a ~~ 
2 
TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 843 
(1) trade with the existing population in their presenticondition ; (2) trade with 
the native inhabitants when their countries have been further developed with the 
aid of European supervision; and (8) trade with actual colonies of European 
settlers: To many minds the last of these problems will appear to be the mest 
important, and in the end it may prove to be so. But the time at my disposal 
compels me to limit myself to the consideration of trade with the existing native 
races within the tropics, with only an occasional reference to the influence of white 
residents. We must, no doubt, carefully consider which are the localities most 
likely to attract those Europeans who go to Africa with the view of establishing 
commercial intercourse and commercial methods in the interior; and there can be 
no doubt that considerations of health will play a prominent part in deciding 
this point. Moreover, as the lowest types of natives have few wants, the more 
primitive the inhabitants of the districts opened up, the less will be the probability 
of a profitable trade being established. For both these reasons the coast districts 
are not likely in the end to be as good a field for commercial enterprise as the 
higher lands in the interior; for the more we recede from the coast, the less 
unhealthy the country becomes, and the more often do we find traces of native 
civilisation. To put it simply, we must consider both the density of the population 
and the class of inhabitant in the districts proposed to be opened up. Of course, 
‘the exact nature of the products likely to be exported, and the probability of 
demands for European goods arising amongst the natives of different districts, are 
vitally important considerations in estimating the profits of any proposed line of 
railway ; but to discuss such problems in commercial geography at length would 
-open up too wide a field on an occasion like this. 
If the importance of considering the density of the population in the different 
districts in such a preliminary survey is admitted, we may then simplify our 
inquiry by declining to discuss any lines of communication intended to open up 
regions where the population falls below some fixed minimum—whatever we may 
like to decide on. Of course, the question of the greater or less probability of a 
locality attracting white temporary residents is very important, but unless there is 
‘a native population ready to work on, there will be little done for many years to 
come. Politically it may or may not be right to open up new districts by railways 
for the sake of finding outlets for our home or our Indian population; but here I 
am considering the best lines for the development of commerce, taking things as 
they are. What then shall be this minimum of population? The population of 
Bengal is 470 per square mile; of India, as a whole, about 180; and of the United 
States, about 21,or 22. If it is remembered that the inhabitants of the United 
States are, per head, vastly more trade-producing than the natives of Africa, it will 
be admitted that we may for the present exclude from our survey all districts in 
which the population does not reach a minimum of 8 per square mile; it might be 
right to put the minimum much higher than this. On the map now before you, 
the uncoloured parts show where the density of population does not come up 
to this minimum, and we can see at a glance how enormously this reduces the area 
to be considered. The light pink indicates a population of from 8 to 82 per square 
mile, and the darker pink a denser population than that. Of course, such a map, 
in the very imperfect state of our knowledge, must be very inaccurate, as I am 
sure the compiler would be the first to admit. On the same map are marked the 
navigable parts of rivers. I should like to have shown the dense forests also, but 
the difficulty of giving them with any approach to correctness is at present 
insuperable. | oHn 
Here, then, is the kind of map we want in order to consider the broad outline 
of the questions connected with the advisability of attempting to push lines of 
communication into the interior. The problem is how to connect the inland. parts 
of Africa, which are coloured pink on this map, with the coast, by practicable lines 
-of communications, at the least cost, with the least amount of dense forest to be 
traversed, and, in the case of railways, whilst avoiding as far as possible all thinly 
‘populated districts, 
It is of course quite impossible here to discuss all the great routes into the 
interior, and I should like to devote the remaining time at my disposal to: the 
312 
