The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-24
African France.

railroad journey eastward to Algiers, the |
capital.
African France.
Before begin describing my travels. / |
want 10 tell you what the French have
in Africa. Their possessions include /,
more than one-th;rd Of the continent, a
territory several hundred thousand miles
{ larger than the whole United States, to-
gether with Alaska and our outlying
colonies Practically the whole OF the
Sahara west OF the Libyan Desert be-
longs to them. and that alone Is half as
big as the United States proper. They
have an enormous district south Of the
Sahara. which il known as French Cen
trail Africa, and several colonies along
the Gulf OF Guinea. The French Congo,
which Is north OF the Belgian Congo. runs
northward so as to take IN part OF
Lake Tchad and covers. all told, an area
ten times as large as the state OF Illinois.
II IS Inhabited by 15,00oooo people. the
most OF whom are Jet black negroes OF
the most dcbased types.
Tho richest OF the French possessions.
however, are along the south coast OF
the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the
two great States Of Algeria and Iunlsla.
or these Tunsia Is a protectorate. 1t
is almost absolutely governed by the
French and they are rapidly develop
an
now a part OF the French republic 1t
Is a French State; It solids It's own cleo
lions and 1t has three Senators and six
DEPUTIES In the Parliament at Paris. us
Governor-Gcneral is Frenchman and
most OF It's officials are natives OF the
French republic. B&
The Best French Colony.
Indeed. Algeria is by far the best
piece OF property France has outside
her own boundaries. 1t is her great
winter garden which furnishes the
chief vegetables for all the French
cities and the granary which supplies
a large part of her -four. Fast steam
ers carry the garden stuff across the
Mediterranean In day and IN lnlI,y
six hours 1t Is for sale in the Halle:
Central in Paris. Some Of the bes
wines used in Franco are made in this
country, and Algeria gives France I'M
ports to the amount Of sixty-odd mil
lion dollars year. France herself an
nually sends si0.Q0ooo0 or $50 100000
worth of her wares to Algeria, and IN
trade between the two countries stead
lily grows.
Many look upon Algeria as littl
strip OF mountain and desert. TIL
truth Is, that part Of 1t lying alon
the Mediterranean and running bac
up the foothills OF the Atlas, has som
of the richest soil upon earth II
only from thirty to 100 miles vide bu
is several hundred miles long. 1nclud
ing territory about as large as Ne
York and Massachusetts combined.
has moro good land by far tina
both OF those States. This land
known as the Tell ut runs clear acros
z Algeria and on into Tunisa It hi
@ been for centuries the granary OF tn
part Of the world, The Phoenicial
C,,{ sI>,,ilt mr.
It. ana 1T was for a long time ono
the principal bread baskets OF imperi
Rome 1t was fought for by the Va
dals, the Greeks and in tho e!gh
century was conquered by the Arat
who made the country Mohammeda
5a as 1t is to-day E
FL A Bird's-Eye View Of Algeri;
t& Algeria consists Of these rich Ian
5. OF the Tell, Of the high plateaus OF.
Atlas, Just below them. and of the fo'
hills, running down to the Sahara. 7
country is just about as long from eli
to west us from Philadelphia to Cleyelal
and as wide as from Washington to 81
ton. by way of New York. 1t conta
altogether rs much land as all N
England, added to New York. Penns
vnnia, New Jersey and louisiana,
1t is divided into three provinces, c.
beginning at the Mediterranean and G
ting across to tho Sahara The larg
ts of these Is at the east, and Is known
Constantine. 1t Is almost rs big as Nj
neseta, and 1t has several hundred tho
and more people. The next is Algi
which Is not far from, the size Of n
souri,, with D population of sixteen h
dred thousand. and the other rs
western province Of Ornn, where
writing oran Is just about the size
Pennsylvania, and its population ls n
than one million.
Vhe total population Of the whole 60