The New World of Central Africa. With a history of the first Christian Mission on the Congo ... With maps ... and illustrations

Preface

. Our Lord Jesus Christ cares for Central Africa. He died to redeem its sons and daughters as well as the rest of mankind. This conviction gives courage to His servants in seeking to save among its dark tribes — difficult, and all but hopeless, as the task at first sight appears. Men of the world mock at the attempt, and ridicule the idea that such " undeveloped " human beings can ever be transformed into God-fearing and spiritually minded Christians. But what can they say to facts ? Such transformations may be, for they have already been. To the Bantu races of the Dark Continent the gospel has proved the power of God unto salvation. Ridicule looks foolish in the light of reality, and expe rience smiles at incredulity. This book records the work of a band of heroic young Christian men and women, who gave them selves to live or die, as it might please God, that Central Africa might receive the gospel.

Inspiration has preserved for us the acts of the first apostles, and they left us an example, among other things, of rehearsing in the ears of the Church at home the incidents of their missionary undertakings. They b

PREFACE.

. VI assumed that all the disciples were equally interested with themselves in the spread of the gospel. We do the same in giving this story of the Livingstone Inland Mission. We record facts that may cheer the hearts of those now labouring in the field, and point to " Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o'er life's solemn main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again." In telling the story we necessarily depict more or less of the sphere, and present its claims on Christians; relating at the same time some of the remarkable providences which indicate the will of God as to the immediate evangelization of Africa. The book makes no pretension to literary excel lence. It has been prepared in the scant leisure afforded by the pressing practical duties of a missionary secretary, and this must be pleaded as the apology for many defects.

It is in some senses a fresh and enlarged edition of one published some years ago, and long out of print, entitled, " The First Christian Mission on the Congo." But the former work was less than a fifth part the size of this, and told the story of two years only, instead of that of twelve ; so that this is virtually a new book, and we have therefore given it a new title. Since the issue of that first narrative Central Africa has been far more largely explored, and its claims on Christian love and compassion are so much the stronger and better understood. There is no deny-

PREFACE.

. VII ing that mission work in the Dark Continent is a hard task, and one that demands much self-denial, faith, and patience. Our pages prove however that it is no forlorn hope, and that the obstacles to success are by no means insuperable. Too much has perhaps been said about the dan gers of the climate and the difficulties of the work. Pioneering in barbarous countries must always be attended with considerable risk, and Central Africa has been no exception to the rule. But the pioneer ing work there is now largely done, and the dangers and hardships are proportionately diminished. The Bantu races over millions of square miles are now almost as easily accessible to the gospel as the Chinese or the Hindus. They have been fairly intro duced to the knowledge of the civilized world ; may they be speedily embraced in the love of the Chris tian Church !

That this book may to some extent conduce to such a result is the earnest desire of the writer. East London Institute for Home and Foreign Missions, Harley House, Bow, London, E. March, 1890. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

What it Is. Further knowledge about Africa needed. — Reasons why it has been so long concealed. — Christian responsibility towards the Dark Continent. — Definition of the new world of Central Africa. — Length of the Congo water-way. — The Congo Free State. — The Bantu races. — The Soudan as distinct from Central Africa. — Drummond on the African man. — Sketch of a Central African village. — A roadless world. — Its inhabitants not primitive, but sin-degraded. — The last great task of the Church . . . pp. 1—33.

Chapter II

A Journey through the New World. Lessons learned from book-titles. — Meaning of "Through the Dark Continent." — From Zanzibar to the lakes. — The Victoria Nyanza plateau. — The Central African Alps. — After two years' travelling, the mighty Congo at last ! — Four months floating down stream. — Struggles with the mighty river. — Tragedies of the Cataract gorge. — The Atlantic at last. — The providence of God in this journey. — pp- 35-51- CONTENTS. X

