The record-union., 1892-05-05
POPULOUS AFRICA
1t Has 100000 People More Than
the Three Americas.


the Three Americas.
In GoldthWaite's Geographical Ma9a-
zine the population of Africa, according
TO the latest and most reliable estimates,
is given at 163, ,GOU, 600, or fourteen lnhab-
ltantS to the square mile, while the popu-
lation OF the three Americas Is given at
III, ,713,000, or eight inhabitants TO the
square mile. The Americas have over
3,5O0,O00 more square miles than Africa,
and yet their population is believed to be
over 4. COS, COO less than that OF Africa.
These figures will doubtless surprise
many when they consider how populous
are large areas in the Americas and re-
call stories explorers tell of large districts
IN Africa that are very scantlly peopled.
The statistics become intelligible, how
ever, when we remember that only a
small part of Africa is wholly destitute OF
population, while many regions, even in
areas solely occupied by savage tribes,
are densely peopled.
There are regions in Africa of which
most people in our country have not even
heard which contain millions OF inhab-
itants. How many Americans know
anything OF Lagos, city on the Gulf of
Guinea. And yet Lagos has population
OF $1,000 and does business with the out
side world amounting to st, COO, 900 year.
A little north OF Lagos is the interesting
country oruba, which has been so little
known that the report of the recent Jour
ney of Alvan Aiillson, read before the
Royal Geographical Society of London,
IN June last, was welcomed as a distinct
addition to our knowledge of the geogra-
phy and peoples of that part OF Africa.
The GoruDa country contains towns
which for Africa are very large. From
the crest of rising in the undulating
land" says Mr.. Millson, 1.-The great city
OF lbadan, the London of negro land,
comes into full view, extending for over
SIX miles from east to west and for more
than three miles from north to south.
Surrounded by its farming villages, 1853
IN number, lbadan counts over 900
souls, while within the walls of the city
itself at least 10000 people are gathered.
Its broWn-roofed hutS cover an area of
nearly sixteen square miles, and the
bitches and walls OF hardened clay which
surround the city are more than eighteen
miles in circumference. It's houses are
built around court yards with a single
entrance, forming i'll themselves no mean
defense against inroads. Their walls
are Of thick adobe, and the thatched roofs
are made of light covering of palm
leaves and grass, in order to avoid the
danger of extensive fires which might
arise with thatch more thickly pack ed.
In the farms which extend throughout
the country from horizon to horizon as
OhAO goo1AiOy bhAouSoLl IL SSIlI OS hcdIu lIlO
growing of cocks, the barking of dogs,
the schrill laughter of children and the
vociferous clamor of native homestead
gossip.
Northward from this great city the ex-
plorer passed through many villages
along road that was thronged with
travellers. In the mornings march from
Ibadan he met 1900 men, women and
children hurrying into the city from the
farm villages with loads of vegetables,
poultry and pigs, or driving cattle, sheep
and goats. Among other populous cities
in the Yoruba country visited by Mr..
Millson he mentioned Oyo, with 10000 to
10000 people; Iseyin, with 10000 to $4,000;
Oggbonosha, with 6O,OOO; Ejibo, with D.
COO; EIDE, with $4,000 to 10000; Oshogbo,
with $4,000 TO 10000; Two, with 1000, and
1shaga, with 10000. Several of these
towns are not found on the best maps.
He estimates that the total population of
Yoruba is from 100000 to 3,000,O 900.
There are other little known parts of
Africa which have an almost equally
dense population.