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[history A F R X C A followed the frontier of the Italian sphere to the confines annihilated at Dogali, but the check only served to spur of Egypt. To the south-west of the German sphere in on the Italian Government to fresh efforts. The Italians East Africa the boundary was formed by the eastern and occupied Keren and Asmara in the interior, and eventunorthern shore of Lake Nyasa, and round the. western ally, in May 1889, concluded a treaty of peace and friend:shore to the mouth of the Songwe river, from which point ship with the Emperor Menelek, who had succeeded King it crossed the Nyasa-Tanganyika plateau to the southern John on the death of the latter in battle with the This agreement, known as the Treaty of end of the last-named lake, leaving the Stevenson Road on dervishes. Ucialli, settled the frontiers between Abyssinia and the the British side of the boundary. The effect of this treaty was to remove all serious causes of dispute about Italian sphere, and contained the following article :— XVII. His Majesty the King of Kings of Ethiopia consents to territory between Germany and Great Britain in East himself of the Italian Government for any negotiations which Africa. It rendered quite valueless Dr Peters s treaty avail he may enter into with the other Powers or Governments. with Mwanga and his promenade along the Tana;, it In Italy, and by other European Governments, this freed Great Britain from any fear of German competition to the northwards, and recognized that her influence article was generally regarded as establishing an Italian extended to the western limits of the Nile valley.. But, protectorate over Abyssinia ; but this interpretation was on the other hand, Great Britain had to relinquish the never accepted by the Emperor Menelek, and at no time ambition of connecting her sphere of influence in the Nile did Italy succeed in establishing any very effective control valley with her possessions in the Nyasa-Tanganyika over Abyssinian affairs. North of the Italian coast sphere region. On this point Germany was quite obdurate ; and, the Red Sea littoral was still under Egyptian rule, while •as we have already seen, an attempt subsequently made immediately to the south a small stretch of coast on the (May 1894) to secure this object by the lease of a strip of Bay of Tajura constituted the sole French possession on territory from the Congo Free State, was frustrated by the East African mainland. France had, in 1862, obtained from the Danakil tribes a concession of “the harbour, German opposition. Uganda having thus been assigned to the British sphere roadstead, and anchorage of Obok, situated near Cape of influence by the only European Power in a position to Ras Bir, with the plain extending from Ras Aly to the contest its possession with her, the subsequent history of south, as far as Ras Dameirah to the north.” It was not, that region, and of the country between the Victoria however, until 1883 that the place was effectively occupied, Nyanza and the coast, must be traced in the articles and in the following year treaties were concluded with the on East Africa, British, and Uganda, but it may be Sultan and chiefs of Tajura extending the French sphere well briefly to record here the following facts:—The to the southern side of the gulf of that name. The East Imperial British East Africa Company, finding the India Company had, as far back as 1840, concluded a burden of administration too heavy for its financial treaty of friendship with the governor or chief of Zeila, resources, and not receiving the assistance it felt itself not far from the Bay of Tajura; and when Egyptian claims entitled to receive from the Imperial authorities, in- to the Somali coast were withdrawn Great Britain took timated that it would be compelled to withdraw at the the opportunity to establish her influence on the northern end of the year 1892. Funds were raised to enable the Somali coast, opposite Aden. Between 1st May 1884 Company to continue its administration until the end and 15th March 1886 ten treaties were concluded, placing of March 1893, and a strong public protest against under British influence the northern Somali coast from evacuation compelled the Government to determine in Ras Jibuti on the west to Bunder Ziadeh on the east. In favour of the retention of the country. In January 1893 the meantime Italy, not content with her acquisitions on Sir Gerald Portal left the coast as a special commissioner the Red Sea, had been concluding treaties with the to inquire into the “best means of dealing with the Somali chiefs on the east coast. The first treaty was made country, whether through Zanzibar or otherwise.” On with the Sultan of Oppia on the 8th February 1889. the 31st March the Union Jack was raised, and on the Later in the same year the British East Africa Company 29th May a fresh treaty was concluded with King Mwanga, transferred to Italy, the transference being subsequently placing his country under British protection. A formal approved by the Sultan of Zanzibar, the ports of Brava, protectorate was declared over Uganda proper on 19th Meurka, Magadisho, and Warshekh, leased from Zanzibar. June 1894, which was subsequently extended so as to On the 24th March 1891 an agreement between Italy and include the countries westwards towards the Congo Great Britain fixed the northern bank of the Juba up to Free State and eastwards to the British East Africa latitude 6° N. as the southern boundary of Italian Protectorate. This latter protectorate was consti- influence in Somaliland, the boundary being provisionally tuted in June 1895, when the Imperial British East prolonged along lines of latitude and longitude to the Africa Company relinquished all its rights in exchange intersection of the Blue Nile with 35° E. longitude. On for a money payment, and the administration was assumed the 15th April 1891 a further agreement fixed the northern limit of the Italian sphere from Ras Kasar on the Red by the Imperial authorities. In 1883 Italy had obtained her first formal footing on Sea to the point on the Blue Nile just mentioned. By the African coast at the Bay of Assab (Aussa) on the this agreement Italy was to have the right of temporarily Red Sea. In 1885 the troubles in which occupying Kassala, which was left in the Anglo-Egyptian Italy in Egypt found herself involved compelled the sphere—in trust for Egypt—a right of which she availed Africa Khedive and his advisers to loosen their hold herself in 1895. To complete the work of delimitation on the Red Sea littoral, and, with the tacit the British and Italian Governments, on the 5th May approval of Great Britain, Italy took possession of 1894, fixed the boundary of the British sphere of influence Massawa and other ports on that coast. By 1888 Italian in Somaliland from the Anglo-French boundary, which had influence had been extended from Ras Kasar, on the north, been settled in February 1888. The interior limit of to the northern frontier of the French colony of Obok British Somaliland thus agreed upon was subsequently on the south, a distance of some 650 miles. The interior modified in 1897 by an agreement with the Emperor limits of Italian influence were but ill defined, and King Menelek, made by Sir Rennell Rodd on behalf of Great John of Abyssinia viewed with anything but a favourable Britain. The effect of this agreement was to reduce the eye the approach of the Italians towards the Abyssinian area of British Somaliland from 75,000 to 68,000 square highlands. In January 1887 an Italian force was almost miles. 156