The territory over which the British Government will now assume control extends about four hundred miles along the coast northward from Umba, situated at the mouth of a river of the same name. The southern boundary line runs in a northwest direction to the intersection of the Victoria Nyanza with the first parallel of north latitude. It skirts the northern shore of the lake and extends westward as far as the boundary line of the Congo Free State.
Its northern boundary begins at the River Juba. This boundary line extends from the intersection of the river with the sixth parallel, north latitude, to the thirty-fifth meridian, east longitude, which it follows to its point of intersection with the Blue Nile. The Congo Free State and the western watershed of the basin of the Upper Nile form the western boundary line.
Now that England has come into possession of so much East African territory, we may expect to receive much interesting information about the natives, as their land becomes open to civilization and commerce. A large part of East Africa must now become known to the world, and many improvements are to be looked for. A railway of six hundred and fifty-seven miles in length has at this early date been planned from Mombassa to Lake Nyanza. No doubt this will in time affect the great caravan routes into the interior.
At present the most frequented routes lead in several parallel lines from two coast towns opposite the Island of Zanzibar, extending up through the countries of Usagara and the dry plains of Ugogo to an Arab settlement in Unyamwezi, at a distance of five hundred miles from the coast. From here several routes lead northward to the countries surrounding Victoria Nyanza. The main line, however, passes westward to an Arab station in the country of Ujiji on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
By means of a ferry across this wide lake the Arabs have extended their trade routes still farther west into the central country of Manyema. Here they have an important trading station on the great Lualaba, or Congo, in the very heart of Africa, fully one thousand miles west of Zanzibar.
CHAPTER LXIX.
PEN PORTRAITS.
Our most interesting descriptions of the people of Africa have been derived from the annals of Egyptian history and from the journals and letters of the many explorers who have from time to time come in contact with them.