Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-12-06
African Geography.

Within the last thirty or forty years,
more has been done in the way Of African
discovery than before in all time, certain.
ly. than since the time of tho Pyramids.
Northern Africa was indeed better known
to the aneients of Egypt and of Rome,
than to any Christian and civilized peo-
pie of modern times until the French es-
tablishment at Algiers revived the study
OF North African geography. Probably
the most eminent of French geographers
now alive is M. Lejean. He is at this
moment undertaking, at the request OF the
French government. an expedition to set
tie forever the source of the White Nile,
supposed to be connected with Lake Ny
assa. According to the old geographers,
the mountains of the moon were suppos-
ed to intervene and even now all that we
know is that in the ninth parallel of north
latitude, the White Nile spreads out to
width of five or six miles. Beyond that, i,
towards the equator as far as latitude four
degrees north it is the drain Of intermin-
able marshea.
The Lake Nyassa. or "sea," used to be
considered as located in latitude ten de-
grecs south; but it either extends up to
the north far more than used to be allow
ed, or there may be two or moro inland
lakes of sufficient size to have won that
title for themselves. Every year tho la
bors of French Austrian, and Prussan
travellers are adding to our knowledge OF
the continent from the north. From the
south the English arc now penetrating
upwards, and have pretty thoroughly.
through the labors of such missionaries
as Moiiat and Dr. Livingstone, made ac-
quainted with tho soil and climate. from
the Cape af Good Hopo upwards to with
in Fl We degrees af tho equator. These
travellers have found the country abound.
ing with navigable rivers, one of the most
important of which is the Zaniqessi.
which DR.. l.. has been navigating with
his new steamer from England. Tho
Quillimane, its principal branch, has been
ascertaned to be fit for navigation, with
land on either side admirably adapted to
the culture o! cotton, and even now pro
ducing large quantities Of it.
From the western side. the colony OF
Sierra Leone and that of Liberia have al
ready led to discoveries as to tho interior
of Africa that will be no less valuabl,
than those we have already alluded to-
1t has now been demonstrated that very
little way back from the coast, OF
the high lands, tho climate is remark
ably healthful. and anything but the
graveyard which the early experience o
Sierra Leone and even Liberia had caus-
ed to be supposed
The navigation of the Niger, though Sc
deadly were badly managed. it is no
necessarily SO, especially to the natives
with proper precautions. Indeed, th,
rice swamps OF South CaIolina. withir
five miles Of tho city Of Charleston, are tC
10 this day, at certain seasons of the yea
quite as deadly as any part of the African
to the nnacclimated white man.
But the interior Of Yoruba, explore,
by English Missionaries andDour own
Bowen. is in high degreec healthral an,
hopeful asa place of settlement. 1t ha,
heen desoated by the wars of the slav
traders. and especially those of the terri
BILE and bloody Dahomy. But thero i
no doubt that the peaceful occupations q
industry in agriculture and in arts wi
under the guidance Of our Mssionarie
and the gradually extending influence c
the Colonization Society. put an end t
these evils aud do much more than the
have already done to put a stop to ii
slave trade. Already the coffee fro,
Monrovia commands u higher price tina
any in the market. sugar. rice, indig
and cotton are raised with an increasin
success. and the palm oil now supplies Il
English market. 1t is worthy of remar
how much the spirit of each nation e,
hibits itself in these explorations. II
Germans explore the Nile to throw lig
on history. France penetrates the interi
for the purposes OF sciences, but the En-
lish and Americans keep an eye on h
main chance. --PAladsiphia Press.