Within two days after the signing of the General Act of the Conference, the German Emperor proclaimed a protectorate in East Africa over countries whose names were even unknown until the appearance of this book. Our Foreign Secretary was in such dread of Prince Bismarck that he not only acquiesced in this bold act, but obsequiously hastened to instruct our representative at Zanzibar to use his undeniable influence in promoting German interests, and lessen his zeal for our own. To-day, living as we do under a powerful Unionist Government, which has just triumphed over the Mahdi’s successor, and recovered nearly all that the Government of that period had lost, these events may appear incredible, but 1884-85 was a singularly disastrous period for British prestige. The aged statesman who then presided over England’s affairs was fast declining in power and ability; but as his influence still continued supreme, the nation was powerless to avert the blunders and misfortunes that so repeatedly shocked us. However, not to dwell upon this painful subject, let me say that when Lord Granville signified to Prince Bismarck that England would oppose no obstacles to German designs in Africa, it naturally followed that the Prince would interpret this as meaning that England would surrender all claims to territory that the Germans might think desirable, and accordingly the East African Protectorate expanded in a marvellously brief time from the coast to the Tanganika, and threatened to absorb the whole of East Africa from Mozambique to the Gulf of Aden. Though priority of discovery and exploration may not under all circumstances constitute a full title to territory, it is certainly aggrieving to find another nation rudely thrusting itself into the field and forcibly seizing upon it. Fortunately, however, a Company had been formed in 1885 to take over a small concession obtained by Mr. H. H. Johnston at Taveta in East Africa, and as the Germans encroached upon it, Lord Rosebery, who had become Foreign Secretary, took the opportunity of making a firm protest against it, which served to arrest the wholesale absorption that had been meditated, and gave the necessary time for a fuller development of the British project. A delimitation of territory was determined upon to define that which was claimed by Great Britain, Germany, and Zanzibar, and meanwhile the operations of the British Company were suspended to avoid a clashing of interests, and through Lord Rosebery’s protest the Germans likewise agreed to prevent their agents from making any new acquisitions in the debatable zone. In November, 1886, an understanding was arrived at which recognised the sovereignty of Zanzibar as existing over Zanzibar and Pemba, and the smaller islands, within a radius of twelve sea miles of them, as also over those of Lamu and Mafia, and a strip of the mainland ten sea miles in depth.