The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-21

world are Antwerp, London and Liver
pool. For the past six or seven years
Antwerp has forged ahead of London,
for it controls most of the great new
field of the Congo. Since 1895 its ivory
receipts have invariably exceeded those
of London, excepting in 1898. The re-
ceipts last year, were 1923 tons for Ant
werp. 20S for London and 40 for Liv-
erpool. a total of ST. tons.
The total receipts of these markets
from 1894 to 1902 ranged between 524
and $40 tons a year The receipts of
London are slowly declining while
those of Antwerp are rapidly increas-
ing, though it is probable that the
hight of its trade will be reached be-
fore many years. Liverpool cuts a
small figure in comparison with its RI
walls, its receipts having varied in the
past nine years from thirty-two to
sixty tons a year.
The ivory reaching the British mar
kets comes from Zanzibar. Bombay,
the largest sources of its supply
Egypt, West Africa, and Abyssinia,
a very small amount also coming from
Benguela and the Cape. About one
third of the London ivory comes from
the west coast of Africa and Abys-
sinia and the supply is decreasing.
ne west African ivory mas D9en
chiefly obtained from Senegambia. Lii
IBERIA, the Guinea Coast and the Niger.
which have been extensively worked
for many years. The supply is failing,
though it is now being reinforced by
ivory from the Hinterland
The receipts from Abyssinia reached
their maximum in 1900. The import
ant quantities exported from that
country in recent years have been
due to the organization of large hunts
with the best weapons. Hunting the
elephant in King Menelik's domain has
thus been abnormally stimulated of
late years, but the supply of ivory
from this source is now decrea sing
About AZ per cent. of the ivory sent
to London comes from the east coast
of india its quality has been nearly
uniform, but the present prospects
are that it will slowly decrease. The
ivory from Egypt will probably in
crease in quantity for few years. ow-
Soudan.
The Antwerp market came into ex-
istence only in 1898, and it has had
very rapid development, its great snec-
ialty being ivory from the Congo Free
State. The two great classifications of
Antwerp ivory are hard and soft ivory
About seven-eighths of the total sup
ply is hard ivory, which means ivory
for many years, much of it having
been collected by the natives before
they had any idea of it's comnerciaI
value.
In 1892 only eighteen tons of soft
ivory came from the Congo State
though 124 tons of hard ivory were
shipped The soft ivory is the fresh
tusks obtained from newly killed ami
mails.
The French Congo includes a verv
large elephant domain, and the
French began in 1900 to export ivory
from it. The shipments in 1901 were
thirty-two tons, and they bid fair dur
ing the present year to be fifty or sixtv
tons. The French Congo will be tbe
outlet for great deal of ivory in the
next few years.
1t is not expected that the Congo
State can much longer keep up rs
enormous shipments of ivory. The
maximum to all appearances viii be
reached within the next four or five
years. Then there will probably come
a period of about uniform shipments
for "A number Of years. which win be
followed by an era Of rapid decline.
The day Is soon approaching when the
reserve stock OF ivory Accumulated nv
the natives viii be exhausted.
When that source Of supply is AT an
end the ivory industry will decline UNI
III railroads open up the far interior
81 the country IN regions not now az
ceesible 90 steamboats, Then there
VIII be now fields 20 exploit FOR no
elephant SIN lives Ia numerous herds
~ some parts ~ Central Africa. as la
the regions N the upper sanea river.
the upper Mobangi and some large dis
ir'ess o. TIE FRENCH boudaa and the