The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-30

Iho American Expce lst0a u Central Afsace,
~ nee sue~ aE Fsazl co.
From II v~fi~ Of Paris, Dec
One of the New Yo,k jouraais aunoun SOS that the
government Of the Uo,tsd IL pre pairing, with
and explore Central Ates, either for the parposs OF
seeking there, aS osrsan distance In interior,
place suitable for toe establishment Of colony o[
free blacks or tor toe propose Of formiog, with the
unbn Town population al hs vast continent, com-
mero,al come xioDs Of ~nea people 30 ssts prsiag
rs tho Americans wouid ksow hoT 70 avail them
selves. T#
The command Of this expedition was to bs con-
hded to Commsud-r l., ncB, who has already 40
quired sone celebrity ~ ms exploration Of the I'D
Sea The snip OF Sar Toe Constitution, CAPTAIN
WAS 10 De placed the OF tho chief OF
the expedition. 40 ~on,d d,sembsrk him On such
point VI the African coast ne might Judge most
suitable for the accom- isonont OF Ris missioa
One Of the principe onjssss recon nended to the
OF C0Omsudsr nch 10 the search for tho
sources OF the Niger. tn.s great dssdsratvm Of the
geographical se,eL co, veioh has already oost EGG
laud enormous sums. sDd what 10 still more pro-
ciousthe Lives OF 80 many enterprising AMI devoted
travellers. IN
We are very mush dsceived, Or this important
problem of the and nsrhodicAl reconnaissance
Of the African oonsnsnt si soon DO solved and tho
feoond half Of the century which s Just
beg inning, Gill not end sisaous humanity having
taken possession least by soieu,e, Of she entire
auIface If the x'obs ~n,sn IL 0as been placed
With respect 70 tbss whoa concerns tho African
continent, situsyed Ia manner ia the midst Of
tie living and lsmioous drs that sheds its rays
sin ultaDe ousiy from Europe and America, and
which has remained up to the present time d
stranger to all life anu TO all light, the mo-
ment would appear TO have arrived when
this solitude ana this isolation should oease-
The N0ban Sphynx Is about TO be forced 70 reveal
her enigma 70 the Gdpus OF modern science It will
not DO IN vain thai +, 4ocs on tho north, England
on the south, America 90 che west, viii have sent
towards the African nere their travellers, their
earnest men, their artists their men Of adventures
and Of enterprises SoDD Africa vi be open, and,
perhaps, humanity viii there dnd its primitive titles,
Of which the moss aUa,cnt known traditions would
only be confused aud suolenstic rsnsmbraaces
That which 10 CERTAIN II, that Africa has more to
teach us upon tho primitive history Of hsmanity
than any her country of the globe 1ne Egyp-
tians, whom we 6nd ~ IN, source Of our historic
tin es, and ~bo,e Eetous and pr lfoand fables have
remained more advanced Than we bslievo-in our
Laws, our apS our philosophy epreses ted
them seive only rs the cnudren and the disciples
OF the Nuoisbs, of the Abyssioisns, and Of tbs
people OF the iaterior of Africa; they derived
Their kno1ledgs-on wa'ca We still parity exist
from the very 60 ihrries III which thrir Nile hides
its source; 20 tDat IN searching q Ain in the nine
teenth century for the mysterious sources OF the
gr, at river, We reascena at the Same ume to the
primitive Of osr isss Of our customs, Of
dORmas, and Of our pbl'osophies.
Under another point OF view-the commerciat
one-hs exploration Of ,he interior Of AfrioA offers
IN INN ense interest," ssd which will be moro gene.
rally understood than the theological point Of view,
by the emipently uuiit Ran men Of our epoch. At
RIGA has invaluable BALWal wealth; abe ID Calif0r-
mia placed 1T our gates, ADD that Timbsetoo SAka-
ton, and Keno, mi GIT become markets for tho
precious metals apO did Ia particular, equl in
importance to the market of San Francisco it
would probably only require ssinta OF that spirit
Of luore, eager and no iVo which has devOlved q
propsrt to the AUYi0 Auerisan race.
But few years aimee, 10 1850, tho English
government organized noG expsoison, tho gixteth.
perhaps, for the exploration Of Africa This expe-
ditiOn Was commanosd BY the celebrated traveller
James Richardson rso German dostsrs. Barth
and Overweg hsa received q commission from tho
Prassn government to ain Rich srdson, for the pur
pose Of making, in conjunction with hm. scientific
WAS the survey Of Lake Sohad Richardson fell q
victim to . malignant fever before sashing the end
Of the voyage Doctor B.rth arrived alone on the
banks Of Lake 6cbsd. which 10 real inlaad seas
he suceee ded In launching on this lake boat built
ut Malta, and which be hsd caused 70 be carried on
the backs Of camsls through the desert.
The traveller found TINS inland 500 s0wn with
nxmberltss issuds, flied with hippopotami and ele-
plants, and visitAd By hardy sad fierce pirates.
The Sultan OF BOmon. whose estates border Lske
Schad showed hims-If very deslrOus 81 forming
psetiobs With the Eufopsans, and Doctor BArth
concluded q treaty If commsrcs with him, in the
nsns Of EnGlsDd. That wh,cn above al astoaishsd
the Sultan. the s'ghs Of the dOsssr's European
boat, and he evinced the most lively desire Of
having Hotila Of such vessels on his lake.
plants gutts psrchs and vegetable fat, arc, up to
the present, the nataJ riches wsioh Europe might
draw from the still unex plored centre Of Africa.
WHAT will it be when thorough exploration will
have dsooved the sail unkns wn wealth Of this con-
tinent!
The part which France may and ought 10 take in
the discovery ard working az Central Atrics is i'm
messe. lsdeed whilst the Eog'ish and the Ameri-
cans must send from distance. ss great expense,
expeditions necessarily Insufficient and deprived Of
that sanction OF msrsrial force, 20 iudupensstlo
with barbarous people, France. which 10 ct homo
on the north OF the Afissn continent may organise
at Algieis caravans to wh'ch noshing viii be want
ing neither the kno~edge Of explorers, NOR mate
rial resources nor 'hs military force which might
bsjudsed necessary to protect tho expedition.
II is on the soil Of Afdea that General Bouapsrts
went to seek, in sone measure, the iuyestiture Of
tho supreme power which be WAS called 70 exercise
over France at fret with the title Of First Consul
afterwards with th A. Emperor This family trs-.
dition will not be abandoned and Africa thoroughly
expofss, oPes 10 European activity, sivilised as
much as IT may DO. 10 one Of the grasdest works
which the providence Of nations and tie genius Of
the French race could offer TO the genius Of anothss
Napoleon.