, 1888-05-19

mercial league can only tend to unite their
states more closely to the British colonies
"a union which would become still more
intimate by judicious railway e xtension.
The drawbacks Of the South African colo
MES are we'll known, and arise chiefly
from the unequal distribution of rainfall;
but when these are fully discounted there
can be little doubt that we have here the
part of Africa most suited for European
occupation. Its diamonds and it's gold are
valuable mainly because they attract the
much needed cOlOnistS. The total area
under direct British rule, including
Be~chuanaland, BaSutoland, and POndoland
is about 42O,O 900 square miles, with q
population of over two millions. If to
this are added the TranSvaal aud Orange
Free State as being under the Britith
sphere of influence, it would give another
10000 square miles and another 500. 900
of population, white and black, or a total
area under English influence of 567, 900
square miles. The confined trade Of the
Cape and Natal may be taken at about
GI3, 100000 sterling. The trade of the
Orange Free State and the Transvaal is
probably about &3, 500. 900 annually, but
much OF this is included in the returns for
the Cape aud Natal.
England's latest acquisition in Africa is
a block of country which gives her access
to one OF the richest regions of Central
Africa. According to the recent Anglo.
German treaty, the stretch lying between
the northern boundary of the German
sphere in the Zanzibar country, over a
line following the Sana River North west,
wards, across the Equator for some dis.
lance, and down to Victoria Nyanza, has
been allotted to Great Britain as her
sphere Of influence. The coast duty has
been leased for u number of years to the
British East Africa Company, and in this
ConneXlOn We recently gave some account
of the commercial capabilities of the region.
While we are met here, as elsewhere in
Africa, with a quite inadequate supply
of moisture, still there can be little
doubt that ON the coast and in the high
lands OF MaSailand there is a fine country,
both for agriculture and cattle rearing. But
the great value OF this British section is
that it gives access to the rich and popu-
louS countries around lakes Victoria and
Albert, including those southern provin,
ces which are still %nOminally attached to
Egypt, but which await the power, com
mercial or political, best able to exploit
them. The total area of the British
sphere may be estimated at about 10000
square miles.
In HE bend of the coast opposite Alden
the British flag has for some time been
waving over Berbera, from which, as a
centre, we are quietly spreading our inlu-
rnca along the coast and among the wild
S0mali tribes of the interior. The exact
extent of our influence in this region can
not be estimated-nOt, at least, with so
much accuracy as it might be further
north for if we are to reckon up the
'Sphrres Of influence" of the various Eu-
ropean Powers, there could be little doubt
as to which Egypt would fall. Let us
content ourselves, however, with at pre-
sent considering that most ancient of
African States as still an appanage of
Turkey. To sum up, the total area Of
Africa over which Great Britain exercises
her influence excluding Egypt cannot be
less than a million square miles, with q
population of about 80 millions; the annu-
al value of the trade of this area must be
close on 90 millions sterling; while the
value of British trade with the whole Of
Africa may be reckoned at % millions.
Times.