Chapter III

How the Free State was Founded. Stanley's third mission in Africa. — The founding of the Congo Free State.— Leopoldville, 1881.— A Congo Candace.— Discovery of Lake Leopold. — Second expedition. — Work on the Upper Congo.— " Friends, this is a rich country." — An African Hercules. — Wangata Station and Mata Bwyki. —A brave Scotchman. — Commercial genius of the Congoese. — Return to Europe, 1884 . . . pp. 53-75-

Chapter IV

The Berlin Conference. Europe's need of Central Africa. — King Leopold II. of Belgium. — What was to become of the new world ? — Position assumed by Portugal. — The Berlin Conference. — Large concessions to Portugal and France. — Formation of the Congo Free State. — Its limits, those of the Congo basin. — Leopold first king. — Provisions for free trade, anti-slavery, and religious liberty pp. 77-88.

Chapter V

Portuguese Claims to African Territory. Papal geography. — The objects of European interference in Africa. — These never obtained under Portuguese influence. —Portuguese colonial history. — Vast empire in the sixteenth century. — Steady decay ever since. — Condition of her internal and colonial resources. — Mercantile marine all but extinct. — Manufactures the same. — Reasons for this singular history. — Condition of her remaining colonies. — Ruined by the abolition of the slave-trade. — Portugal not likely to help East Africa. — The colonists still connive at slavery. — Experience of Cameron and Livingstone. — Testimony of Antonio Gallenga. — Portugal and Nyassaland. — Freedom of great natural highways .... pp. 91-113. CONTENTS. XI

Chapter VI

Africa's Greatest Curse. The " open sore of the world." — The Arab slave-trade. — Fulfilment of the prophecy about Ishmael. — The Arab plan of campaign. — Commander Cameron's testimony. — Cardinal Lavigerie's testimony. — Stanley's experience. — Ivory and gunpowder at the back of slavery. — Progress of the slave-trade in Nyassaland. — What Major Wissmann saw among the Basonge. — Bagna Pesihi. — The harassed and depopulated districts. — The Brussels Conference. — Four short railways. — The domestic slavery of Africa pp. 1 15-137.

Chapter VII

Europe's Sin and Africa's Sorrow. The drink traffic. — The guilty nations. — The dimensions of the trade. — Its ruinous effect on natives. — The "vested rights" of drink-sellers. — Experience of W. S. Caine, M.P. — At whose door the crime lies. — Kroo villages a kind of hades. — The extermination of the race a question of time. — Free trade need not include free trade in drink. — Native converts say, " Christians do not drink." — Prohibition the only cure. pp. 138-153.

Chapter VIII

Present Condition of the New World. Later discoveries. — The Mobangi and the Kasai. — The value of the Congo basin. — The proposed Congo railway.^ Legislation of the Congo Free State. — Administrative divisions. — Garangange and Kasongo. — The Great Lake district. — The French Congo pp. 155—1 71. CONTENTS. XII

Chapter I

Why we Began the Mission, and How. An open door. — Deliberations. — Basis of the L.I.M. — The Lower Congo in 1878. — Henry Craven. — Obstacles to progress. — Crocodiles, scorpions, and serpents. — The first Christian home in Congoland. — Poor, bleeding Africa. — The founding of Banza Manteka. — Death of James Telford. First Christian grave on the Congo. — African life by Mr. Henry Richards. — A Scotchman's devotion pp. 175-201.

Chapter II

The McCall Expedition, 1S80. The need of more vigorous measures. — Adam McCall, of Leicester. — His travels and experience in South Africa, the Transvaal, Matabeleland, on the Zambesi, and in the Barotse valley. — Volunteers for the Congo. — His colleagues. — Importance of thorough outfit. — Faith and effort. — " A better investment." — Farewell meetings at Leicester, Plymouth, etc. — The Vanguard. — Departure of the party. — The attempt to use donkeys. — Experience with Kroo-boys. — Death of Charles Petersen. — Rescue of native victims. — Matadi Minkanda. — Disappointing experience with donkeys. — Attacked by wasps. — A man burned to death. — No carriers. — A timeless world. — Terrible discouragements. pp. 203-236.

