The morning call., 1890-07-19
PROGRESS ON THE CONGO.
Comparison With the State of Things
1888,

Comparison With the State of Things in
1888.
The change effected in the region of the
Congo, since the establishment of the Free
State, the Pail Mall Gazette says, should
assure those who are doubtful of the pol
Icy of European Intervention in Africa.
The Belgian Consul General at st. Croix of
Teneriffe, in comparing the State as it is
now with what it was in 1883, says that
then cannibalsm and the slave trade freely
existed. Fetiches administered poison for
misdemeanors or for stupid accusations by
the evil disposed. and put in practice their
absurd and barbarOus presages. Commu-
nications between Europe and Africa were
rare. For food, at the stations aud in the
factories, preserved filled the place of fresh
meat, which was scarce In three years on
the Congo the occasion of eating beef would
offer itself only two or three times. There
were some herds at Bona, but not for COM
mercial purposes, and only rarely was a
beast killed for local consumption. Sheep.
goats and fowls Of native kind were very
difficult to find.
AS compared with this picture, the Con-
sul-General states that in 1890 there is
regular Government established, with the
same laws as in Europe; justice, police and
all parts OF administration are exercised as
in all progressive countries. The negroes,
like the Europeans, find aid. protection and
justice attached to wise and paternal
Government; no more slaves or ill-treat-
ment If the number of factories at Bona
has not increased, the population is different
from what it was in 1883, as it now amounts
to about 100 Europeans aud 400 to 500 ne
grOes in the service of the State, being
double the number OF those in the factories.
New and Important structures are be-
ing added, the Sanitarium being al
ready ini existence. By Catholic con-
fributiODS funds hapn n
vide fine iron church. An iron ware
house and hotel are other structures and
the Bona border has been connected with
the Bona plateau by a steam tramway
These Improvements and additions give the
Bona OF to-day the aspect of small city.
As to cultivation, other than the gardens
which furnish all European vegetables,
growing on large scale has been consider
ably extended. Manioc, maize, sweet po-
tatOes and indigenous haricots give the best
results, while large plantations are being
made OF bananas as well as other tropical
fruit trees, such as the papaw, orange, ETC.
The aCcllmatzati0n of the vine will be at
tempted this year, 400 plants having been
sent to the State from Teneriife, and there
is a reason to hope, if the plantations are
made with care, the experiment will be
crowned with success.
AT LeopOldyille the cultivation of rice,
sugar cane, tobacco. coffee. ETC., has been
started, AMI there oxen, sheep and goats
are also to be found. All points of Central
Africa are better known and explored, and
the influence of the Governments extended
by numerous military and administrative
posts. Commerce, which in 1883 did not ex-
tend beyond N0kki, has now placed numer-
Gus representatives in all the principal
parts of the Upper Congo system. In
place Of one steamer there is a flo
tilla of twenty three, moving in all
directions, and in the place of four
European establishments two State, one
French, and one Baptist mission) at Leo
poldville, there are now twenty weight be-
longing. as do the steamers, to the Free
State, France, to the missions, and the
commercial companies. The missions have
on the Upper Congo nine establishments,
three Catholic and six Protestant, against
one only in 1883. Moreover, wherever the
European penetrates, civilization extirpates
the last vestiges of barbarous and savage
customs. Cannibalsm has ceased to exist
in proximity to the stations.