370 THROUGH UNKNOWN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. 
to the south of it were divided between England and Italy 
on paper, can no longer hold good, since, to quote from 
Je-Seott Keltie'ss Phe= Paxiition ot “Airica Sa(lLondon; 
Edward Stanford, 1895), “it should never be lost sight of 
that, according to the spirit, if not the letter, of the Berlin 
Act, if there is no effective occupation, there can be no 
claim to possession.” 
England is therefore left as free as France or Russia or 
any other nation to turn her attention to the acquisition 
of the vast and important territory in question. Although 
it would not be advisable to take the initiative and attack 
any portion of the Abyssinian domains which are at 
present under the direct rule of the Emperor Menelek, 
the districts immediately adjacent to these, and peopled 
by independent savage tribes, could be at once occupied 
without advancing against the indubitable authority of 
Menelek. The possession of these latter countries is of 
the utmost importance to the nations contesting for terri- 
tory in Africa. 
From the opportunities I personally had of studying the 
warlike qualities of the Abyssinians, and from the subse- 
quent brilliant achievements of the latter in their battles 
with the soldiers of Italy, I have formed the opinion that the 
gaining of Abyssinia alone, by a nation conquering Emperor 
Menelek, would not be commensurate with the difficulties 
and cost in men and treasure which would be entailed. 
But if the Emperor Menelek should fight for his unjust 
claims to the “country all the way south to Mombasa,” 
it would well repay England to send an army against him. 
With an expedition so well equipped and so splendidly 
conducted as is the present one in the Soudan, there could 
be only one result, —a quick and decisive victory over 
Menelek. For although, as I have stated, the Abyssinians 
are strong when compared with other semi-civilized races, 
