Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-03-04
VOL. LIV. NEW SERIES, VOL. XVII.
Develcrmants in Africa.

Developments in Africa.
THE VARIOUS EXPLORING PARTIES on FOOT
BRINGING THE DARK CONTINENT INTO
COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH THE WORLD
-BUILDING RAILROADS IN AFRICA.
From The Springfield Republican,
One quarter of relief for languishing
industries and idle capital is being open
ed in the rapid progress of African dis
covery, and the new commercial enter
prises following its lead. FOur expedi-
tions sanctioned by the French republic
are prospecting for railroad across the
desert of Sahara, and from the upper
Senegal to Timbuctoo The chambers
have farther voted $500, 600 to the minis
ter of marine for fortiiication in Medina !;
for 4 railway survey from Senegal to the
Niger and for n cable from Isle de Saint
to cape Verde. The German government
has supplemented private gifts with S25,
600 TO send, under the auspices of the
German geographical society, six separate
expeditions for African research in its re-
lations to commerce. Italy has sent me-
| chanics and colonists to occupy the terri
| tory around the bay of Assah, south of
st. Paul de Loando, where there is n safe
and capacious harbor another Italian
expedition is exploring Abyssinia and ex-
| pecting to go into Soudan. The Egyptian
government has ordered an official explo
ration of Soudan. In South Africa, Eng
| land is pushing its empire. besides look
ing apparently toward the possession Of
Dahomey and Ashantee The geographi-
cal society of Spain has sent Commander
Sosten to explore eastern Africa. Two
Portuguese expeditions are about to start
simultaneously from the Portuguese set
Elements on the east and west COASTS in
tending to found a line of commercial
posts in the direction of the Zambesi and
meet In the interior. One Austrian party
has its eve on Kalakka, and another is
getting ready 10 start from Cape Colony
.or the Zambesi through Darfur. A Rus
sian party is advancing up the Nile. The
British expedition led by ]. Thomson,
who succeeds the late Keith Johnston,
has carefully explored the region north
of lake Nyassa and south of lake Tan
ganyika. Capt Wybrants is leading an
other English expedition toward Umzila's
kingdom. H. Nj. Stanley, under the i'll
ternational African association, presided
over by the king of Belgium, is conduct
ing handsomely equipped and numer-
ous party up the Congo, and opening a
road to the portion of this mighty river
beyond Stanley Pool, navigable thence
forth some 200 miles to its source in
lake Tanganyika Four other expedi-
tions of the same association are under
way, one of them proceeding from Zanzi-
bar and intending to join Stanley on the
~, H. al
way These stations are to be rest
houses" supplied with goods, medical
stores, etc, for the convenience and pro-
lection OF mercantile travellers and mis-
sionaries. African elephants are being
caught and trained by experts from In
dia, and they promise to be valuable help
ers in the advances Of n tropical civiliza-
ton
The number OF commercial organiza-
hons that mean business, and n large
business, is significant Urich Durler Il
Co. announce line OF steamers to run
early this year from Germany TO the west
coast. A. c. Verminck & Co., old Afri-
can traders, intend 10 put on several
steamers between Marseilles and western
Africa. the first having left in December
last, the Djolibah, vessel of l 200 tons
burden. Another line of steamers has
been started from Liverpool for the west
coast, both for freight and passengers, by
the West African steam navigation COM
pany. Two more companies, the African
steamship and the British and African
steam navigation, Join in dispatching n
monthly steamer from Hamburger TO the
west coast, besides their weekly steamers
from Liverpool and Glasgow, two of
which are built Of steel and register ! =
$50 tons each. The advantage of steel
over iron i'll lightness enables these to
cross the bars of the African rivers in
shallow water. The German merchants
meanwhile are extending their connec-
tons with the north coast, n line of steam
ers being projected between Bremen and
Morocco. The trade increases between
Marseilles and Algeria. On the fifth of
every month Il royal mail steamer leaves
Lisbon for Angola and Benguela, making
the passage in about 35 DAYS. Steamers
are also running on the Senegal, Gambia,
st. Pauls, Niger, Gaboon, Ogove. Coan-
"a, the Zambesi and its tributary, the
Shire, and on the lakes Victoria Nyanza,
Tanganyika and Nyassa.
In the Wassaw country five mining
companies are operating, English, Span
ish and French, the latter being the pio-
neers in August, 1878, and reporting (as
the African gold coast company between
1000 and 1000 tons of ore. worth S26
per ton, with the immediate prospect of
40 tons per day Of much richer ore. and
100 tons per day by next year. A resi-
dent commissioner with salary of $1,000
per annum gives assurance of British
nrn+apfinu IN thaCa mt An
official geological report upon the FREQ
state of the Orange river describes i'm
mense beds Of coal and iron in convenient
proximity. The South African diamond
mines yielded in 1879 SIS, 900. 900. an IN
crease over the product of 1878.
The West Africa light railways com
pany, London, propose the building Of
four railroads III the Yoruba country,
varying in length from 20 to 80 miles
Another English company has received
charter from Liberia, which, it would
seem, American enterprise should have
anticipated, extending 200 miles back
from Monrovia, and looking toward an
ultimate connection Of that port with the
head-waters of the Niger; rival route
to that proposed by the French by way
of the Senegal Six different railroads,
though not Of any great length as yet,
are i'll process of building in South Africa.
The English people are talking of a rail
road from Zanzibar TO the Victoria Nyan-
"a. The Egyptian government is pre-
pairing to carry forward its telegraphlc
line beyond Khartoum to Gondokoro, and
to meet it by and by, the Cape Colony
| government proposes To extend ITS line 10
Pretoria in the Transvanl, leaving dis
tance of 1886 geographical miles already
mapped out for tclegraphic enterprise be
tween Pretoria and khnrtoum.