The small island of Zanzibar, off the east central coast of Africa, between 6° and 7° south latitude, is governed by a Sultan, whose authority, vaguely defined, extends along the coast for 900 or 1,000 miles, from Warsheikh to Delgado Bay. The elder brother of the Sultan is Sultan of Muscat (in east Arabia)-from which country the conqueror of Zanzibar came in the eighteenth century. The State of Zanzibar has little importance beyond its moderate commerce. The sway of the Sultan over the African coast (10 miles inland) is maintained by detached garrisons; but the country is likely to fall under the influence of Germany, which, by agreement with Great Britain and France, controls the future of a large tract of territory between the river Rovuma and Mt. Kilimanjaro, 500 miles in length, and extending inland towards the Congo Free State. British control extends northwards to the river Tana, 200 miles, and inwards to Lake Victoria Nyanza. Under Germany is the Sultan of Vitu. The Amatongas, south of Delagoa Bay, have recently entered into a convention with the British; and Swaziland, to the west of Maputaland, with difficulty preserves its independence against the Boers. |