The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-10 00:00:00

[ PRIM; 4D. STAMPED 50 .]

the report was true. The only answer he could give
was that if the Times bad said it the 10001. was
certain if they could only get the proper fibre. He
then advised them to get some of the fibres they
had in abundance, which might be used in the ma-
nufacture of paper. They brought a kind of aloe,
and another soft fibrous substance found round the
roots of the wild date tree. Neither of these would
be good for the purpose; but they likewise brought
another termed ." buaze," which he hal known
simply as used for making threads to string beads
upon. In other parts the sinews of animals were
used for that purpose ; but this rot was quite
as strong, and when one attempted to break it it
'felt as if it would cut the finger. He brought home
come •of it, and presented it to P)e Brothers,
in Lombard-etreet, who put it through their new
process for treating such fibres, and they gave it as
their opinion, after consulting one of the first manu-
facturers in Leeds, that the fibre was finer and
stronger than flax, and it was worth between 501.
and 601. a ton. This plant was probably not known
Yesterday morning Dr. Livingst the African to botanists at all. It was said to grow abundantly
traveller, met the members of the Cliamb.e. of Com on the north bank of the Zambezi, but was. never
cultivated. The north bank was mush more fer-
merce, Commercial Association and C itt)n Supply
Association, at the Town-Hall,. Manchester, and tile than the south bank.
had a most warm and hearty reception. There were Mr. CHEETHA.M. —You have alluded t cotton on
a number of ladies present. Sir James Watt) the west cons~ ;is any grown on the east?,
Mayor of Manchester, presided ; arid on the plat- Dr. LIVINGSTON said it grew abundantly on the
form were—Mr. Cheeth%rn, M.P., Mr. J. A. Tur-
west, and that was far the best field for cotton.
ner, M. P.
On the east it was cultivated a little, but it was
Mr. E. Mr. Hadfield, M.P., Mr. 11. Ashworth,
Ashwortb,- Mr. J. C. Herter, and Mr. M.
net so good. It clung to the seed, and an iron
Ross. roller had to be used to separate it. The quantity
grown on the east side was very much smaller
The MA.YOR having introduced Dr. Livingston to
the meeting,SHWORTH presented the following ad-
than that on the west side, but the natives had
A Mr. H.
never been induced to cultivate cotton ; they had
dress to the distinguished visitor : teeter been offered anything for it, and they only
"Chamber of Commerce and Manufactures
cultivated a little to make clothes for them-
Manchester, Sept- 9. - ' L.selves. Ho believed if they had a market they
would cultivate largely, for wherever they had the
" Sisa—The directors of this chamber beg to assure
opportunity of selling anything they immediately
you of their heariiescweloome to this city. They have
contemplated with feelings of the highest satisfaction the began to collect D. There was a trade between
labours in which you have been engaged in Africa in Loando and Brazil in wax, which- was necessary for
promoting the extension of civilisation .and of Christi- the churches in Brazil. This trade had been deve-
anity, and they sincerely .congratulate you upon the loped in Angola and in the central country of
beneficial results of your exertions. Lunda, as they passed through the dense forest,
" Believing that commerce and industry may be iden- be and his party observed that the natives had
tified with civilisation and Christianity, the directors of placed hives every few hundred yards between the
this chamber are desirous of expressing to you their trees. and -seemed to collect every ounce of wax.
strong - conviction that cotton and other agricultural T,
he '
Portuguese gave a very good price for it in
products which are required in this country, may, with
Angela. The country abounded in honey, and the
great advantage to the native African, be grown by 'him
travellers were called by the honey bird three or
to exchange for British manufactures, and by enoourag-
ing pursuits of productive labour they submit that mis- four times a day. It invited persons to follow it
sionary objects may be supported, while the material and take the honey ; and his (Dr. Livingston's)
comfort and enjoyment of the people of Africa may be men got a good deal of it. This had never been
rendered commensurate with those reasonable desires made an article of export. Some of his men en-
which increased intelligence always suggests. deavoured, without success, to sell their wax at
"On your return to the ardnous labours in which you Tete. If they had a market he believed the am-
have been engaged you need not be told that you are ac- tives would cultivate articles of produce with
cornpanied by the warmest wishes and sympathies of your eagerness. (Hear.) When he travelled in that con-
friends, who ardently commend you to the care of a wise tral country, endeavouring to find a path to the
Providence, in the firm reliaece that your renewed mis- sea, he found thenativeswereequally anxious toget
aion will be attended with abundant blessings.
