CONGO — CONGREGATIONALISM is a weekly service of three passenger trains in each direction, two days being occupied on the journey. The trains do not run during the night. The single through fare for Europeans is £20, and the freight charges are proportionately high, judged by European standards, though considerably below the charges which had to be paid before the railway was built. The cost of constructing and equipping the railway was 68 millions of francs. Other railways which are projected are a short line from Boma to the Lukulu river, for the purpose of opening up the Mayumbe province ; a line or lines of railway between the navigable waters of the Upper Congo and Lake Tanganyika, with subsidiary lines which would develop the rich provinces of Manyema, Urua, and Katanga ; and a railway in the Upper Welle district, for the purpose of opening up the north-eastern provinces and affording rapid access to the leased territories on the Upper Nile. Waterways—It is, however, in the splendid navigable waterways of the main Congo stream and its tributaries that the Free State has found, and will continue to find, its most powerful instrument in the development of its resources. For a full account of the river and its tributaries reference may be made to the article on the Congo River, but the following table, printed in the Mouvement Giographique, shows approximately the extent of the waterways open to navigation :— Lake Mantumba 220 miles Congo (from Stanley Pool 750 ,, to Stanley Falls) . 990 miles Mobangi. 140 „ Nghiri . 70 Lefini 90 „ Ibenga . 500 Kasai 60 , Lebai 680 Mfini Lukeynia 50 ,, Ombela . 590 Lake Leopold 11 80 ., Kuangu . 220 Kwango 530 „ Ruki 400 Juma 370 ,, Momboyo 400 Sankuru 400 „ Lulonga . 140 Lubefu 280 ,, Lopori . 60 Lubi . 230 ,, Mangala. 160 Lulua 90 „ 200 Rubi Alima 160 ,. Aruwimi. 200 Dikwalea 470 ,, Lomami . 560 Sanga 100 Goko 9350 miles Total 160 Mamberd The State maintains on these waterways a fleet of steamers which in 1900 numbered 26 vessels, for the purpose of preserving authority, provisioning the stations, promoting trade, and operating the postal service. Private trading companies, French, Belgian, and Dutch, and several Missionary Societies also maintain steamers on the inland waters, and the number is being rapidly increased since the docks have been built at Ndolo and the railway offers increased facilities for transport. Away from the railway and the waterways, transport is still mainly effected by porters. Posts and Telegraphs.-—The Free State is included in the Postal Union. There were in 1899, 20 post offices. Steamers leave Leopoldville at regular intervals with mails. In 1898 the postal authorities dealt with 103,032 letters, papers, and other postal matter in the internal service, and with 343,077 in the external service. There is not as yet any direct cable communication with Europe, messages being sent either viti St Thomas or vid St Paul de Loanda. In 1893 a Decree was issued authorizing the construction of a telegraph line from Boma to Lake Tanganyika. In 1895 the line had been made as far as Matadi, and in 1898 it reached Stanley Pool simultaneously with the railway. The line is an aerial one, and is now being carried up the banks of the river towards Stanley Falls, while an expedition under Mr Mohun, an ex-Consul of the United States, was in 1900 engaged in constructing the line from the Tanganyika end. In 1898 a Decree authorized the construction of two branch lines to Rejaf, in the Upper Nile valley, and to Katanga. There is a telephone from Matadi to Stanley Pool, following the railway line. Trading and Exploring Companies.—There are no banks in the Free State, financial operations being conducted either by the State or by the private companies which have been founded principally by Belgian capitalists. Mr A. J. Wauters, Secretary-General of the Compagnie du Congo pour le Commerce et 1’Industrie, which was established in December 1886, and has promoted several subsidiary companies, including the Congo Railway Company, says that in 1898 there were 25 companies represented in the Free State, which had been founded in Belgium, Holland, and Portugal, with a total capital of about 60 millions of francs. Half of this sum was represented by the capital of the railway company, the next largest companies in point of capital being the Belgian Company of the Upper Congo, with a capital of 5 millions of francs, and the Katanga Company with 3 millions. There were other five companies, with their headquarters in the Free State, which had been founded by virtue of special Decrees issued by King Leopold, and were subject to the law of the
