The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-10-03
UNEMPLOYED AFRICA
IA Portion OF tho Dark Continent
Yot Unknown.
iUnappropriatca Parts OF tho Country tho
Objective Point OF Exploring Par
tics from Various
49, Nations.

VIZ
There is yet an uncxplorcd and un-
8iappropriated section OF Africa extend
ing from the scene of SANKEY'S eyplora-
Tchad,. says the Springfield (Nlass.)
4 ,torial province and south of the new
limo of the French sphere from the
\ Niger to Lake Tchad; it is rich and
fertile country, and said to be one of
the most desirable possessions in the
dark continent. The London Times
gives an interesting survey of the man
,euvering on. the part of France, Ger
many and England for possession of
this territory, which touches the
spheres of all these nations.
The French scheme is the most am
bilious, and it includes IL railroad from
Brazzavillo on the Congo-in that part
of lower Guinea given to the French by
che conference that fixed the bou1-
daries of tho Free State of the Congo
s-northward through twenty-five de-
grees of latitude to Algiers. For five
hundred or six hundred miles north
ward the road would pass through this
unappropriated strip, then would como
disputed ground, not intended to be in
cluded in the French sphere, and which
can only be annexed after prolonged
controversy with Germany and Eng
land. The valley of the Shari includ-
ing the province of Bagirmi and parts
of Adamawa and Bornou, lie south of
Luke Tchad, and are in the territory
under tho eye of the Royal British
Niger Company, which would formally
resist their annexation to France. Nor
would Germany consent to this addi-
ton to the French sphere if she had no
other reason for opposing this railroad.
The doctrine of hinterland, however,
comes in play here.
Germany's sphere in the Cameroons
extends eastward to the fifteenth degree
sphere lies territory appropriated by
France reaching to the Mobang, which
is the property of the Congo free State.
This French appropriation is contrary
to the German-English agreement, and
cuts Germany off from portion of her
hinterlnnd, as the appropriation of ter
ritory along the line of this proposed
railroad would form the remainder.
German parties are now pressing east
ward from the Camcroons to take pos
session of this hinterland-a strong one
under the governor working steadily
toward the northeast; another under
Lieut.. Morgcn making it's way to tho
sources of the Dinuc, while n third is
on its way to establish base of opera
tions in the Bali country, on the bor-
ders of Adamawa.
French exploring parties are penc-
trating this region from the north as
well as the south. From the sou tn they
have followed the Mobangi river and
its branchcs-one party following the
Sanga to about four degrees north lati-
tudc; another the Mobangi to the Bon
gra rapids, whence it is proposed to
push across country to the Shari and
through to Lake Tchad. From Algeria
and from Senegambia expeditions arc
trying to reach the upper Niger and
thence along to Lake Tchad.
In the meantime the Royal Niger
Company are looking after their con-
nections with the central Soudan and
trying to keep hold of the countries not
granted to France to the south and east
of Lake Tchad. The Shari valley, b.
girrni, and Wadni they will lScc p in their
sphere II they can; the British East At
rican Company will hold on to Darfur,
and will work its way as far to the
south and west of that coun try as it is
able. Whatever France and Germany
may claim when the time comes for tho
new partition of this una ppropriated
part OF Central Africa by in tcrnutional
agreement, as it must before long, Eng
land will probably manage to secure
the larger part if not the whole of the
Central Soudan for herself.