The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-10-27
African Continental Railroad.


of extending American trade to the in
terror of the continent. The expedition
was to have been under the charge of
Commander Lynch, Of Palestine notorie-
ty. After full debate, it was defeated
only by single vote.
Nearly twenty-four years having
elapsed, with all the conditions vastly
improved, myself, Endorsed by CONNER
cial firms and philanthropic societies,
memorialized Congress at the last ses-
sion, through the Committee on Com
merce, asked an appropriation of $780,
600 to make preliminary survey of a
railroad from Liberia northeastward up
to and through the Kong Mountains or
hills, and thence eastward on the same
parallel into the Niger Valley, one or two
thousand miles into the interior of the
continent, and to report on the country,
its population, climate, productions, and
practicability of the road.
Africa, from the Desert of Sahara to
the Equator, 1000 miles wide, and from
the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, 1000
miles long, with more square miles than the
United States, according to the most reli-
bDlC GldNClos do COll JllCI III llC -1nlCll-
can Cyclopedia, ," has a population greater
than our own, or full $4,000, 600 of peo-
pie, nearly all negroes. The country is
generally elevated plateau, is surprising
ly rich, has an abundant rainfall, numer-
GUS rivers, and produces all the grains
as well as the tropical products. There
are innumerable villages, towns and
many walled cities, with from 10000 up
to $4,000 inhabitants. There are regular
Governments containing millions of peo-
pie living under written laws, with
schools and standing armies. The re-
ligion is nearly half pagan, about half
Mohammedan, a few Christians, and full
half of the people are slaves, this great
evil often causing rebellions and devas-
tating wars. Throughout nearly all Of
these vast regions camels, horses, cattle,
hogs, sheep, goats and fowls are raised
in great numbers, with abundance of
game in the forests. The manufactures
of Soudan are rude, yet at several towns
and cities, including Kano, the Man
chester of Central Africa, substantial
cotton and wooden cloths, colored with
native indigo, are made in large quanti-
ties and sold all over the interior regions;
also European and American goods, light
hardware and guns are packed by cara
vans and sold at all of the interior cities,
where the goods are very dear and the
profits very great But Africa could
purchase one hundred times the present
amount of coarse manufactures, light
hardware, guns, cutlery and simple ag-
ricultural implements if they could be
got into the country and the products to
pay for them be got out to the markets
of the world, where they are much
needed.
1t is plain that such a country could
support one railroad through its very
center. 1t is, therefore, proposed to
make preliminary survey and report,
which will open up the whole subject to
America and Europe AS soon as the
survey and report is made, which will
doubtless be favorable, an African Con-
tinental Railroad Company is to be
formed, with subscriptions of stock and
sale of bonds in the usual manner, and
the road be commenced at once. The
company is Immediately to put on line
OF SIX 1,O00ton screw steamers like the
two British lines to the West Coast, to
sail from Boston, New York, Philadel-
phia or Baltimore, freighted with mer-
chandise suited to the African trade and
railroad material; to touch at Norfolk
and Charleston to take on colored
laborers used to such work, with their
families, and emigrants. The trips
would be made in three weeks. The
return cargoes would be coffee, sugar,
cotton, palm-oil, peanuts, camwood
ivory, gold, and other African products
AS the road penetrated the rich interior
the trade would vastly increase in
steamers, sailing vessels and very great
ly in emigration. A grant of twenty to
forty miles wide of land would be secured,
which, as fast as the road was completed,
would become valuable for rent or for
sale and materially aid in its construc-
ton, which would not cost more than
half that of roads in other countries.
Liberia is rapidly becoming one vast
coffee and sugar plantation, and as the
road penetrated the interior these valua-
Bile products would be cultivated for
scores Of miles on either side, which, to.
gether with the ordinary products of the
country vastly increased, would furnish
very large freight business. The sin
gle article of salt, which is scarce and
dear over the interior, which is made on
the coast by evaporation, could be sold at
profit which would greatly aid in paying
the cost of the road.
African development has taken rapid
strides within the last few years. An
International Commission has been Or
ganized in Europe, composed mainly of
citizens of Germany, France and En-.
gland, with King Leopold of Belgium as
President. The purpose of this COM
mission is for the exploration and civil-
cation of Central Africa south of the
Equator. Posts for relief and explora-
ton are to be established on numerous
routes, which are expected to grow up
into towns and marts of trade. In addi-
ton to this the British Geographical
Society has recently determined to open
seven routes in these same regions, to
establish posts and build roads, and even
telegraph lines and railroads are contem-
plated, all for the purpose of civilization
and to increase their trade. Both of
these societies are sustained by munf-
cent donations from the wealthy The
British have purchased the Suez Canal,
have extended their Influence and trade