As for the future of the vast territory which came to be known popularly as Rhodesia, we may note that the part bordering on Lake Nyassa was severed from the South Africa Company in 1894, and was styled the British Central Africa Protectorate.  In 1895 the south of Bechuanaland was annexed to Cape Colony, a step greatly regretted by many well-wishers of the natives.  The intelligent chief, Khama, visited England in that year, mainly in order to protest against the annexation of his lands by Cape Colony and by the South Africa Company.  In this he was successful; he and other chiefs are directly under the protection of the Crown, but parts of the north and east of Bechuanaland are administered by the British South Africa Company.  The tracts between the Rivers Limpopo and Zambesi, and thence north to the Tanganyika, form a territory vaster and more populous than any which has in recent years been administered by a company; and its rule leaves much to be desired.

* * * * *

It is time now to turn to the expansion of German and British spheres of influence in the Bight of Guinea and along the course of the Rivers Niger and Benue.  In the innermost part of the Bight of Guinea, British commercial interests had been paramount up to about 1880; but about that time German factories were founded in increasing numbers, and, owing to the dilatory action of British firms, gained increasing hold on the trade of several districts.  The respect felt by native chiefs for British law was evinced by a request of five of the “Kings” of the Cameroons that they might have it introduced into their lands (1879).  Authorities at Downing Street and Whitehall were deaf to the request.  In striking contrast to this was the action of the German Government, which early in the year 1884 sent Dr. Nachtigall to explore those districts.  The German ambassador in London informed Earl Granville on April 19, 1884, that the object of his mission was “to complete the information now in possession of the Foreign Office at Berlin on the state of German commerce on that coast.”  He therefore requested that the British authorities there should be furnished with suitable recommendations for his reception[448].  This was accordingly done, and, after receiving hospitality at various consulates, he made treaties with native chiefs, and hoisted the German flag at several points previously considered to be under British influence.  This was especially the case on the coast to the east of the River Niger.

[Footnote 448:  Parl.  Papers, Africa, No. 1 (1885), p. 14.]