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(4.)—Act of Cession to Great Britain of a new Strip of Country along the right Bank of the Shiré.-July 21, 1891.

(Translation.)

WE, the Chiefs and Headmen of the Makanga and Machinjiri countries, whose names are signed here below, do by this deed make over in perpetuity to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, the entire sovereignty of that portion of our country which is bounded as follows:

On the north by the former Portuguese boundary, which, starting from opposite the confluence of the Ruo, ran due west to the waterparting between the basins of the Zambezi and the Shiré; on the west by the dividing line of the said water-parting along the range of the Makanga and Sena Mountains; on the south by a straight line running latitudinally between the said water-parting and a point on the right bank of the River Shiré opposite Chiwanga, in about 17° 10' south latitude; and on the east by the centre of the course of the River Shiré, including thus such islands and islets as lie to the west of the centre of the said river. Together with the sovereignty of the country, we, the said Chiefs and Headmen, do further make over to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, the ownership of the soil, and of all minerals, metals, and precious stones which may be contained therein, throughout the extent of country bounded by the limits above set forth, due reservation, however, being made of the properly established claims of third parties existing at the date of this Act of Cession.

In witness of the above Act of Cession, we do hereby put our hands to this deed this 21st day of July, 1891, at the British Settlement of Tshilomo, on the Shiré River.

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H. H. JOHNSTON, Her Majesty's Commissioner.
HENRY J. KEANE, Lieutenant-Commander,
H.M.S. Herald.

Witnesses to signatures:

ALFRED SHARPE, Her Majesty's Vice-Consul.
B. L. SCLATER, Lieutenant, R.E.

Tshilomo, River Shiré, July 21, 1891.

Tshikunda Translation of Deed.
[Not printed.]

I, ALLAN SIMPSON, merchant, residing at Port Herald, on the right bank of the River Shiré, do hereby declare, on bonour, that the foregoing is a faithful translation in the Tshikunda tongue of the Act of Cession of the Makanga and Machinjiri Chiefs, and that the said translation has been read over to them before signing, and that they have been furnished with a copy.

Witnesses to the above signature:

H. H. JOHNSTON, Her Majesty's Commissioner.
HENRY J. KEANE, Lieutenant-Commander,
H.M.S. Herald.

ALLAN SIMPSON.

(5.)—Tshingomanji's Deed of Cession of Sovereign Rights.—
August 22, 1891.

I, TSHINGOMANJI, Chief of the country on the southern slope of Milanji Mountain, do hereby cede all my sovereign rights to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, and I promise and agree to abide by all Regulations and Ordinances which Her Majesty's Representatives in Nyasaland may make for the better governance of the country, and to compel my subjects to do the same.

In witness whereof I have this day put my hand to this Declaration in the town of Tshilomo, on the 22nd day of August, 1891.

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(6.)—M'ponda's Deed of Cession of Sovereign Rights.—October 24, 1891.

I, M'PONDA, Chief of the Western Yaos, do hereby cede to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, the full sovereign rights of my country, reserving only the proprietary rights to the soil, and I agree that this cession of sovereign rights shall be defined and supplemented as follows:

1. All slavery and slave-trading, or the transit of slaves, within and across my territories, are henceforth declared illegal, and I not only solemnly promise to do all in my power to stop these malpractices, but I consent to the officers of Her Majesty's Government taking whatever measures may seem necessary to them within my territories to stamp out slavery and the Slave Trade.

2. I consent to Her Majesty's Government exercising full and complete jurisdiction over all foreigners within my territories, and over all my own subjects outside the limits of my country.

3. The collection of customs and revenue from foreigners within my territories I make over to Her Majesty's Government entirely, on condition only that a sum of 1007. a-year is paid me (irrespective of the amount collected) as a commutation of my claim to tax foreigners.

4. I promise to pay out of the taxation of my own people to the British Central African Administration a subsidy to enable it to maintain a sufficient police force within and around my territories to keep order among the surrounding tribes, and to effectually suppress the Slave Trade. This subsidy shall be calculated at a rate in accordance with the resources of the country.

