The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-27

understand the use Of fire arms, and, not.
withstanding they carry guns, they pre-
Ter the poisoned arrow or spear, with
which they do much better execution. !
may add, however, that they are informs
ing themselves in the matter of improved
fire arms, and chiefs of tribes are now de-
mauding repeating or magazine rifles with
prepared metallic cartridges. where until
recently they were well satisfied with old
flint locks
South of the Congo. in St. Paul de Lo,
ando, Benguela and Mossamedes there is,
in my opinion, an opportunity TO place
American goods Of all kinds The eli
mate is not at all Ike that of our south
ern states, and the requirements of the
people are much the same as our own.
There is large population. and there
are many rich commercial firms who
would gladly trade with the people of the
United States if communication could be
! esta blished between the two countries.
American whalers going to the South
Atlantic make sort OF headquarters at
these ports, the captains of whale ships
often bringing small cargoes of American
manufactured goods and canned provis>
ions, invariably finding a ready market
for cash for anything which they may Of
| fer.
Wool, hides, sugar, coffee and palm oil
constitute the principal articles of ex>
port.
There are no manufactures in the
country, excepting for rum; consequently
everything but the very commonest arti-
cles Of food is required from abroad.
Sailing vessels are largely employed in the
carrying trade TO and from this country
Proceeding north from the Congo,
found al St. Thome a possible market for
American goods of all kinds. This is one
Of the richest islands in the world, dense.
" populated, and might be made 10 pros
duce everything required by the inhabi-
tants, but they seem quite well satisfied
with the production for export of coffee,
sugar and palm oil while all their sup
plies for wear Of consumption, excepting
fruit alone, come principally from Lon
| don or Liverpool. | saw in one shop q
case of American sheeting and blue
jeans, which the proprietor informed me
he had ordered especially through an
English house.
Situated just on the equator, strange to
say, any desired climate can be obtained,
the land rising gently 10 an elevation Of
| 5000 feet. From the center of the mos;
elevated part OF the island there flow no
less than twelve beautiful rivers. in as
many different directions, Sd that the
land is well wsteEed, fertile, ard very
| productive
Yne plantations aTe kept in excellen;
condition, many Of them employing up
wards OF one thousand laborers, An Eng.
lish line Of steamers runs regularly
monthly, between ST. Thone and Liver,
pool, and a Portuguese line runs monthly
between the island and Lisbon. There ara
also many sailing vessels engaged in the
, trade
In CAMERON, the Germans. BIZ reason
Of recent conGuests. control the trade
and, though the country Is very rich, dc
lot think il possible Tor an American Il
get footEold there. The same may bt
: said Of Fernando Pc, under SpaniSt
rule, and Of the lower Niger country,
Dahomey, the Gold Coast, and Ash4ntee
, all English possessions.
e OF Liberia | cannot write, but north o.
this republic We come % Guinea which
country, though comparatively undevel.
oped, Is one Of crest richness, producing
in addition 70 all the tropical products
gold, copper, and wax, Of the finest DUAL,
} ity known 10 the European trade. Wis
lied Bolana and Bjssa0. seventy>fivt
; miles in the interior, and l have neve
! seen a country which offers such extra
= ordinary Inducements 20 the trader a.
this. English, German, and French trad
: eTs are already established here, and
Z learned that g Boston house had arrange,
for an agency in Bissao. to which plac,
: they propose running 8 sailing vesse
J monthly, in connection with an alreadr
established line 10 the Cape &c Verj isl
5 ands, between which and Boston a goot
: trade is well inaugurated.
e Goree, Dakar, and San Luis, in tht
: French African possessions OF Senegal
are thriving business places, but tht
: French look so well after their 0wl
, trades people that ! could hardly recon
z mend 81 American merchant 10 ve1tCrt
1 into these parts. Yankee enterprise has
however, shown Itself il Goree, where q,
2 American house, against great odds,
: doing a fair business.
70 The Canary islands, and Madeira, ais
{ offer inducements 70 the American mer
e chant, and ny firm belief Is. that viii
+ agencies once established il the place
= herein named for the sale Of America
goods, and the purchase Of native pro
z ducts, large and vel paying trade coul
5 soon be worked up, and that steamer
d constructed for cargo, with small passen
= ger accommodation, would ind profita
:, bic emp!oymentin monthly voyages fror
J. and to the United States, via the Azo1e:
Madeira, Canaries, Cape Ferd. and Ii
d west coast Of Africa.