Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-02-26
ABOUT DARK AFRICA.
MISSIONARY HORN TELLS ABOUT
HIS EXPLORATIONS.

HIS EXPLORATIONS.
The Climate Is HeaIthy-Many Phases of
Physical Character Are Seen-The Peo-
pie Are Grown Up Babes-SIsvc Trading
Is the Curse of the Continent.
There arrived in San Francisco from
Australia an English gentleman, who,
with his wife, has passed the major
portion of the last thirteen years in
Central Africa. His name is Capt. E.
c. Horn, and under the auspices of the
London Missionary society he has been
employed building vessels on the great
Lake TanganyiEa and travelling through
the dark continent.
Capt. Horn in a conversation with a
reporter said: Reports on the land and
people of Africa are varied, but all who
have penetrated into the inmost recesses
are unanimous in their conclusions that
the slave trade is the chief obstruction to
civilization and commerce. Africa had,
until the past twenty years, the name of
being an arid, unhealthful country, be-
cause outside of given distance little
was known of the land. While it is
true that great tracts of country are
barren and no water exists, still by ex-
ploitation it has been proved that
abundant supplies of water can be OBJ
tained which will make the country bios
som into perfect garden of flowers
'In the most arid part ever visited
Ugogo-the people dig wells and find
water, which is carefully stored for
time of drought. Perhaps no tropical
country has more healthful climate
than Central Africa. In the interior the
land rises to a high elevation. The
many deaths and sickness among Euro
peans are caused more by the conditions
of life, absence of accustomed food and
good doctors and nurses than from eli
matte causes.
OCCUPATIONS.
"On the shores of Lake Tanganyika
there are at least nine tribes distinctive
in physical characteristics, language and
fashions and weapons, clothing, archi
lecture and domestic life They are all
expert fishermen, using seines and traps,
and as the lake teens with fish their
ventures are well repaid Iron and cop
per are smelted for manufacture, but in
the crudest style. Both of these metals,
in the form of small bars, ivory, rubber,
palm oil and dried fish are articles of
circulation among distant tribes. Pot
terry of a rude description is also made,
while the art of weaving cotton cloth is
well known.
'sThe character of these natives is in
fantile. In confidence and suspicion, in
easy anger and reconciliation, in unde
veloped instincts they are essentially
children. Under evil influence, such as
the introduction of spirituous liquors
and other vices Of civilized nations, they
rapidly become demoralized.
The idea of regarding these Central
Africans in the same light as Australian
or Indian aborigines is absurd. When
better known they will be looked upon
as healthy children, initiative and eager
to acquire knowledge.
Deprecating in every possible manner
the horrible features of the slave trade,
the explorer thinks that by honest trade,
a selection of good employees by the
many organizations now engaged in
Central Africa, on the Congo and the
great lakes; by justice, development of
the resources of industries, together |
with the earnest cooperation of the mis- |
sionaries, the prosperity of the great |
country and its people will be an assured
fact.
THE SLAVE TRADE.
Il have lived in Africa" continued |
Capt. Horn, "long enough to assure my
self that many a 50 called savage attack
by African natives was in reality "a gal |
liant defense from their point of view; |
that the low type African of whom we |
hear is often but noble savage degraded |
by contact with Arab ivory and slave |
dealers. During the past ten or twelve |
lived among the tribes of the far interior,
and it has been discovered that they are
people of much the same passions as
Caucasians. Although easily degraded,
they are also capable, when surrounded
by favoring circumstances, Of rising in
civilization and of grasping higher and
better things.
"In the far interior numbers Of people
in every tribe are slaves. Prisoners of
war, those condemned for witchcraft
and other offenses and their families,
weakly persons or those in distress, be-
come slaves. They pass from hand to
hand, travelling toward the coast as the
direction where the value is greatest.
There they are collected by traders,
Arabs, half caste and African. This
system of slavery can be abolished with
the aid of the Arab traders. Assure
them other modes of living and they
will cease to barter slaves with the
tribes that exchange ivory.
"That the Arabs have been invited to
the slave trade by the natives; that they
prefer ivory, and frequently take slaves
only as the alternative; that the natives
suffer more at the hands of each other
than of the Arabs; that the great traffic
and most horrible features of the same
are essentially African and the interior
are facts testified to by Burton, Baker,
Livingstone and Stanley. The slave
trade is in my opinion an African, not
an Arab question, and while stories
have been published of horrors and pill
Iage committed by Arabs at the south
end of Lake Tanganyika and the north
end of Lake Nyanza they were untrue
and exaggerated. The depredations
were committed by the Wawemba and
tribes after the departure
Of the Arab trader, who kept peace
among them. San Francisco Chron-
Gle.