The New York herald., 1877-09-23
Practical Importance OF Stnnley's
Exploration.

The extraordinary character of Mr.. STAN
ley's latest work OF exploration causes us
all, for the moment, to overlook its great
practical Importance Though we must
wait for some time yet for the interesting
and exciting details of his remarkable jour-
ney, it is not too early to point out that he
has in fact unlocked the vast region of Gen.
trail Africa, and has prepared feasible way
for mercantile adventures to reach that
country and bring it into commercial rela-
tions with the rest of the world.
A new country can be tapped only by its
natural water courses. The explorations of
Livingstone, Burton, Speke, Cameron,
Baker and others from the eastern coast
during course of years showed only that
the country they explored was rich in pro-
ducts Of many kinds, but that the Difficult
ties of land transportation were so great
as to discourage commercial adven-
lures except near the coast. Stanley's
discovery, however, that the Lualaba, seen
already at one point by Livingstone,
is identical with the Congo, and that it is
great and navigable stream, reaching east
ward beyond the centre of the continent,
changes all the important features Of the
African problem. Africa has of late become
the subject Of practical commercial specula-
tions. While Stanley was fighting for his
life on the Upper Congo the King of the
Belgians became president Of an African
exploration society which has for its object
the extension Of commerce to those unknown
regions. In England enterprising men have
of late begun to talk Of telegraph lines, of
commercial settlements, of explorations in
the interest of commerce in Africa, and
before Stanley emerged on the west coast
with his great discovery projects had been
formed which that discovery, though it will
change their direction, will very greatly
facilitate.
The Congo is, in fact, as Stanley has
traced it, the Mississippi or the Amazon of
Africa. 1t opens the continent it is, as we
region. It's navigation is, to be sure, not
unobstructed, but the falls and rapids
where it breaks through the coast range
and the other falls near the Equator-the
principal breaks in it's course, SO fur as we
yet know-will prove but slight obstacles to
enterprising traders provided with compe-
tent capital. It is certain that the course of
exploration in Central Africa will henceforth
be from the western coast eastward, and it
is highly probable that within year one or
more thoroughly fitted commercial explor-
ing parties will ascend the Congo. The
lower falls probably mark the limits of the
unhealthy region above that comes an ele-
waited tableland, in which Europeans may
expect to live without difficulty. The
heart of Africa may thus undoubtedly be
reached by steamboats,, and as Stanley re-
ports that the Upper Congo has several
large afiuents it is probable that a vast
region lies open now to mercantile adven-
ture. The fact that the Upper Congo drains
densely wooded country gives additional
promise of naturally fertile region, which
may be expected to make important addi-
tons to the commerce Of the world within
very few years. We trust American en-
terprise will not be behindhand in the
effort to make use Of this new region. The
time was, before the war, when American
cotton goods and other products were favor
ties in the markets Of Zanzibar, and were
sent thence to the interior to be exchanged
for ivory, gold dust and other articles. But
the west coast is far more accessible to
us than Zanzibar, and IN American steam
fiotilla on the Congo would very quickly
make market for considerable amount of
our manufactures, while American enter
prise might reap fortunes by careful COM
mercial exploration of that great unknown
interior which Mr.. Stanley's courage has
now for the first time made accessible.