The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-05-29

IN thy sight .--EdH2lW A!GS0c!Rc.
Vhc En'crior OF Ar,icu.
This is yet almost terra incognlc.
We know Europe pretty thorough
ly. Asia has been traverscd in all
It's length by civilized travellers.
With the geography Of America we
may call ourselves familiar. Built
tie DO VIC Know of the vast CONT
nent which lies almost wholly within
the tropics, and of which the great
or part seems shut up as cicctually
against the advance of civilization
as if it were npon another planet
Indeed the ''lnountains of the moon"
would be subject to more accurate
observation were they situate upon
the satellite from which they derive
their name. The efforts of civilized
travellers have been for centuries
directed to the rcccS3cs Of this con-
tinent, yet four Gfths Of it is blank
upon our maps. Its whole centre is
one broad uncxplored region, ana
the information obtained by recent
travellers is Of the most aggravating
kind, showing US mines of wealth
which it is impossible to work. Be-
fore giving the results of these dis
covcries, let us look upon Africa as
the world has known it and as it may
be familiar to most Of our readers.
Egypt, an old and worn out country,
in its antiquities one of the most in
teresting places on the continent,
occupies small portion of the north
western border. The river Nile has
been explored to its source by Bruce
and other travellers, who have given
us some curious facts. The Barba-
~ states occupy the northern por-
ton bordering on the Mediterranean.
South of this, and stretching from
the Nile to the Atlantic, is the great
desert Of Iahara. Along the whole
western coast are small establish
mcnts or factories for trade in slaves.
gold-dust, ivory, palm oil, and 9TH
vegetable productions. This trade
has been nearly monopolizcd by the
English until lately, but now Amer
lean enterprise has taken a large
portion Of it out OF their hands. Or
this coast arc settlements Of Sierra
Leone and Liberia, established as
colonies for cmancipated slaves; but
both, we have reason to believe. arc
in wrctched condition. The En-
glish possessions are at the Cape of
Good Hope. On the eastern shore
there arc number of independent
soycreigntics, which carry on lin
tied trade. The Imaum of Muscat
is prince of considerable enter
prise. Quite recently the English
have made 4 settlement at Alden,
near the mou'h Of the Rcd Sea.
Having once obtained a foot-holl,
they, English-iikc, began to push
about them, and one of their first
discoveries was river where none
was marked upon any chart, and m
this they steamed three hundred
miles without the least obstruction.
Having now passed round this con-
tinent let us lool; into the interior.
For half a century the Enolish
government have been cypcndinc
lives and treasures in impartial cy-
ploration. They have found that
this whole tract of country is ono Of
fertility and beauty. aboun-
dino in cold and MI sorts If tronicol
Their, are hundreds oc
woods, invaluable for dyinr and ar.
purposes. not found in
other portions Of fine world T.uourb
it for thousands Of miles swcans -
river, from three 70 six nil,s broad
with clear water. and Of unsurnas,-
ed depth, nowinr on at the rate Of
two or three miles an hour. without
rock, shoal or snor 70 intcrrunt is
nayigations.-Othcr rivers pour into
this, tributary waters Of such volume
as must be required hundreds of