The morning call., 1890-07-13

upon their spheres of influence in East
Africa. They drew the line which appears
upon our map extending from a little north
of Zanzibar to the northeast coast of Vic
toria Nyanza They agreed that the region
north of this line should be the British
sphere of influence, and that the country
south of it should be the German sphere.
They both promised not to intrude upon
each others domain. They thought, how
ever. there was no use troubling their heads
about the countries around the lakes. The
powerful King of ganda, north OF Victoria
NyanZa was hostile to Europeans, and the
only whites in his capital were prisoners
who would be glad to get away II the King
would let them go. Emin Pasha, at Albert
Nyanza, was hemmed IN on all sides by en-
emes, unable to leave the country if he so
desired. The country between Victoria
Nyauza and the Congo State was almost
unknown. and none of the wise men who
were negotiating knew whether they would
care to give siXpence for it. So they be-
cded to leave the lake regions for states
men of the future to quarrel over.
But events have moved with unexpected
rapdity and the question at the great lakes
came very abruptly to the front few
weeks ago. MWanga, the tyrant OF Ugan-
da, humbled by season of exile, has been
restored to the throne with the aid of the
whites, and he turned willing ear TO the
Establishments of the German, DR.. Peters,
who arrived opportunely on the scene, eager
TO secure fertile Uganda for Germany.
Emin, whom Stanley dragged unwillingly
to the coast, said his country could and
ought to be reclaimed, and he posted back
in the pay of Germany and with large
caravan to take possession. A great hue
and cry went ap from the British East Al
rcan Company, who had invested an enOr-
nous capital in the British sphere. Here
nTOunn hPnlnn
the line dividing the two spheres and about
TO grab the lake countries north of the line.
The British company was to be cut OF from
the populous interior, robbed OF the eoun-
tries naturally tributary to its coast Some
thing had to be done, and the present agree
ment is the result of the clamOr in England
in behalf OF the interests OF the British East
African Company.
This is what has been done and the pro-
ceeding may be followed on the map. The
old line of demarcatlOn, which strikes the
east shore of Victoria NyanZa at L south
latitude has been extended straight across
the lake along that parallel. Then 1t takes
a turn to southwest around Mount Mum
biro and joins the boundary Of the Congo
State. The British have Stanley to thank
for the fact that the boundary line makes
that curious bend south of Mount Mum
bro. When he was on the way home with
Emin he found the country between Muta
NZige and this mountain very rich and
prosperous region Tor equatorial Africa.
The population is dense, cattle Craze by the
thousand and valuable salt mines are
found. Stanley improved the chance to
MAKE treaties with the chiefs of this coun-
try, placing them under British protection,
and his treaties have been respected in the
agreement.
This arbitrary line. therefore, from the
ocean to the Congo State forms the north
ern boundary TO the German sphere. Fully
three-fourths Of the coast line to Victoria
Nyanza is German. The Germans gained
the entire country between Victoria NyanZa
and Lake Tanganyika, most of the western
part of which is as yet wholly unknown.
The east coast Of Tanganyika is theirs,
while on the opposite shore the blue flag of
the Congo State will wave. 1t was neces-
sary to draw still another arbitrary line to
fix the southwest boundary of Germany.
This is how it was done:
A few years ago the African Lakes Com
pany, which has steamboats, on Lake
NyasSa, wanted to make q wagon road be-
tween Tanganyika and Nyassa for the pur-
pose of extending its trade to the northern
lake. A wealthy Scotcnmau named Steven
son supplied the funds and James Stewart,
well known for his careful map of La Ike
Nyassa, surveyed the route, and then, be-
ginning at Nyassa, prepared forty miles of
the road for wagons. Owing to his I'M
timely death the work was then suspended
ana has never been resumed. In the agree
ment Great Britain retains the so-called
Stevenson road and line from Nyassa to
Tanganyika, just north of it. marks the
limit of the German sphere in this direc-
ton. Then the German boundary follows
around the north end of the NyaSsa and
down the east coast Of the lake to nearly its
middle point, where the Ruvumu River. ex-
tended in a straight line to the lake. forms
the southern boundary
A curious feature of this arrangement is
that not the slightest attention has been
paid to tribal territorial divisions. How
will the King of Uganda like it when he
hears that while he is in the British sphere
his suzerain and tribute-payer, the King of
rich Karagwe, is under the German flag !?
Massailand has been cut in two in the mid
wander all over the country, to know
whether they are British or Germans.
The extension of Germany's sphere to
the west and north has thus added many
thousands of square milas to her territory.
How has Great Britain Jared? Lord Sails
bury is loudly censured by some of the
English newspapers for having made a
sorry bargain; but Stanley thinks the Prime
Minister has done splendidly for his coun-
try, and SO will everybody else who has
studied these equatorial regions.
In the first place, all of Uganda proper is
assigned to British enterprise, and Uganda
is the particularly coveted plum in the lake
regions. Then Unyoro north and Emin;s
old province are within the British sphe<e,
sale from any other greedy power. England
will control the head of the navigableyN Nile,
and when the waning Madhist power at
Khartoum succumbs the great NileFalley to
the cataracts may be England's if she
chooses to take it. On the coast tine situa-
ton has been greatly improved from the
English point of view. The little country
Of Vitu. the islands of Manda and Pata, the
towns scattered along the Somali coast,