Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-11-21
THE EVENING STAR.
Ern,a-.,iAns

The past few years have been prolific in the
results Of African travel The eyes Of tho
world have long been directed towards new
fields for emigrs ton, and new ports for COM
mercial intercourse England has spent
great deal Of money in seeking markets for
tie OVERLOOKING products of her industry, Gs
well as lands where cotton can be cultivated
t. supply her mills. The vast unexplored re-
gi10s Of Africa seemed to offer more induce
mCnts 20 the traveller who looked for some
thing new. than any other portion Of the
worlds surface. America was already pos
sesscd by other nations, and its capabilities
were in full process Of development But
every child had been accustomed to see the
interior Of Africa marked on his map as unex-
plored, and there was a general notion that
-hiOpia was but a sandy desert.
Or. Bsrth made journey of remarkable in
tcrest from Tunis southwark, crossing what
was formerly thought to be the great desert Of
Sahara, and visiting large cities in the heart
OF the country. DR.. Livingstone moving
noEihward from the Cape, and then crossing
to the east and west shore, established a sort
OF base line for Investigations in South Africa
Burton penetrated from the eastern coast to
tie shore Of the great lake, undergoing almost
iccrsdi5ie labor, sickness. pain and exposure,
WIN great results in point Of information, but
contributing little or nothing to the designs of
the EngltSh merchants ana ministry who wish
commerce or cotton. DG Ch&illu entered from
the west, and has given 10 the reading world
capital book, t. the scientific world some new
monkeys, but to Engiand, 70 prospect of i'm
proving her sales Of goods 0. diminishing their
cost Of manufacture when the great staple is
scarce.
Inc lines Of exploration leave great tracts
10 be investigated. Anderson, of Lake Ngami
tdme, has completed journey in one Of the
corners, that lying in the southwestern part of
the peninsula, and discovering q great river
known 20 the natives as the Okavango, has
given its name to his book Of travels This
stream, which he describes as very large and
nSTIgable for vessels of some size, is hence
forth one Of the puzzles Of Africa, whose
rivers, like the Nile and the Niger, have oc-
cuPIed the attention Of travellers for 30 long a
period. All that is known of it is described
by Anderson, and he offers no information as
70 whence it rises or whittier it flows
But the result Of his journey is no more ia
Yors5ie TO the prospect CT peOpling Africa
with white emigrants than anything we have
before known. On the contrary, it is manifest
that no portion of the country which he has
visited in this trip is habitable by the Cauea.
sian race. Crossing vast tracts, where fol-
days his oxen and himself were nearly perish
Irg Tor want Of water, he finally reached the
river bank only to yield to the terrible African
fever which hangs over the surface. II is
rather amusing to hear him recommend the
rVer 10 the attention of the world as worthy OF
exploration. and as he believes comparatively
safe" to visit in only two months of the year
July and August.
1t may be regarded as settled that Africs
offers no fields for emigration. Australia and
America alone open their hospitable lands and
cheering climates to the lsborcrs of the world
Every traveller in africa has but added to the
acculuulatiug evidence that the major portion
OF 1t must be inhabited, if at all, by the race
who have up to this time, possessed TN Z
JOWFUat Commerce.