This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1919 edition. Excerpt: ...in that distance. There is navigation up the lower Congo for 90 miles from its mouth; the rapids through the mountains are circumvented by railways in various places, above which about 8,000 miles of navigation are spread along the various branches of the upper Congo. The climate is torrid, and, excepting at ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1919 edition. Excerpt: ...in that distance. There is navigation up the lower Congo for 90 miles from its mouth; the rapids through the mountains are circumvented by railways in various places, above which about 8,000 miles of navigation are spread along the various branches of the upper Congo. The climate is torrid, and, excepting at some places, unhealthful for white races; but the heat is tempered by the elevation of the plateau, and as the whites have learned the conditions of health, the mortality among them has been reduced more than one-half. Great tropical forests are found in the east and northeast. Most of the state consists of rolling grass-lands, interspersed with areas of timber. A profusion of tropical plants and animals provides abundant food for the natives. The chief commercial products as yet are rubber, palm nuts, palm oil, and ivory; but some cotton and tobacco plantations are beginning to flourish. The wealth in rubber is enormous. European cattle have been introduced into regions where the tse-tse fly is not found. Gold, copper, silver and iron are the principal metals. Katanga, the southeast district, has great mineral wealth. On the upper Congo and its tributaries are 100 small steamers and many tow-boats, which ply to the heads of navigation. Ocean steamships reach Moma and the lower river stations. Nearly 1,000 miles of railway are in operation. Many thousands of the younger natives are being taught trades, and all manual and considerable skilled labor is performed by natives under white supervision. In 1912, the year of greatest trade, exports totalled $28,500,000; imports, $22,150,000. The larger part of the export was crude rubber. Belgian Possessions: --see Belgian Congo, p. 155. Belgium.--A constitutional monarchy of northwestern Europe...
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