Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 25 - A-AUS.pdf/182

 158

AFRICA

[history

being the distance between the meridian of Kuka and the 14th meridian east of Greenwich, measured on the map (by Kiepert) published in the German Koloniol Atlas of 1892.” Provision was made for settling a new terminal point of the German boundary on Lake Chad, should our present want of knowledge of the geography of that region render such an alteration desirable. By this agreement the British Government withdrew from a considerable section of the upper waters of the Benue with which the Boyal Niger Company had entered into relations. The object of making this sacrifice was, however, apparent. France was, as we have seen, eagerly desirous of securing the whole of Lake Chad for herself. By giving Germany access to the lake Great Britain at the same time satisfied about 200 miles, then the boundary turns due south German ambition as to the hinterland of the Cameroon for 80 or 90 miles, and then sweeps west and colony and interposed a barrier against the junction of the south in a curve to the mouth of the river Cajet. By French Congo and the French Sudan to the south and another article in the same agreement the boundaries of west of the lake. The limit of Germany’s possible extenthe Portuguese Congo enclave with the French Congo sion eastwards was fixed at the basin of the river Shari, and Darfur, Kordofan, and the Bahr-el-Ghazal were to be colony are determined. The negro republic of Liberia has a coast-line of about excluded from her sphere of influence. Germany now 350 miles in length, stretching from the river Mano and found herself in a position to come to terms with the frontier of Sierra Leone to the river Cavally France as to the southern and eastern limits of Cameroon. Liberia. an(^ ^ French Ivory Coast. Its interior limits She had already, on the 24th December 1885, signed a were fixed by agreements with Great Britain on the 11th protocol with France fixing her southern frontier from the November 1885, and with France on the 8th December mouth of the river Campo to the intersection of that 1892. Starting from the left bank of the Mano river, the river with the 10th degree of east longitude, thence frontier extends generally in a north-easterly and northern along the parallel of latitude to the point of its direction, the coast-line having been traced by an Anglo- intersection with 15° E. longitude. But to the east Liberian Boundary Commission, until it reaches a point German explorers were crossing the track of French about half-way between the 8th and 9th parallels of explorers from the northern bank of the Mobangi, and the north latitude, when it strikes due east to beyond the need for an agreement was obvious. Accordingly, on the 9th meridian of west longitude, then strikes south-east, 4th February 1894, a protocol—which, some weeks later, and after a short run due east intersects the Cavally river, was confirmed by a convention—was signed at Berlin, by which France accepted the presence of Germany on Lake Avhich it follows to the coast. It will be remembered that Dr Nachtigal, while the Chad as a fait accompli and effected the best bargain she proposals for the Berlin Conference were under discussion, could by making the left bank of the Shari river, from its had planted the German flag on the coast of outlet into Lake Chad to the 10th parallel of north Germany Togo and in Cameroon in the month of July latitude, the eastern limit of German extension. From Cameroon. 1881. In Cameroon Germany found herself this point the boundary line went due west some 230 with Great Britain for a neighbour to the miles, then turned south, and with various indentations north, and with France as her southern neighbour on the joined the south-eastern frontier, which had been slightly Gabun river. The utmost activity was displayed in extended so as to give Germany access to the Sangha river making treaties with native chiefs, and in securing as wide —a tributary of the Congo. Thus, early in 1894, the a range of coast for German enterprise as was possible. German Cameroon colony had reached its present definite In May 1885 a provisional agreement was made between limits. The German Togoland Settlements occupy a narrow Great Britain and Germany as to the northern limits of Germany’s activity. This was subsequently modified in strip of the Guinea Coast, some 35 miles only in August 1888, and on the 28th March 1887 Great Britain length, wedged in between the British Gold Togoland% renounced in favour of Germany her sovereignty over Coast and French Dahomey. At first France Ambas Bay. In the famous agreement of 1st July 1890 was inclined to dispute Germany’s claims to Little Popo a “ provisional line of demarcation ” was adopted, starting and Porto Seguro; but in December 1885 the French from the head of the Bio del Bey creek and going to the Government acknowledged the German protectorate over point, about 9° 8' E. longitude, marked “ rapids ” on these places, and the boundary between French and the British Admiralty Chart. By a further agreement of German territory, which runs in an irregular line almost 14th April 1893, the right bank of the Bio del Bey was due north from the coast to the 11th degree of latimade the boundary between the Oil Bivers Protectorate tude, was laid down by the Franco-German Convention of (now Southern Nigeria) and Cameroon. In the follow- 12th July 1897. It was not, however, until the end of ing November (1893) the boundary was continued from 1899, after two years of arduous and constantly-interrupted the “ rapids ” before mentioned, on the Old Calabar or labours, that the Joint Commission completed the work of Cross river, in a straight line towards the centre of the delimitation. The fixing of the 11th parallel as the town of Yola, on the Benue river. Yola itself, with a northern boundary of German expansion towards the radius of some 3 miles, was left in the British sphere, interior was not accomplished without some sacrifice of and the German boundary followed the circle eastwards German ambitions. Having secured an opening on Lake from the point of intersection as it neared Yola until it Chad for her Cameroon colony, Germany was anxious to met the Benue river. From that point it crossed the river obtain a footing on the Middle Niger for Togoland. to the intersection of the 13th degree of longitude German expeditions reached Gando, one of the tributary with the 10th degree of north latitude, and then made states of the Sokoto empire on the Middle Niger, and, notdirect for a point on the southern shore of Lake Chad withstanding the existence of prior treaties with Great “ situated 35 minutes east of the meridian of Kuka, this, Britain, sought to conclude agreements with the Sultan of

the much-desired communication between the Western Sudan and the Congo was reluctantly compelled to go round the northern and eastern shores of the lake, instead of through the richer and more populous regions to the west and south of the lake. The real struggle in West Africa was between France and Great Britain ; but before tracing the steps of that historic contest, it may be well to deal briefly with the part played by the other Powers in West Africa. Portuguese Guinea, with, a coast-line of some 200 miles, is entirely surrounded by French possessions. Its frontiers were fixed by an agreement signed at Paris on Portuguese tpe ]^th y^ay 1886. The northern frontier Guinea. ext3ncis almost due east from Cape Boxo for