Chapter III

Change in the Management of the Mission. Need of strengthening the home department. — The Rev. A. Tilly resigns the Secretaryship, which is undertaken by the writer. — Proceedings of the Committee. — Reinforce- CONTENTS. XIII ments needed, 1881. — Three thousand pounds sent in. — Donation of a house for Banana. — The Livingstone steam-launch. — Her trial trip on the Congo. — Messrs. Ingham, Angus, Smith, and Waters. — Wedding and part ing. — The Congo dialects and the Bantu tongues. — First grammar and translations. — A boy's prayer in Congo, in terlined with translation. — Drummond's testimony to Moolu. pp. 237--2(A.

Chapter IV

A Dark Year in the Dark Continent. Need of a steamer for the upper river. — Donation of one from the Antipodes. — Fever and flood. — Death of Hugh Mc- Kergow. — Native difficulties in understanding missionary deaths. — Progress at Palabala and Banza Manteka. — Prayer for rain answered. — Difficulties in canoeing on the river. — Bemba Station among the Basundi. — The 4th of Feb., 1881. — " Dead news for you, sir." — " Cast down, but not destroyed." — Shooting a boa-constrictor. — Need of patience. — Not explorers, but missionaries. — McCall's last visit to Palabala. — Terrible sufferings. — Obliged to come home. — Embarks on the Lualaba . . pp. 267-289.

Chapter V

The Voyage Home. Last look at Africa. — Final entries in the log. — Lands at Madeira. — Fatal attack. — The good Samaritan. — The gale and the Garth Castle. — A desolate voyage ; too late ! — Severe trial of faith. — Death of Mary Richards — The value of a missionary's wife. — Danger no excuse for disobedience. — Our marching orders .... pp. 291-306.

Chapter VI

Reinforcements and Firstfruits. Faint, yet pursuing. — Dr. A. Sims, of Aberdeen, volunteers. — First medical missionary. — Mr. William Appel.— Messrs. Liley and Westlind. — A new party of nine. — " Do send CONTENTS. XIV plenty teachers." — Men, money, sympathy, and prayer. — Baptism of native lads ; firstfruits from Congoland. — Their return, with Mr. and Mrs. Craven to Africa. — Messrs. Harvey and Billington invalided home . pp. 307-317.

Chapter VII

Progress in Africa in 1882. Difficulties of the North Bank. — Scarcity of food. — Mukimbungu and Lukunga stations. — Deserters. — Stanley's visit to Lukunga. — Native conscience about murder. — Burning of Bemba Station. — Fire at Palabala . . pp. 319-335.

Chapter VIII

The Death Roll of 1882. Haben's return.— " Lanceley gone !"— Mr. Clarke's account of the tragic circumstances. — A martyr for Jesus.— Deaths of Jesse Blunt at Palabala and of William Appel at Banana. —Dangerous energy.— Extreme caution required.— The law of fruitfulness. — Livingstone's day of discouragement. — By God's help, " Forward." — In memoriam . pp. 337-353.

Chapter IX

Leopoldville and the Upper Congo. Dr. Sims at Stanley Pool, 1883.— Preparations for building the Henry /??,?</.— Description of the mission steamer.— The five hundred loads to be carried about 225 miles. Influence of Christian lads.— Marriages of Mr. White and Mr. Ingham. — Banana Station moved to Mukimvika.— The buildings at Leopoldville— Description of Stanley Pool.— Two months' voyage in canoe.— First death of a Christian native.— Topsy's brief story.— Equator Station, Wangata.— The N'kundu tribes.— Dr. Sims' voyage to the Falls and back with Mr. Grenfell, of the B.M.S.— Launch of the Henry Reed pp, 355-38S. CONTENTS. XV

Chapter X

Transfer of the Mission to American Management. Condition of the Livingstone Inland Mission in 1884. — Preliminary difficulties overcome. — Extension and importance of the enterprise. — " Individuals die ; societies live on." — The American Baptist Missionary Union. — Its antecedents and present undertakings. — Transfer of the Livingstone Inland Mission. — Staff and stations at the time. — Death of Mr. H. Craven at Kabinda. — Messrs. Hoste and McKittrick and others join the Mission . . .

