Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/376

 22,000 square miles. But this is the mere nucleus of the vast colonial empire which Germany reserves to herself the right of gradually extending as far as Tanganyika, source of the Congo, and to Victoria Nyanza, source of the Nile In taking possession of these lands the German traders, sure of the support of their Government, proceeded with rare boldness and foresight. Disguised as poor emigrants they landed at Saadani, without betraying their true character, and within seven days they had executed their first treaty of annexation, which was soon followed by several others. Hastening to take their stand on accomplished facts, they obtained from the Berlin Government a "letter of protection," and then an Imperial charter, armed with which documents they felt confident that

their interests would henceforth be safeguarded against those both of Great Britain and the Sultan of Zanzibar.

A German fleet then made its appearance before the royal residence, and under the muzzles of the guns the Sultan was fain to recognise 'that his suzerainty had ceased for ever. He even surrendered the two chief ports that still remained to him on this coast, thus handing over to the agents of the German customs the keys of his treasury. In 1886 a special convention signed with England recognised not only the annexations already made by the Germans, but also those which they intended making at some future time. The respective "zones of influence" which England and Germany propose to incorporate in their colonial empires as soon as their first acquisitions are consolidated, are henceforth limited