Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 25 - A-AUS.pdf/184

 160

A F R

J Q A

[history

eagerly to Herr Flegel’s proposals, and in April 1885 he line between the French and British spheres of influence. the north of the Gold Coast and of the French Ivory left Berlin on a mission to the Fulah states of Sokoto To Coast Colony the way was equally open to Great Britain and Gando. But it was impossible to keep his intentions and to France, while the vagueness of the Say-Barruwa entirely secret, and the British National African Associaleft an opening of which France was quick to avail tion had no desire to see the French rivals, whom they had line herself. Captain Monteil started on his journey in 1890, with so much difficulty dislodged from the river, replaced immediately after the conclusion of the August agreement; by the even more troublesome German. Accordingly Mr but he did not hesitate to pass well to the south. of the Joseph Thomson, the young Scottish explorer, was sent Say-Barruwa line, and to attempt to conclude treaties with out to the Niger, and had the satisfaction of concluding chiefs who were, beyond all question, within the British on the 1st June 1885 a treaty with “ Umoru, King of the sphere. Still farther south, on the Benue river, the two' Mussulmans of the Sudan and Sultan of Sokoto, which expeditions of Lieutenant Mizon—in 1890 and in 1892 practically secured the whole of the trading rights and the to do any real harm to British interests. control of the Sultan’s foreign relations. to the British failed In 1892 an event happened which had an important company. Mr Thomson concluded a similar treaty with bearing on the future course of the dispute. After a the Sultan of Gando, so as to provide against the possi- troublesome war with Behanzin, king of the important bility of its being alleged that Gando was an independent state of Dahomey, France annexed some portion of state and not subject to the suzerainty of the Sultan of native Dahomeyan territory on the coast, and declared a proSokoto. As Mr Thomson descended the river with his tectorate over the rest of the kingdom. In 1894 Dahomey treaties, he met Herr Flegel going up the river, with bundles of German flags and presents for the chiefs. The German was divided into two kingdoms, and the new sovereigns Government recognized that they had been forestalled, and, were appointed by France and accepted the French proexcept for the despairing attempt many years later to tectorate. Thus was removed the barrier which had up that time prevented France from pushing her way establish relations with Gando from Togoland, Germany to Nigerwards from her possessions on the Slave Coast, as dropped out of the competition for the Wbstern Sudan and left the field to France and Great Britain. After this well as from the Upper Niger and the Ivory Coast. Meanher progress from both these directions had been first great success the National African Company renewed while considerable, and in particular Timbuktu had been occupied its efforts to obtain a charter from the British Government, and on the 10th July 1886 the charter was granted, and in the last days of 1893. In 1894 it appears to have been suddenly realized m the company became “ The Royal Niger Company, chartered and limited.” In June of the previous year a France that, for the development of the vast regions which British protectorate had been proclaimed over the whole she was placing under her protection in West Africa, it of the coast from the Rio del Rey to the Lagos frontier, was extremely desirable that she should obtain free access and on the 13th January 1886 the Lagos Settlements had to the navigable portions of the Niger. In the neighbourbeen separated from the Gold Coast and erected into a hood of Bussa there is a long stretch of the river so imseparate colony. It may be convenient to state here that peded by rapids that navigation is practically impossible, the eastern boundary of Lagos with French territory was except in small boats and at considerable risk. Below determined in the Anglo-French agreement of 10th August these rapids France had no foothold on the river, both 1889, which provided that “ the line of demarcation banks from Bussa to the sea being within the British between the spheres of influence of the two powers shall sphere. In 1890 the Royal Niger Company had concluded be identical with the meridian which intersects the terri- a treaty with the Emir and chiefs of Bussa (or Borgu), but tory of Porto Novo at the Ajarra creek, leaving Pokrah, the French declared that the real paramount chief of Borgu an or Pokea, to the English colony of Lagos. It shall follow was not the king of Bussa, but the king of Nikki, d the above-mentioned meridian as far as the 9 th degree three expeditions were despatched in hot haste to Nikki take the king under French protection. Sir George of north latitude, where it shall stop.” Thus both in the to Goldie, however, was not to be baffled. While mainGold Coast hinterland and in the Lagos hinterland a door taining the validity of the earlier treaty with Bussa, he was left wide open to the north of the 9th parallel. Notwithstanding her strenuous efforts, I ranee, in her despatched Captain (now General) Lugard to Nikki, and Lugard was successful in distancing all his French advance down the Niger from Senegal, did not succeed in Captain competitors by several days,’ reaching Nikki on the 5th reaching Sego until the winter of 1890-91, and the rapid November 1894, and concluding a treaty with the king advance of British influence up the river raised serious and chiefs. The French expeditions, which were in great fears lest the Royal Niger Company should reach Timbuktu before France could forestall her. It was, no doubt, this strength, did not hesitate on their arrival to compel the consideration that induced the French Government to con- king to execute fresh treaties with France, and with these sent to the insertion in the agreement of 5th August 1890, in their possession they returned to Dahomey. Shortly by which Great Britain recognized France’s protectorate afterwards a fresh act of aggression was committed. On 13th February 1895 a French officer, Commandant Toutee, over Madagascar, of the following article :— The Government of Her Britannic Majesty recognizes the sphere arrived on the right bank of the Niger opposite Bajibo of influence of France to the south of her Mediterranean posses- and built a fort. His presence there was notified to the sions up to a line from Say on the Niger to Barruwa on Lake^ Royal Niger Company, who protested to the British Chad, drawn in such a manner as to comprise in the sphere of Government against this invasion of their territory. Lord action of the Niger Company all that fairly belongs to the kingdom Rosebery, who was then foreign minister, at once made of Sokoto ; the line to be determined by the commissioners to be inquiries in Paris, and received the assurance that Comappointed. The commissioners never were in fact appointed, and mandant Toutee was “a private traveller.” Eventually the proper meaning to be attached to this article subse- Commandant Toutee was ordered to withdraw, and the quently became a subject of bitter controversy between fort was occupied by the Royal Niger Company’s troops. the two countries. An examination of the map of West Commandant Toutee subsequently published the official Africa will show what possibilities of trouble were left instructions from the French Government under which he open at the end of 1890 by the various agreements con- had acted. It was thought that the recognition of the cluded up to that date. From Say on the Niger to the British claims, involved in the withdrawal of Commandant northern limit of the Lagos frontier there was no boundary Toutee, had marked the final abandonment by France of