Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-20
BLANKS ON THE MAP
Henry M, Stanley on the UNEMPLOYED
Portions of the Globe.
WORK LEFT FOR TIE NEXT CENTURY
Africa and South America Are
Still Fruitful Fields.
DIRK LEFT FOR TEE NEXT CENTURY
VIDIN TIL E SPOIL S

Written for The Evening Star.
The latter half of the nineteenth century
has been remarkable for the many geo
graphical novelties that explorers have
brought from Africa. In less than five dec
AIDES this long neglected continent has been
opened converted into civilized states and
protectorates. become thickly dotted with
Christian missions and fairly prepared for
civilized enterprise.
In the first decade-1SJO-6O-we had the
sources and course Of the Great Fam
best river, with its wonderful Victoria falls,
made known to US. The Tanganika-the
longest lake in Africa-was also discovered.
During the second decade-1S6O-7o-we OBJ
tanned rough outline of the Victoria Ny
ANA. The Nile was thence descended
throughout its whole length. The Albert
Nyanza, another feeder of the Nile, was
discovered and soon after Lake Nyassa APP
peareG to grace our maps.
The third OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES still more
fruitful of results. We had first the sources
of a new river of the first magnitude and
its lakes, Mweru and BanweolO, revealed
to US. A short time afterward this river
was proved to be the Congo by a descent
along its entire course. Lakes Victoria and
Tanganika Were cirCumnavigated- An as
cent of the snow mountain kilima Marc
was made; kenia. another snow mountain,
OF similar magnitude was ulSCONtIeu, d
better knowledge of the lower Niger and
Its principal tributaries was gained; the
Ogowai was explored; the gorilla haunts OF
northern Gaboon were visited.
4 Decade of Defamation.
The fourth decade-1SSU-1SGO- still
richer in results. and 50 great was the prog
ress of exploration that all the civilized
powers responded to a call for a general
conference to decide the ownership of the
territories discovered and TO formulate GER
tain rules and principles for future pro-
cedure Out of this the Congo Free State
came into existence. a free trade zone was
delimited. the French Congo was defined
and the limits Of Portuguese claims made
clear. At the conclusion OF the conference
the European powers commenced a scram-
BILE for African possessions which lasted
several years. German warshlpS coaSttd
around the continent and seized upon the
CamerOOnS the Gold Coast, NamaQua and
Damara Land and a large section of East
Africa. French travellers distinguished
themselves by anneXatlOnS to the north OF
the Congo and the western Soudan. until
many countries hitherto unknown by name
had been converted into a French colonial
empire of unprecedented extent Italy en-
tered AbysSinia established Erythrea and
made the whole horn of eastern Africa an
Italian protectorate. Finally England be
came infected with the land hunger. and.
though reluctant and protesting, extended
British rule from the Cape TO the Tansan-
rlca and expanded her West Africa posses
sions-
This was also the period when South
Africa advanced in popular esteem by leaps
and bounds on account OF its increasing
outputs in diamonds and gold The Congo
disclosed its wealth of ivory. rubber and
hard woods and forest which riVaied that
Of the Amazon in extent and possible pro-
ductj0nS The C0ngO's tributaries were eX-
plored and new lakes were found Almost
every month something new and strange
was told of its photography and top9g-
raphv- The Niger region became also
prominent because of its human myrlads'
who were discovered to be past their saw
age state and already developed into indus
the cas- was deserted for its deadly record,
took a new start. and became land OF
promise for coffee planters
Developing Their Holdings.
In the present decade the scrambling for
territory ceased and most of the govern
ments have begun the development Of their
African possessions. They have ringed
them with custom houses and garrisoned
forts and are jealousy policing their from
tiers. Regiments of natives have been
drilled and uniformed missions, schools and
churches are Furnishing while every Symp-
tom OF the slave trade, which was fast de-
vastating the interior even in the eighties.
has disappeared. The enormous area of
inner Africa. which only twenty-three years
K.
geograpFers and governments as the Cgan-
da. and East African prOtectOrateS OF Great
Britain German East Africa, Mozambique,
Rhodesia. Angola, Congo Franchise. the
Carneroons Nigeria and southern Soudan
which are administered by their respective
governor generals and thousands Of Euro
pean officials.
IL will thus be seen that geographical
novelties have already become scarce even
from Darkest Africa. Geographical socie-
ties still hold their Seances. but their halls
are no longer crowded with breathless au-
dienCes. thrilled with stories of startling
discoveries. and appsauding the newest
thing from the heart of mysterious Africa.
1t is now the period Of railways and tel
egraphs and steamers. The Congo's broad
waters are disturbed by hundreds of steam
ers-the Nyassa Is rapidly becoming like a
Swiss lake. with Its many steam ferries
the Tauganika and Victoria Nyanza have
fleets which will appear before the next
century dawns. The Congo, the Uganda
and other railway lines in prospect
make mystery and novelty almost impos-
sible and narrow the field Of the pioneer
explorer.
And yet the first decades of the twentieth
century may reveal to astonishing
things from Africa While the world lasts
We shall never quite exhaust the region.
Even a this very moment there is a COM
pany being floated in London to utilize the
discovery of a nitrous deposit just found
near the cite Of ancient Memphis II any
spot on earth may be called old surely that
one may. but even after 6.00O years of hu-
man occupation il has rewarded the ex-
plorer.
Africa's Remaining Secrets
Therefore. though Africa's main geo.
graphical features are fairly familiar to u,