Of course, at this moment, Russell still felt quite pleased in his heart. He was not afraid of East Africa asking for too much regarding the Pirate Coast; he was only afraid that East Africa might overlook the Pirate Coast.
In essence, Russell's mindset was aligned with the officials from East Africa. The British government was more aware than the East African officials of the value of the Pirate Coast. The reason the British government directly chose the Pirate Coast as a bargaining chip was that, in their eyes, the Pirate Coast held the least value.
Although the British government was the sovereign over the many tribes of the Pirate Coast, it had no real governance there. Currently, the Pirate Coast was also known by another name, "Truce States."
The Truce States could also be referred to as the Truce State Alliance, a coalition facilitated by the UK in the early 19th century to stabilize the region and curb the development of piracy in the Persian Gulf Region.
