The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-11-03
BRITISH GAMBIA.
A Prosperous Country which Offers
An Excellent Opening to Amer
lean Manufacturer,

AT time when so many parts of
the world send news of little but tur-
MOL and unrest, it is pleasant TO read
of country where peace and plenty
reign and the people are seemingly con-
tented. Its area is small and the pop
ulation only some $1,000, yet it raised
a revenue last year of S21S,5S5, of
which it spent but $145,175, and had at
the beginning of this year, with bal
ance left from the end of 1897, an avail
able surplus in hand of S145,oo0. That
happy country without debt is the
British Gambia settlement in West At
RIGA. 1t is governed by an administra-
tor assisted by four officials, and two
unofficial members nominated by the
crown. Its export trade is large, the
staples being groundnuts, better
known with US as peanuts, and india
rubber. The value of the exports OF
the former last year was 81 ,001. 545, and
of the latter $751; 40. OF the imports
the largest item was cotton cloth for
5000, 935, all from Manchester. As re-
CARDS the patterns of the cloth the
English manufacturers appear TO be
rousing themselves, for they are now
closely initiating the native patterns
and consulting the native taste. The
native cloths, however. are the more
lasting.
Rice and sugar are also largely in
ported; so are salt fish and cornmeai.
1t is interesting to know that con-
siderable import trade is done from
further down the coast in Kola nuts.
These are consumed entirely by the
natives, especially the Mohammedans-
who offer them TO friends calling just
as European or American host might
offer cigars or some kind of refresh
ment.
The administrator, reporting On the
social condition OF his little state, gives
some interesting details. One is that
Mohammedanism is increasing and
with it temperance and deceney. The
women, he says, are growing averse
to marrying drinking men, and the
suitors become Mohammedans to gain
their wives. He further says that
Christianity is making no advance into
the interior. and that at Bathurst, the
capital of the colony at the mouth of
the River Gambia, it is stationary. fully
half the population being Mobammed-
an. The late Sir Richard Burtsn, when
travelling in that part of Africa more
than % years ago, made the tame OBJ
servations Whatever the reason, Chris
tianity has made but little progress
among the negro populations of that
part of Africa, probably owing in some
degree to the surviving traditions of
the days when the white Christian was
only known to the then pagan natives
as a slave trader.
As regards the Gambia trade, there
certainly appears to be an opening for
the manufactures of this country, par
ticularly in cottons. There should be
no difficulty in procuring some of the
more popular patterns of the native
cloths, and giving the river traders
goods of high quality and nearly as
| durable as those of the strong and
coarse native make. Cornmeal too, of
the color and grades most suited TO the
market, could be furnished in any qusn-
tity: and if little trouble were taken
to find out the patterns and quality of
the tools and implements used by the
natives in their agriculture and ordi-
nary industries brisk trade might
be created for them, not only in that
particular part of the west coast, but.
through it, with the interior. When
so small population and territory as
that of the Gambia settlement is found
capable of developing so large a trade
as shown in last years report, it seems
well worth making an effort TO secure
foothold for the trade which must
come with the growth of population
and the spread of civilization into the
interior of that particular part of At
RIGA where the people are Industrious
and born traders.-N. Y. Sun.