Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-09
WEST AFRICAN TRADE.
Profits Are Much Less Now Than For.
merIY-Methods as Of Old.
From the New York sun)


The methods of trading on the west
coast of Africa have changed very little
in the last so years. There is much
improvement in Communication with
civilized countries, but the natives them
selves are the same old "heathens who
in their blindness bow down to wood
and stone" The climate has a great
deal to do with this, and the always hot
and malarious country makes great ac-
tfVity impossible. 1t is only when we
read of possible international complica-
tions, caused by the traders of one Eu-
ropean country encroaching upon the
ceded rights of another that we hnd
that the trade is worth fighting for. This
his notably the fact just now on the up
| per Niger, where the French traders
| and the English representatives Of the
chartered Royal Niger Company have
| differences to settle. The French tra-
| ders used formerly to confne their at
| tention to their own settlements in Sen
| egal and other minor places, and for
some years they have had a railroad in
operation in the region of the Gambia
river, but lately their merchants have
| been more progressive and are vying
with England and Germany for pres
| tige in numerous coast ports. There is
now telegraphic communication right
down to the gold coast, and it promises
| to be continued down the west and
southwest coasts until it reaches Cape
Colony and forms a belt connection with
! the telegraph up the east coast Of AZ
RIGA atg
! From the old days when Liverpool and
Bristol vessels indulged in slave trading
as a side issue until quite recently,
smart brigs and schooners would go out
| to the coast with a cargo of merchan-
disc, and the captain would be both
| trader and navigator. He would visit
number of small places and barter his
cargo on board his own ship for palm
| oil and small quantities Of ivory, gold
dust and other native produce. Often
the voyage would occupy year or
more, and each vessel would take be-
| sides her crew, coopers and mechanics
to assist in the loading. 1t is said that
often cask of salt, which might be
worth $5, has been exchanged for a cask
of palm oil worth $3.50; but that was
long ago.
The trade has long ceased to be so lu-
crative, and though business Is still
conducted by barterlng spirits, tobacco,
cotton goods and a thousand and one
| other things for produce, 1t Is very
rarely that vessel will trade on her
own account. There are several lines OF
mail steamships that go down the coast
from European ports, and the merchants
| have trading stations or factories
ashore, where they receive merchandise
| from the mail boats and dispose of 1t
| for produce which they prepare for home
| shipment. On tine northwest coast, in
the region of the Gambia river ground
nuts-in reality our peanuts-are Gull
| tivated and shipped from the principal
port Bathurst, to Europe, and are there
crushed and a valuable oil extracted.
| Going south, the next port of import
ance is Monrovia, the capital of the little
| republic of Liberia, called often the
! American colony. Further south again
! comes Sierra Leone, a large town, and
civilized in comparison with many other
places; in fact, 1t is compulsory to wear
clothes on its streets.
| The Sherbro river is hereabouts, with
its numerous trading stations, and from
this vicinity large quantities of palm oil
| and palm kernels are shipped. Again
going south, or rather east, at this point,
one comes to Lagos and the gold coast,
with Cape Coast Castle and Accra as
| important military stations. From this
| district a quantity of gold and ivory is
received, and in many places rubber
and small quantities of cotton. Further
down still the ports of Bonney and
| Akassa. at the mouth of the great Nj
anchored to receive merchandise and
produce, either from or to the branch
steamers that run up the great river.
An enormous trade in palm oil is done
up the Niger. .t3i
AS one goes SOUTH Cabo5n, another
French settlement, is an important point,
and here and further south stiA rubber is
taken in large quantities and shipped
to Europe, where it vies in quality with
the fine South American products The
Congo river is becoming very product
i've, and down in this part of the coast
the climate is much more endurable; in
fact, if you go still further south to the
Portuguese settlement of. st. Paul de
Loanda, the country is healthier and the
climate good. Lately the merchants are
trying to cultivate cotton and jute, and
/ the latter takes very kindly to the soil
and promises to rival the best qualities
of the East Indies Palm oil is not so
valuable as it used to be- the low price
Of cottonseed oil and tallow affecting it
very considerably. 1t is used principal
~ in the manufacture of soap and cam
dies.