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Congo Free State. The capital of two of these companies is not stated, but the other three have a joint capital of 6^ millions of francs. By a Decree issued on the 7th of February 1896 the King authorized the issue of State notes payable to bearer, and a first issue of 400,000 francs was sanctioned. These notes are payable at the State Treasury at Brussels, and are accepted by the State in payment of moneys due to it. Authorities.—Official Protocols and General Act of the West African Conference. London, 1885. — Efitat Inddpendant du Congo d V Exposition de Bruxelles. Brussels, 1897. —Bulletin Officiel de I'Etat Inddpendant du Congo. Brussels, 1885,^ et seq. (published monthly).—Recueil administrate de VEtat Inddpendant du Congo. 3 vols. Brussels.—Documents concemant le Congo, imprimes poor ordre de la Chamhre des representants de Belgique. 1891-95.—Expose des motifs du projet de loi approuvant Vannexion du Congo d la Belgique (Documents parlemcntaires, No. 91). 1895. General: Wauters. L’it tat Inddpendant du Congo. Brussels, 1899.—Wauters and Buyl. Bibliographic du Congo (giving the names of 3800 books, pamphlets, maps, and notices relating to the Congo). Brussels, 1895.—Boulger. The Congo State. London, 1898.—Chapaux. Le Congo Historique, diplomatique, physique, politique, dconomique, humanitaire et coloniale. Brussels, 1894.—Germain. La Question du Congo et ses corrolaires devant le Parlement beige. Brussels, 1899.—Wauters. Le Congo Illustrd. 4 vols. Brussels, 1892-95.—Gather. Droit et Administration de VEtat Inddpendant du Congo. Brussels, 1898. —Droogmans. Quatre Conferences sur le Congo. Brussels, 1895. —Bourguignon and five others. Congo, climat, constitution du sol et hygiene de Vlttat Inddpendant du Congo. Brussels, 1898.— Alexis. Le Congo Beige. Brussels, 1888.—Bailey. Travel and Adventure in the Congo Free State. London, 1894.—Bentley. Life on the Congo. London, 1887.—Bula N’Zau. Travel and Adventures in the Congo Free State. London, 1894.—Burdo. Les Beiges dans VAfrique centrale. 6 vols. Brussels, 1891. Burrows. The Land of the Pigmies. London, 1899.—Coquilhat. Sur le Haut-Congo. Paris, 1888.—Dupont. Le Congo. Brussels, 1889.—Glave. Six Years of Adventure in Congoland. London, 1893.—Godelieve, Marie. Six ans au Congo. Brussels, 1898. Hinde. The Fall of the Congo Arabs. London, 1897.—Jeannent. Quatre Anndes au Congo. Brussels, 1889.—Sir Harry Johnston. The River Congo. London, 1895. The Colonization of Africa. Cambridge, 1899.—Scott Keltie. The Partition of Africa. 2nd ed. London, 1895.—Le Maire. Congo et Belgique. Brussels, 1895. Au Congo comment les noirs travaillent. Brussels, 1895.—Le Mouvement Gdographiquc. Brussels, weekly.—Ortroz. Conventions Internationales concernant VAfrique. Brussels, 1898. —Peschuel-Loesche. Kongoland. Jena, 1887.—Picard. En Congolie. Brussels, 1897.—Rkcuus. Nouvelle geographic universelle. Vol. xiii. Paris, 1888.—Stanley. The Congo and the Founding of its Free State. London, 1885. Through the Dark Continent. London, 1878.—Thys. Au Congo et au Kasai. Brussels, 1888.—Trouet. Le Chemin de fer du Congo. Brussels, 1898. — Van Moesel. Etude sur la legislature de VEtat Independant du Conr/o.—Ward. Five Years with the Congo Cannibals. London,' 1890.—Silva White. The Development of Africa. London, 1890.—Wissmann. Im Innern Afrikas. Berlin, 1888.—Reeves. International Beginnings of the Congo Free Stale. Baltimore, 1894.—Moynier. La Question du Congo Devant VInstitut de Droit International. Geneva, 1883.—Du Fief. La Question du Congo depuis son origine jusqu’ aujourd’hui. Brussels, 1885. (j. s. K.) Congo (French).
See French Congo.
Congregationalism.—Congregationalism as a designation of a Christian denomination has of late in some respects modified its significance. In Great Britain there is to be observed among Congregationalists a growing tendency towards a mutual connexion or combination of churches, as distinguished from a bare Independency. This movement is seen not only in the multiplying of conventions and conferences for religious and educational purposes, but also in more permanent forms of ecclesiastical federation. It appears in the increased vigour and influence of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, which are manifest, for example, in the series of volumes Great entitled Congregational Lectures, together with Britain. the Hymnals, all of which have been issued under its auspices. The merging of the Evangelical Union of Scotland in the Scottish Congregational Union is a circumstance illustrating the prevailing tendency. It may be added that the participation of the British Congregational
