The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-07
PARADISE OF PLENTY
EXPLORER CHERRY's DESCRIPTION
OF CENTRAL AFRICAN WILDs.
VeritabIc Garden, Where Food and
Everything Needed by Man Grows
in Tropical ProfusiOn.

CHICAGO, March civilian Stamps
Cherry. the African explorer, who rece "tly
returned to this country, tonight, with the
aid of a stereopticon. entertained the MEM
bers of the Chicago Press Club. He made
public for the first time many of his discov-
cries and spoke interestingly of his many
adventures in Central Africa. The stereop-
ticon slides were made from hundreds of
photographs which the explorer obtained
while travelling in the interior. and which
gave authentic pictures of African life. Mr..
Cherry told of his exploration of the i'm
mense Kotto region and the finding of three
new native tribes-the N'Gozzzias, Breeas
and Lindas-in this hitherto inaccessible
country: his discoveries in natural history.
including two new species of antelope and
one of small elephants, producing no ivory,
or, in other words, having no tusks. He
gave a graphic description of his life among
the different cannibal tribes. and said his
observations and studies of their arts and
customs, TO the minutest details. will an
swer many questions regarding their past
history and present life. He spoke of the
Importance of impressing upon the Amer
lean people the great future of this i'm
mense unknown country, which in spots is
entirely uninhabited, but yet abounds in
wonderful resources.
on this latter subject Mr.. Cherry said: 81
have found wild coffee, which is pro-
nounced first-class in flavor, and which can
be gathered by tons: also a wild vanilla and
a species of wild olive. The forests are inn
mense and represent the finest timber i'm
the world. They are full of unknown nuts
a aa1or wild bnt f many IF ef fhem p le ; snnpt to the
taste, and which will become well known
and useful I'm civilized countries.
Most of the land over which L Travelled
is very fertile and Is watered by creeks
and rivers so numerous that 1t is unneces-
sary to carry water for drinking purposes.
The banks of the rivers and creeks are
generally fringed by heavy wood. The
rubber vine. which grows here in its great
est luxuriance, will furnish one of the most
profitable commercial products of this
whole region. Bananas, p~ineapples, oranges,
lemons and all tropical fruits grow in such
abundance that there Is little use for a
native to work more than an hour a day.
Rice, corn, sweet potatoes and peanuts are
some of the foods that are frequently found
ana which grow like weeds, with little at
tention. The manioc and yam and a great
many other fruits, vegetables and grains
unknown to the people of the temperate
zone grow there abundantly. Tobacco and
sugar cane flourish as In their native soil.
The natural advantages of the United
states were far less helpful to our forefa-
theirs than the foods of Africa offer TO the
pioneer of the future.
'"rhe geographical position is the finest
of any country, and the railroads of the
future will open up this vast region TO
IN and immigration, and 1 look for
ward to the time when the cities of Africa,
situated on the banks of some of the beau
tiful rivers, with their myriads of islands
and dashing cataracts. will be the most
picturesque of the world"
Continuing, Mr.. Cherry spoke about the
slave raiding saying that the general i'm
preston was that il had been partially
done away with, but when he reached the
interior he found the curse fully as bad as
i'm the days when Livingstone journeyed
through Africa. Mr.. Cherry found whole
regions depopulated by the slave raiders.
and when he arrived at the Kotto river
the country had been just raided by an
Arab chief. who did his work in such a
thorough manner that a whole tribe was
ANIMATED. and the entire country was in
a greatly damaged condition.