Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-10-16
CULTIVATION OF COTTON IN AFRICA.

Ii is no longer q matter OF doubt that Cotton
can be largely cultivated in Central Africa. The
Rev. 7. j. Bowen, an indcfatigable missionary and
explorer Of that region, has set this question at
rest. Not only is cotton of superior quality
grown there, but it is adapted to that soil that
it springs up spontaneously. Ii; also n perren.
our own country. From the accounts which have
recently been published it appears that it has be-
come an article Of export to Great Britain. If this
culture should be greatly enlarged there We see
reason why the slave trade may not thus he
peacefully extnguished. If this result can be
thus reached, the civilized world will rejoice. 1t
seems that already tho cultivation Of the cotton
and the trade in palm-oil, have extirpated the
Slave trade from many Districts in Central Africa
The export, of palm oil from the Blight of Benin
last year, to the value of $40 600 900. 1t is
thus by the development of lawful commerce
that the traHc in slaves will cease.
This truth is gaining access to the minds of in
telligent colored men at the north, and an organi
zation has been already formed to carry out their
views. An expedition to explore Yoruba will
start this Fall, and it is hoped that ere long civ
ilized community of enterprsing colored Amer
cans will be Engaged in the cultivation of cotton
sugar rice, coffee, &c, and the production of palm
oil, in that healthiul and fertile country. All
will rejoice at such manifestations of enterprise
among colored population. Yoruba is situat
ad west of the Niger and north Of the Blight oi
Benin.
Description given Jy the Rev. Mr.. Bowen
who has been five years resident and Baptist
missionary in Yoruba, is as follows Between
Abbeokuta and the Niger, that ia, within dis
tance of l60 miles. there are more than dozen
large tows, some of which are even more popu'
lous than Abbeakuta. Central African houses are
built in Moorish style, large and low, with many
rooms opening into an interior court. The walls
are made of clay which bakes hard in the sun,
and the roofs are generally thatched with grass. In
some respects the Soundanese are considerably
advanced from barbarism whether heathens or
Mohommedahs, they are clad In trowsers and
TUNES. They are remarkably courteous in their So
cal intercourse Several rude arts are common
ly practiced, as the smelling of iron, and in some
places OF copper, and1ead; the manufactures o
hoes, axes, adzes, knives and swords the spin
nmg OF cotton and silk, weaving and tailoring
both of which are regular professions dyein,
blue, yellow and red soap-making; brewing corr
and millet; making palm and grass hats, also sad
dies, brides and sandals and a sort of boots anc
shoes. Three towns in Nufe have the art of work
ing on glass But the great business of the peo
pie is agriculture, in which they are far more
skilful and Industrious than we have supposed
The principal crops are Indian corn, the same a.
our own, and the tropical yam. But they ais,
plant cotton, sugar cane, beans and peas, swee
potatoes, cassava, ground peas. ginger red pep
per, &C., and the country is admirably adapted t,
coffee and other tropical productions of grea
value to the civilized world.
| Yoruba is healthy and fertile region; that i
is well adapted to the cotton and sugar culture
that it is the key to Central Africa, and the ye
unvisited gold regions of Soudan that it is wild
open to missionary influence and that thero i
room for hundred of thousands Of enterprisin!
colonists. The mere en- unciaton of these fact
opens out a vast field for contemplation. We won
der that enerprising men of color do not perceiv
the directing hand of Providence in all this
Here is field for the development of Anglo 'Airi
can energy and talent Why should not the in
exhaustible riches of Soudan be brought into US
at some future timer The natives would sool
supply any demand which legitimate commerce
would create. Untold wealth exists but few
hundred miles in the interior Of Africa which cal
all be developed upon the introduction of a Chris
tian civilization.