New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-09
MIR. DU CHAILLUs LECTURE.

/
lecture, delivered before the Geographical Society On
Thursday evening last, relating to the geography Of
that hitherto unexpored region Of Africa visited by
| him:
Ifyou look upon the map Of Africa you win see that
there an unexporsd region stretching nearly across
the continent extending about a north OF the Equator
10 30 south Now if you will follow me- will sndeayor
TO lead you through these mangroys swamps ana
marsby streams, to the higher and more beannfui
regions Of the Interior from the western coast There
il range Of mountains running alsng the western
coat sometimes having ramfeatons coming nearer The
sea- sometimes disappearing again. The main range OF
tbese mountains should think, take the name OF hong
Mountains, they are, Isuppose, but the continuation
of those mountains One OF these ramincaeons can oe
seen all along the coast from Fernando'Po Island as
far US the NUM- River, whence 1t turns once more
toward the interior, and reioins the chain OF
the Kong. This ia known under the name OF
Sierra del CyL Mountains and ,hs.s vs,o as, issm
and the feashore il generally low, though IN som;
places the hills come down to the sea. The rivers
watering this part of Western Africa are Short a. tney
take their sources in the Sierra del Crystal mountains.
In that unexpored region North Of the Equator there
are three nayigabe rivers The Num- or Danger river,
the Moonda and the Gaboon rivers. The Num- IN lat
o2N long. 81 33 throws tselfino the beautiful bay
Of Cosco, and takes Its source IN the sierra gel
mountains The Num- is formed by three main branches
lbe Ntongo stream of about 40 miles, which runs
northeast by east; the Ntambouuay, which runs in q
eastern di eciion for 40 miles, and in north caster
direction for 80 miles where the stream becomes small
and disappears in the mountains; and the Noya, run
ming east for 20 miles, then taking southeastern
direction for 60 miles The Nambounay and the Noya
have their sources in the Sierra del Crystal mount
ans Along their banks is a very sparse population
formed BY different tribes The Moonda, which emp.
ties into Corisco Bay, lat SO miles north, long 81
east is suppose one of the most desolgte rivers OF
Africa. With The exception OF few high hilis al ia
haul bufI IN
of mangrove trees, s eks are nothing but muddy
,resms. l ascended IL for about GU miles, and the
nasm was 30 offensive tA was compelled 10 take
gunine two or three times day as preventive Of
fever. The few villages bordering upon 1t are situated
on the dry land back of the maDgroye swamps. The
bar wood, used as dye both IN Europe and
this country, grows, upon ITS pahks o ana us
forests are full OF the India rubber plant The Ga
boon River is situated latitude ~ miles north, loRg
tude 50 70 miles east from Greenwich. North OF The
equator, its wide mouth forms an estuary, which
makes splendid barbor, and the channel OF the
river admits vessels of the largest size AS port It
is probably the finest the Western Coast OF Africa
The right bank of the river is beautiful and tseraby
high. The left bank is low, and toward the sea forms
sandy pont but as you ascend, these banks pecoin'
immense swamps covered with maDgrove trees for
20 miles. The tide rises Mt Nenguenengue Island %
miles from the mouth, from seven to nine feet IL 10
no doubt an unhealthy region, for wherever the man.
groves are abundant fever prevails put as le IlseI
winds its way among the mountains the climate must
become better. The unhealtbiness OF the Aipcan
rivers s due, no doubt, to the immense mangroye
swamps by which they are surrounded, for wherever
the manerove trees abundant, the country Is low
and marshy. The mangroye trees are very remark
able single tree is sufficient in time to make an I'M
meme forest Its high branches send dOwnnew perpen-
dchlar shoots which take root and form other trees
These in turn send out horizontal branches, which
90 through the same process. grows only In swampy
places and where the fresh and salt water mix to-
eether. They are continually encroaching on the
water, and these mapsroye forests, as years arc
he
until the back land gets, higher and snmeishty
elevated when the mangrove: disappear, ana give
place TO other trees The mbaoitans Oh sne T;'oOa
River are the Mpongwe, Chekisnees, Bakalai, and
Tan tribe The Mpongwe tribe ID incontestably one OF
the pest negro tribes on the western coast OF Anea
their language is the sotest and tbs nest on the COAST
but this Tribe decreasing rapidly, and they are now
but handful compared with their former population.
II il beyond proof that many tribes OF Africans have
npeiey disappeared aud others are last gong TO an
initiation. The causes of this decrease are que manly
70 polygamy the slavs-trade and above all, 70 the
great of witchcraf Hundreds OF thousands are
killed yearly, accused of it. There is hardly any free
man dying for which one, two three, i've sometimes
ten others not sacrificed When the king OF cape
Lopez died two years ago, sixty persons were killed
accused of witchcrsft; and now on the GaboQn ryer
there but three persons left OF tribe called Ndna
tribe which pre-, eded the Mpongwe en- the banks OF
tie Gaboon river. In few years more the last re-
mains fths Ndna tribe will have disappeared, with
out leaving single record of their former existence.
South Of the Equator, in the country between inc
10 distance Of 20 miles from the coast, starting from
under the Equator It's soil is rather sandy the eoun-
try hilly with much prairie land. few little lakes
are found from time to time and there met with tue
first hyppopotam had seen The soqntry IS beauti-
iul but sparsely poopled. The interior tribes met
were the Aeoa and the Chekianee tribe. The sea-
shore tribe was the OrouDgo speaking the same Ian
guage, with the exception OF few words, w the
Mpongwe Of the Gaboon River. Its staple prodac-
tons are slaves for the foreign slave market, IVORY
and wax and some little palm oil. The three rivers
known as Nazareth, Mexias, and fernand-V az until
my recent explorations thought TO be three dis
tinct streams. The first two are formed by "a Interior
river called Ogobay, which also partly feeds the Fer
numberess creeks reached toe Aexias and by going
through other creeks and rivers, reached the Fer,
nano-Vaz The mouth of the Nazareth is in latitude Al
SOUTH longitude g. east. The approach to It's mouth
sdcult the bay formed by Cape Lopez being shallow
and surrounded by immense swamps OF msngroVes'
The country between the Nazareth and the Fernand-
Vaz il low and along the creeks it 10 all oyerfowed In
the rainy season and is entirely unlnhablted' Inc
banks of these creeks covered w'th Immense nu,
beTs Of palm for there nomangove trees ana
the country and its water inhabited only by ven
omons reptiles, musketoes, and wild beasts. The
Mexias River latitude SO miles south, Longitude o. A.
east is have said above, part OF the same int"
ror liver which forms the Nazareth. Though narrow,
il sends tremendous quantity of fresh water into the
during the rainy sepson. Floating Islands and logs
can be seen carried down the stream by the CURRENT
and even tie river self dashes into the sea and for
few miles maintains lis onward force against the
mighty ocean, keeping its water brncksh for long
way. Sometimes have seen ut its mouth the water
perfectly fresh at high tide. Fernand-Vaz is in ati
tude 10 II south, longitude 8 So east OF Greenwich,
and is very difficult OF approach to one unacqualnt-
ed with it. There is only fifteen to twenty feet
of water in the channel, which is very Darrow
and filed with innumersbe sand banks, which would
render It's navigation impossible for sailing
sci. The FernandVaz also throws On enor-
l.