RENEWED INTERCOURSE WITH THE NIGER. ONE cf the weightiest objections
to the Government Niger Expe- dition, was its necessary tendency to suppress the trade from Eu- rope, which had already been opened with the interior through that river. Mr. JAMIESON, whose enterprise had created that trade, felt that it was in vain for the merchant to expect returns for his goods, so long as a joint-stock company, supplied with public money, was scattering lavish presents of similar goods. Mr. JAMIESON therefore withdrew from the field ; and for the civilizing Influence of a commercial intercourse with the agents of British merchants, was substituted the "model-farm," in which Negroes who I ad enough of European education to make them more power- ful than the natives, and who were liberated from the control of European observation, soon established slavery !
The Government expedition having proved a lamentable and disgraceful failure, has in turn been withdrawn ; and the Niger is again left free to the enterprise of British commerce. Mr. JAMIESON, we learn from some remarks which he has printed for circulation among those who take an interest in Africa, is of 'opinion that this mischievous interference having ceased, a success- 'ful attempt might be made to reopen the trade of the Niger. • 3ealousy of the objects of Europeans, he admits, does exist, siuce • the 'Government Commissioners attempted to acquire the sove- reignty of portions of territory on the river ; but this, he is con- 'dent, would be effazed after the second visit of a steamer for ex- clusively commercial purposes. Captain Bscaorr's experience during a stay of nearly seven months on the Niger, has shown that the fatal sickness in the Government expedition was mainly owing to the excess of Europeans in the ships' companies ; and that a • crew of natives under European officers are perfectly competent to the management of a steam- ship. 'Mr. Jamieson proposes to form an Association for reEstablishing the trade with the Niger, destroyed by Government interference, and to raise the requisite funds by sub- scription. There is this to be said in favour of the proposal—that what 'Mr. JAMIESON formerly did unaided, a company with adequate means may do again. The experience acquired by the officers of the Ethiope (Mr. JAMIESON'S steamer) during a three-years cruise in the Niger, Calabar, and neighbouring rivers, and their williug- uess to return, are in favour of the experiment. It is to be wished that something of the kind could be tried. An intercourse with the interior of Africa, which was slowly but surely extending by natural means, has been interrupted by a dreamy attempt to do too much ; and the inhabitants have been shut out from traffic with a more advanced race—the only means of civilizing them. To undo that evil, is a legitimate field for private enterprise. Mr. JAMIESON calculates that 20,000/., at the utmost, would purchase the vessels and secure the working of the plan for four years ; and be thinks there will surely be found in Great Britain twenty persons willing to subscribe 1,0001, or two hundred persons to subscribe 100/. each.
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