"I have the honour to on behalf of the directors of to the S'32, to have traffic with the white men. It
this Chamber of Commerce, Sir your most obedient was a long way from Tete, and by the time he got
servant, " THOMAS, BAZGET, President. there all his goods were expended, but the chief
"To the Rev. Dr. Livingston, &c." fitted him out with 15 oxen and canoes, and 27
Dr. LIVINGSTON,- in reply, returned his warmest men, and sent presents of butter and fat to the
thanks for the welcome thus offered him, and said chiefs in Loando. The men went all the way to
the approbation of the merchants of anchester Loando without hope or wages, though he after-
afforded a powerful stimulus to the further prosecu- wards paid theirs. While there they worked and
tion of his efforts. (Hear.) He agreed with them collected all they could to take back to their own
cordially in the sentiment that the Africans ought to country of articles from the white men's country,
be encouraged to cultivate the raw in tterials of where everything beautiful came from ; and though,
English manufactures ; and ho was so fully con• owing to continual detentions, sometimes by his
vinced of theelevatingtenelencyof lawful commerce, own fever and sometimes that of his men, they re-
together with the probable influence which the turned as poor as they set out, they were received
course specified promised to have on the slave trade with the greatest kindness, because they had
and slavery, that he promised to devote the nextfew opened up the path. The people had no idea. that
years of his life to special efforts iu that direction. sugar could be got from the sugar-cane, although
(Hear, hear, and applause.) A peculiar and rather the sugar-cane abounded in their country, and
annoying combination of circumstances had placed when he told them of it the chief asked him to
the great Anglo-American race, on which un- make some. lie (Dr. Livingston) explained
doubtedly the hopes of the world for liberty and that it could only be done by a machine. Then,
progress rested, in a very trying position. asked the chief, would he bring him a machine from
Our demands for sugar and cotton were daily in- his oven country ? He explained that he was
creasing, those demands were at present met in a poor man, and it required something con-
great measure by slave labour ; but the great body siderable to purchase one. The chief replied,
of Anglo-Americans would unquestionably prefer " Why the whole of the ivory of the country is
to have their wants supplied by free men, and he yours, and if you leave any of it it is your. fault."
ventured to hope that the disuovery of a new region, (Laughter.) The chief gave him a commission to
well adapted for raising those articles, might a the east coast, and fitted him out well a second
providential opening for enabling us to escape from time, all in the hope of having intercourse with the
our anomalous. position. Before attempting to give white men. (Hear.)
some idea of this new field for commercial enter- Mr. CHEETHAM—Can you give us any inform-
prise, it might be mentioned that, while he proposed tion as to the cereals
to try to make the Zambesi river a permanent path Dr. LIVINGSTON said wheat bad never been tried
to the inland region, with a view to the wide diEfu- in the central country. The Portuguese came to
sion of civilisation and Christianity, and endeavour- Angola to make a little money, and to go back
ing to link the interests of the African with our to Portugal, and they devoted themselves entirely
own, lie had felt that it would not lee right in him to the trade in ivory and beeswax. The country
to do this at the expense of those who contributed produced beautiful wheat, and he saw it growing
their money-for purely religious purposes ; but the on the high lands with ears the length of his band.
gentlemen he now addressed, in common with The high land produced it with Out irrigation, and
others, had contributed handsomely, in the way of it might be grown there to almost any extent.
