166 



CONGO, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE. 



is thickly populated by tribes that are generally 

 peaceful and good agriculturists, with a taste 

 for trading. The population of the Congo 

 basin is estimated at 40,000,000, that of the 

 lake-region at about the same. 



The Congo issues into the Atlantic Ocean in 

 one stream, seven miles broad, and of enormous 

 depth. The estuary leads up 110 miles to Vivi, 

 where the series of "cataracts and rapids known 

 as Livingstone Falls begins. It is navigable 

 to vessels drawing tifteen feet of water. From 

 the first waterfall to the station of Isangila, 52 

 miles, navigation is impossible. From that 

 point to South Manyaga, 88 miles, there is a 

 passage practicable to light-draught steamers. 

 The next 95 miles, up to Leopoldville, at the 

 entrance to Stanley Pool, must be made by 

 land-carriage. From Leopoldville to Stanley 

 Falls, 1,060 miles, there is no interruption of 

 navigation. River-steamers can be hauled up 

 the rapids at this point, after which they have a 

 free passage for 300 miles to within seven miles 

 of Nyangwe, the chief emporium of the Arab 

 trade in central Africa. Beyond Nyangwe the 

 main stream is navigable for over 300 miles, 

 and the Lualaba, or the Ramolondo, for 300 

 more. Of the affluents on the left bank, the 

 Kwango, or Kwa, 100 miles above Leopold- 

 ville, is navigable for 450 miles, including Lake 

 Leopold II, and its outlet, which joins the 

 Kwango not far from its mouth. The Irebu, 

 150 miles above Kwamouth, issues from Lake 

 Mantumba, in the midst of a productive region 

 thickly peopled by an industrious and enter- 

 prising nation ; it affords 100 miles of naviga- 

 tion. The Monindu, or Black River, enters 

 the Congo 60 miles farther up, near the equa- 

 tor, and gives probably 400 miles of naviga- 

 tion. The Lulungu, which debouches 50 miles 

 farther up, is thickly settled on both banks, 

 and can be navigated, 'probably, for 600 miles. 

 Within 40 miles of Stanley Falls is the mouth 

 of the Lubiranzi, formed by the confluence of 

 two large rivers, giving together 800 miles of 

 navigation. The most important tributaries 

 from the north are the Bumba, the Ubangi, 

 the Itimbiri, the Aruwimi, or Biyerre (which 

 Stanley still believes is identical with Schwein- 

 furth's Welle), the Mbura, the Lowwa, and 

 several powerful streams of less navigable val- 

 ue. The Aruwimi is impeded by rapids 95 

 miles from its mouth. The Congo and its trib- 

 utaries have 3,000 miles of unimpeded navi- 

 gation, and beyond the portages 2,000 more. 



Products. The chief commercial product of 

 the Upper Congo at present is ivory, and Mr. 

 Stanley believes that it will take many genera- 

 tions to exhaust the supply. The banks of the 

 Middle and Upper Congo are lined with groves 

 of the oil-palm. The orchilla-weed is found 

 everywhere. The wild coffee plant, which is 

 equally abundant, yields excellent berries. In 

 some districts India-rubber can be obtained in 

 unlimited quantities. Ground camwood and 

 nutmegs are common products. Gum-copal 

 can also be supplied in large quantities. In 



the lake-region there are rich iron and copper 

 mines, and gold and silver deposits. Bananas, 

 oranges, and other fruits, have been cultivated 

 by settlers on the Lower Congo. Some of the 

 timber of the Congo region is valuable enough 

 to repay tne costliest transportation. There 

 are also precious spices and gums. The Upper 

 Congo region, particularly the elevated coun- 

 try between the Congo and the lakes, is de- 

 scribed as a promising field for colonization. 

 The climate there is salubrious and temperate. 

 The rich river-valleys and old lake-bottoms 

 yield wonderful crops of rice and grain. There 

 are pastoral plains, which are covered with the 

 herds of flourishing native communities. 



Trade. The trade of the Lower Congo and 

 of the adjoining coast districts, for a distance 

 of 388 miles, amounts to about $14,000,000 

 annually. This trade is monopolized by a few 

 Dutch and English firms, which were antago- 

 nistic to the Belgian Association because it 

 threatened to destroy their exclusive privileges 

 by enabling small traders to settle in the inte- 

 rior. There are many small traders of Portu- 

 guese nationality. Before 1876 there were no 

 factories farther inland than Boma. Since 

 then, trading-posts have been established at 

 many points along the Lower Congo. Native 

 traders descend the Congo, from as far as the 

 equator, and the Monindu and Kwango afflu- 

 ents, with canoes laden with iron, ivory, rub- 

 ber, and camwood-powder. At Stanley Pool 

 they meet caravans of natives, who exchange 

 European goods for these products of the Up- 

 per Congo. The fleets of trading-canoes often 

 wait several months for the caravans, which, 

 when the red calico, small hardware, knives, 

 trinkets, beads, etc., have been bartered for 

 African produce, march toilsomely back with 

 this to the European factories at Loango, the 

 Kwilu, Landana, Kabinda - Zombo, Kinzao, 

 Kinsembo, Ambrizette, and other places on 

 the coast. On the Lower Congo and in the 

 coast-region rum, gunpowder, and guns are 

 in demand, for which the natives barter palm- 

 oil. An entry duty, generally about 6 per 

 cent, ad valorem, on European products, is 

 paid to the chiefs possessing the territories on 

 the coast and around Stanley Pool. 



From the east coast the Arabs of Zanzibar 

 have penetrated as far as Nyangwe, where, as 

 also at Ujiji, there is a large trading commu- 

 nity. Some have settled on rich lands in the 

 Congo Valley, on which they pursue agricult- 

 ure with the labor of large gangs of slaves. 

 The Arab traders still combine the slave-trade 

 with the ivory-trade. 



The International Association. The African As- 

 sociation was founded by the King of the Bel- 

 gians in 1876, and supported mainly from his 

 private purse. Its object was the purely philan- 

 thropic one of opening trade routes into the 

 interior for legitimate commerce, in order to 

 do away with the slave-trade, and civilize and 

 develop central Africa. On the east coast en- 

 gineers and explorers were employed in estab- 



