The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-05-02
SSALAND.
A Rich Region in Africa the British Are
Opening Up.

y
one would have believed twenty years
ago that garden spot would be found
there where white men could live with
in the tropics in perfect health and
prosperity. No one would have
dreamed that to-day native teleg-
raphers in the lake region would be
sending messages to the sea and to
Europe, that upon the mountain sides
Dative woodsmcn would be cutting pine
trees and sawmill hands turning the
logs into lumber, and that half mill
lion coffee trees would be flourishing.
Many of them are now bearing their
first crops on the plantations of the
white farmers. The wilderness where
Arabs followed the slave chase is being
turned into garden; and the secret of
this remarka bio transformation is that
the uplands OF Lake Nyassa are high
above the ocean level. Nyassaland
may be called one of the little islands
that are lifted high above the sea of
miasma which overspreads nearly the
whole of tropical Africa.
So among these elevated valleys and
mountains south of Lake Nyassa the
white man is turning the riches of ma
ture to good account, and is having a
potent and beneficial influence upon
the natives, who thirty years ago had
never seen white man. Mr.. M. Il.
Johnson, her majesty's commissioner
in British Central Africa, has just told
the story of this development to the
Royal Geographical society, and here
are some of the Interesting facts he
gave:
The official name of this region is the
British Central Africa protectorate. 1t
was only four years ago that European
planters began to hear that there was
chance to make money in this domain
by raising coffee. At that time the
total white population was only fifty
seven. To-day it is nearly 400. The
trade Of the country has exceeded $780,
900. Four years ago there were on
Lake Nyassa and the rivers only eight
British steamers, while to-day seven
teen steamers and 100 barges or sailing
vessels are plying these waters. -Four
years ago Europeans were cultivating
crops has now been increased to more
than 5000 acres. Over 5000, 900 coffee
plants are now growing, and when
they all come into bearing, as they will
before long, there will be ample freight
for the railroad which is to be built
around the sixty miles of rapids in the
Shire river. When this road is COM
pleted freight may be taken by steam
from the north end of Lake Nyassa to
the Zambezi and the ocean vessels
which will await in the Chinde branch
of the Delta.
Agricultural land four years ago was
selling from l cent to cents an acre.
To-day unimproved land ranges in
price from 25 cents to$1.j0 an acre, and
European settlements lots are sold from
$500 to 81 900 apiece.
About four-ffths of the land surface
is from 1900 to 5000 feet above the sea.
The immediate result of this elevation
is a much cooler climate than is fount
in most parts of Central Africa. 1t is a
well watered country. with many per-
all places is wholesome to drink
Those who have read Livingstone's
descriptions of the wilderness when he
first made it known to the world will
be struck by the amazing contrast
which Blantyre and the ether Euro
pean settlements present to-day. In
these towns are clean, broad. level
lN,rh
of trees, and comely red brick houses,
with rose-colored verandas peeping out
behind clumpS of ornamental shrubs
The natives who pass along are clothed
in white calico. A bell rings to call
the children to school. The planter
gallops past on horseback or a mis-
sionary trots in on a white donkey
from a visit to an outlying station
Long rows of native carriers pass in
Indian file, carrying loads of European
goods, or smart-looking policeman in
black fez, black jacket and trousers
marches off on some Grand
Native briclllayers and carpenters
are building houses in the European
style. Through the open doors of
tne pruning OIEce natives may De
seen setting type for the little news
papers that appear every week. The
visitor will see post office, court of
justice, and perhaps a prison, whose
occupants, however, during the work
ing hours are out repairing the roads
under charge of black policeman
On the outskirts of the town are brick
yards, where the natives turn out
thousands of bricks as well made as
those used in our own building opera
TONS
The most interesting feature in the
neighborhood of these settlements,
however, is the coffee plantatio
which are the chief cause and support
of the prosperity of Nyassaland. The
first and biggest planter, Mr.. Buch-
anan, raised last year crop that was
valued at $4,000. Sixteen years ago a
small coffee plant was sent from the
Edinburgh Botanical gardens to
Blantyre, and from this plant the
greater part of the 100000 coffee
trees now growing are descended.
The mother tree is still alive in the
mission grounds at Blantyre. The
climate and soil of Nyassaland seem to
suit the coffee tree to perfection, and
the crops are unusually large.
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