K i w i a Mrge ?uld be Proud of and the rest of the
thev I r6gar With awe' stncken admiration. That
has been6 Q r00,m J or furtber development of ocean carriage
lines f o L b t , demonstrated by the collapse of
lines that have attempted to rival them— the Prince line and
more recently the General Steam Navigation.
these v e s ^ i ^ C° aSt trader has at his disposal
methork nf if- f - y n£ means an easy time, or cheap
rnd in I, m p ng S^ ff ° n board’ save at Sierra Le°ne
bar T L i ? S R S 0 f thf Gold Coast surf, and Lagos
South _ i read/ Spr > and the Calemma as we call the
on th i r L l C'°ast ®urTf nearly, if not quite as bad as that
had moL 1 L 6 I bo!d k is worse< but then I have
had more experience of it, and it has frequently to be worked
on the rn1dgr OUtS; ann “ Vi! theuwell-made surf boats used
s i f e i h i a ? although these surf-boats are more
or / in i f k more expensive than canoes, as a fine ¿40
in i e f l r iaV6T M S I ° f m the Gold Coast surf, so there is litHtlfee itso ocnh!oyo ^seo f ryoema ras
donem6rC standP°lnt between the two surfs when all is
As regards interior transport, the difficulty is greater but
in the majority of the West Coast possessions of European
powers there exist great facilities for transport in the network
litoT eT n S r ^ C°aSt and ^
These waterways are utilised by the natives, being virtually
for the111^ “ 7 dlStricts Practically the only road! existing
for the transport of goods in bulk, or in the present
state of the trade required to exist. But there is room for
more white enterprise in the matter of river navigation ■ and
my own opinion is that if English Capital were to be employed
m the direction of small suitably-built river steamers, it would
be found more repaying than lines of railway. Waterways
that might be developed in this manner exist in the Cross
River, the Volta, and the Ancobra. I do not say that there
will be any immediate dividend on these river steamboat line?
but I do not think that there will be any dividend, immediate
or remote, on railways in West Africa. This question of transport
is at present regarded as a burning one throughout the
Continent ■ and for the well-being of certain parts ofthe West
tmhee uGooildd cCooaasstt. Of Lagos I do no“t pr&ett enLda gOtoS ’ spaenadk onI
have never been ashore there. Of the Gold Coast I have
seen a little, and heard a great deal more, and I think I may
jLI
I