INTERVIEW WITH STANLEY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1868, 3 February 1892, Page 5

INTERVIEW WITH STANLEY.

♦ While in Christen urch the African explorer was questioned as to the capabilities of Africa as a field for British settlement and trade. The mention by Mr Stanley of the railway which it is proposed to make from the coast to the interior brought up the subject of the development of English trade in Africa. "There will be developed," said Mr Stanley, " when the railway is made, a market for our English products second to none in the world. The British East African Compapy have acquired a perpetual lease of the territory on the coast from the Sultan of Zanzibar. Now inland, here where you see this extent of country," said he, putting his finger on a part of the pink-colored extent on the map which was on the table before us, " are vast plains similar to yours here, where cattle are raised in large numbers. There is' a very large population in this country, and there are in these towns numbers of Arab merchants, clever men, who will only be too glad to act as the distributing agents of goods brought from England and sent up by railway to the terminal point. The construction of this I railway will enable them to save a large amount of time in the obtaining of the goods. In time the line will be extended to Lado, and then on to the half-civilised people round Durfoor. The goods will be brought to the eastern si<Je of the Victoria Nyanza, and thence across by steamers to this point." As he speaks Mr Stanley indicates a wide stretch of country on the map to the eastward of the lake. " The distance of the railway from the coast to the lake is about 600 miles, and it is fairly good country to traverse. To give you an idea of the present commerce which is carried on under the greatest possible difficulties, I may mention that when 1 was going through the German territory to join with Emm I saw 3,000 people carriers with some 120 tons in one day going inland, They carried cloths, colored shirting, Birmingham ware, Venice beads, and wire drawn brass. These caravans go as far as Ujiji, and in all directions throughout this wide extent of country here." As he speaks, Mr Stanley once more indicates a wide tract of territory stretching over the greater part of the map. "After they have sold their merchandise they return gathering ivory. Now just think of the saving in the cost of carriage which the railway will make. It is now some LBO per ton, whereas it would be reduced when the railway is made to about LlO. Then the time consumed in the journey to the east Bide of the Victoria is now several months besides the risk of loss, etc. With the railway it will be reduced to four days, and, of course, the percentage of loss would be reduced to almost nil. Instead of going all across this wide stretch of country," and here Mr Stanley indicated what he meant by a reference to the map, "Ujiji and Tabora will be only twenty-two days from the terminus as at present proposed. There are regular Arab colonies at Tabora and Ujiji, all of whom would be customers for our Manchester goods, etc. I told you just now about the large amount of cattle raised in the territory over here. The country is pastoral in its character, something like the interior of Australia, I should think. The people live under hide tents. Now, they would be williDg to exchange their hides for our cloths, and the bides could then be sent by rail to Zanzibar, creating a profitable traffic. All along the coast is a large population. Mombassa itself has 30,000 inhabitants, and there are several largely populated places. In addition to these there are a number of old Portuguese forts, constructed by Vasco di Gama, in which there is a very large number of people. The cost of beef is now la per lb, but with the railway running this large cattle country could be profitably tapped, and meat could be sold in these places at about 6d per lb, inducing a profitable carrying trade on the line. Then to this must be added the traffic which would spring up in gum copal, which is found in large quantities in the interior ; indiarubber, the forests of which are easily accessible from the terminus; zebra horns and hides. A very large trade would also be done in salt, which the Natives would require for their cattle, and this could be used as barter for the hides. From what I have said," continues Mr Stanley, "you will see that a vast field for British enterprise will open in Africa with its teeming population when the railway is concluded." I ask what steps have been taken towards so desirable an end, and Mr Stanley says: "A survey party left in December to survey the line. The contour of the country is like your plains here, except that there are rather more valleys and rolling downs. At the Lake there is what I may call a kind of plateau tilted up dividing the two plains from each other. This plateau is escarped, and the line will have to ascend the one side and go down the other to the side of the lake." Here I interpose a description of the proposal to use the Abt system in crossing our Southern Alps to the West Coast, and suggest that it is probable that some such a system will be used in the proposed line to Mombassa. " Yes," says Mr Stanley, after I have told him of the salient points of the Abt system, " I think it is very likely they will do that. You can see on looking at the map how probable it is that once the line is made to the lake the extension into the far interior will only be a question of time. The traffic which will accrue, I am sure, will be very great, and once the initial step is taken the line is certain to be pushed on away up to the farthest extent of British territory. In fact, there is no doubt that a great destiny is before Africa in the near future." IMPRESSIONS OF THE COLONIES. It would be impossible for an interview such as the one now in course of description to terminate without one endeavoring to ascertain how this new country impressed the man who had travelled so far and seen so much. I therefore put the question, prefacing it by the remark that it is one which all travellers have to answer. " Oh, yes," says Mr Stanley, smiling, "I can fully understand that. But let me tell you that it is no mere figure of speech when I say that I am delighted with the colonies, and especially New Zealand. Your climate is charming, and the scenery, so far as I have seen, is exceedingly pretty. The heat, I may say, in Brisbane seemed to be greater than I have felt in Africa, but I attribute that to the fact that they do not appear to have made the requisite provision in the building of their houses, etc., for the endurance of the tropical heat." One part of New Zealand — viz. , Nelson, seems to have impressed Mr Stanley greatly. "There are," says he, " many parts of the colonies where, if I could settle down, I should like fl6 live, but Nelson is the most charming of them all. Mrs Stanley, judging from the enthusiastic tone of her letters to me, seems to be most favorably impressed with Christchurcb, but Nelson to me is one of the most delightful little places I ever saw. Now, let me say bow much I have been impressed with your people. They seem to me to be a superior class altogether, and I have been particularly struck with the children, who look so rosy and healthy." As an old journalist, I seek to get from Mr Stanley his opinion of the papers of the colony, and he gives it frankly. "I am more than surprised," says he, "at the papers heie. When one considers the limited population compared with other places, the development of journalism is remarkable—far in advance of what I expected to find. I have been looking over

the pipers Mrs Stanley has collected for me since we parted, and there is one very remarkable feature about them which has pleased me greatly. That is the general high tone noticeable about them. There is a total absence of that personal element — that dragging into prominence the private life and affairs of individuals in the community which is so objectionable in the American papers. Altogether, I have greatly enjoyed my trip so far through, the colonies, as it has been quite a new experience to me, seeing, as I have done, British people under different and far more favorable auspices than in any part of Her Majesty's dominions.!'