ambition must be stimulated, and much patience is necessary to success. “The Arab in Central Africa,” is an interesting pamphlet by James Stevenson, Esq , who has heretofore written in reference to philanthropic and commercial enterprises in Central Africa. He brings together many facts which show that within the last five years the ravages of the Arabs have increased in area and intensity, so that a territory west of the great Lakes, one thousand miles by four hund¬ red, has been devastated. It is a sorrowful story of the growth of the slave trade, and the statements here brought together give force to the representations made to the British government, urging it to in¬ terpose in the defence of the rights of commerce in the interior of Af rica. Mr. Stevenson’s pamphlet is accompanied by a map of Africa, showing the lines on which the slave-trade is now prosecuted. “Life on the Congo,” by Rev. W. Holman Bentley, contains much that is valuable on the physical characteristics and climate of the country, the home life and superstitions of the natives, the expe¬ rience of the missionaries, and some of the results of their labors. It is not yet ten years since the first missionaries arrived in the countrys and yet already there are native Christian churches at Mukimbungu, Lukunga, Banza, Manteka and San Salvador: there being about 1,500 converts, whose sincerity is attested by the self-denial and consistency of their lives. “Dictionary and Grammar of the Kongo Language,” by Rev. W. Holman Bentley, is another monument to missionary enter¬ prise. In its 718 pages it presents to the world the materi¬ als for understanding an African language spoken in a vast district bordering on the Congo river (which this author writes Kongo.) It must prove an invaluable assistance to all who are engaged in com¬ mercial or missionary enterprises within the Congo Free State. There are now three periodicals in Europe which are wholly de¬ voted to African news and comments upon the various enterprises de¬ veloping there, while three-fourths of the space in another journal is given solely to affairs in the Congo State. One of these periodicals has a circulation of six thousand copies. L' Afrique, which is publish¬ ed in Geneva, and the African Times, of London, have been in the field for several years, and now comes the Afrika Post, issued in Hamburg, to be chiefly devoted to Germany’s interests in her African possessions. CHRISTIAN MISSIONS. 21 CHRISTIAN MISSIONS. Many of the English missionary societies laboring in Africa are experiencing serious trials in connection with the sickness and death of several of their missionaries and also from newly awakened hostil¬ ity on the part of the native chieftains. Bishop Parker, of the English Church Missionary Society, lately died of fever at the southern end of Victoria Nyanza. Following so soon upon the murder of Bishop Hannington, the death of his successor will be a sad blow to the Church Missionary Society. Moreover, all the stations of this Society in East Africa, as well as of the London Society on lake Tanganyika, have experienced severe trials of late in connection with the hongo, or claims for tribute, made by the native chieftains. The Free Church of Scotland’s mission on Lake Nyasa has been compelled to suspend its missionary operations, and to attend solely to self-defence against the assaults of Arab slave-traders, who have entered anew and with vigor upon their infamous traffic. The losses by death of English Baptist missionaries on the Congo have been so numerous as to be well nigh crushing. The Societe d?s Missions Evangeliques has sent four French teach¬ ers as aids to the American Presbyterian Mission at the Gaboon. This mission, founded in 1842, has now six stations : Alongo, upon the is¬ land of Corisco ; Baraka, or Glars, upon the equator; Angoma, upon the Gaboon river, and Kangwe, on the river Ogowe. The French teachers have received a hearty welcome from the French authorities of the country as well as from the American missionaries. It has be¬ come an absolute necessity that the French language should be used in the mission schools. The missionaries of the American Baptist Missionary Union on the Congo further report of the revival at Banza Manteke. About two hundred have been baptized and enrolled as church members. More are asking for baptism. An interesting incident is given show¬ ing the zeal of the converts in transporting timber and iron a distance of fifty miles for the building of a chapel. Most of the men have made the journey three, and some four, times, bringing loads on their heads. To do this requires a walk of three or four hundred miles. The women have hired carriers, and thus have done their part. The boys, too, have brought half-loads. Bishop William Taylor, in his Quadrennial Report to the Gener¬ al Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, says that he had superintended the regular work in the Liberia Conference and estab¬ lished self-supporting missions on the Cavalla river. He has made a beginning in the Congo region, and Angola south of the Congo riv- CHRISTIAN MISSIONS. 