Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-30
THE CONGO.
stanIey's Exploration of the Great Cen
trail African Valley Founding Free
State-Tbe Climate and Commercial
wealth. of the CongO valley.

Wealth OF the Congo valley.
From Tie Ne,o York Htrald.
The story Of She exploration of the great
artery of Central Africa, as told by the
author, MIR. Henry Nj. Stanley, in his book
just issued. will at once command the at
tention OF the civilized world, and to Sc
cure its attention the work is TO be pub
Iished in eight languages.
It's notorious that hitherto the wheels
of geographical exploration have always
moved slowly. But IN penetrating and
opening up the Congo Valley to the pio-
neers OF fertilization and trade, Mr.. Stanley
has lost no time. 1t is now not quite five
wears since the steam whistles of the little
Gotilla bearing the Stanley expedition up
the mighty" Congo were heard in
Banana Haven, and a new era for the
Congo Basin was inaugurated. The
Lower Congo had often been aecende1
since the date of its discovery by the z
tuguese navigator, Diego Cain, in ~
But the enterprise undertaken * az
author was beyond all compare .n any
exploration that had previously On
tempted. The reader will ~, r - 49,
moments inspection OF NJ y,a ~
accom- p"ny my tuo "00tn Observations for
tolu' are oaSeI upon fOTDoubtless there
Iatl'uuc a,'u aoi 2rections in future
VIII oe ,Ll..s,3 - >Ey, but we have now
delineation OF oL,, i|v ana DO 10
purposes Of tHemove its ,eeoerarbv from
tailed tan sde ehoug Ejaculation.
~ FOUNDING OF WV.
Zaders who have at all kept pace
H., - d
"LSIlhmihar with Vivi station, not far
,1M the mouth of the Congo, and the
/bAe of operations for the exploration OF
Lhe upper stream and its powerful tribu-
Ctaries. From this point upward the eX-
petition encountered but little actual OPP
position from the natives, though their
task was difficult and dangerous, and APP
parently most mOpOtOnOus. Loneliness
and cheerlessness characterize much of
the journey amid the long sweep Of mas
siVe hills lining The shore OF the river
The Congo in volume is equal to the Nile,
the Lambezi and the Niger together, but
utterly. barren OF classic associations.
>'Tbere is a mighty breadth Of living
water, slowly moving toward the sea-
the explorer at one point writes, 'Dut ]
can detect no boat, large or small. Over
all the vast area Of land, visible upland
and plain, ! see no aspiring dome OF chin
"
structure. Not even a column of smoke
threads through the silent air to suggest
the thought that | am not alone. All is
nature, large, ample, untouched and APP
parently unYisited by man." Even the
brilliant African skies seem to have lent
relief to the scene. For as we read. "Af-
rican sunshine always appears TO me,
with all its great heat, to be kind of
superior moonlight, judging from its eff
fects on scenery. Its effect is chill aus
terity-an ndescribable sOlemnitv, a re-
polling unsOc ability"
From Stanley Pool the course efthe ex-
petition was more CHEEKY and was en-
hyened by many tokens OF friendliness
from the natives The people OF Usindi
shot out to midstream in their canoes TO
meet the explorer, and at Irebu the
traders of the Congo warmly greeted him.
The leader of the expedition recounts the
faithful services Of his subOrdinates, but
complains of some on whom he had relied
for support as impediments TO success.
In bis interviews and intercourse with the
natives he was frequently placed in most
trying and delicate positions, but by
tact and patience the dangers which would
have beset a less experienced traveller
were eluded.
THE KERNEL OF THE ARGUMENT
In the chapter thus headed the author
shows that the Congo is over 5000 miles
in length, its lower course being naViga-
bic for distance of 40 miles. At Stan
ley's Falls the river carves its way
through plateau 1,5l1 feet above the
ocean. Sin a curviug course OF / .OGS
miles IRON east To west ard from twenty
eight miles north OF the Equator to de-
grees IL minutes north and down to de-
grees II minutes south OF the Equator
across nine degrees OF longitude, the slope
of the descent mas been four inches TO the
mile.' The superficial area drained by
the various tributaries lis ,090, 900 square
statute miles, into which we have direct
naNigable access by steam of 8, $50 miles,
This" be adds, 'by passing one rapid,
we may Increase to over 5000 miles. The
wealth OF equatorial Africa lies in this
section" The population OF Nyam-
Nyam country alone be estimates TO be
2,OOO,OOO. Among the vegetable grOwths
are the oil palms, each yielding annually
nom 900 to 1000 nuts; the gum of the
India rubber plant in immense pTOfusiOu;
white gum cOpal and other species useful
Tor Narnlshes; vast eXtents of forests
Veiied with the Orchilla moss and vegeta-
bles producing tibres tit for the manu-
iacture OF paper, rope and grass-clOths.
THE CLIMATE OF THE CONGO.
Great stress is laid on the misrepre-
pNuhAN4nnn WuAIu nave DttH nlAlt Oh knt
climate OF the Congo 10y previous ex-
plorers. In the discussion Of this prob
lem MIR. Stanley can hardly be said to be
entirely at home. lie takes for his main
premises the experience Of limited num-
Der Of his subOrdinates and the cata fur
nished by DR.. Won Dauckeman from oh
servauOns made at YiVi near the coast.
To sum up the latter, ''The mean OF the
highest observations OF temperature is
only 80 degrees Fahrenheit, while the
mean Of the lowest is 81 degrees. Clad in
clothes suitable for work, European
could perform as much work on the Congo
as he could in England, provided roof or
awning was above his head. The heat Of
the sun on clear day rises from 100 10
ll5 degrees, which Is naturally dangerous
II person stands still and exposes him
self TO IT," Under this tOrrid heat the
European not trained by experience in
the tropics 10 guard against fatal alterna-
lions Of bodily temperature will evidently
BE- an easy prey 10 the climate. Mr.. Stan
ley describes the case OF new settler.
Who, having been under "A sun heat OF 115
degrees, arrives at a cool place where The
thermometer registers y. Here he rests
aud regales himself with the cOmpara-
lively cool breeze, but only 10 find that
the eject OF the change Is followed by
lever, which may soon lay MIN low. II h
l.. .