testimonial funds, to relieve his mind from care It was quite remarkable that the Portuguese
with respect to his family—(cheers)—and he begged did not cultivate it, because they paid the Americans
to tender thom his very grateful acknowledgments. handsomely for all the flour and biscuits they con-
(Cheers.) sumed, and he found they had Irish butter from
Mr. J. CHEETHAIVI, M.P., said, all he had to say Cork. The east side of the country also produced
was to assure the rev. doctor that not only in this wheat. The Zambesi overflowed large tracts of
great city, but also in the county of Lancaster, so country annually, like the Nile. The Portuguese
intimately associated with mercantile interests, his had been in the habit of cultivating the wheat on
labours and discoveries were appreciated as they that side of the country ; all it rpquired was that a
ought to be by an intelligent community. (Hear.) slave woman with a little hoe should make a hole
It was true that, at the present moment, this die_ in the ground, drop a few seeds in, and push back
trict was particnlarly interested in one article of the soil with her foot. In four months there was a
produce which the Doctor assured them might be crop of beautiful wheat. This simple operation
cultivated in the regions he lied traversed, but they answered all the purposes of our subsoiling, plough-
did not wish to confine their interest to that specific ing, draining, liming, and manuring. The higher
article. As commercial men, they were desirous they went up the better the wheat was. At Zumbo
to take notice of the whole cultivation of those the grain was twice the size it was at Tote, where
regions, and as Christians they wished him God it was rather small. It had never been tried in the
sped in the (great labour which he had und.er Lawn. high lands in the interior. The country ascended
(Applause.) It had been suggested that, in order eastward float the west coast to a height of 5,000
to elicit the information which :he Doctor was d-- feet above the sea ; then it descended into the
sirous of giving them, he should propose to him a central valley, where the rivers on both sides con-
series of questions. He had first to ask Dr. Living- tributed to the Zambesi in the middle, and this
ston what were the peculiar productions of the dis- river flotvest froth north to south, leaving the
triets which he had visited '1 valley by a fissure or creek in the ridge of
Dr.LIVINGSTO:N, who referred to a map suspended thirty miles long, which formed the most beauti-
on the platform, said, it would b r observed that ful sight he had seen in Africa. There were two
the country-through which the Z Ambesi flowed was ridges on that side of the valley, one of 5,000
abundantly watered by the numerous rivers which _feet. The bottom of the valley and the coasts were
joined it. South of lat. 20 deg. there was a country very unhealthy, but the high lands were very
remarkably destitute of water, where one might healthy. The central Winer contained herbage
travel fur full days without obtaining a single excessively rank. The healthy ridges were remark-
drop of water, there being no rivers south. of that ably well adapted for the production of grain. The
line ; but the country to the north of it was totally natives cultivated a kind of millet, often called
different. While in the south the veg, tatiou was Cairn corn ; another kind of millet, somewhat
altogether thorny, there being a prodigious num- larger, and likewise our own millet. .
her of different kinds of thorns, the northern and M". CLIEETHAM. —Did you find any sheep or
a
well-watered country produce 1 vegetation with- goats' wool ?
out thorns. The majority of the trees there ware Dr. LIVINGSTON thought the only wool he bad
evergreens ; many of the n had the appearance of seen was on the heads of the people. (Laughter.)
laurels and orange trees. In that country there were The sheep there hadhair instead of wool, and the
a great many different kinds of fruits, most of which inen's heads had wool instead of hair. (Applause
he believed to be totally unknown to Europeans. sad laughter.) However, inland from Benguela,
He brought home about 25 or 23 different kinds of there was a long stretch of cold elevated country,
fruit, some oewhieh were vain ible as yielding oil ; where the sheep actually had wool, and cattle
and, in the central part of the country. called flourished remarkably well.
