New-York tribune., 1897-07-11
DELAGOA BAY.
HOW 1T is THAT PORTUGAL OWNS
IT AND ENGLAND DOES NOT


then Great Britain has sent feet There have
been Tumors that Germany was about to seize
the bay, and also that Great Britain was; that
the Transvaal Government had secured by pur-
chase controlling interest there and that Great
Britain had done the same In not one Of these
tales is there probably the slightest truth But
they nave served to attract much attention to
that much coveted bay. which forms the nearest
port and only practical means of ingress and
cGress of the richest gold mining region Of the
world. What is true, moreover is that the long
pending dispute over the Delagoa Bay Railroad.
In which the United States is deeply interested.
is at the point Of final settlement 1t is now be-
fore TIE arbitration tribunal in Switzerland. and
decision is expected during the present year.
upon which the ownership of fortunes beyond
the dreams Of avarice" will depend.
The history Of Dolagca Bay dates back to the
time of the hero OF the Luslad- 1t is more
than three hundred years since Vasco da Cana,
the Portuguese explorer. discovered it and made
landing at the place known Lorenzo
Marques. just at the north of the mouth OF the
river called by the Portuguese the "Espiritu
sancto." but more generally known the Eng
! lish River No serious attempt was made by the
Portuguese to colonze to control that region,
although they claimed ownership Of il by the
right of discovery. In the eighteenth century
cned to recognize the Portuguese ownership
and established fort and trading station Of
their own the south side Of the English River
Just opposite Lorenzo Marques. To this the
Portuguese made objection. The Dutch post
was not long maintained. however. and down to
the early part of the present century that whole
region was still in state of primeval sayagery
GREAT BRITAIN GETS THE BAY.
| After the Napoleonic the Dutch posses
sons in South Africa passed into the hands Of
the British. and the latter. observing the neglect
ed condition of Delagoa Bay. sent an expedition
thithcr The bay was for the first time carefully
surveyed and treaties were made with the native
chiefs in that neighborhood by which they ceded
their respective territories absolutely to Great
Britain. After concluding these treaties the
British commander. Captain Owen. sailed for
\ Madagascar During his absence a British
schooner from Cape Town entered the southern
,art of the bay which the part of it over
rich Captain Owen had established British SOW
ignty The Portuguese authorities at Lorenzo
aroues promptly seized j., and condemned it to
,e sold. Before it sold however Captain
owen returned He at once showed to the Por-
uguese authorities the treaties he had concluded
and warned them that British authority must
! be respected The Portuguese yielded and
leased the schooner.
This was in 1928 and for half century there
after nobody ventuIed to dispute Great Britain's
ownership Of the southern half Of DelagOa Bay
That territory was continuously treated as Brit
ish But in 1871 the Portuguese again seized a
British ship this time hailing from Natal. Mr..
Gladstone was then Prime Minister and Lord
Kimberley was Colonial Secretary. Hal they
firmly maintained the title of Great Britain to
property that had been indisputably British for
fifty years Portugal would have yielded prompt
w. as before and there would have been no
further dispute about Deiagoa Bay. Instead.
they hesitated and paltered and finally agreed
tn submit the case to arbitration. without ap-
peal The President of the French Republic was
named as the sole arbitrator NJ. Theirs was at
that time President. but was soon after sue
cceded by Marshal MacMahOn. The latter de-
cided in favor of Portugal and against Great
Britain, and the latter acquesced in the decision.
although the equity of it has been ad-
mitted.
II was not long after that time that the secret
cause of Portugars aggressive attitude was re-
Walled The Portuguese Governor at Lorenzo
MARQUES had heard rumors. and by thorough in
yestieation had confirmed them. that gold in
large quantities was to be found throughout
large part of the Transvaal Republic. within
hundred or a hundred and fifty miles Of Delagoa
Raw OF this he made certain berore single
hint Of it had reached English ears. He knew
that Delagoa Bay was the natural outlet for the
enormous trade that would soon be developed In
,hat repion He therefore reckOned it worth
,vbile IN play a desperate game for securing to
po-tug,l sole possession Of the bay In this,
thanks 10 his audacity and to the weakness and