Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-07-23
The Interior of Africa.

The Interior of Africa.
This Is almost as yet a terra fneee.ita.-
We know Europe pretty thoroughly. Asia
has been traversed all its length by civilized
travellers, With the geography Of America
we may call ourselves familiar. But how
little do we know Of the vast continent which
lies wholly within the tropics, and Of which
the greater part seems shut up as effectually
against the advance of civilization as il il
were upon another planet! Indeed, tbs
g mountains Of the moon" would be subject
10 more accurate observation were they stu
ated upon the satellite from which they de-
rive their name. The efforts Of civilized
travellers have been for centuries directed to
the recesses Of this continent, yet four-ffths
OF 1t is blank upon our maps. Its whole CEN
ire is one broad, UNEMPLOYED region, and the
information obtained by recent travellers is
of the mtst aggravating kind, showing
us mines of wealth which it is impossible to
work. Before giving the results Of these
discoveries, 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 interesting places on the continent, &C.
cupies a small portion of its northeastern
border. The river Nile has been explored
TO its sources by Bruce aud other travellers,
who have given us some curious facts. The
Barbary States occupy the northern portion
bordering IN the Mediterranean. South of
this, and stretching from the Nile TO the At
lantic, is the great desert Of Zdhara. Along
the whole western coast are small establish
ments or factories for trade in slaves, gold
dust, ivory, palm oil, and other vegetable
productions. This trade has been nearly
monopolized by the English until lately, but
now American enterprise has taken a large
portion Of II out Of their hands. On this coast
are the settlements Of Sierra Leone and Lii
IBERIA, established as colonies for emancipated
slaves; but both, we have reason 10 believe,
are in a wreiched condition. The English
possessions are at the Cape of Good Hope.
On the eastern shore there are a number of
independent sovereignties, which carry on a
limited trade. The lmaum of Muscat is a
prince of considerable liberality and enter.
prise. Quite recently, the English have made
a settlement at Alden, near the mouth of the
Red Sea. Having once obtained a oothold,
they, Engllsh-Iike, begin to push about them,
and one Of their first discoveries was a river
where none was marked upon any chart, and
upon this they steamed three hundred miles
without finding the least obstruction. Hay-
ing now passed round this continent, let US
look into the interior. For half a century
the English government have been eXpend-
ing lives and treasure in a partial e~xplora-
ZION. They have found thai, this whole tract
Of country is one of amazing fertility and
beauty, Astounding in gold and all sorts of
tropical vegetation. There are hundreds Of
woods, invaluable for dyeing and architectr-
raj purposes, not found in other portions of
the world. Through it for thousands of
miles sweeps a river, from three to six miles
broad. with clear wafer. and nG pnsprpoes.l
depth, flowing on at the rate of Two OF three
miles an hour, without rock, shoal or snap,
10 interrupt lis navigation. Other rivers pour
into this, tributary waters of such volume as
must have required hundreds of miles TO be
collected, yet they seem scarcely to enlarge
II. This river pouIs It's waters into the At
l%antic, through the most magnificent delta in
the world, consisting perhaps Of a hundred
mouths, extending probably five hundred
miles along the coast, and mostly broad, deep,
and navigable for steamboats,. Upon this
river are scattered cities, some of which are
estimated 10 contain a million Of inhabitants,
and the whole country teens with a dense
population. Far in the interior, in the very
heart of this continent, is a nation in an ad-
vanced state OF civilization. The grandeur
and beauty Of portions OF The country through
which the Niger makes its sweeping circuit,
uIG llluNoIllpdDit 4 ~ many pIdSNo ITO UdDho
rise boldly a thousand feet, thickly covered
with the richest vegetation of tropical climes.
But all this vast and sublime country, this
scene of rich fertility and romantic beauty, is
apparently shut out forever from the rest of
the world. 1t is the negroes sole possession.
He need not fear the incursions of the white
man there: for over this whole lovely coun.
try broods one dread malaria and TO the white
man it is The valley OF the shadow of DEATH
Ia expedition after expedition, sent out from
the English ports on the island of Ascension,
not one man in ten has returned alive; ali
have fallen victims to this seemingly beauti.
ful, but awful climate. 1t seems impossibls
for any Englishman to breathe that air. So
dreadful Is it. so small the chance of life, that
criminals in England have been offered par-
don, on condition of volunteering in this ser.
vice, mora terrible than that of gathering the
poison from the tabled Upas. This country,
tempting as it is, can only be penetrated az
the risk OF life; and it is melancholy to think,
that those who have given US even the mea-
gre information that we have, did SO az the
csci.soe o. their lives.
J:=naa1's So',o:., 6aSss4.