The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-02

| many EMBELLISHMENTS. The province OF which
khartoom 10 the capital has been made to pay the
i expenses Of Sir Samuel Bakers expedition Hence
there s not now over 81 Ooo 900 in coin in the en-.
tire region, while the proprletoria value Ia est-
mated at $5o,ooo,oo0. But labor ia abundant. and
the annual yield OF ivory and gum continues un.
diminished.
| CONCLUSION.
| Egypt is the strongest power In Africa. In fact
IL is the only one possessed OF geographical posi-
tion vast extent OF interior territory and naviga-
| BILE streams together with troops and officers
| suitable to the sultry climate and vast deserts.
With Egypt therefore, must begin the civilization
| OF that continent. Though may deplore the
| fact that it is Mahommedan conquest acquiring
new peoples and rich countries, must remember
that IL Is the Saracenc influence which desoated
Southern Europe centuries ago, and by which all
mankind might have been repeating to-day the
single phrase, ''There Is but one God and Moaammed
is His prophet had there been no such man az
Charles Marte. Moslemism has progressed with
the age. The locomotive has soitened the jealous,
vindictve nature Of the Arab. and where Bruce
found himself solitary wanderer IN Lower Egypt
nearly century ago, without welcome or opera
| ton, we lind Europeans in authority and infu-
| ence.
| Look at the map OF Africa. No other Power has
| penetrated more than skin-deep into the Cont
| nent. All settlements-French, Portuguese,
| colonies. But with Egypt it is different.
Mohammed' Ali, near the beginning OF our
| century, had LED army almost to the Equator,
and had the money he spent In making war in
| Syria, under lbrahim Pacha been devoted to the
| development OF the Soudan, there might have been
| a very small field indeed for African exploration
| now.
But 1t is not alone in the fact that the vicer0y
may fairly claim nearly one half OF Africa, but that
DANA inaa drai nd Inv tchla III
| governed by such invariable meteorological laws
| that Egypt may fairly be said to be the only
country in the world where you can safely fOretel
| the morrow. In whatever direction, therefore,
| the viceroy Is the natural master OF Africa,
| and the religion OF which he is temporal
and liberal head in Egypt is best adapted to the
negro, who never believes in one wife or in q for
| mulated system OF theology manufactured by men
| learned in the universities and skilled in Biblical
| polemics. His railroads, with single exception.
| are the only ones in Africa; his jurisdiction
4 now extends to the Equator, and the bound
| aries OF his empire include territory
| 1000 miles from North to South and
| 500 miles from East TO West which sustalns
nearly thirty millions of people, civilized ana
savage. What an influence 1t will give to Africa
| when the locomotive pushes through this neglected
and lorsaken continent What may not be the sit
| uation Of the 100000 OF people who inhabit
when the journalist sits down In the year 1000 to
recount the principal events OF the expiring CEN
fury VIII not people begin to wonder that while
| man may travel around the world in ninety days,
there still millions and millions OF people IN
the heart OF great continents whose very names
| are unknown Let us acknowledge that this rail-
road OF the Viceroy Is the first practical attempt to
solve the mysterious problems which daunted
the Caesars and Ptolemys, and have ever
| since perplexed the curiosity OF the scientific
| world. Tracing it to natural end.
| we may live to see locomotives rushing along the
line OF the Equator, busy commerce on the
| Albert and Victoria Nyanzas, and the rail pushed
| southwark to the Cape OF Good Hope. We may
| behold the lazy negroes become thrifty agri-
cuturalsts. We may find them abb uring heathen-
ism ana embracing q responsible religion. We may
| note the progress of medicine among them; that
| the naked have become clothed; that the rooness
| have become housed, and that finally dsorderly
continent has become OF the the worthy habitatOns
OF man. The only continent which is an island,
| and the only ore where the main population Ia
| homogeneous because OF blood and temperament,
| standing across the highways to the East, with
systems OF railways and great internal improve
ments, there is no reason why Africa should not
become one OF the fields or sustenance for the
Tj00o COO ofpeople who dwell In the world. 1t may
seem like adulation to assert that all this be
|
| Niceroy Yet nothing is easier. Every sea that
! washes African shore Is white with steam
| ers and san; Egypt is within a week OF nearly
| every capital in Europe; her resources are
| boandess and the Khedive laughs at outlay, and
even encourages extravaganza. The report OF
| Mr. Fowler comes to US, therefore, at q moment
when we glad to give generous space to his
| undertaking-one in which so many interests Of
humanity and progress are conspicuous 1t has
| always been the policy OF this journal not only to
| suggest but TO encourage every grand enterprise
which promised well TO our race. But In the
majority Of instances when the HERALD has
been the advocate OF projects now successful
part OF the vast machinery OF this busy world, they
nave been purely American. Now we 90 1000 miles
from home. and oiier to the Viceroy OF Egypt the
benefit OF these columns, which have often sus-
| tanned undertakings of the Importance OF which
| the world entirely ignorant There is a daring
anu yet wisdom connected with the Soudan Rail-
way which belongs to America. The labor and ex-
pense which it VIII involve will be great, but the
results growing cut OF its operation will be greater
still. Let us hope, therefore, that the present decade
will not cose before the tourist driven from Paris
by the winry blasts of December, can, twenty days
afterwards enjoy tropical Winter on the borders
of the sweet water lakes OF Central Africa.