The New York herald., 1877-11-17


OF territories beyond their limits Commerce gradu-
ally increases, while geographical discovery opens up
IN take the place OF the suppressed slave traffic.
thus promptly utilizing the work OF geographical and
scientific explorers Without the knowledge which IT
the specal business OF these TO collect The Eer-
chant Is helpless and ignorant, and no exchange of
goods or trade on large scale Gan bc established
The merchant and the manufacturer soon JOIN their
interests In appeals to the government for extension
ana more information, and that winch began with
purely sclenuac exploration and geography ends IN
largely promoting religion and philanthropy, as well
rs meeting political requirements and me ae-
mands OF commerce.. Who is there that Is
wholly without interest in any OF these oo-
jecs and what State Afford 10 desplse or neglect
tnems To all OF these African explorers have
rendered ncaculaDle service dur rg this last twenty
i've years. aud neither the extent nor the importance
OF this service be reduced TO money value. For
putting asde all Considerations OF Justice and human
ity, commerce. has not had, since the discovery OF
new world. so vast field for profitable enterprise
opened 10 II as Africa VIII soon present.
ExGLASD's pkPESDENCE ON COLONIES.
Fnglana more especially, u the nrst maritime and
commercial nation IN the world, with ns power
founded and maintained manly by Its commerce. and
colonies is stu dependent on these Tor the contnu
OF wealth and other elements oil strength. AZ
tins moment especially more than Ut any other epoch
in history, is essential that nex murkes should
be found Tor Its manufactures Whh strikes at home
increasing the cost OF labor and its products, compe
ution and protective tariffs abroad even III our own
colonies the unlimited field for our industries IS
rapidly narrowing to an alarming extent. Tho
United States demand tor our goods has diminished
nearly fifty per within tue last lew years. Rus
sia and China both adopt poiicy tho elect OF which
Is 10 close Central and Eastern ASIA 10 our trade IN
da even Is giving signs OF commencing race u COM
petition by native looms. Free trade Is as ashorrcnt
10 Spain It is 10 Russia or tho Unled states, aud
nowhere Is IN .Ae ascendant 10 whenever quarter OF
the globe turn IL maintains losing tight with
protection IN Franco ana Germany, while II is rcpu
dated utterly by offspring and descendants,
with few exceptions Of no great IMPORTANCE. Where,
theD shall look for customers unettered by such
RESTRICTIONS, unless u be in Atrca-a country with
millions OF an uncivilized race, capable OF supplying
cotton and sugar, sago and rice, with every other
tropical proauct IN demand, for the OF the world,
II required, in exchange for manufactured GOODS and
lhe produce oil our workshops OF every kindY s.
With these general data boore us IT seems worthy Of
serious inquiry how Great Britain may best secure
this open murSet oi The future, wnile taking her
place among the nations OF the world In Efforts 10
bring ABOUT IN Africa now era oi cyilizaton ana
commerce. IN way calculated To prove bless ing aud
curse both the one and The other have so often
become 10 races oil inferior civilization.
As practical means OF attaining the main OBJ
jects Of all these efforts there general consensus OF
opinion. One or more practicable wagon roads from
from tho tsotze fly, and through line
Of country not made impassablc by lntrnct-
able or hostile natives Such ronds are already ad-
vancing tavorably IN least two directions toward
Tanganyika and Nyassa- The next desideratum Us
steamer, one or more, upon each OF the great inland
Ono is already on Lake Nyassa Another must BY this
time be the Albert Victoria, n not on both, by
the energetic action OF Gordon Pacna, aided by tho
efforts OF hs predecessor, Sir Samuel Baker. @
CONTINUOUS LINE OF coMMUncATIoN
The third anu more remote object winch Mr. Stan
ley's brilliant exploit in tracing The Congo VIII DO
much 10 advance is a continuous line OF communlca
ton between the east and the west const OF tho
tinent south Of the Equator, with Nyassa Tangan-
yika midway central depots and connecting links.
