African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 486: Chapter 164: The New Governor’s Troubles

The smell of smoke is pervasive around the world, and the atmosphere of war is growing stronger. The major powers might not be engaging in large-scale conflicts, but those backward countries or colonies are out of luck.

East Africa is also preparing to respond in such an atmosphere, greatly strengthening land and sea military exercises, and national military training has resumed once again. Especially the navy has received a batch of high-quality sailors from East Africa Middle School, and officers trained at the Ferdinand Naval Academy have started boarding ships for training.

December 1877.

The East African Navy conducted large-scale military exercises in the Mozambique waters and the vicinity of New Hamburg Port, with a total of twenty-five combat ships participating, including five main ironclad ships, eighteen gunboats, and two wooden sail warships. Notably, five of the gunboats were masterpieces from the Bajamojo Shipyard, belonging to East African-made ships.

The number of East African ironclad ships increased to five, and a new ship is scheduled to be handed over from Austria at the beginning of next year. To better arrange this exercise, the East African Navy gathered most of its forces in the vicinity of New Hamburg Port.

This location is both close to the British colonial area of Natal and not far from the capital of Portuguese Mozambique, Maputo, effectively showcasing the strength of the East African Navy.

As the East African fleet conducted exercises in the waters of both colonial lands, the strength of the East African Navy essentially surfaced, engaging in a series of military operations against imagined enemies in the Mozambique Channel.

The East African naval exercises became one of the highlights in the Western Indian Ocean waters, quickly attracting passing ships, with Portugal’s new Governor of Mozambique, Lieford, being one of the spectators. He arrived in East Africa carrying his homeland’s mission, but unexpectedly encountered a setback right upon coming to Africa.

Lieford stood on the ship, scrutinizing the East African naval exercise area with binoculars, saying: ”The East African Navy has already become a strong presence in the Indian Ocean region. When did they develop such a navy?” Lieford inquired.

”The East African Navy didn’t just suddenly emerge, although it did develop at a rapid pace in recent years. A few years ago, they were still equipping Zanzibar Sultanate, now Zanzibar Province, with antique ships, but in recent years they seem to have skyrocketed, commissioning several ironclad ships in succession.”

Lieford said somewhat enviously and pessimistically: ”I’m afraid even our domestic navy might not be able to defeat the East African Navy now!”

The Portuguese navy has been extremely tragic in recent years. In 1875, the Portuguese navy ordered an ironclad ship named Vasco da Gama from the British Thames Shipyard, which is the only ironclad ship Portugal possesses.

The Vasco da Gama ironclad ship has a total displacement of 2,384 tons, almost equivalent to the first domestically built East African ironclad ship under construction. However, this ironclad ship has just been launched and is likely to officially become operational next year.

Lieford: ”This East African Navy is the naval force of the so-called Heixinggen Kingdom. So why can East Africa build a navy of this scale while we, being colonial, can’t?”

”Governor, you might not realize that East Africa is backed by the Heixinggen consortium from the German region. The Heixinggen consortium’s owner is the Heixinggen royal family, providing substantial funding. Relying solely on colonial revenues would have led them to bankruptcy long ago, unable to reach today’s scale, unless they controlled gold mines. However, we haven’t heard of any gold mines existing in East Africa.”

Lieford: ”Let’s not talk about naval issues for now. Why has colonial expansion speed been so slow these years? We’ve been in Mozambique for hundreds of years, yet the Germans have overtaken us.”

”Governor, we can’t be blamed for this. Developing colonies requires financial investment to spur development. Of course, one could rely on East Africa’s human-wave strategy, but we lack personnel, so we can’t expand in the African interior as the Germans do.”

Lieford: ”As far as I know, Mozambique colony’s revenues are pretty good, right? How come there’s no money for development?”

A subordinate looked at this second-generation heir with resentment and said: ”Mozambique colony’s revenue is indeed not bad. However, most is siphoned by the kingdom, leaving us with no strength for development. Furthermore, a hundred years of rule has drained most value from the natives, who have now learned to resist. Suppressing native rebellions requires funds while disrupting production order and reducing revenues.”

The natives of Mozambique are very different from those under East Africa. Due to a hundred years of colonial history, their resistance consciousness is stronger than East African natives. Moreover, the living standard of East African natives is higher than Mozambique natives, making them less desperate to oppose East Africa. Furthermore, East African immigrants (excluding birth population) outnumber natives by half, which means natives don’t have an advantage in numbers against East Africa.

Lieford: ”You said earlier that East Africa has been expanding with a human-wave strategy throughout Africa. What’s East Africa’s population situation?”

”Not entirely clear, but roughly estimated, East African immigrant population might exceed a million.”

At this moment, Lieford realized he was experiencing a hellish start! Not at all like the rumors said, that Africa is an undeveloped continent where taking over the Land of No Master would naturally bring political achievements.

Lieford: ”Where did they get such a population?”

”Naturally from the Germans, but also Far Easterners. Based on our experience in Dar es Salaam, Germans should be about the same as Far Easterners, and maybe there’s a minority of other ethnic groups. I know a hotel waiter who is Italian.”

”When bringing such a population into Africa, don’t they fear malaria?”

”Governor, the emergence of Quinine has proven effective in solving the malaria problem. However, East Africa should have other methods of reducing the probability of malaria outbreaks, as we’ve never heard of large malaria outbreaks there, while here, it often occurs.”

This news made Lieford even more disheartened. Good heavens! Not only might he not gain any political achievement, but he might also face the threat of malaria. Can he go home now?

It seemed the subordinate noticed Lieford’s thoughts and said: ”Governor, you don’t need to worry too much. Actually, malaria can only be considered a small issue. Since the introduction of Quinine, most patients can basically recover on their own, and Quinine’s price isn’t high now. East Africa is one of the major Quinine producers.”

Lieford: ”East Africa has an advantage in everything. No wonder the previous governor was incompetent. In such an environment, even if His Majesty the King ruled Mozambique himself, he wouldn’t be able to accomplish much, let alone our old men back home wanting us to exert ourselves in Africa.”

Lieford’s appointment as the new governor was due to Portugal’s dissatisfaction with the previous governor’s inaction, especially after the outbreak of the economic crisis. The economic situation in Portugal was essentially a series of continuous troubles; hence, acquiring fresh resources from colonies has become especially crucial. Looking around, Portugal sees Africa as a place with great potential, particularly Angola and Mozambique, its most important and strongest colonies.

Now, European countries are hastening colonial expansions, and Portugal doesn’t want to fall behind. After all, Portugal’s leverage in Europe is based on its colonial powers.

As for the existence of the East African Kingdom, Portugal chooses to turn a blind eye, still adopting the inertia-thinking regarding Africa. Portugal never feared anyone on the colonial path, even daring to confront the British, so they don’t consider East Africa, this African chieftain kingdom, a threat.

However, only someone like Lieford, who truly came to Mozambique, can experience the difference firsthand. The East African Navy alone could sink the kingdom’s domestic navy now. As for the land force, who would dare doubt the combat power of the Germans?

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