26 
EUROPE AND AFRICA 
cognized the claim to the important northern strip, which 
included the mouth of the Congo. France, by the Con- 
vention of 1786, neither contested nor recognized Portuguese 
sovereignty there, but agreed not to occupy any of that 
territory herself, which perhaps might be said to be a re- 
cognition of it as a sphere of interest. Great Britain stead- 
fastly refused to recognize Portuguese jurisdiction, though 
the Lisbon Government initiated negotiations for such re- 
cognition every few years from 1846. Portugal had never 
been able to enforce with any regularity her commercial 
monopoly on the Congo, and a complete freedom of trade 
had been confirmed to France by the Convention just 
mentioned, and was equally enjoyed by other countries, 
with or without treaty rights. 
The rapid success of Stanley, the penetration of M. Sa- 
vorgnan de Brazza to the Upper Congo, and the occurrence 
of several violent conflicts between natives and traders, 
which again raised the question of jurisdiction, once more 
compelled Portugal to open negotiations for the recognition 
of her “sovereignty.” Accordingly, early in November, 
1882, both France and Great Britain were approached. 
France gave assurances that De Brazza’s third expedition, 
then in preparation, was merely scientific; that she would 
not encroach on the territories south of lat. 5° 12’: and that 
she was prepared to join in the delimitation of West African 
boundaries. The correspondence continued until J anuary, 
1883, and was renewed in the summer, but nothing came 
of it. The French Government was friendly, but apparently 
wished to postpone the delimitation till De Brazza had had 
time to consolidate their holdings along the Congo. In 
February, 1883, he was given the powers of a colonial gov- 
ernor and authorized to make such treaties with the native 
chiefs as were necessary to advance the French influence, 
His studies of the country and its resources were to be go-