16 AFEICA AND HEE FUTURE. 



thousand miles of coast line, but Portugal has never 

 been able, and probably will not be able, to colonize or 

 develope its domain. France acquires an unbroken 

 tract from Algeria to the Senegal, also a large section 

 on the west coast in the Congo region, in area over 

 250,000 square miles (larger than France and England 

 combined), a district with great resources, with eight hun- 

 dred miles of coast line and eight river basins. Germany 

 has a province in the South West near the Orange river, 

 the Cameroons farther north on the same coast, and a 

 great section on the East coast inland from Zanzibar. 

 All these countries are thus far acting directly through 

 their governments. But in those lands in Central Africa, 

 which are under British influence, action is being taken 

 (and as we recall the history of India we cannot doubt 

 that it is wisely taken) through chartered companies. 

 This movement is now being imitated by Germany. 

 Four great English companies are already in possession. 

 The Royal Niger Co. control, both by governmental 

 concession and by treaties with the natives, an immense 

 tract and large commercial privileges on the lower Niger 

 and the central Soudan. To the British East African Co. 

 was conceded a great district on the East coast, north of 

 Zanzibar, containing 70,000 square miles and extending 

 inland to Lakes Victoria and Albert. The British South 

 African Co. is engaged upon a section of the basin of the 

 Zambezi. The African Lakes Co. have already establish- 

 ed twelve trading stations on the Zambezi, Shire and 

 Lake Nyassa and have steamers plying between them. 

 This Company was not organized for gain and wKatever 

 of profits shall accrue are to be re-invested in Africa. 

 Of the African trade at this time probably Eng]fl,nd 

 controls one-half. 



Besides all these corporate and governmental acquisi- 

 tions, perhaps as important as any of them, is the forma- 

 tion of the Congo Free State. It was organized for the 



