The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-29
THE COMMERCE Of AFRICA.
BRITISH COLONIES LEAD, FOL-
LOWED NY THE TRANsyAAL.
with the United statss-steam-
boats Carried I'm SectiOas Over
Iand aad Placed on Inland Waters

Special Dispatch TO the Post-fnteilisencer.
WASHINGTON. Sept. 3s.--conimercial
Africa In 1853 In the title Of a publication
just prepared by the treasury bureau Of
statistics. II shows present commercial
conditions In Africa, and incidentally the
political divisions ~ they now exist and v
accompanied by n map showing the boun-
dairy hnAs Of tne various colonies. protec-
torates. spheres OF influence and indepen-
dent states OF this great continent, whoAe
map has 30 rapidly changed during the
past few years A table accompanying the
monograph shows the Imports and exports
into and from each OF the divisions. The
imports amount In round numbers 10 HOO
0o.0O and the exports 10 eD0.oo.0C. while
OF the imports &is. 10000 Is furnished by tho
United Sia.ss. and Of the exports ,io."O.000
Is sent TO the United States.
Imports and Exports.
OF course the large proportion Of the
commercial business Of Africa IL transact
&c through the British colonies, their share
being 3I3i 10000 OF t,e imports and si52
OF The exports Next liz Importance In the
import and export trade In the South Afri-
can republic, or Transvaal. which Is at
moment, It's imports amounting to ylo4 oO.-
60 and Its exports ta.000.O0o. the chief ex-
ports being gold and other minerals.
French Africa imports goods valued ~
quantity: Turkish Africa. principally
Egypt. imports ra.GO60o and exports $s2.
0cooo. while Portuguese Africa, whose
the sSii and diamond fields, is also the
scene OF commercial activity. the importa-
tons being 100000 and the expectations
nearly 100000
Phy steal CharacteFistics.
Much additional information ha, recently
been brought 10 the surface regarding
Africa through the opportunities which are
now offered Tor access 70 the interior.
Physically. the African continent Il In
many respects unique. Five thousand
miles In extreme length and over 400 n
breadth. It's area IL greater than that OF
any other continent except Asia, the latest
estimates being 1i.sf,ooo square miles.
Its coas, formation IL peculiar In the ABB
sence Of deep indenia,ons. bays or har-
bors. and the small number OF waterways
which offer entraace 10 the Interior. The
fact that the greater part o! the interior
II an elevated t1bleland extending on all
sides 10 within short distance Of tho
coast renders access TO the interior by the
few large streams dlfficul,.
At the point where tho rivers pass from
the elevated plateau Of the interior TO the
lowlands Of the coast the falls or rapids
which there exist prevent navigation, and
an n result travel TO the interior In Africa
by water developed more slowly than In
any other continent.
Inland NavSgation.
lEissh II was not until tho explorations
o. Livingston Stanley. spoke and others
developed the true conditions and made
known tho fact that vast navigable water
stretches were to b found In tho interior
that II occurred 10 man % transport steam
vessels around those falls and put them
anoas In the waterways Of tina interior.
When these conditions we're clearly ea.
tahiished. however, modern ingenuity and
energy soon found means ~ transport.
.ng steamers In small pieces upon the back.
OF men through the forests. arourd the
falls and rapids for scores and even hun
dreds OF miles and putting them together.
set ahoat the steamers which penetrate
thousands OF miles into the interior ana
develop facts never before known and
which could not have been developed by
land exploration IN tropical climates and
Jungfes for many generations