Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-03-01
VOL. XXXIX.
The Dark Continent.

tierceiy on Mt. hilmandlaro, directly un-
der the equator. in 1862. that q traveller
was compelled to give up the ascent, and
was thus led to speak Of the strange mys-
terry that has so long hung over the dark
continent. The ships Of civilization have
sailed along the eastern coast for 500years.
and vet the existence of that mountain,
which is only 200 or 500 miles from the
ocean, was unknown to the world till 1913.
The continent contains one seventh of the
globe population; it has its large cities, its
manuf curing towns, its ma ions that send
out great armies. IL is separated from
Asia by narrow point of land, from Eu.
rope by narrow strip of water, and yet
how small part il playe in the life of the
world. From east to west is tho widest
part. 1t has an expanse of 1000 miles, and
the northern and southern limits are equal
" distant. 1t is as wide as our own conti-
nent would be if it began at the mouth of
The Columbia river. and instead of ending
II, Nova Scotia, tapped over on Ireland.
The Island Madagascar, of the eastern
coast, which makes so small a show on
the map, if placed opposite this country
would reach fl ON Maine to Florida, and
he part of the continent known as Central
Africa is as large as the portion o. the
United States lying east Of the Rocky
mountain. The lake Victoria Nyanza,
discovered in 1858 is laI ger than the state
OF New York, and is elevated $500 feet
above tho sea. The area of the continent
is three times that of Europe, and the
course of the Nile measures a distance
equal to one eleventh of the circumference
Of the globe. 1t drains territory
nf 100000 square miles. or 100000
more than are found IN the Mississippi
valley. The continent llso affords II water
all with depth of three or four times
that of Niagara. There are according 10
most careful computations. 100000 $40
people in Africa 5 aLlstlcs show ma the
annual exports and imports OF Great Brit
ain equal 800 per capita; in Franco it
amounts to $50 and in this country to $50.
But in Africa the ratio is 81 10,tEo average
for the nations of the world being Sll A
distinguished Engishman once said that
each missionary in the south seas was
worth to British com merce $50, 000 And
if by the advance OF Christianity and civil
| lzalion the African foreign trade could be
brought up to the $ll standard, the busl-
ness of the continent would be increased
81, 900, 100000.
| But we whose ancestors were barbari
ans, sacrificing human flesh 20 centuries
ago, should also be interested in the
moral welfare of this vast people,
tho spread Of the gospel among them
Africa has a diverse population. the peu-
Pile OF the north being Mohammedans and
allied 10 oar race, while the mandingoes
and negroes dwell in the center, and a
large and civilized white population have
foothold at the south. The novelist, VIM
wood Reed, claims, on the strength of con.
versations with the natives, that traveller
in passing across the central part of the
continent would be able to spend each
night in n village where some sort of a
school is taught. In one town the art OF
casting cannon has been learned and some
of the interior nations are said to have
armed noblemen with their bands OF re-
taincrs not unlike those seen in the middle
ages. There are also villages containing
looms and fields of cotton and rice. Ol
course in territory containing 200,000,00C
people living without dependence on the
outside world there must be much intern.
al trade and agriculture, and manufac
lures cannot be wholly neglected. Recent
discoveries show that the great desert OF
Sahara contains more people than die
the American colonies when they fouoh
Great Britain, and that it is studded witt
habitable spots and even mountains. Th,
continent contains one-Gfh of all tht
heather under the sky, not one million O
the 2O0,O00,O00 being Christians.
At this point Dr. Means took up some
| Ipf tho hnr horpY7I h. l.. :.
central Africa, telling how prince once
had the heads of 80 slaves struck off as
special mark of respect to an American
: who visited him while an officer of tn,
Egyptian government; how when another
, died his favorite wives and cattle and Ger
tain selected virgins were sealed up in
: hut with his body and left 10 starve; hop
in still another case the dead body of
chief was placed on the backs of youn!
girls, who were made TO stand in tho be,
of stream which had heen turned from
its course, and were sprinkled with tn
blood OF muId dered slaves, after which tn
stream was made to resume itsusual way
And he said that very little doubt remain
conccrnisg the truth of the report tha
within year certain king has lakel
the blood OF 200 maIdrns to use IN mixlni
the mortar for n new palace. These thing
arc done because of the dictates of super
sutton rather than from a desire to she,
blood. For there are many kindly, re
= deeming traits about the Africans, ant
4 while the condition of their women is 70
q the most part the worst imaginable
there is one tribe who have such reputa
tion as aflectionate husbands that tho ivor
traders try TO steal their wives so tina
j they can secure q large ransom in ole
: plants tusks And it is related of
young girl who came back TO the burne
village, devastated by the slave trade, tha
i had been her home, that she hunted u
o the ashes of her mothers home, built
! hut, and for days brought offerings {
+. food, because of her affection for her motl
cr. Gangs of 100 slaves at time used
= be brought down TO the coast, and th
n speaker showed chain with iron collar
attached, in when were inserted the necl
" Of the victims. Some traders did withol
the chains, using crocthed sticks instead
- The speaker saw one of of these gans
s. years ago, when an officer of the navy an
e under orders TO capture the trader. The
70 had never seen white child until the
looked upon the the traders daughte
who had negro blood in her veins, an
q they regarded her with no little wonde
n meditating meanwhile no doubt, as to no
il she would taste! AS late as 1862 huma
!. flesh was publicly sold in the markets of
town not very far from the western coas
Is But now the American board have Il
children of those very cannibals as Chris
@ ian teachers in their schools, The Nat
+ mission is being extended 700 mil
~ northward and they arc making progre
1t on the western coast, being about to ser
d out three missionaries this spring, but the
q feel that there is great call for furth
work with only one missionary and ha
to a population MS large rs that of Mass
chusets.
-