The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-26

A Gve-cent stamp will take one Of our NAM
moth Sunday newspapers from this country to
the white stations on tho far upper Congo.
The probability is that the actual cost OF do
livering one OF these newspapers at Stanley
Falls. for instance. is twice or three times the
amount OF postage charged. IL Is carried
over the ocean about 1000 miles before
1t enters Africa. It is transshipped three
times before. at Matadi. ninety miles from the
sea. 1t is at last placed on the back OF the mail
carrier who Is to transport 1t $50 miles around
the cataracts OF the lower Congo. There It Is
placed on one OF the steamers OF tho upper
river. and the carriage becomes reasonably
cheap again. Every pound OF mail that goes
to the upper Congo is encased In waterproof
wraprin and for more than two weeks 1t is
carried up hill and down. under the scorching
sun and through the tropical rains. on the
backs OF porters; and when It finally reaches
Stanley Pool the mail is sorted for shpm emit
by ono or another OF the little steam boats that
drop the mail packages at tho q government sta
tons or the commercial posts as they thread
their way among the islands. for 1000 miles
up the main river. for 800 miles up the great
Rascal and Sankuru tributaries of the south.
or for 500 miles up the MobanRi afluent OF
the north.
All these upper Congo stations. some seven
ty-flve In mum ner, isolated as they are from
the rest OF the world. have most OF the con-
veniences Of tho modern postal service. When
white men among the cannoals and the dwarfs
write to their friends at home they have the
neat postage stamps OF the Congo Free State
to aiIix to o envelopes. II they wish to send
money home they may procure money orders
at any OF the stations OF the State. whore. also.
the orders they receive from abroad are
cashed. The only respect In which the service
Is deficient Is that the mails are irregular. for
the white pioneers often wait days and even
weeks for the arrival Of the mail steamer.
which Is not only to bring them tdings from
home. but also the stores which they NEED In
carrying on their work.
Our map shows very clearly the enormous
development Of the Postal Union since this
great convenience to the civilized world was
formed at the Convention In Berne In 1874.
The territory which since then has acquired
the privileges OF tho union Is about two-thirds
as large as the original area. The most OF this
territory is found in tho newer parts OF the
world. which are now being developed oy va
rIous Governments. With the consent OF all
the States that were original parties to the
agreement. its advantages have been extended
70 all their newly acquired territories When
coast towns but also Its most Insignificant
hamlets nestled among the Andes, on the up
per waters of the Amazon. were included in
the arrangement Some countries require at
least part Of their colonies to hear the cost OF
the service. whose expenses niue h exceed the
direct charge VI on the public: and a. some OF
these colonies are not willing to bear the cost
they do not have the privilege OF cheap postage.
Natal and Cape Colony. Tor Instance, are not
willing 10 make up. out OF the public treasury
the considerah lie deficit which tho cheap rates
ofthe Postal Union would involve. We there
coast towns of Natal and Cape Colony two or
three times as great as those 70 the neighhor-
South African Republic has not chosen to en-
ter the Postal Union The great mass OF the
Beers receive very few letters from abroad.
any way and the theory OF the Government Is
that the thousands Of Europeans who have
come TO their gold mines n can pay extra post
road from the sea has reached Pretoria, the
capital. aud two others are approaching that
send letter there as to the lake regions OF
central Africa.
Corea now enjoys the benefits Of the Postal
Union. China declines to come In. and the
thousands oil letters passing monthly between
her sons In foreign lands and the friends at
home are handled In most dilatory fashion
and at high postage rates. The only large area
In Africa not included in the union Is the Sa-
hnra Desert and the fanatical soudAn. To be
sure. the KING Of kingSir, who rules over
kGysshia has MI we ap 10 the
OF postal facilities. and steamers touching at
any Of the four coast toHns that are connected
fail to lind. nowadays a royal Valiss. all ready
The age Of steam has brought the outer
fringe oil the world much nearer 70 us. The
Arctic tragedy that cost the lives OF De Long
and his men could not occur to-day In the
same nsighborhOpd for white men. engaged In
scientiilo work have continuously occupied
the Lena Delta for many months past We OK
meet TO hear once more from DR. Nanssn be-
eause ha has promised before he pushes into
the lee Held. which he hopes will carry him 10
the Pole. TO touch at a point on The coast OF
Asia whore ha can comm unicate with RussIans
and send a message home. Nordenskiold
sklrted the same coast anu We never heard OF
No ons. previous TO Peary, ever thought OF
sending tldings home from the smith Sound
region. But feGry u.linsa me natives 70
miles south to the whalers who brought
Ii safely homs. proving that explorers In
that region are boI 81 tbs w Sussd ~ lee and
sTTing when Peary starts on his long journey
over the inland ice. there 10 no doubt that orc
OF the natives viii ps sNlh'1Ing on his sledge
pncEa gs of letters telling how his little pnrty
has spent tho winter and begun the spring
WITHIN the memory OF men still young. Bur-
ton landed on the coast Of The Horn OF
Africa" disguised as an ARAB merchant taking
his life 10 his hand 10 order that he might tell
the world something about one pf the holy
cities Of Mohammedanl5m. lie reached HaTrar
in safety and remained there niue days The
people VINO gave him most kind reception
he Seprssented himself % Gs or he would
never have left their city alive. The city
was not seen again bY a white explorer until
nner all that re. zion came into the possession
or Egypt. In 1873, To-day IL has regular mail
with the rest OF the world.
For louE time the mails were connded 70
method did not give satisfaction because II
was Irregular and 30 mail carriers were nnzllJ
SRsLsSdi and R0W. At stated Intervals alter