The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-27


often wish could forget scenes have seed,
and will certainly never try to infict on others
the sorrow which being witness of mans in
humanity to man has often entailed on myself.
THE EXPLORATION uNDERrAKNo-rrs CHARMS
AND OBJECT.
Some Of your readers know that about
five years ago undertook, at the in
s6gation Of my very dear old friend, Sir
Roderiok Murchison, the task of examin-
ing the watershed of South Central Africa.
The work had charm for my mind because
the dividing line between the North and South
was unknown, and a fit object for exploration.
Having other work on hand I at first recon-
mended another for the task, but on his de-
Ginning TO go without handsome salary and
something to fall back upon afterwards,
agreed to go myself, and was encouraged by
by Sir Roderick Murchison, saying in O warm,
jovial manner, ''You will be the real discoverer
of the sources of the Nile" thought that
two years would be sufficient to go from the
coast inland across the head of Lake Nyassa to
the watershed, wherever that might be, and
after examination try to begin o
benevolent mission with some tribe on the
slope back to the coast. Had known all the
time, toll, hunger, hardship and weary hours
involved in that precious water parting Knight
have preferred having my head shaved and
blister put on it to graphing with my good
old friends task; but having taken up the
burden could not bear to be beaten by it..
I shall tell you little about the progress
made by and by.
FACE TO FACE WITH THE SLAVE TRADE
At present let me give o glimpse of the
slave trade, to which the search and discovery
of most of the Nile fountains have brought me
face TO face. The whole traffic, whether by
land or ocean, is gross outrage on the COM
mon law of mankind. 1t is carried on from
age to age, and, in addition to the untold evils
it inflicts, presents almost insurmountable
obstacles to intercourse between different
portions Of the human family. This open sore
in the world is partly owing to human cupidity,
partly to the ignorance of the more civilized
Of mankind Of the blight which lights chiefly
on more degraded piracy on the high seas It
was once as common as slave trading is now,
but as 1t became thoroughly known the whole
civilized world rose against it.
In now trying to make Eastern African
slave trade better known to Americans in
dulge the hope am aiding on, though in
small degree, the good time coming yet when
slavery as well as piracy will be chased from
the world. Many have but o faint idea of the
evils that trading in slaves inficts on the VIC
Tins and authors Of Its atrocities. Most peo-
pie imagine that negroes, after being bru-
talized by long course of servitude, with but
few of the ameliorating influences that elevate
the more favored races, are fair average
specimens of the African man. Our ideas are
derived from slaves of the west coast, who
have for ages been subject to domestic bond
age and all the depressing agencies Of q most
climate These have told most in
juriously on their physical frames, while fraud
and the rum trade have ruined their moral
natures 80 as not to discriminate the difference
Of the monstrous injustice
THE NEGRO MAN AT HOME IN THE INTERIOR.
The main body Of the population is living
free In the interior, under their own chiefs and
laws, cultivating their own farms, catching
ash in their own rivers, or fighting bravely
with the grand old denizens of the forests.
which, In more recent continents, can only be
reached in rocky, strata or under perennial
Ice. Winwood Reade hit the truth when
be said the ancient Egyptian, with his
arge, round, black eyes, full luscious lips,
md somewhat depressed nose, Is far
nearer the typical negro than the west
coast African, who has been debased by the
land he lives In. The slaves gen.
orally and especially those on the west coast
1t Zanzibar and elsewhere, are extremely ugly.
I have no prejudice against their color; indeed,
any one who lives long among them forgets
they ore black and feels they are just fellow
men; but the low, retreating forehead. prog
nathous jaws, lark heels and other physical
peculiarities common among slaves and West
African negroes, always awaken some feelings Of