The New York herald., 1877-10-29
THE VAST COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE OF TIN
CONGO.
From tho Baltimore American

From tho Baltimore Americana
The traveller Stanley reappears out oil thick dark.
ncss-out OF the "utterly unknown" into which he
vanished about two years since, when lust by
Commander Cameron Ut tho court Of prince OF Gen.
trai Africa. He has turned up into civilization at ST.
Paul dc Loanda, a Portuguese settlement on tho At
lantc coast, to which he brought by Portuguese
man. -ot-war from tho mouth Of tho Congo River. He
quilted Zanzibar In 1874 aud has since crossed tho
entire continent accompanied by party Of 3l5 ma
tives OF whom ll5 remain alive He not tho nrst
traveller who crossed the African continent Tor
LiviEgstones earliest journey was from TO east
and Commander Cameron has Just published the rec
Ords OF his journey "Across Airlcan which brought
him out at Bcngueia, hundreds Of miles urther
south than tho mouth OF the Congo, where Stanley
reached the II had been Cameron's great wish
foat down the Lualaba river having its rise In
OF the great lakes OF Central Africa, to Its junction
with the Congo, ana SO emerge on the Atlantic coast
Various difficulties prevented him from carrying out
his great design and reserved Accomplishment FOG
Stanley, who may be said TO have aud tot
Africa an enormous river hitherto but vaguely known
stretching almost across the African continent and
having its head waters so near those OF the Milo that
Livingstone believed himself to be discovering tue
exact spot described by Herod0tus when he prob
ably exploring the sources OF the Congo This river
must become OF vast Importance being navigable IRON
It's mouth 1000 miles, ana watering all the
centre Of Airicathat townlcss, mountainess river.
less white space laid down upon the maps
studied in our youth as Ethiopia' and supposed to
be inhabited by that black but "6lameess' race Tor
whose society great Jupiter and the Olympian dctes
withdrew their attention for twelve days from Troy,
wnic the wrath OF Achilles wns ncubatrng the ''lad
From the accounts Of modern travellers concerning
the petty potentates of this interior cannot I'M
agne what the Oy family could have found "
tractive IN tho Mumbo-J o-Jumbos who rule over that
region. Why did they not direct their attention to
North America and It's Indians2 or perhaps there
indians IN North America ut that period.
There IL much in Indian manners, customs and
ideas as they prevailed before white cor
ruptcd this continent that reminds Of the manners
customs and opinions OF the Greeks described In the
'liad' that who knows but that America may have
been peopled by sh hpwrecked waits aud strays from
the great force OF that
tragedy OF Troy. =
Stanleys honesty has long bccn well established,
though the DOUBTS thrown 1t tho time OF his rsi
enterprise prevented the payment OF due honors hm.
either in his own country or In Europe. II,
led 70 suppose by tho very brief information thus
Afforded U.s. he has opened Central Africa commerce.
by following up Lvingstone's suggestions dscov-
cries; u he has proved that the southern branch Of
the Congo River Is navgabe from It's mouth 1000
miles, and them after SUCCESSION Of cataracts, be-
comes again an important Davigablc river forming q
water highway almost across the African continent,
lew modern travellers Will have done much en-.
tighten and benefit mankind. II Is to be hoped that
his success as explorer will now bo fully rccog-
nized, and that learned societies. the public Of all
ilized nations, and above all, his own coun.rymen.
may unto IN taking advantage OF TINS occasion
up him tor too tardy recogni OF hjs merits aad
veracity