THE CONGO FREE STATE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2203, 21 August 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE CONGO FREE STATE.

A paper on the subject of the Congo Free State was read on June 7 by Colonel Sir Francis de \Vinton,atan ordinary meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, Sir Rutherford Alcock occupying the chair. Sir Francis took a sanguine view of the capabilities of the State, which, he Raid, was starting on a safe and useful foundation. Law, order, and syntem were beintf rapidly introduced into the working machinery of its government ; it had received an endowment of £40, 000 a year from the King of the Belgians ; and it offered ample security to all who sought a livelihood within its territory. The climate of the Coneo had been made the object of foolit.h praise and lavish abuse, but there was as little reason for one as for the other. It was simply a tiopioul climate with well-known marked types of fever common to such latitude?, and prudence and care were as essential to tho general health as they were found to be all over the world. He believed that the conditions of life had improved out there, and would improve as the country developed — and that the Congo was as healthy as many parts of India and other tropical climates where Europeans were living and had lived for many years with impunity. Discoveries were the uteppingstones for the intorduction of natural Hcieuces, and tho advanced guards of civilisation and commerce. This law .should be applied to the Congo river ba.sin and the New Free State which had been founded to develop it. As a field of labour for tho missionary and philanthropist, these lauds had no equal in the advantages they afforded. To the nportunan, naturalist, scientist they were equally interesting, while their commercial capabilities were exceedingly promising, and created a trade which opened » new door for European produce, and thus helped to solve the question of uneroployed labour. —Mr H. M. Stanley afterwards gave an account of the manner in which the State had been opened up at the instance of the King of the Belgians by himself and Colonel de Winton, who, he explained h;id been sent out in the place of General Guidon, and expressed the opinion that a railway conce>sion from the choif.s of the Congo tribes was absolutely necessary to the welfare of thu new State.