May 2, 1892.1 
THE TROPlOkt. AOTHWLTUmST. 
823 
Oontinent, in tho same latitude as the deposits occur 
in Chili, but the physical difBculiiei the country 
presents have, so far, prevented a complete survey; 
THE DiaCOVEUY. 
Speke and Grant (whoso distingnished services were 
by the way, ill requited by their country) in their tra- 
vels in Central Africa, twenty-five years ago, made al- 
lusion to extensive fields of natural “ sodium” which 
the natives on the shores of Like Tanganyika collected 
and bartered with the neighbouring tribes, whilst ear- 
lier in the century the famous and amiable Dr. Moffat, 
referring to a saline deposit in that terra incognita, de- 
scribed it as ‘‘ saltpetre.’’ But within the last fort- 
night more ooncise and Huthentio information has been 
reoeivod, and the existence of practically inexhaustible 
beds of nitrate in th- Equatorial provinces is reported 
on the autlinrity of the German explorer. Dr. Peters. 
This important discovery has been made within the 
German sphere of influence, but there is strong pre- 
sumptive evidence that similar deposits will be found 
within the adjoining torrilory of tne British East At- 
rioan Company, where tho climatic and geological con- 
ditions aro almost precisely identical. Owing to the 
difficulty of transport a few years must elapse before 
African nitrate osn become a merchantable ooramodity, 
but the partition of Africa amongst the European pow- 
ers has been followed by extraordinarily rapid develop- 
ments, and railroad communication with the interior 
is simply a question of time. Already the subject of 
construeliug a railway to the great lakes is under con- 
sideration, and in support of the project the Govern- 
ment this week are bringing for ward a proposal to 
grant £20,000 towards tho survey of aline from Mom- 
basa (Zanz bar) to tho Victoria Nyaeza . — Jneerpoot 
Monthly Cii'cnlar, 
TRADE PROSPECTS IX CENTRAL 
AFRICA. 
Before a special general mceetiug of the London 
Chamber of Comranroe, held in the oonuoil-room, 
Botolph-liouse, Eastohoap, a paper was road on Thurs- 
day by Mr. Monntenoy Jepbson ou “The Possible 
Expansion of British Trade in East Africa.” Sir A. 
K. Bollit, H P., Chairman of the Council, presided, 
and there was a good attendanoo. 
Mr. Jkpuson observed that three-quarters of the 
British public thought that Central Africa was either 
one uuga de.sert or ooe huge forest, but in tho interior 
of the cointry there were vast tracts of fertile land, 
which were only awaiting cultivation to yield a 
practically unlimited supply of raw material to feed 
our British looms and factories, and there was also a 
vast negro population ready to exchange our manu- 
factured goods for those raw products. It was im- 
possible entirely to separate trade and puilanthropy in 
Africa. Any one reading the history of the march of 
civilization in Africa must bo slruck by the fact that 
most of the important snd lasting benefits to civiliza- 
tion in Oeutral Africa were due to trade. The British 
East Africa Company was largely composed of Sootoh 
and Eaglish gentlemen, whose philantliropio instincts 
wore as proverbial as their instincts for bu-iness and 
commerce. Ho considered Uganda, owing to its position, 
to its commanding so extojdod a waterway, and to 
the healthiness of the climate, as the key to the 
rich countries of the interior. Every traveller who had 
visited Ugandi invariably spoke of it as a country 
with a great future. Very superior ooS'ee grow there 
wild in abundauce, and, if cultivated, it wou'd become 
a great siuirce of wealth and revenue to the country. 
They might safely consider that tea was another trade 
which wouUl spring np with the paciHcatiou and 
developmeot of Uganda. It has also been for many 
years a great up-oountry depot for ivory. In all the 
upland countries lying nrouud the head-waters of 
the Nile cattle were plentiful, and a large trade-in 
hides could also he organized. One of the ohief 
sources through which Emin had prepoaed to bring 
in a largo revonue for the province was oil. The raw 
oo.tou which might be imported from Africa into 
“-uglanl if tho cultivation of tho cottou plant were 
prop orly developed would Ireo England entirely from 
being dependent upon foreign countries for her raw 
cotton, much of which could be returned to Africa in 
tho sbapo of manufactured ootton cloth. Almost the 
entire country between tho lakes and the coast was 
suitable for the cultivation of cotton. The growing 
of tobacco, too, might bo developed into a large trade. 