Subsidiary lines through tho lake regions, when
would connect the trunk road with .he Nile Dasin-
the lower course Of The Congo To the north
and the Zambesi country 10 the south--might
dcbouch at convenient points ON the seacoast
Whether this great trunk road should be maintained
by the establishment OF a series OF permanent posts
under European superiItendency or whether II
TO appoint native, agencies at certain intermediate
points and to rely on tue efforts OF individual travel
lcrs anu the influence Of local traffic TO keep up reg
ular communication along the line, would depend on
the degree Of public support accorded 10 tho UNDER
taking by Great Britain alone or several countries in
AS 10 cost II We take into consideration the money
and lives already expended since this country hrst
placed squadron on the West Coast to prevent tho
export of and protect our settlements, any
sum at all likely TO be spent or asked Tor III establish
Ing stations and practicable routes across Southern
Africa must be ntnitessimal aud too IN
significant to demand serious thought 1t 10
now many years ago that a series OF letters
BY Mr. James Macqucen. who went IN great detail into
this subject He says tho expenditure Is SO great as
TO be almost Incredible and adds, wiring In 1906
s'It runs in vast sums through every annual finance
account aud money return presented TO Parliament
during the last any.hve years" SIR John barrow,
twenty years earlier Quarterly Reciew 1o25 p.
t05) estimated OF The squadron the
coast alone. bounties Tor capture and expense of
mixed commissions at $500, 900 yearly. Some Par
returns later carried the naval expenditure
high 81 O00 000 and an the Paranen ary Return,
No. go, oil lo4o tsee Fourth Report OF Slave Trade
Taxing this a basis, and including numerous list
OF other charges strictly consequent on our Efforts
during The hfty live years to suppress the African
slave trade, Mr.. Macqueen mates the total cost
f52 023 6si, irrespective OF the t2O0oo 900 paid 10 the
West lnda propriciors Of slaves for their emancpa-
tiou. Over GI00 10000 sterling! In view oil tbis
expenditure, IRON winch We have derived
little Commercial advantage, II We compare what
would now be repaired entirely suppress any slave
traifc the const Tor foreign demand, and create
reat and profitable commerce, equally advantageous
10 the Africans and ourselves, we cannot In; be
hrt m disn M tyanu
promised results From Ga, 900 to GlO 900 spent
an ualiy Tor the next lew years, in surveying
ploraton, 1t is estimated would 10 long way II not
entirely suffice, 10 open one or more direct and pract-
cable roads IRON The East Coast the lakes
and trunk line across the cont!nent 400 miles
oil which might be by steam navigation on
tho river Congo, as VIC now know. Oi course,
the first cost OF steamers and road making
would nave 10 be provided IN addition What means
might required 10 connect the Congo tho Zan-
besi their tributaries would be premature yet to
say. Cameron has spoken OF a short cauai; possibly
a tram road might be practicable In parts In any
there is but this missing Ink 10 be filled up 10
establish direct though Interrupted water comnuni-
essury portages) across The continent From the
mouth OF The Zaubcsl. on the eastern coast to tho
OF the Congo the western, the greater part
may be travcrsed by navigablc rivers The lakes
would in such system become subsidiary, aud
stretch the lines Of commerce from the LamDesi and
Congo northward 10 tue Nile and the Medlterranean,
ana thus put the three oceans-the Atlantic, the In
dian and the Mcdcrrancan-in connection the whole
length and breadth oi the continent. Can this be?
IL will be asked Aud Is II possible vast
results ight be effected in the years and ut
outlay oi less Than oneenth vi the this
Try has continued Spending annually Tor more than
hty years, and Tor ne' attainment oil only Of the
objects here con tcmpiuted? Many sobcr-mnded peo-
pie VIII probably TINS question with more or less
oil ncredulty. Yet not only rs til 10 possible, but rail-
roads anu Geographic lines would follow quickly
The steps OF the pioneers whv should make practicable
wagon tracks, though OF course greater expend-
ture Of capital. Tho trade that must spring up would
however, readily supply what might be needed.
fRAcTIoABiLIrY or THE PROJECT
NO doubt there some Will be disposed to
treat all such forecasts OF possible future Tor Africa
and Tor Great Britain also II its government, lis
uiacturcrs aud merchants VIII auOpI tile proper
mcans-as purely visionary, or little better than tho
hallucinations OF enthusiasm and lively masina.
ton Perhaps best such dcpreciatory
judgments will De quotation from Que OF these let
ters, written more tnan twenty years ago, before
question OF the brilliant OF
Livi ingstone and his SUCCESSORS opened up
vista, extending from the centre OF Africa the Med
ilerranean. Judging from The general tone and tenor
Of Mr.. Macquocns letters, he does not strike me as
having been an enthusiast or even a very sangune
man. Let us see what he says. Speaking OF the
small return ana miserable results IN trade or profit
OF such l.rge and long continued expenditure, he
asks "Are all the enormous SUMS above mentione ed
to be LOST Certainly all VIII be so unless something
Is wisely and elcctualy done for Africa ana III Al
rlcau quote this writer, though not agreeing with
amt t.stnfu nd NOR nam