32 [ No. 96 HISTORY Zanzibar had for many years previously claimed sovereignty. It was in the year 1885 that the German pretensions to the mainland first obtained Government support. In the beginning of this year, on February 12, the German Emperor granted a charter of pro tection to the Society for German Colonization in respect ofacquisitions made by it in the East of Africa between the territory of the Sultan of Zanzibar and Lake Tanganyika .” The Sultan protested, but in vain ; and Lord Granville wrote : “ The supposition that H.M.'s Government have no inten tion of opposing the German schemes of colonization in the neighbourhood of Zanzibar is absolutely correct. H.M.'s Government, on the contrary , view with favour these schemes , the realization of which will entail the civilization of large tracts, over which hitherto no European influence has been exer cised , the co-operation of Germany with Great Britain in the work of the suppression of the slave gangs , and the encourage ment of the efforts of the Sultan both in the extinction of the slave trade and in the commercial development of his dominions. "'S At the same time British individual enterprise had no intention of leaving East Africa entirely to the Germans ; and in the same letter Lord Granville re ferred to the plans of what afterwards became the Imperial British East Africa Company.

“ You will explain ," he added , “ that some prominent ' “ capitalists have originated a plan for a British settlement in the country between the coast and the lakes , which are the sources of the White Nile , and for its connection with the coast by a railway . ... H.M.'s Government have the scheme under their consideration, but they would not support it unless they were fully satisfied that every precaution were taken to ensure that it would in no way conflict with the interests of the territory that has been taken under German protectorate.. Their wish would be to avoid any clashing of interests such as might have taken place , had it not been averted, on the Gulf of Guinea.

7 For the whole history of Zanzibar and of German activity up to 1885 , see below , pp . 40-51 .

s Africa , No. 1 (1886) [Cd . 4609 ], p . 4 .

3 Ibid . , May 25 , 1885, p . 17 .