Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-07-18
DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA.
How England Is Forcing a Largo
Trade-The Slave Traffic.


Trade-The Slave Traffic.
American schemes for the extension
OF trade with Africa have not net with
That degree of success which the most
sanguine had hoped for. says the Iron
Age. Not many years ago "a proIui-
nent New York merchant Occame
quite ENTHUSIASTIC respecting the pros
poets Of Liberia, sending out sugar
mills, encouraging coffee culture, and
aiding in the deportation of American
negroes, hut the so-called republic"
how exists scarcely in name. In like
manner steamship project which for
time engaged the fostering interests
OF several New York gentlemen phil
anthropically inclined never took D
tangible form and passed out OF mind
But u line OF sailing vessels from New
York to Liberia has been maintained,
and American exports of manufactured
cotton DO Africa through various chan
nels form considerable item. Mean
while England is building up flour
ishing trade on both sides Of the con-
tinent, on the west coast and at Zaazi-
bar. Trade with the colony of Lagos
fer the year 1887 amounted 10
81, 500, 900, and III il calculated that
the entire trade OF Great Britain
with the west coast last year amounted
TO the approIimate,value OF $50, 600, 900
of imports and $l3, 200, 900 OF exports,
comparing we'll with some portions of
India. At Zanzibar: up to the recent
breaking out of hostilities, the whole,
coast was a continuous line of British
Indian trading stations, and trading,
increased rapidly to $4,000, 900 per
annum, the greater part. OF this being
in the hands OF British subjects. "Un-
fortunately" Us we are told by Arch
bishop Farrar, "thisproperty attracted
the greed of oertlin German adven-
turers," who made "b0gus treaties"
claimed vast tracts, Of country, and
proceeded to take possession, despite,
the remonstrances of the sultan.
Furthermore, according to, the author.
ity just quoted, 1.-The whole trade of
the coast is in the hands of some TO-
900 British subjects from India, in
Guiding the ivory trade copra, gum
opal, india rubber, hide aud grain
trades. These British Indians have
lent large sums Of money to the Arab
ivory caravans. They have also
invested their profits in mort
Cages on the houses and plan
tations OF the Arabs, feeling
quite secure under the shadow OF Eng
fish justice. The British Indians have
E500, 900 of floating capital employed
at this time in the ivory trade in the
far interior, and unless some decisive
measures are undertaken by the Eng
lish government this large sum must
inevitably be lost" England appears
to have become inextricably involved
by joining in an agreement with Ger
many to MAINTAIN blockade Ito put
down the slave trade" felt some
what difficultof accomplishment where
every African and Arab trader is a
Shareholder either in will or deed.
Clearly enough. it would now appear
the development OF Africa" what
ever this may mean, has received a
check from which there will be tardy
recovery. 1t is. surmi5ed. however,
that traders in Zanzibar, while post
poning indefinitely the RELAXATION OF
hopes for the commercial subjugation
OF the interior lake reyions accessible
from this point, may give a new inn
petus to the Congo Free State and to
efforts 70 penetrate tropical Africa
through the Scudan. The marvellous
achievements Of Liy!ngstoAe's Success
sor, Henry NJ. Stanley. of whom full
advices have just come to hand. in-
vest the subject with new interest.