Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1853-02-23
west Coast Of Africa.

Lieutenant Lynch of the United States Navy,
who acted rs Superintendent of the late Dead Sea
Expedition, has recently embarked at New York
for London, whence he will proceed in the New
British line of steamers for Africa. The object
of the mission upon which he has entered under
the orders of the Government, is to make certain
inquiries and arrangements preliminary to an in
tended exploration of the West coast of Africa.
1t certainly is matter worthy to excite general in
terest and appreciation that the United States has
at last determined to investigate the physical char
acter and resources of a country which is rapidly
growing into commercial Importance, and that so
competent an officer has been chosen by the Ex-
ecutive to take the initiative steps in the move
ment.
Since the period when the first efforts were
made to cvlize a region which nature had en-
dowed with rare fertility and productiveness, much
has been effected in the moral and political condi-
ton of number of the African tribes, and thro
the happy agency of the knowledge of mechanic
arts and acquired habits of industry, they have
made themselves and the respective districts of
territory which they nhabit objects of a lively
and increasing solicitude to the mercantile as well
as the philanthropic enterprises of the age. Great
Britain, actuated by that far-sighted and prudent
policy which has contributed so largely to extend
her empire and her wealth, began very long ago
to form connection with Western Africa, having
founded her present settlement at Sierra Leone
as early as 1887.
Her exertions in the cause of civilization in that
quarter, stimulated as they doubtless were, by
motives of ultimate advantage to her commerce,
have been already richly rewarded in the fruits
of a most valuable md expanding trade with the
natives and we my gather potent incentive to
emulation in the DIRK of cultivating intimate re-
lations of intercourse and traffic with the same
people from statement of the progress and prof
| itableness of the commercial dealings between
them and British merchants. In 1927 England
received from Africa but little more than four
thousand dollars worth of palm oil. AT present
she imports quantity of the annual value of eight
hundred thousand dollars. In 1885, forty-seven
bushels of ground-nuts were exported from Gam
\ bia now, between eight and nine millions of bush
: els are yearly exported. In addition to the above
named articles, vast supplies of ginger, ivory, gum
arabic, gold dust, and other products of the coun-
try are exported in English ships.
The resources of Senegamba, Liberia and up
per Guinea, in all the products of the tropics arc
unlimited, and with the advancement of these
states in industrial skill and social improvement
those various and exhaustless stores of materia
wealth in which they abound, will be more anC
more successfully developed, and the trade o
which they constitute the saples will proportion
ately enlarge. 1t is asserted by intelligent mel
who are informed, from personal observation, o
the capabilities of the soil of the west coast tina
indigo and cotton may be produced to an almos
indefinite extent. The latter plant is begnnin;
to be raised in considerable quantities, and thu
opinion prevails that when enterprise and atten
ton are properly devoted to its culture, and th
necessary facilities of transit provided for con
veying it to a market, the production of cottol
will become an important and extensive elemen
of African commerce. The sugar-cane also finds
under the same ardent sunshine Il tiourishin;
growth and local industry is already turned witt
most suspicious results to its cultivation. Indi
vidual planters have raised in one year as mucl
as three thousand pounds of sugar: Moreover
I laf,o- % ;,,,-oa.aI Ie.iiy- IN es.c,,ss :ea
gathering in wild luxurance, and in preparing 70
commerce the native lumber, among which ar
the rose, cano PALM and other equally valuable
woods.
In brief, no intelligent man, who has given an,
attention to the subject can fail to see that tn
west coast of Africa is rapidly assuming a condi
ton and attitude in relation to commerce and civ
ilization which promise highly important conse
Il quences, and engage the serious regard of on
n Government. The step just taken in the mission
of Lieut.. Lynch is very commendable one an,
we hope to see it followed up with the vigor an,
q liberality which the the object so eminenty de
serves national question. Fhiiadelphi,
| North american.