Sugar cane, wild indigo, and fibre plants grew freely 
and were indigenous in many parts of Africa within 
the British sphere of influenoe. Cereals of many 
kinds, as well as rioe and oil seeds, could be grown 
greatly in excess of home requirements, and oonld be 
exported to India, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. 
In fact, there were few necessary things which could 
not be grown in tho British sphere of influence in 
Afrioa. One of the most important of the many natural 
products of Equatorial Afrioa was indiarnbber, and 
the trade in oatrioh feathers was capable of great 
extension. Altbongh there wore in Central Afrioa many 
million acres of rolling grass downs, all these savan- 
nahs were so infested with parasites that aheep would 
not, he thought, become sufficiently numerous to make 
Africa a wool-prodnoing oouutry. Throughout the 
whole of Central Africa there was abundance of iron 
ore, and gold-bearing quartz had been found in large 
quantity. Copper knives and ornaments were oommon 
features in Monbuttu, Niamniam and the adjoining 
oountrios, where the metal was found in large deposit). 
Speaking of the probable imports of manufactuced 
goads from Great Britain, tho lecturer said that 
between Mombasa and the Victoria Nyauza (be usual 
Manchester ootton goods, wooden stuff, beads of 
various kinds, brass aud iron wire and iron hoes, and 
hardware of all kinds were the mutual coin of the 
oonutry. He hoped that as trade developed in Afrioa, 
and us I be means of transport wore improved, the 
manufactured goods we inirodnoed would be of a better 
quality. It was, however, useless to talk about extend- 
ing trade in Africa and bringing up trade goods to a 
better description without having railways to trans- 
port them. .Stanley, ns fnr back as the time whoa ho 
first oiitorod Africa on his search for Livingstoue, said 
that nothing would ever be done in Africa until it was 
surrounded by su iron girdle. What was now wanted 
was to produces storm of public feeling so overwhelm- 
ing that no Ooverumeut would dare to ignore public 
opinion by refnsing measnres for granting a gnarantoe 
necessary to enable a company to build a railway from 
tho coast to Lake Victoria. Its couatruction should 
be cousidered as belonging to the duty of the Imperial 
Governmeut, for it would bo tho means of stamping 
out tbe slave trade and opening up Briti.sh East Afrioa 
to civilization and commerce, which was eminently an 
Imperial duty. At present everything in Africa bad to 
be carried on men's bends, und therefore the Arabs 
made slave raids to obtain slaves, whom they used as 
beasts of burden. If the railway were built and steam- 
ers put upon the lake there would be no longer any 
need for homsu carriers. Ho would impress strougly 
upon their minds that this help which was expeoted 
from the Government was not a party affair, and that 
the scheme of a railway was entirely suggested by tbe 
declarations embodied in the Brussels Act, and tho ne- 
cessity there was for opening up new fields for British 
manufactures. The Government was not asked to put 
a further burden upon the Treasury, but merely to 
turn a portion of the £200,000 which it annually ex- 
pended upon its squadron on tile East Coast into an- 
other and much more effective channel. He thought 
he was not unreasonable in asking tho various Oham- 
bers of Corameroo to use their ioflueuoe with the Go- 
vernment, to make sure that what the Government had 
recoguized as its duty at theBrussola Conference should 
be carried out.— London Times, Maroh 6. 
ClACHOXA I’ROSl’ECTS. 
Where no counsel is, the people fall ; but iu the 
multitude of counsellors there is safety. When about 
throe thousand years ago, Solomon laiddown this opinion 
it is evident that he did not foresee the plan upon 
which the speculative produce business in general and 
the quinine trade in partioular, would be oonduot’ed at 
the end oftho nineteenth century. The very largeness 