Chapter I

The Beginning of Spiritual Blessing. Letters from Messrs. Joseph Clarke and Stephen White. — And from Messrs. Harvey and Hoste. — Accounts of Mr. Richards. — Turning to God from idols. — Witnessing for Jesus. — A Congo baptism. — Recent visits to Banza Manteka described by Mr. Whytock and Mrs. McKittrick . pp. 413-426.

Chapter II

A Chat with Mr. Richards, of Banza Manteka. The missionary's main work. — Seeking first conversion. — Evidences of the new birth. — Must not aim at Europeanizing Africans. — The clothes question. — Men are the same, though skins differ. — " White people actually love each other ! " — Barnabas and Lydia. — Church government. — Native preachers. — Native view of flogging. — How to discipline the unruly.— Native quickness in learning. pp. 429-442- CONTENTS.

Chapter III

Progress under the A.B.M.U., 1885-90. Brief Summary — The Henry Reed at work — Messrs. Pettersen and Eddie at Wangata — Dr. Sims' return and visit to America. — Asbury Park Conference.— Speeches by Dr. Gordon and Dr. Crane. — Fresh Explorers in Africa. — Iron church sent out from Boston to Banza Manteka. — American ladies join the Mission.— The natives on the upper river. — Mr. Hoste's itinerations and plans for extension pp. 445-459.

Chapter IV

Our New Congo-Balolo Mission. The Missionary Conference of 1888. — Progress and policy of the A.B.M.U.— The need of the "regions beyond."— Reasons for an English auxiliary. — Return of Mr. John McKittrick. — Sketch of the Balolo people. — Social and religious condition. —The New Congo-Balolo Mission founded. — Harmonious and auxiliary, yet distinct from the A.B.M.U. — The first pioneer party. — Bompole's farewell and letter. — Financial supplies, sailing of the missionary band, and progress to date. — The basis of the Mission. — The Pioneer steamer pp. 461-4S7.

Chapter V

The Climate of the Congo. Causes of mortality among Europeans. — Stanley's testimony after having tested it for six years. — Draughts and chill as causes of fever. — Hill stations v. low-lying land. — Typical causes.- — Try it at home. — Malaria is a second cause. — Rationale of its operation. — Drink accountable for a large proportion of the deaths. — Alcohol dangerous in the tropics. — " Follies leading to self-destruction." — Good health possible pp. 489-518. Conclusion ,....".. pp. 519-523. Appendix pp. 523-535- FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Upper Congo Fisherman 2 The Christopher Columbus of the New World . 34 The Falls of Ntamo 52 A Central African Queen 61 A King and his Court 64 Leopold II 76 A Central African Encampment . . . . 8r A Mangrove Swamp 90 The Victoria Falls of the Zambesi . . . 109 Shooting an Exhausted Slave 114 An Arab Slave-Raid 120, 121 Natives Drawing Palm-wine 141 The Kroo Coast 14S A Forest Scene in the Heart of Africa . -154 Pre-historic Africa 168, 169 Portrait of Henry Craven 174 Carriers on a Journey 18S Portrait of Adam McCall 202 A Kroo-Boy Headman 214 Portrait of Rev. Alfred Tilly . . . .241 African Wives and Mothers 254 Portrait of Henry Reed, Esq. . . . to face p. 267 Portrait of Dr. Sims 308 Natural Bridges of Fallen Ti-mber . . . 318 "A Supply of Meat for the Carriers". . . 325 Portrait of George Lanceley 336 Native Execution at a Funeral .... 354 The Henry Reed 359 "Hippos" 368 Bolobo Station of the B.M.S 3S4 Portrait of Rev. J. N. Murdock, D.D. . . . 390 Portrait of Frederick Stanley Arnot . . . 400 Sowing in Tears ; Reaping in Joy .... 412 Portrait of Mr. Henry Richards .... 428 Group of Thirteen Missionaries ....

