Huntsville gazette., 1889-06-01
DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA.
How England Is Forcing a Large Trade
The Slave Traffic.

The Slave Traffic.
American schemes for the extension
of trade with Africa have not met with
that degree of success which the most
sanguine had hoped for. Not many
years ago prominent New York mer-
chant became quite enthusiastic re-
specting the prospects Of Liberia.
sending out sugar mills, encouraging
coffee culture, and aiding in the depor
tation of American negroes, but the
so-called republic" now exists scarce
ly in namo In like manner steam
ship project which for time engaged
the fostering interest of several New
York gentlemen philanthropically in
clined never took a tangible form and
passed out of mind. But a line OF
: sailing vessels from New York to Ii
IBERIA has been maintained, and Ameri-
can exports of manufactured cotton to
Africa through various channels form
considerable item. Meanwhile En-
gland is building up a fourishing
trade on both sides of the continent,
on the west coast and at Zanzibar.
Trade with the colony of Lagos for the
year 1887 amounted to 81, 500, 900, and
it is calculated that the entire trade OF
great Britain with the west coast last
year amounted to the approximate
value of So, 5,000,0 600 of imports and
$4,000, 900 OF exports, comparing well
with some portions of India. At Zan-
zibar, up to the recent breaking out of
hostilities, the whole coast was a con-
tinuous line of British Indian trading
stations. and trading increased rapidly
to $40, 100000, the greater part of this
being in the hands of British subjects.
unfortunately" as we are told by
Archbishop Farrar, this property at
tracted the greed of certain German
adventurers, who made bogus
treaties" claimed vast tracts of coun-
try, and proceeded TO take possession,
despite the remonstrances of the Sui
tan. Furthermore, according to the
authority just quoted, 1.-The whole
trade of the coast is in the hands of
some 10, 900 British subjects from In
dia, including the ivory trade, copra.
gum opal, india rubber, hide and grain
trades. These British Indians have
lent large sums of money to the Arab
ivory caravans. They have also in
invested their profits in mortgages on
the houses and plantations of the
Arabs, feeling quite secure under the
shadow of English justice. The Brit
ish Indians have E500,000 of floating
capital employed at this time in the
ivory trade in the far interior, and
unless some decisive measures are un-
dertaken by the English Government
this large sum must inevitably be
lost" England appears to have be-
come inextricably involved by joining
in an agreement with Germany to
maintain blockade 'to put down the
slave trade" a feat somewhat difficult
of accomplishment whero every Afrt-
can and Arab trader is a Shareholder
either in will or deed. Clearly enough,
it would now appear the development
Of Africa" whatever this may mean,
has received a check from which there
will be tardy recovery. 1t is surmised,
however, that traders in Zanzibar,
while postponing Indefinitely the real
ization of hopes for the commercial
subjugation of the interior lake re-
gions accessible from this point may
give new impetus to the Congo Free
State and to efforts to penetrate trop-
ical Africa through the Soudan The
marvellous achievements of Living
stones successor, Henry Nj. Stanley,
of whom full advices have just come
to hand, invest the subject with new
interest. Iron Age.