Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-03-19
Exploration of the River Niger.

pose, commanded by an officer Of the Navy.
1t is estimated that s25 600 will cover the
expenses. The Committee Of the House
seem to have acted upon the subjoined letter
| from the Rev. t. J. Bowen:
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 1857.
DEAR SIR: Your note of yesterday has
been brought in this morning, and proceed
at once to answer your inquiries.
The extensive country of Soudan, or Gen.
tral Afric., lying on both sides of the Niger,
! is very different, in most respects, from
| Western Africa, or Guina. The surface of
the country is generally undulating; the soil
more or less productive; the streams numer-
Gus, clear and rocky; and the scenery beau
tifu. Most OF the country is open and
grassy, with scattering trees, which gives it
very much the appearance of mesquire prai-
ries in Western Texas. Sc far as | have
seen and heard from the native travellers,
there are no chains of mountains OF consid-
! erable length, but short chains and patches
| Of mountainous hills are common in sume
districts, and we frequently meet with iso-
lated hills, some of which are immense
masses of granite, arising abruptly from the
plain. The elevation of the land, as we
proceed from the coast, is gradual, so as to
be favorable to the opening of roads, and
yet so rapid that Capt. elapperton saw frost
and ice in the Hausac country within twelve
degrees of the equator.
The people of Scudan are of two classes
called in that country "bleck men" and
"red meR." The latter may be described
as woolly- headed Indians. They are nu-
nerous on both sides Of the Niger, amount
! ing, perhaps, in all, to twenty or thirty
millions; some of them, as the Pulobs, are
Mohammedans, but others, mentioned by
Caille, like many of the blacks in Soudan,
are heathens.
In some respects the Soudsnese are con-
siderable advanced from mere barbarism.-
Several rude arts are commonly 2racticed,
but the great business of the people Is agri-
culture, in which they are far more skillful
and Industrious than we have supposed.
Between Abbeokuta and the Niger, that
is, within a distance of one hundred and
sixty miles, there are more than dozen
| large towns, some Of which are more popu-
lous than Abbeokuta The greatest of these
| in reputation, if not in size also, is Horrin,
the capital of a little Puloh kingdom of the
same name. Here :here are many red or
light lored people, and thousands of men
who can read and write Arabic, the only
kind OF writing known in Soudan. But &C
cordpg to the people Of Horrin, the largest
of all African towns is Ohwoh, sixs days
journey (say one hundred miles) beyond the
Niger. We have not yet been able TO visit
that town, owing to the pressure of other
business.
Some of the PRINCIPAL exports from Sou
dan, il the trade were opened, would be
gold, ivoryy'gunls. palm oil, vegetable BUT
ter, hides, csmwood, and indigo of unrivalled
quality. Some of the imports would be va
rious kinds of cloth, blankets, felt hats,
coral beads and other ornaments, tobacco
which is used by every body, male and fe-
msle--guns and gunpowder. All the mil
lions of Central africa desire to buy some
thing, and all, by one means or another,
could pay for it.
At present the principal foreign trade 10
| the countries beyond the Niger is carried
on across the great desert BY means of
camels. See McCulloch's Commercial
| Dictionary, ard other similar authorities.
Moorish and Arabian merchants penetrate
to every part of the country, and sometimes
remain for years until they have grown
| wealthy. saw persons of this class at llor-
rim, who professed to have been at Conetan-
tinople and Alexandria. One of them told me
he had seen the flag of my country on the
| Mediterranean.
The people of Western Soudan trade
principally to the Coast Of Guina. Being
afraid to risk themselves among the savages
along the coast, they meet them at such i'll
termediate points as Kumasi and Coma and
exchange the productions Of Soudan for the
manufactures of civilized nations.
We may hope that before many years the
commerce of Central Africa will be diverted
from the paths OF the desert and the forests
of GuiDa to its apparently natural outlet,
the Niger. II this, or something analogous,
cannot be done, one of the finest countries
within the tropics must still remain cut off
from the civilized world, without q develop
ment of its great natural resources.
1t is still problem, however, whether
the Niger can be made available for the pur-
pose. Perhaps its navigation may be rem
dered impossible by rapids; or the climate
may be fatal to white men; or the people
might rob and murder our traders; or the
productions of the country may not be worth
the cost of getting at them. AL these are
questions which nothing but facts can de-
eide. Seven years ago, the project of es-
tablIshing Christian missions in Central
Africa was pronounced chimerical. Nearly
| four wears were consumed in exploration
| Our line OF stations, commenced three years
ago, now extends to the furthest borders of
| Y omba, the first division of Soudan. The
problem has been solved, and our hopes
more than realized.
One of the steamers in Laird and Old
feld'sexpedition assembled the Niger to Raba,
in Nu!e. With them, exploration was a
secondary object, and they made no attempt
to proceed further. If their design had
been to explore the river to the head of nav
igation, they might. perhaps, have moored
their boat at Sego, or Kaba, two thousand
miles from the sea, and have returned in
triumph. But now their expedition stands
recorded US paralyzing failure.
The only place which We have reason 10
fear obstruction is near Busa. Unfortunate
ly, the Landers made but few useful obser-
vations; but we learn from them that the
river here is not so rapid, but that the ma
tives are in the constant habit of padding
up il in their canoes. Lander himself went
in canoe from Busa to Yami, and descend
ed thence to the sea. According to Caille.l
the Niger above Tfmbustoo is still several
hundred yards in width, and affords good
navigation. Park descended from above
Timbuctoo in u vessel which be called a
schooner, and lost his life at Busa, through