The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-26
r. r II I o r 7 A.
What Herald Correspondent Experienced
During 1900 Miles Of Travel in Africa.
Address of Mr.. AlVan s. SOuthwOrth Before
the American Geographical Society.
The Soudan and the Valley of
the White Nile.

Mr.. Alvan 8. Southworth read lengthy paper
before the American Geographical Society last
evenng-Judge Charles p. DAILY, the President in
the char-at their rooms in the Cooper Institute,
on 1.-The Soudan and the Valley Of the White Nile"
The following is a synopsis
Mr.. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
AS a correspondent Of the New YORK HERALD, and
with the object of Joining the expedition OF Sir
| Samuel Baker and of exploring the Upper Nile
countries, sailed from Cairo December 81,
1871, and reached Khartoom on the 9Th Of
February, 1872, and spent nearly one year
In Egypt and her provinces. The valley of the
Nile, from the first cataract where the stream
ceases to be navgable, to Cairo is remarkable
alone to the traveller for its vast structures and
mausoeums. The siEedl,s and shodots, which are
employed to raise water from the river in order
that IL may be used for irrigation suggest that ne
Improvement has been made in Egyptian farming
during 1000 years. Bat the smoke curl
ing away from tall chimneys ana the noise
OF busy machinery in the midst Of extensive
fields aOf cane REMIND US that Isma,l Pacha,
the viceroy of Egypt, has become the first
sugar producer in the world. DISTINCTIONS
have grown up spontaneously about the
ninth degree of north latitude in the form
of reeds and this vegetation, multiplying and
extending, arrests all floating bodies of whatever
nature, and the result is that the provinces bor-
dering Nuba, not being as available for irrigation
as the territory OF the Delta, have suffered famine
and all its train Of evils simply because the stream
did net attain its accustomed level. II such fatal
consequences come from mere spontaneous vegeta.
ton thousand miles away In the interior OF Africa
what would result If the cataracts were removed.
In conversation with the VicerOy His Hghness told
me, You know how the world has been CRYING
out, cut the cataracts.' 1t must be with great
can N IN I nnH rtaEo alfa tho
Nile. 1t is the blood OF Egypt, and to tribe
with the coursng Of its waters is to experiment
upon the life OF my country. 1he engineers who
have surveyed them and reported upon them say
that the cataracts are necessary to Egypt; that If
they were not In the river all the water would
rush dewn to the sea during high Nile and leave
the bed of the stream dry more than half the year,
These cataracts economic the waters distribu-
ton; they are valves, and check its flow, and are
part Of the machinery of the Nile"
Here we have q Continent 5000 miles long
and 1900 miles broad and geographers as
scrt that its supports but population OF
Is 1000 000ess than the numbers OF the three Latin
peoples Of Europe. The different races are iso
lated in cases and surrounded by deserts. while
their rivers are full OF cataracts their mountains
are destitute OF coal. The average African is, with
out doubt, stupid, ignorant creature; yet ! have
found him. even under low degree or civiliza tion
uocle, 1nteluGent anu as capable OF governing as
or being governed. When bloody revolt occurred
In the Province of Takka, some years ago, among
the negro troops, all OF the Egyptian ON,
GERS were seized and slaughtered dur
ing a general massacre. Turkish Oflcials
succeeded 70 the command and tried to stay the
Jury OF the mutiny, bat without avail. IL was only
when negro hey, former private soldier in the
army OF lbralnm Pacna, arrived ON the spot that
Ine ihsufrecuon was quelled. The Viceroy raised
am 10 Tue rank OF Adam Pacha and the black,
savage boy, wno hlty.fve years before, was taken
To k10wer Egypt and sold. is teday the commander
1n-ctief OIL the troops in the SOudau. This TACT liz
mentioned simply 20 show that the negro at home
Is lot such pitiabe creation as the majority of
African travellers teach. do not believe that n
question: like the civilization OF Africa should he
made question OF "OdOr,'' Of "wool', or of "aw y \
contact they have had with the oater world las
been the contact OF slavc-traders despoilerg ana
assassins and where they haye become Subjects sf
conQuestIt has always been to the banner OF Mo
65000,OO0 Of negro savages, Tor forty centuries IN
solitary confinement, could evolve any pronounced
civilization Of their own Could we ourselves, 80
placed and circumstanced, have realized any sub
negroes can be civilized. BY missionaries you will
say Yes, by missionaries; but missionary is not
a man who goes otA TO tho East TO proselyte rom
one religion TO an0fEer and TO teach cold theology;
a steamboat. His liiglscss IN about to send these
missionaries into the heart OF the continent and
the route or the railroad to the Soudan traced on
my journey 10 Knartsom.
LIE in Khartoom, with all ts complex scoun-
dreism and curious phases OF crime, IL simply
the results ~ Any years Of the slave trade.
Few OF the tnbabitants escape the debauchlna
influences II the sum OF all human infamies.u |
Would yon, believe 1t, Mr.: President, less than
twelve men carried on the slave trade III Northern
and Central Atrica and supplied Egypt, Arabia and
poru0ns Of YeTsl% Asia MINOR, Turkey and the i