Lunde, where the seeds were abundant, the Mr. CHEETHAM—What did you see of metallic
fleshy part was eatable, and the oil was used by the produce
natives for anointing their bodies. Among so great Dr. LIVINGSTON said, throughout the country
a variety doubtless some must be good fir food, there appeared to be plenty of knives, axes, and
though, perhaps, from having been u,ually pretty hoes, and ne r the sea there were igneous rocks
hungry, he could not be supposed to be a very good shot up, with fine iron ore. The Portuguese
judge. (Laughter.) Nearer to the coast, eastwards, Government employed the natives in working iron.
the people cultivated large quantities of cucumbers, At Kasembi a good deal of malachite was found.
and their best salad oil was male from the seeds of He had not seen copper ore in its proper place. A
cucumbers. Throughout the whole country the number of the native hoes had been made into an
ground-nut was cultivated in large quantities—used Enfield rifle for him (Dr. Livingston) at Birming-
as food and for oil ; and they had also castor oil ham, the maker pronouncing the metal very good,
throughout the country, their only use for it being resembling, but nut equal to, Swedish or Russian
to anoint their heads and bodies, though it was not iron. It abounded along the Zambesi.
a very agreeable unguent. In reply to subsequent inquiries, Dr. LIVING-
Mr. CHEETHAM then inquired as to the dyes STQN said there were extensive tracts of forest laud.
known in the country. There were nine seethe of coal. He examined one
Dr. LIVINGSTON said, in Angola the natives knew near Tote, which was about 68 inches iu diameter ;
of a very great many different dyes, which they the coal having been tilted to the surface by
were not not very willing to make known toEuropoans. canic action. Lieut. Hoskins, who had command
d
The Columba root was larg.-ly exported by the Awe- of one of the gunboats now gone to China,
hha
ricans as a dye stuff, and grew along the' Zambesi. given his opinion that the bar at the real moult of
Besides this, there was throughout the country in- the Zambesi was no impediment to commercita
digo--L-the kind called the silver indigo—with which poses, as there were 22 feet of water upon !
the people dyed their clothes, and which grew wild, thoughthe river was rather tortuous
sumoouild not
for it was not at all cultivated. The only exporta- hesitate to take up a steamer of the capac.ity
tion of it was by the Portuguese who lived at Tete, as his gunboat. The river was at the flood during
but it might be exported abundantly. four or five mouths of the year.
In reference to cotton Dr. LIVINGSTON added, Mr. CHE es best cultivate t the
that very large quantities of it were cultivated by commerce, ETHAM.—could the nativWhat article, as a mediaumf
o
the natives, and one small district, between the present moment ?
rivers Cunza and Loanda, produced 1,300 cloths Dr. LIVINGSTON believed cotton would be the
annually, of cotton grown by the natives, spun by best for them to begin with, and that they would
the women, and woven by the men. In the great cultivate it if they were assured of a market. Now
valley to the east of Angola the grass wp,s generally that they had abundance of land they did not feel
so high that, when on his ox ho was obliged to hold the necessity of improved cultivation. He de.
up his hand to keep it out Of his eyes. The natives scribed the feeling of the natives as strongly in
never employed any manure, and the more the favour of the . English whom they contrasted 'a-
ground was worked the more fertile it became. The vourably with Boers and Portuguese. In the west
whole of Angola, if it had been the hands of Eng- the population was very much milder in character
to
oast
hqeu ere enoughuof
th
et
climateo ov overawe w
olei e
the wholeEn
lishmene for its size, would have produced much than in the east ; the possession of a single cannon
tgldiissi district.
sti A
us_
tco
more cotton and sugar than any part of the Southern
States of America. (Hear.)
Mr. CHEETHAM--...Then, with reference to hemp
tion the
,most important point he had ascertained
was that there
and flax ? were two healthy ridges in the
mbesi
Dr. LIVINGSTON said coming down the Za country. The Portuguese authorities had treated
to Tete he found that somehow o: other inform I- him with the greatest kindness, and appeared to
tion had got out there that the Times newspaper regard his labours as favourable to the extension of
ad offered a reward of 1,0001. for a fibre propel their commerce. In Angola skilled labour was to
for making pallor, His (pin on was asked whether' be had for 4d. a-day, field labour for 2d., and he