continent.

Towards the north-east the problem of delimitation had been complicated
by political events, which ultimately led to another great exploring
expedition by Mr. Stanley. The extension of Egypt into the Equatorial
Provinces under Ismail Pasha, due in large measure to the geographical
discoveries of Grant, Speke, and Baker, led to an enormous accumulation
of debt, which caused the country to become bankrupt, Ismail Pasha
to be deposed, and Egypt to be administered jointly by France and
England on behalf of the European bondholders. This caused much
dissatisfaction on the part of the Egyptian officials and army
officers, who were displaced by French and English officials; and
a rebellion broke out under Arabi Pasha. This led to the armed
intervention of England, France having refused to co-operate, and
Egypt was occupied by British troops. The Soudan and Equatorial
Provinces had independently revolted under Mohammedan fanaticism,
and it was determined to relinquish those Egyptian possessions,
which had originally led to bankruptcy. General Gordon was despatched
to relieve the various Egyptian garrisons in the south, but being
without support, ultimately failed, and was killed in 1885. One
of Gordon's lieutenants, a German named Schnitzler, who appears
to have adopted Mohammedanism, and was known as Emin Pasha, was
thus isolated in the midst of Africa near the Albert Nyanza, and
Mr. Stanley was commissioned to attempt his rescue in 1887. He
started to march through the Congo State, and succeeded in traversing
a huge tract of forest country inhabited by diminutive savages,
who probably represented the Pigmies of the ancients. He succeeded
in reaching Emin Pasha, and after much persuasion induced him to
accompany him to Zanzibar, only, however, to return as a German
agent to the Albert Nyanza. Mr. Stanley's journey on this occasion
was not without its political aspects, since he made arrangements
during the eastern part of his journey for securing British influence
for the lands afterwards handed over to the British East Africa
Company.

All these political delimitations were naturally accompanied by
explorations, partly scientific, but mainly political. Major Serpa
Pinto twice crossed Africa in an attempt to connect the Portuguese
settlements on the two coasts. Similarly, Lieutenant Wissmann also
crossed Africa twice, between 1881 and 1887, in the interests of
the Congo State, though he ultimately became an off