history]
AFRICA 161 the attempt to establish herself on the navigable portions of are concerned to the subjects and protected persons of the Niger below Bussa, but in 1897 the attempt was renewed both nationalities. The western boundary of the Gold in the most determined manner. In February of that year Coast was prolonged along the Black Volta as far as latia French force suddenly occupied Bussa, and this act was tude 11 north, and this parallel was followed with slight quickly followed by the occupation of Gomba and Ilo deflections to the Togoland frontier. In consequence of higher up the river. In November 1897 Nikki was the acute crisis which shortly afterwards occurred between occupied. The situation on the Niger had so obviously France and Great Britain on the Upper Nile, the ratificabeen outgrowing the capacity of a chartered company that tion of 4his agreement was delayed until after the conclufor some time before these occurrences the assumption of sion of the Fashoda agreement of March 1899 already responsibility for the whole of the Niger region by the referred to. In 1900 the two patches on the Niger leased Imperial authorities had been practically decided on; and to France were selected by commissioners representing the early in 1898 Colonel Lugard was sent out to the Niger two countries, and in the same year the Anglo-French with a number of Imperial officers to raise a local force in frontier from Lagos to the west bank of the Niger was preparation for the contemplated change. The advance delimited. But east of the Niger to Lake Chad it had of the French forces from the south and west was the not been found possible even to make a survey of the signal for an advance of British troops from the Niger, country through which the boundary will run, before the from Lagos, and from the Gold Coast protectorate. The close of the 19th century. situation thus created was extremely serious. The British The settlement of the matters in dispute with France and French flags were flying in close proximity, in some enabled the British Government to carry out several cases in the same village. Meanwhile the diplomatists changes in the administration of British Nigeria, which were busy in London and in Paris, and in the latter capital had been in contemplation for some time. On the 1st a commission sat for many months to adjust the conflicting January 1900 the Imperial authorities took over the whole claims. Fortunately, by the tact and forbearance of the of the territories of the Royal Niger Company, which, officers on both sides, no local incident occurred to precipi- with reduced capital, became henceforth a purely comtate a collision, and on the 14th June 1898 a convention mercial undertaking. The Lagos protectorate was exwas signed by Sir Edward Monson and M. Hanotaux, tended to the northwards, the Niger Coast Protectorate which finally removed all causes of dispute as to the became Southern Nigeria with extended frontiers, and the spheres of influence of the two countries in West Africa; greater part of the territories formerly administered by the and, subject to the division of the small area in the company were constituted into Northern Nigeria—all hinterland of the Gold Coast and Togoland between Great three administrations being placed under the Colonial Britain and Germany, which was effected in November Office. In like manner France, having definitely fixed 1899, completed the partition of this part of the continent. her international frontiers, turned her attention to a The settlement effected was in the nature of a comproof her possessions. The French Sudan mise. France withdrew from Bussa, Gomba, and Ilo, the rearrangement was abolished as an administrative entity, large slices fr0I1 ier The Anglo^ west of the Niger being drawn from of territory were added on to Dahomey, the Ivory French 9th parallel to a point 10 miles, as the crow Coast Colony, French Guinea, and Senegal, the portions agreement flies, above Giri, the port of Ilo. France was not assigned to these colonies, all of which were placed thus sllut out from tlie /s/r*6 navigable portion of the under civil administration, being created military districts. Middle and Lower Niger; but for purely com- For the limits assigned to the various French colonies in mercial purposes Great Britain agreed to lease to France West Africa, reference must be made to the articles dealtwo small plots of land on the river—the one on the right ing with each. bank between Leaba and the mouth of the Moshi river, There are, around the coast, numerous islands or groups the other at one of the mouths of the Niger. By acceptof islands, which are regarded by geographers as outliers ing this line Great Britain abandoned Nikki and a great of the African mainland. The majority of these part of Borgu, as well as some part of Gando to France. African islands were occupied by one or other of AMcan East of the Niger the Say-Barruwa line was modified in the European Powers long before the period of islandsfavour of France. From the point indicated 10 miles continental partition. The Madeira Islands to the west of above Giri the boundary follows the Niger as far as the Morocco, the Bissagos Islands, off the Guinea Coast j and mouth of a dry water-course called the Dallul Mauri, Prince’s Island and St Thomas’ Island, in the Gulf of which it follows till it cuts the circumference of a circle Guinea, are Portuguese possessions of old standing; while drawn from the centre of the town of Sokoto with a radius in the Canary Islands and Fernando Po Spain possesses of a hundred miles. The line then follows the northern arc of this circle till its point of intersection with the 14th remnants of her ancient colonial empire which are a more valuable asset than any she has acquired in recent times parallel of north latitude, which it follows eastwards for on the mainland. St Helena in the Atlantic, Mauritius, a distance of 70 miles, then dips due south until it and some small groups north of Madagascar in the Indian reaches the parallel of 13° 20' north latitude, then runs Ocean, are British possessions acquired long prior to the eastwards along this parallel for a distance of 250 miles, opening of the last quarter of the 19th century. Zanzibar, then turns due north until it regains the 14th parallel’ Pemba, and some smaller islands which the Sultan was en runs eastwards again along that parallel as far as its allowed to retain were, as has already been stated, placed intersection with the meridian, passing 35' east of the under British protection in 1890, and the island of Socotra centre of the town of Kuka, and thence follows this was placed under the “ gracious favour and protection ” of meridian southwards until its intersection with the southern Great, Britain on 23rd April 1886. France’s ownership Chad, at which point, it will be remembered, tne Anglo-German frontier reaches its northern limit. This of Reunion dates back to the 17 th century, but the hne assigns to France parts of both Sokoto and Bornu. In Comoro Archipelago was not placed under French protecne Gold Coast hinterland the French withdrew from Wa, tion until April 1886. None of these islands, with the exception of the Zanzibar group, have, however, materially and. Great Britain abandoned all claim to Mossi, though the affected the partition of the continent and they need not capital of the latter country, together with a further ex- be enumerated in the table which follows. But the imensive area in the territory assigned to both countries, is portant island of Madagascar stands in a different category, declared to be equally free, so far as trade and navigation both on account of its size and because it was during the S. I. — 21
