New-York tribune., 1899-09-25
COMMERCIAL AFRICA.
-vpoRTs OF NscOOOO SHIPPED FROM THE
UNITED STATES


Washington Sept. "A (SpeciaD aD.-"Commercia
,,,ica IN 1899" is the title OF publication Just
n-.oared by the Treasury Bureau Of Statistics. II
shows present commercial conditions in Africa, and
,.isentally the political divisions as they now ex-
,s, and is accompanied by map showing the
Norrdarv lines OF tbs various colonies protecto-
s,ss spheres OF influence and independent States
=, This ereat continent whose map has so rapidly
hanged during the last few years. A table accom-
osrvlng the monograph shows the imports and ex-
,orts into and from each Of the divisions The i'm
,-,s amount IN round numbers to s4co O0o 900 and
me exports 10 sS50ooo coo while OF the imports SIS
A., NJ, . furnished by the United States and OF the
,,norts Slooo0coo is sent TO the United States
or course. the large proportion Of the COM
-,s-clsl business Of Africa is transacted through
,se British colonies. Next in Importance in the
import and export trade is the South African
es,ubsc. or Transvaal which Is attracting so
r,rch attention at the present moment. its i'm
IRIS amounting 10 So4oNooO and It's exports
:, "a 0l 600 the chief exports being gold and other
Ti-era's French Africa imports goods valued al
oyer 81 600 100 and exports Of nearly equal guam
~ da ssd cSpdr AirTs 81 k@SSsy ywhs hhyrP Portnsaess
n g. whose ports on the eastern coast are ad-
sene q commercial activity, the import lions
be.rg S. N'' N' and the expectations nearly S'0n"N
,~S.er. % the surface regarding Africa through
The opportunities which are now offered for ac-
e4ss a. me interior. Physically the African CONT,
,ent is io many respects unique Five thousand
nr,i.s 81 extreme length. and over 400 in hreadth
- area Is greater han that Of any other CONT
rfn' eN-ent Asia. the latest estimates being H.
s30t square miles. Its coast formation Is peculiar
= fhc ahscnce Ot deep iudcntatons bays or har-
ho-s and tho small number of waterways which
oqe~ entrance 70 the interior The fact that me
erc.to- part OF the interior is an elevated table
f-7 extending ON all sides to within short dis
,sn.e uf the coast. renders access 10 the Interior
a. Pho f.w large streams difficult At the point
ohe~. the rivers pass from the elevated plateau
~ ~. Interior To the lowlands OF the coast the
falls or rapids which there cXist prevent naNiea-
ton and n result travel to tho interior in
Af~oa hv water developed more slowly than in any
other continent Indeed. IL was not until the eN-
plofat - livingstone Stanley, Spoke and others
sayeIrned the true conditions and made known the
isct that vast navigahe water stretches were to
be found in tho interior that II occurred 10 man
n trrrsvort steam vessels around these falls and
p.t tnen anoat In the waterways of the interior
W.. these conditions were clearly established
however modern ingenuity and energy soon found
q means of transporting steamers in small pieces
upon f-e backs ~ men through the forests, around
-he q rs and rapids for scores and even hundreds
n, m es and putting them together. These steam
ers penetrate thousands Of miles into the interior
ana develop facts never before known and which
cou'7 rot have been developed by land exploration
IN tropical climates and jungles for many genera