Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-09-27
New SeFies-V0i. 4-No. 80.
STEAMERS TO AFRICA.

~ hch4NdlON, August ~, 1C5os
4 bill, accompanied by report, has been
introduced into the House Of Representatives,
for the establishment Of Gne.of mail steam
ers to the Coast of Africa, which is designed.
among other considerations of benefit to the
country, to open new commercial mart in
that remote though valuable region, hitherto
devoted exclusively to the interests of the
slaye-deaier. The report argues, and endeay-
ors to prove the moral advantages that will
result to the country, by the establishment OF
such line, but there are certain commercial
inducements, not noticed by the Committee,
which should have stronger claim on the
attention of Congress, if not the masses OF
philanthropists at large, than the mere effect
Of political gain. Together, presented in the
strong light in which the Committee recon-
mend the measure, | apprehend the benefit
would, in short time, more than compensate
for the outlay; for the terms are easy and the
security against loss such, that the govern
ment cannot fail to obtain its own, even sup
posing the possibility of ultimate failure in
the stipulations of the contract. Great Brit
ain conducts traffic with Africa valued at
S28, 600 900 per annum, while we, with a
commerce not worth that many thousand,
are compelled to keep up a naval force upon
the Western Coast, partly to protect this
| British commerce, and at the same time,
shield our National character from certain
species Of dishonor. With the facilities we
possess, and superior advantages from our
local position, why should we not enter into
competition for this traffic which In a few
years, owing to the colonies and republics
annually springing up must ultimately prove
of immense value, and be conducted in ex-
change for our manufactures of cotton, that
now are obtained from British looms. Our
entire commerce with Africa in 1849, was as
follows:
Domestic exports S676,760
Foreign do 31,642
Total exports - S708,4 All
Imports 1874
Total exports and imports S1,204, ,153
England, as ] have said, exports to and inn
ports from Africa, merchandise, &C., to the
amount of S28 100000.
The resources which England depends upon
are, ivory, palm oil, gold coffee, cotton and
other articles which we viii enumerate below.
And first, her whole import of ivory per an
mum amounts to less than 5000 cwt., of
which the Western Coast supplied 5000 cwt.
The next article of import is palm OIL
The amount conveyed to England in British
bottoms, from the coast of Africa:
nr Cwt. Duty paid.
In 1921. was 100000 s 10000
In 1892, was 220,038 l35 900
In lS49, was 100000 280,000
We obtain our supplies through foreign
custom houses, and not direct, by which it
costs our importers 200 per cent. more than
were we capable, by line of steamers, TO
import from the natives in exchange for
American commodities We conld avoid the
advance of 800 per cent. on the value of the
article, find a market for our manufactures
and evade u double duty Of nearly million
of dollars on 100000.
The third article of import is gold, of which
England has managed, since the establish
ment of those colonies, to obtain ore worth
| S2l0,o 600. The researches of geographers
! have shown that the sands of Upper and
! Lower Guinea, not TO say, Liberia and Sene-
! gambia, contain great quantities of this rich
! treasure which modern enterprise has not
! appropriated to the use of any other country
| than that of Great Britain, and TO which it is
| almost exclusively conveyed The annual
supply is not great but it is fair to presume,
that as the coasts fill up, and population ex-
tends into the Interior what now is a triiling
drain upon the precious deposits of Africa,
may become equal to that of California.
The fourth article is coffee. 1t is said to
be of very superior quality, though the cul-
ture is as yet quite limited. The causes that
will operate to increase the growth of the
plant are those mentioned above, for the
fields appropriated to the bean, cover an inn
mense tract of territory, which still lies in its
primitive waste. The exports in lS4S to
Great Britain, were $4,000 pounds, valued at
about $500. The principal of the remain
ing articles exported from the Western Coast,
with their quantities and values, may be sum
mod mn briefly