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Group of Eight Missionaries .... 460 Bompole's Letter 480 The Steam-launch Pioneer 484 A Tornado in the Forest 488 Dr. Sims' Station at Stanley Pool . . . 496 Harley College and Grounds, London . . 530 SMALL ILLUSTRATIONS.

Peep at the Nile 9 Bantus of Bihe 15 A Slave Girl of the Soudan 17 An African Village 20 A Forest Path 27 Monbutto Warriors 38 Crossing Flooded Plains 43 Native Heads 44 Catastrophe on the Congo 47 Dragging Canoes Overland 48 In the Rapids 49 A Congo Caravan 57 An Upper Congo Home 69 Interview with a Native Chief .... 72 Group of Natives ....... 79 The Inquisition at Goa 99, 100 Ivory Porters 118 A Native Village of Round Huts . . . 128 Nyam-Nyam Warriors 153 One of the Lesser Tributaries of the Congo 158 Ponta da Lenha 161 Manyema Heads 164 Native Jewellery 170 One of the Natives 184 Congo Idols 191 Palm Trees 198 Portrait of Mr. Charles Petersen . . . 218 " Stones and Palm Trees " 223 Mouth of the M'poso River 227 The Livingstone Steam-launch .... 247 Portrait of Mr. Stephen White .... 274 Portrait of Mary Richards 299 Bird's-eye View of Stanley Pool. . . . 312 Portrait of Miss Spearing LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xix PAGE A Camp Fire 333 Portrait of Mr. William JVppel .... 346 In Memoriam 353 Leopoldville, Stanley Pool 365 A Native of I boko, Upper Congo .... 367 Islet in Stanley Pool 375 "Poultry, Goats, and Native Productions" . 376 An Upper Congo Woman 379 Trading-canoe on the Congo .... 381 "Guided" 399 Portrait of Mr. Joseph Clarke .... 414 Portrait of Mr J. H. Hoste 4'8 Throwing down Nkisis 421 Preparing the Mid-day Meal .... 422 Carrying 434 A Native Preacher 439 Portraits of Mr. Joseph Clarke and his Boys 441 A Medicine Man 447 Portrait of Mr. Charles Harvey . . . 451 Curious Native Head-dress 453 Portrait of Mr. Banks 455 African Ant- Hills 456 One of the Kyansi-speaking People . . . 463 Bompole 4°6 Balolo Heads 469 Portrait of Mr. John McKittrick ... 472 Mrs. McKittrick and Congo Boys . . . 475 A King's Grave 481 Scene at the Funeral of Bompole's Father . 487 The Woody Banks of the Congo .... 501 Kinchassa Station 506 MAPS.

Diagram Map of Central Africa . . . . xx Political Map of Central Africa as Settled by the Berlin Conference 85 Map of the Congo Basin 89 Map of the Balolo Region . . . lo face p. 467 Large Map at end. London, StanSordS Geo£'£stao' *X CA. UPPER CONGO FISHERMAN.

Section I. How The New World Was Discovered, Ex Plored, And Brought

WITHIN THE PALE OF CIVILIZATION. THE CONDITION OF THE NEW WORLD, ITS HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, INHABITANTS, CLIMATE, FERTILITY, AND EXTENT ; ITS IMPORT ANCE, ITS RICHES, ITS GREAT CURSES, AND ITS CLAIMS ON CHRISTENDOM.

Chapter I The Ne

W WORLD OF CENTRAL AFRICA. It may safely be said that the great discoveries of Columbus and Americus Vespuccius in the sixteenth century did not make a more important addition to our knowledge of the habitable globe than do the Central African discoveries of the latter half of this nineteenth century. For, though its coast-line and certain of its seaboard countries were long familiar, the vast interior of Africa was to all intents and purposes an unknown world till within the last fifty years, and a very great part till within the last twelve. Through the journeys of Burton, Speke and Grant, of Livingstone and Stanley, of Cameron, Schweinfurth, Baker, of Cappello and Ivens, of Wissmann and Pogge, of Montiero, Lacerda, Serpa Pinto, Arnot, and a host of other explorers, it is now for the first time unveiled It contains one-fourth of the entire land area of the globe ; so it is a new world, which, as regards dimensions, equals North and South America put together, or North America and Europe combined.

