Fatal Empires

In the 19th century Europeans thought they had the right to colonise the rest of the world. There was even an “agreement” that if a citizen of a European power could live for a year in “unclaimed” territory, exhibiting the national flag, that territory could legitimately be added to the empire. But sometimes the “visitor” put the interests of the “natives” above those of his own empire. Read the story of Baron Maklin, sent by the Russian government to claim a large island north of Australia, who refused to do so. His adventures later in Australia were also quite remarkable.