Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-08-30
PRESENT-DAY THOUGHTS.
BY G. GRosvENoR DAVE.

logs from the upper ASSUME river to the
coast, instead Of permitting them to float
to the coast rs heretofore. This fact is
cited as type OF the influences that will
re-make Africa in the next twenty-five
years. Railroads and electric lines, de-
signed for purposes of pure commercial
ism, will inevitably open the way for all
that is modern and energiZing in the
coionizing nations OF the world. The
kneli is sounding for the clark CONT
nent', and in its stead will appear a con-
tinent whose readiness and capacity for
| development are almost limit!ess.
Twenty five years ago the map of Africn
was mainly guess work. Large spaces
were set down ms desert that have since
proved to be productive, and the bound
| aries OF the different interior territories
were curved in suspicious beauty and
regularity.
TIE Nile, notwit hstsndirg Speke's
efforts, was still regarded as ii mystery.
The traveller who chose to let his imagi-
nation run riot regarding things he had
seen, cit her asleep or awake, could do so
with impunity; beyond which point the
yellow Journals have scarcely progressed
whenever they refer to Africa, even now.
Toe bravery ana devotion of Livingstone
were then new story, and Henry NJ.
Stanley had just atsrted for the expedi
| ton during whose course ne partially
surveyed Lake Victoria Nyanza, and
which ended in his re-appearance via the
Congo, to pen his great story of "Across
| the Dark Continent.
OF course partial exploration had pre-
| coded all this in many dir,c ions. In 1855.
DIR. Barth crossed the Great Desert and
added to our knowledge OF the Niger,
only, however, to leave the impression
that.t his vast river of The west coast was
a feeder of the Me. On this same river
also, Mungo Park. in 1886 experienced a
number of dubious adventures and ex-
pored the river for 100 miles from its
mouth. This same region also, and much
other OF the African coast, was known
and traded with by the Phnnicians OF old,
whose beads are even now dug up occa-
sionally by the Inhabitants OF the
Guinea coast and used as ornaments by
native royalty.
In the south rs early as 1852 the Dutch
had possession of the Cape of Good Hope,
having themselves ousted the Portuguese
and themselves being ousted by the
British. Yet after all is said regarding
efforts made, territory subdued, and
know ledge gained OF Africa prior to the
middle of the present century, it may
be summed up as trting and Ineffective
The present day map OF Africa is an
altogether different thing. The regions
10 the north and their control remain
practically unchanged except, OF course,
Egypt. That is English in all the ele-
ments that make for progress and quiet
development, unthreatened by southern
foes. But south, east and west the map
has been re-nade. Based upon Stanley's
explorations the vast Congo Free State
that pet plan OF the King OF the Belgisns
now stretches from the Atlantic ocean
to the great equatorial lakes.
On the south, northwsrd the star of
empire has taken its way TIL even the
Tran~vaal, once thought of by its founders
a safe from all disturbance and surpsss-
ing, has already been left behind, and
khodesia stretches out the hand of its
rule toward the Xambesi and onward
again to the equatorial lakes.
On the east the territory has all been
amicably divided among the great Eu
ropean nations, even though not yet set
tied. Now that the partition has been
effected, the international race for com
mercial development and political SUI
premacy has definitely started. II the
British are true to their genius and alive
to their opportunities, there can be but
little doubt as to the victor. Mllitarism
in the north under General Kitchener
and commercialism in the south under
Cecil Rhodes, have already given the
British a control through the centre of
the continent from tue Mediterranean to
the Antarctic ocean, with the exception
OF 700 miles belonging to German East
Africa.
The sale OF Italy's port of Erthrea on
the Red Sea, together with the region
called British East Africa, almost sur
rounds Abyssinia with British influence.
At Delagoa Bay, still owned by Portugal,
the British influence is supreme, and
thus largely cuts off the Transvaal from
ocean communication. Then from the
mouth of the Niger to Cape Verde,
British influence is almost uninterrupted.
1t is not really difficult to glance ahead
and say what is to be; for given human
nature rs it is, human enterprise it
has shown itself, and racial differences as
they exist, one can give even more than a
shrewd guess regarding the future.
Twenty years will see as vast changes
in Africa as seeenty-tive years have seen
in the United States; for the powers OF
the railroad, Of electricity, and of modern
machinery will be brought to bear upon
the African problem Immediately, while |
American effort went forward by the |
slow stages OF the canal, the prairie |
schooner, the fiat boat forward to the |
railroad, only now reaching electric |
power.