It is es timated to have a population of about three hundred or three hundred and fifty millions, more than one- AFRICA'S RACES NOT EVANESCENT. 6 fifth of the entire human race ; and that population, for the most part, is evidently one destined to endure, and not — like the aborigines of the North American continent — to pass away and perish before the ad vance of the stronger and more civilized white men. We ought to know more about such a continent as this ! We, as Christians, have duties towards Africa which we shall never fulfil unless we acquaint our selves with the character and condition of the countless nations, kindreds, and tribes inhabiting that continent. For eighteen centuries since the gospel came into the world, most of them have been allowed to sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, without any message of eternal life.

Sad and sorrowful fact ! Its cause is to be sought partly in the early corrup tion, and subsequent destruction by the Saracenic conquests, of the primitive Church of North Africa, exterminating the faith of Christ in those regions from which the rest of the continent might otherwise have been evangelized ; and partly in the universal and long-continued apostasy of the Church of the Middle Ages, destroying as it did to a large extent her missionary zeal. That during the last four centuries of rapid and universal exploration of the surface of our globe so large a portion of it as Central Africa should have remained till these our days a terra incognita, is per haps an indication of a merciful Providence. Until Christianity had so far influenced the minds and con sciences of the nations of the earth as to lead them to WHY SO LONG HIDDEN. 7 see the sin of slavery and abolish it, it was better for the poor African to lie hidden from the world, than that his home should become the haunt of the slave hunter.

The west coast was half depopulated by this curse ; and one cannot but rejoice that Stanley's great journey was not made two hundred years ago ! Had it been so, slave-raiding would have spread all up the Congo, and desolated the heart of Africa. The present terrible sufferings of the natives in the eastern half of Equatorial Africa under the Arab slave-trade show what might have been on the other side, had the Dark Continent been unveiled too soon ! Even now the conscience of the civilized nations of Europe and America is not sufficiently enlightened to lead them to refrain from ruining these untaught races by rum. The greed of gain is greater than the sense of responsibility still, and the deadly drink traffic is suffered to destroy and degrade the native races. Merchants, alas ! are more enterprising in taking them liquors which have well been called "distilled dam nation " than Christians arc as yet in giving them the gospel.

We cannot be held responsible for the negligence of other ages, or blamed for not sending the gospel to tribes and kindreds of whose very existence we were ignorant. But now that the tremendous and thrilling facts of the case are made known to us ; now that by the aid of the narratives of explorers, missionaries, travellers, officers, and traders we can traverse region after region, and make acquaintance with nation after nation of this new world ; now that we can realize AFRICA OLD AND NEW. their deep, deep need of the softening and purifying gospel of the grace of God ; now the case is very dif ferent. Now we are responsible ; now we shall deserve blame in the day of Christ if we feed not these hun gry souls and rescue not these perishing nations. We fully believe that no part of the world has so strong a claim on the energies of the Christian Church at this time as Central Africa; and that every man, woman, and child who loves the Lord Jesus Christ, and longs in proof of it to keep His commandments, ought to take some part or other in the great task of giving it the gospel.

By " the new world of Central Africa " we do not designate by any means the whole of the great con tinent, most of which is by no means new, even in the sense of being newly made known. Our know ledge of Egypt goes back four thousand years, to the days of Abraham ; our knowledge of Carthage and of North Africa goes back to the days of Hannibal and the Punic wars ; our knowledge of the West Coast — including the mouth of the Congo — and of the Cape dates from the Portuguese discoveries of the fifteenth century. None of these parts can therefore be called new. The region that does deserve that name is the central portion of Africa, lying between the Soudan and the Zambesi. All this is new — so new that the earliest effective explorations of it only go back to the middle of this century. Geographically we may describe this new world as extending right across the continent and through twenty-five degrees of latitude — from the Soudan and 'EGYPT GOES BACK 4,000 YEARS." the watershed between the Nile and the Congo, in the north, to the Zambesi River in the south, and from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic.

