The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1851-06-27
From the Seneca Wing.
A F RI G ANEW DlSCOVERIE ES-
MORE EINDITCTMENTS

i " <AH'OAt ouJoSOhe W h'S i''Oi bNhS ous
E its tributaries, bring to lighrmany things
r of which the public, heretofore, have
a been entirely ignorant: Through The
zeal and energy Of the Missionaries o
/ the Christian Church-men who have
D ventured their lives and their all in the
cause of humanity; and who are pressing
their way further and further into the in
terror of the dark and heather wilds ol
d Africa-we receive every few'weeks The
report OF some new additional discoveries
being made, of the country-its climate
| its soils--its agricultural and manufac.
turing advantages, and lis adaptation TO
all Of the general pursuits Of life. We
copy the following remarks and extracts
on this subject, from the Cincinnati Ga
zetie. II says. =
i In the midst ofthis mystery and dark
ness, The bold Missionaries Of the Chris
tidn Church are the only men who have
penetrated with any success. On all
sides, however, they are drawing the
cords Of civilization round the dark tents
Of Africa. They are saying TO that long
neglected land, what statesman and war
riors have never said-.Arise and shine,
for thy light has come" From Liberia
they are going TO the sources Of the ST.
Pauls and the land Of the Goulahs, and
there discovering region which is com.
pared TO the Canaan Of old. Up the Nile
the German Missionaries have made their
way, till nearly under the Equator. On
all sides discoveries are made, which
utterly reverse al! our preconceived ideas
of the interior of Africa. The deserts
and sands, and fevers, which we had
imagined 10 fill the country, disappear
Noble rivers, and healthy hills, and
prairie plains rise in pleasing prospect,
and we are cheered with the vision Of
country, which may, and we believe will,
become the Canaan of the long exiled
and degraded race of Africa.
We shall notice here two explorations,
one on the West and one on the East.
l. Ofthe MEyDf COUNTRY. The Rev.
George Thompson, of the American
Missionary Association, visited the
Mendi Country, with view to made a
permanent peace among the natives, and
succeeded. The Mendi Country is on
the West coast beyond Liberia. He
proceeded on, till they arrived at fine
large river, as wide as the Ohio, called
the Big Boom. They proceeded up this
stream TO Tissana large walled town st
the head of navigation. Mr.. Thompson
gives this account of the country:
"The country along Big Boom for sixty
miles from the mouth" .Mr. Thompson
says, "is low and very fertile, with many
beautiful prairies. The banks are stud
ded with majestic cotton trees, which are
loaded with a great variety Of birds, the
year round. The towns are numerous.
As we ascend the country becomes more
and more elevated. About Tissana, be-
low and above, it is high and rolling,
with cliffs, rocks, precipices, &c. The
timber is heavy, and the soil, though
gravelly, is fertile. Big Boom varies
from quarter 10 half a mile in width,
and has very rapid current. 1t would
be navigable 10 Tissana more than half
the year, for any western river steam
boat" w u';j t. ",.
OF the healthiness ofthis country, Mr..
Thompson writing from, it ssys:
cat this distance from the low lands
and with such high rolling country,
with no stagnant lakes or swamps no
wide river bottoms, no sluggish streams
or overAowing ofcountry, see no reason
why it would not be as healthy country
as any, when once cleared up, settled
and cultivated, as are the Eastern States.
| firmly believe it, | see no natural cause
of sickness here any more than in any
new uncullivated country"
From the East coast equally as good
reports are made. DR.. Kraft, who has
been visiting that country says:
"In Yata | enjoyed very extensive
prospect 10 all directions into far distant
and utterly unknown regions of Centrs
Aftica. The climate was cool and
pleasant; the people not so childishly
curious as in Kikumbuliu. They brought
us for sale flesh of elephants, buffaloes,
and giraffes; and we reiished it, to the
vexation Of our Mohammedan bearers
The Wanika people are not despisers Of
animal food, and'I was hungry enough
not even TO refuse elephants flesh. 1t
was roasted; for none Of these. people,
ca. raw flesh, as the Abyssnians do"
This wasthe Ukambani country, and
on the North, West and East, DR.. Kraft
says, there were high mountains. We
call attention to this fact, for these are.
unquestionably, the mountains described
in imaginary geography, ,as the Mountains
of the Moon. BY some, they have been
supposed not TO exis. at all; but we think,
that the recent voyage of German
Missionary up. the Nile, on one side, and
this journey Of DR.. Kraft, on the other,
have sufficiently demonstrated the exis-
tence Of lofty chain Of mountains IN
that region. 10 this lofty range, two
submits rise above the others. with
sublime, eject, Before reaching the
Ukambani country, Dr.. Kraft thus des.
cribes KilimaDiaro: