State before it was signed. Furthermore, before this date, Conventions
had been signed with France and Portugal to arrange the frontiers
between the territories of those Powers and the International
Association. The General Act of Berlin had however nothing to do with
frontiers at all, but stated the general principles which it seemed were
best suited to the needs of the people and territories in Central
Africa, to which all the African Powers, and among them the
International Association, voluntarily agreed. It is therefore clear
that the clauses of the Act apply to all the Powers in the territories
defined, and that the Act itself was not concerned with founding or
regulating the system of Government of the International Association,
which six months later took the name of the _État Indépendant du Congo_
with His Majesty Ring Leopold II. as sovereign.

While engaged in studying these treaties, we arrived at Free Town,
Sierra Leone on July 5th. Here again the place forms a beautiful picture
from the sea. A reef runs far out and is marked by a lighthouse, while
the town itself, protected by a fort with grass ramparts, lies on the
south side of a kind of bay, which, however, has more the appearance of
the mouth of a large river. Palms and other tropical plants grow to the
water's edge and among them are yellow and red houses while higher up
the hills behind, are isolated bungalows and the barracks, at this time
occupied by the West African regiment. In the distance, bleak and bare
mountains passively regard the scene. On landing, one meets faces
showing every shade from ivory white to jet black and clothes of every
known colour. The roads are not paved in any way, as there are neither
horses nor wheeled vehicles here. Indeed, the houses are built in rows
facing each other, a gutter is cut in front and the space between forms
a street. The Custom House is an imposing structure near the beach and
the Cathedral is a handsome Gothic church, but as one end was covered