The Opelousas courier., 1889-06-29
,rvELoPMENT OF AFRICA.

: England Is Forcing a Large Trade
The Slave Traffic.
AMERICAN schemes for the extension
trade with Africa have not met with
,sst degree of success which the most
'a.guine had hoped for. Mo- many
ysars ago . prominent New York mer-
.bant became quite enthusiastic re-
snect.ng the prospects of Liberia,
ssr ding out sugar mills, encouraging
.osae culture, and aiding in the depor-
.s.ion OF American negroes, but the
.o.ealled republic" now exists scarce
= in anne In like manner a steam
hin project which for a time engaged
the fostering interest of several New
york gentlemen philanthropically in
olined never took a tangible form and
r..sed out of mind. But a line of
e.;Iino vessels from New York to Lii
beria has been maintained, and Ameri-
oan exports of manufactured cotton to
africa through various channels form
, considerable item. Meanwhile En-
elapd is building up a fourishing
trade on both sides of the continent,
IN the west coast and at Zanzibar.
Trade with the colony of Lagos for the
year 1887 amounted to 81, 500, 900, and
;tis calculated that the entire trade of
treat Britain with the west coast last
YEAR amounted to the approximate
value Of $25, 900, 900 Of imports and
sS.0 900, 600 of exports, comparing well
With some portions Of India. At Fan
sibar, up to the recent breaking out of
hostiiities, the whole coast was a con-
tfruous line OF British Indian trading
stations, and trading increased rapidly
10 $40, 1000, 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
sdventurers," 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
ih Indians have f500, 900 of floating
capital employed at this time in the
ivory trade in the far interior, and
! unless some decisive measures are I'M
dertaken by the English Government
this large sum must inevitably be
LOST England appears to have be-
come inextricably involved by Joining
ID an agreement with Germany to
maintain a blockade ito put down the
slave trade q feat somewhat difficult
Of accomplishment where every Afri-
can and Arab trader is a STAKEHOLDER
either in will or deed. Clearly enough,
Il would now appear the development
d Africa whatever this may mean,
hasreceived a check from which there
Will be tardy recovery. It is surmised,
however, that traders in Zanzibar,
while postponing indefinitely the real
Eation Of hopes for the commercial
~sublagatioE of the interior lake re-
gions accessible from this point may
give q 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 M. Stanley,
y Ehon full advices have just come
% hand. invest the subject with a newd
interest Iron Age.