Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-09-30
AFRIOA,
Plan of the International Congress for
Thoroughly Scientific
Exploration.
New York Tribune.l

New l Ofk 1rlOun6.l
Oar lsst foreign mails bring accounts
Of the organization OF the congress OF geogra-
p4trs at Brussels, on the thirteenth instant.
Tn s promises 20 be one OF the most interest
ing and imuortant conferences OF the kind
which has been held for Eeversl years past.
he d" african Congress" =" ss some of the rng-
llsh journals call 1t, was convoked by King
Leopld ii o, Belgium, for The spec al pur-
pose of agreeing upon, and setting IN action,
~ pan OF African exploration WHEN m ~
suffice to complete our knowledge OF the in
teilor OF the continent. The mos, distinguis h.
ed 'VeleTs and geog 'aphsTS of Europe were
personal invited by tue king, and amo Z
those in attendance were Cameron, Gran,
kawlin on, Battle Frere and Ale OK OF Eng
land; LeSsepS AID Admiral de la iuCiere o
ancs; Rohlis, Nachtigal. and Schweinfurth
of Gernany; HOchstet,er and Count Zichy OF
Austria, AMI n gri al d Corrsni of ally.
such dtstin2 utsn5d company of explorers
never before met together. On the Assem- b ing
of the congress at tue palace in BTussel~,
The king, who declared that The open
ing 10 ciyiliz It on of the sole portion oI the
globe, where II has not yet penetrated was
crusade wori by of thi age of rrogres., and be
was satisfied tlat public sentiment was al
re .dy IN ftvor OF tie work. = fter explaining
thSt lgium, on account OF its neutral char
scter as nation, off Ted the most avJrable
position for an ORGANIZATION VIII ch must nee
essarIly combine the intelligence a1u enter-
pnss OF Europe, he Sc forth the questions to
be considered, as follows: l. The careful Sc
! CT on o. the bases OF op ration, 20 be estab
lished on the coast of ZinZ bar and near the
mouth OF the Congo, either by purchase or
treaty with The native rulers. 2. he deSig-
na ion of routes to be successfully opened IL 10
the inter, or, in connection WiLu stations of re-
lief and supply, he latter o be also established
bUth in The 1nte estS OF science and humanity,
in promoting friendly intercourse with the
native tribes. 3. Tne fOrmstion of an inter
national ce tral committee 10 superb tend the
execution the plan, after il snail have been
definitely fixed, and OF separate national COM
mlttees to pTeseU IL TO the peo pie OF tueIr Sew
eral count, les, and procure contributions The
psta a hp
first and second OF these prOp poslnCns have
been discus ed and acceI ted by large num-
ber OF the membe S. he boundaries of the
uneXpiOred region CI Central Africa ave been
greatly contracted within tle past enty.
hve years. Livingstone has opened 10
our Knowledge a s5ctI GcIoss Ihe contI-
breadth. while Burton, Speke and Baker have
at least ascertaIned the chief geogT- phiCaI
features OF Il re ion CXtendIDg ten GegIess of
longitude inland from the eastern coast, al d
stretcbing from six degrees south to four oe-
grees north latitude. But there stlll remains
q large region, between the meridian of Lakes
Albert and TsngaDy ika and The Atlantic sea
board, into which only q lew detached incur
SONS nave been mad. Broadly statep, II IoY-
ers twenty degrees ( latitude and about ii
teen OF lorgituGe, containing one million
eight hundred and twenty thousand squage
miles. There is no evidence, nor much ike
nhOOd, that any owerfuI na i've nation eX-
lists In all this regiOd. Schwein urih and
Miami, who penetrated furthest into it from
The northeast, found only pigmy sayages Iiv-
ing on jungled tablelands, and Du Chaillu.
rom the west, reach d stnlIar condition of
bRrbarlSm. Jhe chief d fl icultits of explora-
tlon are probably OF physical character, and
The est blisnment of sup ly stations at q d -
tance 4 ON tie coast would greatly fRcll tate
the work. The plan IS SIMPLE and apparently
f-aSiBle, provided no trouble arse from IN,
association OF 30 many different nalionali-
lies. We may certaluly accept il as the Ueg n
another, TO be accomplished before many
yea