Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1911-11-30
TO Examine New
DIAMOND FIELDS
SON OF JAMESTOWN RESIDENT
SENT ON IMPORTANT Elk.
PEDITION IN AFRICA

Secretary W. E. Boise of the Al
lance Hail Association of this city,
has had one or two letters from his
son Charles, who is now on his way
from New York to the interior Of
West Africa, commissioned by large
Belgium and New York mining syn
dicate to look up certain mining
properties in the interior Of Africa.
The letters were mailed from Euro,
pean ports. No word is expected now
from the young man until some time
in February or March as it will take
until that time for letter to reach
here, mailed at his intended des-
tination, near Leopoldville, on
the Congo river. He was first in
structed to proceed up the river Con-
go and thence south by canoe and
transfer across country to point
near the great lake of Eastern Afri-
ca, known as Lake Tanganyika.
This is one of the largest and most
celebrated lakes in Africa surround
ed by perfectly wild country. One
of the directions to the adventurous
young americans by the company
who sent them was to keep a sharp
lookout at their camps for raids by
elephants, in which the region a.
bounds rhe lake is navigable for
steamers of heavy draft and before
the slave traffic was abolished was
the greatest water way in Africa for
the transportation of slaves, captur-
ed or purchased by slave traders in
the interior, to the east coast, where
they were disposed of to various ma
tions and countries of the world.
While enroute from New York the
company changed the destination of
Mr.. Boise to region south of the
Kassai river, large navigable stream
flowing into the Congo. about 400
mffes from the mouth Of that river.
The object of the change of destina-
ton was to inspect and report upon
the probabilities for investment, in
certain diamond fields, recently dis
covered in that region. The first OBJ
ject of the trip across Africa was
to superintend the work at certain
gold mines near Lake Tanganyika.
The region visited is one seldom ira
versed by white men and is land
full of possibilities of adventure of
all kinds. Mr.. Boise and his two
white companions will have the SER
vices of small army of negro por-
ters who carry provisions and e.
quipment for two-years trip. Most
of the food provided is put up in
cans and every precaution has been
taken for safety and comfort, while
travelling in that region. 1t is a
country abounding in luxuriant trop-
ical vegetation of all kinds, where
most of the travelling is done on
streams by means of small boats, or
canoes, after leaving the larger riv-
ers. Wild animals of every descrip-
ton abound and since the abolish
ment of the slave trade the chief
source of money making is the hunt
ing of the elephant for it's ivory, the
gathering of feathers, nuts, rubber
and palm oil.
New gold and diamond fields are
attracting attention of investors and
miners from all over the world who
are looking to Africa for the biggest
camps in the world. The region to
be visited by Mr.. Boise is a short
distance south of the equator and is
naturally in hot climate. His first
destination was near the present
terminus of the Cape to Cairo rail-
road. Leopoldville is a missionary
station of considerable Importance in
West Africa. Two lines of railroad
are given, on the latest maps, pro-
jected across the country. to connect
the west coast with the Cape-Cairo
line in Rhodesia. The development
of south and West Africa is now go
ing on under European agencies fast
er than ever before in the history of
the dark continent.
The reason for the change in des-
tination of Mr.. Boise's party, was
the unexpected find of diamonds in
new field south of the Congo river,
The company became interested p
ing to the arrival in Europe
with large number Of
from the new diamond #ae
belief is expressed th'
field may prove anothe
Mr.. Boises's1 experience
engineer wss gained II
New Mexice,