22 er; in all 36 new stations have been opened by him, with 32 mission houses, built at a cost of ^20,000 and all are free from debt. The sta¬ tions in Angola are, 1. St. Paul de Loando, with a self-supporting school. 2. Dondo, 240 miles distant from Loanda, with a self- supporting school also. 3. Nhanguepepo, 51 miles farther inland, a receiving-station where missionaries can tarry and learn lan¬ guages. 4. Pungo Andongo is 39 miles farther on a moun¬ tain elevation. 5. Malange is 60 miles further along the same path. The objective point of this line of stations is the Tus’nilange country, some 1,200 miles from the coast. BishopTaylor has a steam yacht in process of transportation around Stanley Falls, for use on the Upper Congo and Kasai. The Affican Methodist E. Church has sent a missionary and his wife to Sierra Leone, and others are to follow, as will appear from the following extract from the A. M. E Church Review for October:— “The African Methodist Episcopal Church, a Church in many re¬ spects especially litted for the work, is becoming aroused as to its du¬ ties and possibilities in Africa. It would be putting this Church in a false light to say that hitherto it has had no aspirations in this direction. The want of money has been the principal reason for remaining away. But meanwhile the work of preparing men has been going on slowly but steadily, till now the outlook is bright. During the next quad- rennium, under the superintendency of our newly elected Bishop Tanner, and by the aid of the Women’s Mite Missionary Society, we may expect a great advance upon what has been done in the past at this post. Dr. Townsend,—“Missionary Secretary,”—has already given notice that his department stands ready to do its best for Africa, and the ladies of the Mite Society are asking that the work of sustaining a missionary and developing a school there be given them as their specific work.” The Missions-und Heidenbote, of Neukirchen, for April, gives the following account of Roman Catholic missions in Eastern Africa: “Until lately we had to do with two different Roman Catholic missions. The one is the so-called ‘Congregation of the Holy Ghost and of the Sacred Heart of Mary, ’ commonly called ‘the Black Fath¬ ers.’ They number some fifty missionaries, working at seven central stations, none of them very far removed from the coast. Besides missionary work strictly so calk'd, they also carry on a general work of culture. Especially are they devoted to the care of the sick. 1 he other Roman Catholic mission is that of the ‘African Algerian Mis¬ sionaries,’ commonly called ‘ the White Fathers.’ They have advanced their stations far into the interior, and set them as widely as possible CHRISTIAN MISSIONS. 23 apart. As it appears, they limit themselves mainly to proper mission¬ ary work. We do not know the number of their laborers. As we learn from the journals, there has come on the field a new German mission of the Roman Catholic Church, of which a column of thirteen priests, besides artisans and agriculturists, is already on Af¬ rican soil. The south of the German possessions in Eastern Africa is assigned to them, while the Kilimandjaro region is to remain under the Brothers of the Holy Ghost. The Roman Church is bestirring herself to lay her hand upon Eastern Africa.” The exttension of European protectorates over various parts of Africa is likely to necessitate many changes in missionary operations. The French at the Gaboon are not alone in requiring that missionary schools shall lay aside the English and use French. French Protestants in Basuto-land assert that they are required to use the English and not the French in all schools of the higher grades. The German governor at Cameroons placed such restrictions upon the English Baptist missions within the German territory that it was thought best to transfer the mission to the Basle Society. Al¬ ready the English Church Missionary Society agents in the east Af¬ rican lake country complain of difficulties from the German occupa¬ tion of territory between the lakes and Zanzibar. Before a substantial and permanent superstructure can be erect¬ ed there must be prepared for it a solid and enduring foundation. This foundation-laying is what the Protestant missionary societies are now doing for Christianity in Africa, at an annual expense of about $[,500,000. Missionaries have taught many useful mechanical trades to the natives, such as masonry, carpentering and tailoring, and, in addition, they have imparted no small amount of knowledge of read¬ ing, writing, arithmetic, and of the printing press, the saw-mill and the steamboat, and they have generally been the first to explore ar.d describe the lakes and rivers of Africa, and impart a correct knowl¬ edge of them and of the capabilities of the adjacent country. They have done more. By grammars, dictionaries, vocabularies, and translation of the Bible, they have usefully illustrated two hundred African languages and dialects. By their researches they have en¬ riched the sciences of zoology, botany, and anthropology, and many other branches of scientific investigation. They have guided com¬ merce and civilization in theirforward marches, and, while their work may at times have been imperfect, and may not now appear as decid¬ edly Christian in all its aspects, it has all been a part of that founda¬ tion work upon which the grand edifice of a pure Christianity will at length be reared. 