The New York herald., 1879-03-10
THg AMERICAN NAVAL And COMMERCIAL EXPEDITION
TO AFRICA.

From the Sierra Leone West African Reporter. JAM
uary 30. 1872
The Americans eminently practical people,
When say this. however. only repeat a truisn
readily admitted by all the world. They make no
useless experiments, and do not indulge in dreams
of the unattanable. They excel in the ability TO n-
vent and construct articles for lessening human
labor. for multiplying and relieving human energy.
Their agricultural implem ents marvels of luxury
compared to the instruments of husbandry still
used on farms in some European countries. With
the admirable implements they have invented
the farmer feels that labor is sweet They
taught the world the practicability of flashing
intelligence the wings of lightning from
end of the earth to the other. They
threaten to extnguish gas, having found and
better way of illuminating the world. The exper.
ments of Mr. Edison of New York. watched
with the most intense anxiety by those in Europe
who combine in their pursuits science with practice.
but far by those whose business affected by
the practical results of scientific discoveries in any
particular direction.
But to of the most important results of the
working of the practical American mind as well as
of the most potential of the schemes of modern
commercial ingenuity and enterprise. is the expe-
dtion for the examination into the CONNER
cial capabilities of east and west coasts
thropic mind of Commodore Shufeldt. of the United
States Navy, and most literally seconded by his Gov
ernment. The Commodore, i'll charge of the United
States flagship Ticonderoga. arrived i'll this port
the 10Th inst with complete stan OF scientific men
for exploring and surveying work.
The Commodore has been detained here by the
question of the northwest boundary of Liberia
to be discussed and settled by British and Liberan
commissioners, and in which he has been requested
to act as umpire II necessary.
When the work of the commission is over the
Commodore Will spend short time on the Liberian
coast after which he Will proceed his exploring
tour around the continent
We anticipate very important results to Africa and
the United States from this novel expedition. This
is however, no new effort on the part of the United
States government to utilize its navy for the adj
vancement of science of commerce and of human
well being. The history of the American navy Is in
terwovep with enterprise upon the sea and
linked every act which has made the nation great.
1t suppressed piracy in the Mediterranean when
e @ Ereas 20 cs We're ERE aypg ;s. 10
and adjacent clear OF the pirate hordos, which
had hitherto deficd England, France and Spain. 1t
opened the Empire of Japan to America and tho
world, started in the East. and adding
another nation to the great family of civilized
less peace than in Wilkes in the South Seas,
Kane Hartstene and De Hewen in the Arctic regions
Bergman and Belknap defining telegraphc pateaus;
Lull, selfridge Collins and Shufeldt piercing the
Cordilleras In search OF interOceanic routes;
Herndon and Gibbon across the continent OF South
America and down the Amazon; Maury the geog-
rapher of the seas, with his wind and current
charts. making the paths Of commerce plain to tho
commonest understanding Jenkins. the founder OF
the lighthouse system, dotting the coast of America
with it's lights, buoys and beacons, now safe to
the mariner the gaslghted street to the wayfarer
the Coast Survey, with its unequalled charts and
sailing directions for thousands of miles of shore
and bay and river; Wyman, in the photographic
Office watching every discovery of shoa and rock
upon the ocean and warning the somewhat needless
mariner of his danger
The above is only portion of the brilliant record
Of the American navy. and we persuaded that the
present expedition OF the Tconderoga will add fresh
laures to grace the achievements of that ustrious
navy and in cause which, to US and perhaps to hu-
manty generally is of infinitely greater Importance
than South Sea discoveries Arctic Investigations
Commodore Shutedts African expedition, unique
preston upon this continent than any since the
days of the Portuguese adventurers who accused
by Dr. Livingstone Of misleading the world to
tain portions of their discoveries in Africa order
to keep their knowledge to themselves for CONNER
cial purposes. American zeal and energy, however,
will tear the veil asunder and admit the world
daring American has recently crossed the contt
nent from east to west through regions hitherto
unknown to the civilized world and has told of re-
sources nexhaustible in variety and abundance; and
1t may be reserved for the youthful and energetic
nation of the West to utilize largely than any
other the vast resources to which attention hal
been directed.
The comprehensive plans being organized in
Lancashire by English capitalists for the occupation
for purposes of trade Of the vast regions uhfoded by
Stanley, combined with the sagacous zeal of their
cousins of the western hemisphere, will find outlets
for the vast trade, and to utilize those outlets by
fleets of steamers from across the Atlantic will pro-
duce results in the proxamte future which it is i'm
possible for the most sauguine to imagine In
telgent Africans all parts of the should be
stimulated to contribute all their resources-intel-
lectuAl, moral and pecunary-to hasten those bene-
fetal changes IN the land of their fathers which
now impending.