This is the region we intend by " Central Africa" ; and the central portion of this Central Africa is the new Congo Free State, of which we shall have much to say hereafter. Besides it however Central Africa contains many distinct regions. Beginning in the north-east, there is, for instance, the beautiful Masai country — the Switzerland of Africa — with its grand, snow-capped mountains iS.ooo feet high, a country running back from the Indian Ocean to the great Victoria Lake, and now included in the sphere of English influence : there is the immense region marked COUNTRIES OF THE NEW WORLD. 10 on modern maps as "the sphere of German influence" extending from the shallow territories of the Sultan of Zanzibar to the western shores of the great Tanganyika. There is the southern Nyassa district, which has already made so much progress on the road to civilization, and which is now the theatre of so severe a struggle between its British benefactors and the Arab slave-traders, who are seeking its ruin.

There is also the large lacustrine district inclosed by lakes Bangweolo and Moero on the east and the long chain of lakes on the Lualaba on the west, — including Kasongo and M'sidi's kingdom in the Garangange country. Then there is the great Lunda country, and the extensive Barotse valley, and the Bashilange district ; the immense territory added to the Portu guese colony of Angola by the Berlin Conference ; and the Ogowe country assigned to France. Lastly there are the northern kingdoms of the Nyam-Nyam and the Monbutto, explored by Schweinfurth, and traversed by the many streams which form the head waters of the great northern tributary of the Congo, the Mobangi- Welle ; and, lastly, the kingdoms of Unyoro and Uganda, the dwarf-haunted forests, and the new countries lately traversed by Stanley.

No region on earth possesses a more magnificent system of inland lakes and rivers than does the new world of Central Africa, once thought to be desolate. This seems to be a compensation for the great disadvantage which weighs upon the African continent in her very short coast-line. History proves that continents progress in civilization in a direct ratio to DISADVANTAGE OF SHORT COAST-LINE. 11 the length of their coast-lines as compared with their superficial areas. Europe, with its area of only three and a half millions of square miles, has a coast-line of seventeen thousand miles ; while Africa, with fully eight times the superficial area, has a coast-line of only fourteen thousand miles in length. Were it relatively of the same length as that of Europe, it would be a hundred and thirty-six thousand miles, instead of fourteen thousand.

Hence its backward condition, and its late awakening to the civilized life of the human race. Its inland water system however is some compensation for this serious disadvantage. Besides the Nile and the Niger systems in North and West Africa, and the Zambesi system in the south, Central Africa has no less than eighty thousand square miles of lake water, and in the Congo system the second largest river and river basin in the world. The Congo and its tributaries form a longer line of navigable water than the whole coast-line of Europe. If we start from the North Cape and the land of the midnight sun, sail in and out of the fiords of Norway, coast round the Skagerack and the Cattegat, all up the Baltic, round the Gulf of Bothnia, and follow every inlet of the Gulf of Finland ; if we then sail on along the North German coast and all round Den mark, circumnavigate our own little British Isles and cross back to Hamburg, then coast along the shores of Holland, Belgium, France, sail round the Bay of Biscay, and by the shores of Portugal and Spain to Marseilles, along the beautiful Riviera and the coast of Italy, visit every creek and inlet of the Adriatic, and 22,000 MILES OF RIVER BANK. 12 of Greece and its glorious Archipelago, pass through the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmora and the fabulously beautiful Bosphorus, run up the Black Sea by the coasts of Roumania and Bulgaria, and then skirt the southern shores of Russia, of the Crimæa, and of the Caucasus — in all this long voyage we should not sail past a coast as long extended as that presented by the river banks and lake shores of the navigable water-way of the Congo.