The weekly tribune., 1893-11-17
The British In Africa.

Africa is settled, it is quite possible that
a new map of that region will be needed
At present the English have CONNER.
cial protectorate over what is called
British Zambesia, the latest territory into
which they have pushed their trading
posts. The region lies on both sides of
the great Zambesi river, which flows
through it from west to east. In this
land the Matabele, ruled over by King
Lobengula, are the most powerful and
warlike tribe and terrorize the Mash
onas. who are the especial friends of tie
British. In Zambesia the South African
Trading company is chartered by the
British government and practically is
supposed to keep order among the tribes
with one hand while it gathers wealth
for itself with the other.
| The South African chartered compa-
ny is a commercial organization invest
ed with just political power enough to
make itself respected among the natives.
Its head is Hon. Cecil Rhodes, who bears
the odd title of prime minister and chair
man of the British South African COM
pany, and ives at Fort Salisbury, to
which there is a road from the coast.
| The end of this condition of things is
| probably plain to the mind of every
Englishman, and it is that Great Britain
is to annex bodily the whole Of Zambe-
Bia. But the Hon. Cecil Rhodes appears
to he proceeding Il little too rapidly with
the plan to suit the Marquis of Ripon,
British colonial secretary of state. There
was preteXt on the part of tine Mata-
belle that the Mashonas had committed
depredations on them. In revenge they
made savage war on the Mashonas. who
fled for tl:eir lives to the South African
Trading company Then Hon. Cecil
Rhodes called for help from the home
government.
Help was sent, but the control of Zan-
besian affairs was taken out of the hands
of the South African company and given
to Sir Henry Loch. governor of the colo
ny of the Cape of Good Hope. One con-
clusiOn to be drawn from this is that the
English government will take the con-
troll of IamDesia directly into its own
hands. Another is that III the Judgment
of the home government Hon. Cecil
Rhodes was proceeding ii little too ag-
gressively. At amy rate. it is certain
that the ignorant Matabele who SO
rashly detied the power of the British
government will be wiped out as !, dis
turbing force in Zambesan politics. and
that is enough to know.
Meantime, up in Uganda, in the interi
or OF eastern Africa, the system of ter
ritorial assimilation SO well known to !
Great Britain is gradually taking place
Uganda lies around the northwest shore |
of Victoria Nyanza, directly under the |
equator. When Stanley first visited |
Uganda, it was il powerful African king
dom; but, like all savage countries. it be- |
gan to dwindle in population and i'm
portance as soon as its people became ac-
quainted with the white man.
Uganda is under the politico CONNER
cial control of the East African Char
tered Trading company. The British |
resident governor here j. Captain Nc
Donald. The British system has ad-
vanced a step further III Uganda than i'll
Zambesia. The correspondent of the
London Times writes Very frankly about
Sir Gerald Portals arrangements, cum
dertaken with Il view 10 paving The way
for future administration, in the event
OF the ultimate occupancy of the cOun-
try" The British authorities are at
present planting colonies of Soudan, Sc
in King MwanSa's beloved Uganda. Sir
Gerald Portal, the imperial commits
sioner to adjust matters in Uganda, has
had the most difficulty on account of
religion i'll dividing the land. There
was a hot quarrel between the Catholics
and Protestants about the size of the
slices of country which each should get.
Sir Gerald finally settled the question
by giving one quarter Of Uganda theo.
logically to the Catholics. the rest to the
Protestants.
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