5. The mineral rights of my country are vested in the Govern ment of Her Majesty, which may dispose of them as it will; but 5 per cent. of the profits of working the said minerals will be paid to me by the said Government or by the persons to whom it may make over these mineral rights.

Given under my hand and seal at Fort Johnston, on the left bank of the Upper Shiré, this 24th day of October, 1891.

His

Witnesses to signature:

H. H. JOHNSTON, Her Majesty's Commissioner.
CECIL MAGUIRE, Captain,

British Central African Administration.

X M'PONDA. mark.

(7.)-Kazembe's Deed of Cession of Sovereign Rights.-October 31,

1891.

I, KAZEMBE, Sultan of Rifu, do hereby cede to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, the full Sovereign rights of my country, reserving only the proprietary rights to the soil; and I agree that this cession of sovereign rights shall be defined and supplemented as follows:

1. All slavery and slave-trading, or the transit of slaves within and across my territories, are henceforth declared illegal; and I not only solemnly promise to do all in my power to stop these malpractices, but I consent to the officers of Her Majesty's Government taking whatever measures may seem necessary to them within my territories to stamp out slavery and the Slave Trade.

2. I consent to Her Majesty's Government exercising full and complete jurisdiction over all foreigners within my territories, and over all my own subjects outside the limits of my country.

3. I make over to Her Majesty's Government the collection of all customs duties and revenue from foreigners within my territories. I make over my claims to Her Majesty's Government in this respect on condition that 10 per cent. of the amount annually collected is paid to me.

4. I promise out of the taxation of my own people to pay to the British Central African Administration a subsidy to enable it to maintain a sufficient police force within or around my territories to keep order among the people and to effectually suppress the Slave Trade. This subsidy shall for the present be fixed at 20 frasilahs (about 700 lbs.) of ivory yearly, commencing from the 1st January, 1892. If, however, ivory cannot be procured, the subsidy can be paid in money at the rate of 2501. a-year, or in food stuff's or commercial products rated at their local value.

5. The mineral rights of my country are vested in the Government of Her Majesty the Queen, which may dispose of them as it

will; but 5 per cent. of the profits of working the said minerals will be paid to me by the said Government, or by the persons to whom it may make over these mineral rights.

Given under my hand at Rifu Bay, on Lake Nyasa, this 31st day of October, 1891.

His

X KAZEMBE. mark.

Witnesses to signature:

H. H. JOHNSTON, Her Majesty's Commissioner.

CECIL MAGUIRE, Captain,

British Central African Administration.

(Signature of Naigree Dasonda Singh, Indian Police, B.C.A.) (Signature of Bin Omari.)

(8.)-Zarafi and Tshindamba's Deed of Cession of Sovereign Rights.— November 7, 1891.

WE, Zarafi and Tshindamba (Makandanji), Chiefs of the eastern section of the Matshinga Yao, do hereby cede to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, the full sovereign rights of our country.

We agree to the entire abolition of slavery, and promise to aid to the best of our ability the officers of Her Majesty's Government and of the British Central African Administration in their endeavours to stop the transit of slaves across our territories, and to capture persons engaged in the Slave Trade.

We make over without reserve to Her Majesty's Government the mineral rights of our country, the collection of customs duties and revenue from foreigners, complete jurisdiction over ali foreigners, and, in return for the protection afforded by the police force of the British Central African Administration, we agree to pay that Administration an annual tax to be computed at the rate of 68. per house, or the value of 6s. in food stuff's or marketable products.

We also recognize that the waste lands bounded on the north by Lake Nyasa, on the west by the River Shiré, on the south by a line drawn from the point where the Shiré expauds into Lake Pamalombwe to the base of the nearest hill on the east of the Shiré, and on the east by the base of the nearest range of hills or mountains eastward of the Shiré-in short, about 36 square miles of plain-are the property of Her Majesty the Queen, to be disposed of as shall seem good to Her Majesty's Government.

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