Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-21
A TALK ON AFRICA.
President Hubbard's Annual Address
Before the Geographical Society.

Twelve gentlemen, clad in dress suits, faced
a distinguished audience last night in the
lecture-room of the Columbian university
They were President Gardiner G. Hubbard, of
the National Geographic society, and his asso-
ciates on the board of managers, Mr.. Herbert
G. Ogden, Gen. A. W. Greedy, Prof.
G. Browne Goode, Mr.. o. H. Tit
man, Mr.. C. A. Kenaston. Mr.. w. B. Powell,
DR.. Jas. c. yelling, and Mr.. Chas J. Bell In
addition to these there we're on the platform
Major ]. W. Powell, Prof. s. P. Langley, and
Prof. A. Graham Bell. vice-President Ogden
was in the chair, and in calling the meeting to
order he made few brief remarks, and then
introduced the president of the society, who
read his annual address, the subject being
.'Africa."
THE DARK CONTINENT.
With considerable detail Mr.. Hubbard
sketched the great waterways of the continent,
especial attention being paid to the Congo and
its tributaries In this he was assisted by Prof
A. Graham Bell, who followed the speaker on
huge map of the Dark Continent. The grad
ual establishment Of colonies in Africa by
England, France, Italy, Germany, and Portugal
was the next line of history calculated by Mr..
Hubbard He showed how the businesslike
ambition of all of these nations. with the ex-
ception of Portugal, was working to a mutual
advantage. These European powers, said he,
prefer to found colonies in Africa rather than
have their surplus population emigrate to
America. In America they would be swallowed
up. and no particular benefits would accrue to
the mother country, but in Africa there were
boundless possibilities for mercantile growth
there were 100000, 900 of people there who
needed everything-even clothes Each of the
colonial possessions was then described, and
stress was laid on the great work done by Bel
GUM in the Congo free state. mHe than
ordinarily interesting division of the lecture
was that devoted to religion in Africa.
SUCCESS OF MAHoMEDAN MISSIONS.
The Mahomedan missionary's influence was
said to be elevating and civilizing-the mis-
sionary was one of the people-but the
Christian missionary had not been a success
He is white man, lord and master, who
teaches doctrine not easily understood, and
although he has been faithful. even to the lay
ing down of his life, his labors have availed
but little. The decadence of native arts and
therefor was found in the fact that European
traders could sell superior goods for less
money. SO the native industries were wrecked
This" said Mr.. Hubbard, twas the way free
trade worked in Central Africa" A large pro-
portion of the audience must have been pro-
tectionists, for the conclusion thus drawn was
heartily applauded.
THE SLAVE TRADE STILL FLouRrsH1Na.
Slavery statistics were quoted to show that
to supply the American market with slaves no
less than 20, 600, 900 Of Africans were torn from
their homes; large percentage of them how
ever, persisted in transit The slave trade
with Persia, Arabia, and Mesopotamia, in fact
wherever the Mahomedan is found. is greater
now than it ever was in the past The trading
on the Upper Nile, which was suppressed years
ago by Sir Samuel Baker, has been revived.
and is more vigorous than before its suppress
sion. During the past twenty years more
slaves have been exported than during any
previous century.
details Of the modes Of travel adopted by cara
vans and exploring expeditions and paid his
respects to the natives, who hire themselves
out for such trips, by saying that for meanness
ugliness, cupidity, stupidity, dishonesty, and
general wickedness they could not be equaled
by any other people under the sun. 'And,"
whom Stanley had to depend" Mr.. Hubbard
was
VERY HOPEFUL AS TO sTANLEY's SAFETY,
and referred TO the fact that Livingstone and
Stanley himself had been lost to civilization for
| a much longer period than the present one and
yet had turned up safely. He thought it not
at all improbable that Stanley was camped at
some interior point with which communicate n
from the outside world was difficult, and that as
soOu as his ODJect was dcevmpllbueO ne WOulQ
make for the coast.
The future of Africa was said to be, in many
localities, Uncertain; but in such places as
Cape Colony the English would establish rich
and powerful state. The contest in Africa be-
tween civilization and barbarian, between
| freedom and slavery, was the greatest the
world had ever seen, but there was reasonable
| ground for belief that the land from which the
| earliest civilization sprang would soon see the
| light Of another and better day.
The lecturer was warmly applauded, and
Gen. Greedy called upon the audience to ex-
press its appreciation by rendering to NE
Hubbard rising vote Of thanks, which .vas
done.
MARR1Aax LIcHNsKs.-Marriage licenses have
been issued by the clerk Of the court TO Ed
ward Waltz and Agnes Rainey; Thos. p. Brown
and Mary e. Minor; Samuel e. Fowler and in
liz Novels; Richard Washington and Lucy Da-
ker; Geo. Warrington and Frances Nelson.
Articles Of incorporation were fled 1t eyra-
onse, N. T., yesterday by which ali the leading
breweries Of that city are TO be consolidated
into one great beer trust The capital stock
win be e3,O00, 600 -
VIM. Wallace escaped from the Jail It NoExis-
town, Pa, last night BY scaling the M-obot vail