Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1892-10-15 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

CAPTAIN LUGARD ON UGANDA.  Captain Lugard has added an interesting contri. bution to the Uganda controversy. In a letter to the Times, he points out that the interests involved are (a) commercial, (h) political, and (c) philan• thropic. As to the commercial aspect of the question, he says that years of war have impoverished the. country itself, but the sister countries of Unyoro. Ankoh, Busoga, and the Equatorial Province are rich in ivory which has accumulated during many years. Other prospective products are coffee, which would probably be of a superior class, being indigenous to the country, with a soil and climate both adapted to its culture; rubber, from the large forests; wheat, and the more valuable cereals, for the cultivation of which very large areas ass available, and the production of which the people have already begun; cotton (of a good staple) and gums, lice., from the Soudan; and all the necessary food for local consumption of the European and native garrisons. As to the political part of the question,he says that Uganda commands the sources of the Nile, and its upward course towards Gondokoro. It is an open secret that both Germany and Italy have found that the development of the spheres already allotted to them by mutual agreement with England are fully sufficient to tax their powers to the utmost for some time to come, and it is more than doubtful whether at the present moment either of these Powers would be prepared to take over Uganda. If, therefore, evacuation were carried out some other European Power would step in. Captain Lugard proceeds to point out how closely allied are the Egyptian and Uganda questions, and dealing with the philanthrophic side of the matter he refers to the missions and the anti•slavery societies which would be jeopardised by evacuation. "Supposing evacuation were carried out," he continues, "the Protestant political faction would either leave the country,in which case thy must fight and kill the natives of the country in which the" propose to settle, the missionaries thereby bei ig in a very anomalous position, or they would rem ain behind. In the latter case they would be con pelled to unite with the Mohammedans (coalition with the Catholics being now out of the question), and these two factions, being both bitterly hostile to the Catholics, would immediately prepare to exterminate them. Finally, it is absolutely certain they would quarrel between themselves, and what the ultimate result of the ensuing anarchy and chaos would be it is hard to determine. Whichever of the factions were defeated would fly from the country, carrying war and destruction whittler they went. The mass of Soudanese refugees 'rescued ' by me (some 8,200 soula) must similarly be abandoned in spite of their loyalty, or provided with a new country at the expense of the aborigines. It is unnecessary to enlarge on a picture so disastrous, and so fraught with misery and disgrace. As regards the slave trade, captives in war in Africa are sold as slaves. Such a state of war and anarchy as I have indicated would undoubtedly furnish large numbers for the slave markets, more especially if the Mohammedans finally remained in the ascendant. Meanwhile Kabarega of Unyoro would resume possession of the Toru and Ruwenzori districts, and the wretched natives of those countries, who have no guns to oppose his armies, and who, relying on the company's pledges of protection, have come from the countries of their exile (to which return is not now open to them), would be massacred, I think, without doubt, since Kabarega, who pours out human blood like water, is bitterly incensed against them for accepting the company's rule."  An inquest was held on Friday morning, at Oxford, on the boy of Paul J. Bryce, an undergraduate of Christ Church, who was found in his rooms, shot through the heart. Evidence shewed that the deceased had on the previous day failed in Responsions. In a letter written to his father he said he supposed the reason of committing the act was chiefly that his morbid desire for death from childhood had grown too strong for him. The deceased's father, Mr. J. B. Bryce, of Bystock, Exmouth, said deceased had talked about suicide, and reasoned as to the morality of it, saying 'l,l had no evidence on the point. —the jury returned 6, verdict that deceased died by his own act, buri tics were unable, on die evidence, to decide whetiVos hit was of unsound mind or nos. One ot the curiosities 01 the western hemisphere is the burning mine at Summit Hill, near Much Chulik, in Pennsylvania. It is a valuable coal and oil mine, and has been on fire since 1858, no one having yet been able to subdue its subterranean flames. The rocks above this fiery pit are sometimes so hot that they cannot safely be touched with the hand, and all vegetation on the mountain, except a miserable lichen or two, has long since disappeared. The flames do not now reach the surface, but steam and gas continue to escape at a thousand different points.  It is well known that ants harbour a variety of other insects in their nests, particularly Gamasi4 mites, and Mr. A. D. Michael, from a study of ants in Corsica and Innsbruck, has come to the conclusion that the ants willingly tolerate the presence the Gamasids, and even protect them. The mites are found to ride away on the backs of the ants when the nest is disturbed; and sometimes the ants carry off the mites and their young just as they do their own. Mr. Michael thinks the mites repay the ants for their hospitality by removing. the bodies of their dead, which they devour.