January 28, 1907.
IN the romantic history of African exploration and development there
is no more interesting chapter than that relating to the Congo. In 1854
Livingstone finished a great journey into the continent; in it he had
visited a portion of the district drained by the Kasai River. In his
final journey we find him again within the district of what to-day forms
the Congo Free State; he discovered Lake Moero in 1867 and Lake Bangwelo
in 1868; he visited the southern portion of Tanganika in 1869, and
followed the course of the Congo to Nyangwe.
At that time no one knew, few if any suspected, that the river he was
following had connection with the Congo. Livingstone himself believed
that it formed the uppermost part of the Nile, and in all the district
where he saw it, its course from south to north would naturally lead to
that opinion. It was his heart’s desire to trace the further course and
determine whether it were really the Nile or a part of some other great
river. Death prevented his answering the question.
Backed by the New York _Herald_ and the _Daily Telegraph_, Stanley, on
November 17, 1874, struck inland from the eastern coast of Africa, with
the purpose of determining the question as to the final course of the
great river flowing northward, discovered by his missionary predecessor.
He circumnavigated Lake Victoria, discovered Lake Albert Edward, and
made the first complete examination of the shore of Tanganika. He
reached the Lualaba—Livingstone’s north-flowing stream,—and, embarking
on its waters, devoted himself to following it to its ending.
There is no need of recalling the interesting experiences and adventures
of his journey; every one has read his narrative. Suffice it to say that
his great river presently turned westward so far north of the Congo
mouth that one would never dream of connecting the two waters, but as
unexpectedly it turned again toward the southwest and finally showed
itself to be the Congo. During the interval between Stanley’s two great
expeditions—the one in which he found Livingstone and the one in which
he demonstrated the identity of the Lualaba and the Congo—there had
been a growing interest in Europe in everything pertaining to the Dark
Continent.
This interest, which was widely spread, was focused into definite action
by Leopold II., king of the Belgians, who invited the most notable
explorers of Africa, the presidents of the great geographical societies,
politicians, and philanthropists, who were interested in the progress
and development of Africa, to a geographic conference to be held in
Brussels. The gathering took place in September, 1876, at the king’s
palace. Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, and
Russia were represented. The thirty-seven members who made up the
conference represented the best of European thought.
From this conference there developed the International African
Association. This Association organized a series of local national
associations, through which the different countries interested should
conduct investigations and explorations in Africa upon a uniform plan,
and with reference to the same ideas and purposes. It possessed, also, a
governing international commission, of which the king of the Belgians
was the president, and upon which were representatives of Germany, and
France, and the United States, Minister Sanford replacing a British
representative. This committee laid out a definite plan of exploration.
Its first expedition was to go in from the east coast at Zanzibar,
passing to Tanganika. The commission adopted as the flag of the
International African Association a ground of blue upon which shone a
single star of gold.
The Association’s plan included the discovery of the best routes into
the interior of Africa; the establishment of posts where investigators
and explorers could not only make headquarters but from which they might
draw supplies needed for their journey. These advantages were to be
extended to any traveler. The expeditions themselves were national in
character, being left to the initiative of the local national committees
which had been developed by the Association. This Association existed
from 1876 to 1884. During that time six Belgian, one German, and two
French expeditions were organized, accomplishing results of importance.
It was in November, 1877, that the result of Stanley’s expedition came
to the knowledge of the world. It wrought a revolution in the views
regarding Central Africa. In Belgium it produced at once a radical
change of plan. The idea of entering the heart of Africa from Zanzibar
was abandoned. The future operations of the A. I. A.—at least, so far
as Belgium was concerned—would extend themselves from the Congo mouth
up through the vast river system which Stanley had made known. Details
of this mode of procedure were so promptly developed that when Stanley
reached Marseilles in January, 1878, he found an urgent invitation from
the king of the Belgians to come to Brussels for the discussion of plans
of conference.
After a full study of the matter, it was determined by the Belgian
committee that a society should be organized with the title of the
Committee of Studies of the High Congo. This, it will be understood, was
purely a Belgian enterprise. It had for its purpose the occupation and
exploitation of the whole Congo district. For this purpose prompt action
was necessary. In February, 1879, Stanley went to Zanzibar and collected
a body of workmen and carriers. With this force of helpers and a number
of white subordinates he entered the Congo with a little fleet of five
steamers, bearing the flag of the A. I. A. Arrived at Vivi, where he
established a central station, he arranged for the transportation of his
steamers in sections by human carriers to the Stanley Pool above the
rapids.
He worked with feverish haste. France was pressing her work of
exploration, and there was danger of her seizing much of the coveted
territory. Portugal, too, was showing a renewed interest and activity,
and might prove a dangerous rival in the new plans. Native chiefs were
visited and influenced to form treaties giving up their rights of
rulership in their own territories to the Association. Lands were
secured for the erection of stations; the whole river was traversed from
Stanley Pool to Stanley Falls, for the purpose of making these treaties
and securing the best points for locating the stations. The Committee of
Studies of the High Congo now possessed at least treaty rights over a
vast area of country, and by them governmental powers over vast
multitudes of people. It had these rights, it had a flag, but it was not
yet a government, and it stood in constant danger of difficulties with
governments. About this time it changed its name from the Committee of
Studies of the High Congo to the International Association of the Congo.
Meantime events were taking place which threatened the existence of the
Association. Portugal began to assert claims and rights which had long
been in abeyance. She proposed to organize the territory at the Congo
mouth, and which, of course, was of the greatest importance to the
Association, into a governmental district and assume its administration.
In this project she found willing assistance on the part of England.
Never particularly enthusiastic over the scheme of Leopold II., England
had shown no interest at all during the later part of all these
movements. It is true that she was represented at the first conference
held at Brussels; it will be remembered that in the later organization
an American had replaced the English representative. No work had been
done of any consequence by a British committee. No expedition had been
sent out. By the treaty with Portugal, England would at one stroke
render the whole Congo practically worthless. The crisis had come.
France and Germany came to King Leopold’s help. The former recognized
the political activity and status of the Association and promised to
respect its doings; Germany protested vigorously against the
Anglo-Portuguese treaty, which fell through.
Bismarck, who favored the plans of the Belgian monarch in Africa,
officially recognized, on November 3, 1884, the Association as a
sovereign power, and invited representatives of the powers to Berlin for
the purpose of establishing an international agreement upon the
following points: First, commercial freedom in the basin of the Congo
and its tributaries; second, application to the Congo and the Niger of
the principle of freedom of navigation; third, the definition of the
formalities to be observed in order that new occupations of African
shores should be considered as effective. The conference began November
15th, Bismarck himself presiding. Fifteen powers participated—Germany,
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, United States, France, Great Britain,
Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Norway, and Turkey.
As the result of three months of deliberation, the Congo State was added
to the list of independent nations, with King Leopold II. as its ruler.
Promptly the new power was recognized by the different nations of the
world.
[Illustration: CHILDREN AT MOGANDJA, ARUWIMI RIVER]