AFRICA SINCE 1SS8 
159 
It was determined that free navigation and free trade should be 
established for all nations within the regions watered by the 
Kongo and its affluents — a right subsequently annulled — and 
on the Zambesi to a point five miles above the mouth of the 
Shire, and free trade for transit to regions on the Niger beyond 
British influence. 
Under these agfeements England and France each claim a 
little more than twenty-five per cent of the Continent ; Portugal, 
Germany, and Belgium together claim about twenty-three per 
cent. The other European poAvers, with the Boers of the Trans- 
vaal and the sultan of Turkey, together hold about twelve per 
cent, leaving to the Africans the desert of Sahara and part of the 
Sudan, about fifteen per cent. This gives to the European 
powers, having no right but that of might, all those j^ortions 
of Africa supposed to be habitable or valuable. 
It has been the policy of Great Britain to alloAV her merchants 
to establish commercial relations with the natiA^es by opening 
trading-stations, but not until the trade becomes profitable, and 
priA'ate enterprise and money have established the value of the 
trade, to raise her flag, claim them as British possessions, and 
exercise gOA’ernmental control. The East Indian empire Avas 
the outgroAvth of a trading-station. France and Germany reversed 
this policy, first taking possession of different parts of Africa, 
establishing territorial governments, and aftei’Avard offering in- 
ducements to mercantile companies to establish trading-stations 
and in addition guaranteeing protection from the natiA^es. Eng- 
land as a result of her policy — the flag folloAving the trade — has 
secured the most valuable parts of Africa. 
France holds an immense territory on the Mediterranean, 
Avith Algiers as its capital, the country south of Algiers and Avest 
of Senegarnbia, and on the upper Avaters of the Niger, AA’hile 
England claims the Niger and Benue, the onl}^ navigable rivers 
in Africa. England formerly claimed Damaraland and Nama- 
qualand, on the soutlnvest coast of Africa, l)ut yielded them to 
Germany, reserving a small tract of land near the center of the 
territory, M'alfish Ijay, the only good harl)or on the coast and the 
best means of access to the interior of the German possessions. 
England alloAved Germany to secure a vast region in East 
Africa over Avhich she had claimed dominion, Imt claims for her- 
self a large j)ortion of Houth Africa, the Shire and the upper 
Avaters of the Zaml^esi, tl»e part of Africa best fitted for the occu- 
pation of Europeans. She retained Egypt, alloAAung France to 
