The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-30
1t Is Destined to Become Chief
Seaport of West Coast
Of Africa.

ia IN ARQJiS: DIE FONTENOY.
II EWlS HARCOURT, Secretary of
State for the Colonies, and mar
- RED to Miss Mary Burns. of New
non, ,fork, niece of the late J. Pier
poht Morgan, has Just given his name
70 harbor which is destined to be-
come the principal seaport OF the en-
| TIRE west coast or Africa. The west
deficient in this respect, and there is
no doubt that the lack OF any harbor
| facilities has contributed to rctard the
development of the west coast OF the
Dark Continent. and also of the him
terland.
One would nave thought that the
Wholc coast line had been explored.
But. to the arnazement of everybody,
Lieutenant Hughes. II. N. commanding
the English government yacht Ivy.
near where the River Bonny runs into
the sea, discovered creek not shown
on any map or chart. Stcamng up
this creek and around a bend. preceded
by motor launch taking soundings,
the exploring party suddenly came
upon a series of rocky cliffs extending
for several miles, averaging fifty feet
above high water. and showing "A depth
right alongside of no less than seventy
managed with some difficulty to scale
the cliffs. and after cutting through
some almost impenctrable vegetation
twelve feet in height, encountered ma
tivcs. who, while friendly. had never
been visited there by white men.
The creek now turns out TO be one
i:onny to the sea. but at the same time
the deepest one. The rock has been
surveyed and cleared and is at pres
ent being converted into the terminus
OF the Nigerian Railroad. n whole town
having sprung up, with wharves, rail
thing needed, indeed. to develop S:c e the
place into a great seaport with a won
derfully protected harbor, where yes
right alongside the wharvcs, instead of
being Obliged to load and unload their
freight several miles out nj sea. after
being conveyed with difficulty through
the heavy surf of the Atlantic Ocean.
The harbor is a wonderfully sheltered
one, with Il comparatively narrow en-
tenant Hughes on first discovering 1t
TO believe that II was "A mere creek.
The new railroad from Port Harcourt
will be COO miles in length. and will
extend to the Udi coal fields. from
thence to the Bunue, River. along the
system of Nigerian railroads.
Lewis Harcourt was reluctant to
yield to the suggestion Of General Sir
eral of Nigeria. that this wonderful
West African harbor should be called
by his name. But King George, on
ly Interested in the enterprise-insist-
ed that 1t should be known as Port
tIarcourt. and thus Sir Lewis's admin
istration of the Colonial Department is
destined to be rendered memorable for
all time.
1t is regarded as n special honor
when the British crown permits the
name of one of it's statesmen to be
thus bestowed upon a new city. Queen
Victoria was considered to have greatly
distinguished in this fashion the late
Earl of Kimberley, when she author
lied him during his tenure OF the secre-
taryship of state for the colonies to
give his name to the city of Kimberley,
now one Of the great centres OF the
diamond mining industry III South
Africa.
The real economic and political me-
tropolis OF the huge Commonwealth of
Australa--that Is. Melbourne-is in
debted for It's name TO that Lord Mel
bourne who was the first Prime Minis
/ ter of Queen Victoria'S reign, as we'll
as her mentor and instructor in state
| craft. Halifax. in Nova Scotia, owes it's
appellation to the second Viscount
Halifax, who was president of the
board which has since developed into
the Colonial Department at Whitehall.
Wellington, in New Zealand. takes it's
name from the Iron Duke. who won for
England the battle of Waterloo. and
Auckland and Canterbury. in the same
dominion. from Lords Canterbury and
Auckland. Lewis Harcourt Is now to
be commemorated in a similar fashion
the only man to be thus honored
since Lord Kimberley.
Lady Wordsworth. who met with
such an extraordinary death on Friday
last, succumbing within n quarter OF
an hour TO the sting of n wasp on her