Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-08-20
KEEP AWAY FRoM CONGO.
rhis Ts the Advice OF Special Unitod States
Commlaalonar Tladel.


rhis Il the Advice OF Special Unitod states
commissloner Tisdei.
The following are some Of the most
striking passages Of Mr. Tisders report
10 the State Department:
II recommend most earnestly that
Americans who contemplate establish
ing themselves on the Lower Congo, OF
anywhere on the west coast Of Africa,
should not do'so unless supplied with
large capital, which will enable them TO
compete with the long-established
Dutch. English and German houses,
which control almost the entire trade Of
the west coast American houses es-
tablishing here must first be assured
that they have transportation for thcr
manufactured goods outwa and for
the products OF the country homcward.
This is OF vital importance. They must
locate factories or stations IN different
parts, engage help acclimated and fa-
miliar with the country and the natives,
and with knowledge of both the Portu-
guese and Fiote languages, make pres.
ents TO chiefs OF tribes, and In this man
ner induce the natives to come into tho
newly-established factories. All this
takes time and money. and little or no
return can oe expected for at least a
year. IL Is mistake 20 suppose tnat
all Of the products which are reported
TO come from the Congo are grown
there, or do actually come from there.
Not one o.tenth is harvested there.
''lt IL my belief that in all the world
| fa or n rio
which borders the sea, commencing at
the Sinegal River in latitude l6 dc.
grees north and ext 'nding to latitude
lS degrees 80 seconds, and inland an
average distance Of onl hundred miles
The country is densely populated yet
IL is next to impossible to induce the
nations to pluck the valuable products
which nature produces. With the ex-
ception of the Loango and Kabinda
tribes they are a wild. savage and cruel
people. They do not like the white
man, and, while they are glad to have
his cloth aud gin, they would much
pre- er never to see white man within
their domain. The question OF labor
will have much to do with the future Of
this country. IL is a remarkable fact
that a Zanzibar man or n Houssa
man from the Niger can travel
anywhere in the country unmo-
Tested. even among the most saw
age tribes. This fact clearly proves to
me that an industrious black man With a
knowledge of the Fiote language will
be enabled to exercise a greater and
better influence over these people than
il can be possible for the white man
ever to do. The question Of climate is
a serious one. II is humid and ei.er-
vatlng to the whites OF Europe aud
America, and much sickness is the re-
suit. Very much precaution must be
exercised during the hrst years stay
in the country in order that the system
may be kept free from the poisonous
influences Of the malaria wh.-h ovc--
hangs the entire country. Along the
entire coast the products are not at all
unlike the exports, consisting princi-
pally OF rubber. ground.nuts. palm oil.
palm nuts. colo nuts and gum ccnai
Some ivory is also exported hut in
small quantities, the principal coast
markets for ivory being at different
points in Angola. Co.lmon cotton and
woolen goods, rum. gin, glass Leads,
guns, powder, tobacco aud common
cutlery make up the principal imports,
and with these articles the traders bar
ter for the products Of the country. 1t
Is the only currency known.
''Fifty pee cent Of all the goods
which 20 to the coast, iuclu ling pro.
visions, are purchased in England.
The gin comes from Holland and is
manufactured expressly for the trade,
the quantity being forty per cent. of all
imports. A few bottles OF gin will go
much further in trade with the natives
than ten times It's value in cloth. and
often il happens that traders are COM
PEELED to return to the coast
without having accomplished a
trade, the natives insisting upon
having gin. while the trader was
supplied with cloth alone. The
most valuable productions Of the coun-
try, and for which there is an ever
increasing demand. are rubber, palm
kernels and palm oil, gum copal
ground-nuts and wax. The rubber and
palm trees are OF spontaneous growth
and 10 be found everywhere in the low
lands. The supply Is not equal 10 the
demand, yet there is no limit TO the
quantity Of these rich products which
might be taken from the country il the
natives could be induced 20 work. Here
again arises the question Of labor, and 10
me il seems feasible TO create want
amongst the tribes OF the low aud coast
lands, which will after time induce
them to gather and bring TO the trade s
in large quantities the products which
they so readily exchange for anything
which they may require. There are
other and valuable products, but the
staple commodities are those numer-
ated.
''ln no sense Of the word can this be
called an agricultural country. Nothing
Is cultivated except the ground-nut and
few tropical vegetables, which how
ever. are found only in small patches
near the villages"