24 LIBERIA. LIBERIA. Liberia is growing more and more indigenous and hopeful. The Aborigines are entering the political and social life of the Republic. The Kroomen, especially, are engaging largely in civilized commerce and in agriculture, and are becoming apart of the permanent element of the population. Hon. E ]. Barclay, Secretary of State of Liberia, wrote as follows to Charles Hall Adams Esq., Consul of that Republic at Boston:— “In former years the volume of trade between the two countries (Liberia and the United States) was much larger than at present. Our palm oil and camwood were the chief productions exported to the United States, but since kerosene and cotton seed oil have come prominently to the front there, the exports of palm oil to that conn- try have become almost nil compared withjwhat it used to be. In those days it was not an uncommon thing fora single ship to take among other products, palm oil to the value of $28,000 to $36,000. The vacancy caused by the decline of the trade of this article in the Unit¬ ed States has not been filled. Your figures with reference to the ex¬ port of coffee into the United States have been carefully scanned. We are entirely in accord as to the fact that our trade in this article might be increased to much larger proportions, and the quantity ex¬ ported to the L T nited States might be multiplied a hundred fold. Yet when the facts of the cultuie being in its infancy and of there being no banks nor other financial institutions to assist the growers, and no machinery except in a few instances, are considered, I am of the opinion that our cultivators have made a tolerable good showing in foreign markets. The total product for 1887 was about 1,200,000 lbs, which were distributed as follows ; to Germany, 600,000 lbs., United States, 301,000 lbs , Belgium, France and England 149,000 lbs., Hol¬ land 150,00a lbs. Bishop William Taylor in his Quadrennial Report, states;—“The productive interests of Liberia are fairly prosperous. Within ten miles of Monrovia, up the St. Paul’s river, there are ten steam sugar cane crushing mills, and during the past year more than 600.000 pounds of coffee have been exported from Monrovia.” Hon. Ezekiel E. Smith, Minister Resident and Consul General of the United States at Liberia, thus addressed the Hon. John H. B. La- trobe, under date of Monrovia, September 1st:—“As a member of a long enslaved race I bless God for the inception, organization and perpetuation of the philanthropic institution, the American Coloniza¬ tion Society. I shall pray that the choicest benedictions of Heaven may rest upon the executive and members and friends. The most 25 America’s share. facile pen, the most eloquent or gifted orator cannot describe the possibilities of Liberia as they present themselves to the eye.” In this connection may be stated the notable fact that, by act of the national Parliament of Brazil in May, slavery was abolished through¬ out the Empire. For years a popular feeling in favor of emancipation has been growing ; but now the government has suddenly moved in the matter and the glorious dei.d is done. This act is one in which philanthropists and Christians may well rejoice, and it will have an important bearing on the interests of the kingdom of Christ in Brazil and in Africa. So strong is the love of “ fatherland ” in the uncontam¬ inated Brazilian Negroes that there is a steady current setting eastward from that Empire, the “expatriates” paying their own way to West Africa. AMERICA S SHARIi, Is not America to share more largely in this new interest for Af¬ rica? We, who have millions of people the best adapted to its cli¬ mate—to be its sailors, pioneers, merchants, colonists and missiona¬ ries—are we to be scarcely more than idle spectators of the general movement for it ? Are our growing millions of its children, rising daily in intellectual and moral improvement, to take no telling part in its redemption ? With the immense prospective growth of our Ne¬ gro population will doubtless come considerable development of its business talent and wealth : in spite of its social disadvantages, can its “ fatherland ” fail then to powerfully attract its enterprise, its religion and civilization generally ? In God’s own time the great mystery that has rested upon Afri¬ ca and her people shall be made clear. She shall be favored with un - told blessings, and they shall live in the light of an ennobled civiliza¬ tion and a pure Christianity.