EQUATORIAL AFRICA

Southland Times, Issue 16786, 15 July 1911, Page 5

EQUATORIAL AFRICA

MB X W. E'AYMGKB'S VISIT. THE COUNTRY’S INDUSTRIES Continuing his account of a visit to British Equatorial Africa, Mr I. W. Raymond writes: — British Equatorial Africa bus unquestionably a great future. Most of the land which 1 inspected during over a thousand miles tour struck me as being above the average in fertility. The wealth of its natural products was unmistakable evidence of this. Lack of 'a reasonably good ranfall and scarcity of streams are its great hindrances. The general impression in the country is that underground are many water courses which enterprise could easily tap. Some day I am satisfied that systematic efforts will be made in this direction, and success is sure to reward the enterprising. The question is often discussed as to whether British Equatorial Africa is or is not A WHITE’S MAN’S COUNTRY. The present settlers have got their holdings at exceptionally low rates, yet few seem to have profited by the advantage so far. The obvious reason is that for some years past the progressiva holders have been passing through thb experimental stage. Fully 75 per cent, of the holders of land in the Uplands are content to squat and do nothing, merely waiting for the intending .'Settle* to call and give him a premiuih for his holding. These are mostly still waiting. Their hdldirigs have this attraction over land now cbniing dh the rtl’arkfet, ’.yla, that the minimum of 1000 acres can Wa made freehold, the balance being under a 99 years term. The authorities afb rather obsessed with the Henry Georgian creed that,all land must be held by the State, and that only limited areas must even then be parted with, the result being that men with money who would take up a fair sized block and spend a few thousand on improving it are not attracted by such a policy, and, therefore, turn their attention to countries where they can acquire land without revaluation of rent conditions. . WATTLE GROWING is the most attractive, proposition In the country to-day. Land can be acquired at reasonable limits, arid, providing the locality be suitable, the jllaritatitorib never fall, and no great attention i's required. The bark commands a price that ensures a good net return to" the grower. Rubber, sisal, cdffee and copra are all fairly safe ventures. The native fibre plant, sansevierla, has not been successfully rtiilled so far, but as a result of my visit and the installation oi a suitable plant I am hopeful that it will be converted into one of the payable products in the future. The cllfficulty is that a complete plant with the necessary plantation tramways runs from £6OOO to £BOOO, so this Is a heavyoutlay to face. We hope to have qver 2000 acres planted but In sisal by this time next year. This costs about £S)ooij, but even at present prices it should return a handsome profit. The German. East sisal commands fully £1 IDs..her ton more than the best Mexican. Sisal is in greater demand, than riianila. THE CLIMATE from the coast north, some 151) miles, is far from healthy. The malaria mosquito is much in evidence, good wate* is difficult to obtain, and dysentery as a result is very prevalent. I had a week in the worst locality in British Equatorial Africa (Vol), and despite mosquito curtains and every care my person was invaded. Quinine is one's only safeguard. I dosed myself for a week before I reached Voi, and have only now (three weeks hence) ceased doing so. Malaria would have developed ere this, so I am congratulating myself in having got through scathless. The climate from Nairobi northward is quite healthy. SHEEP BREEDING. Only limited areas are adaptable tb sheep; and cattle raising; I inspected, several thousands of Lord Delamere’s flocks, and rioted with great interest their evolution from the woolless native sheep. The merino sire left his mark from the first, arid by the third cross there was little indication'that the progenitor's on the dam side had been woolless. The native sheep Is symmetrically formed but small in frame. Breeders are wisely not trying to do too pinch at once, so are directing their efforts more to wool than to carcass. Imagine merinos being herded in mobs all day, and “housed” at night. There are few boundary fences in the country, because they are of little use, and the herds of zebras and other big game are continually razing that do exist to the ground. Native herders are necessary to keep away lions arid leopards, but this solitary confinement is hardly conducive to the production of even a moderately good type of merino. Some day a wise men will arise in their; wrath and will say the areas they occupy have been dedicated to the production of stock, not to that of a zoological garden, so the zebras and other wild annrials within these confines being looked upbri as vermin, must be exterminated Th'tt zebras will then be stampeded Into races and mercilessly dorie to death. Tho lion and the leopard will be given 'a short shrift. Until such a step is taken settlers will make no real progress in the improvement of their herds. Zebras are absolutely useless, and about the best parasitical distributors a country can have. GENERAL NOTES. Cattle are mostly bred from the native, the sires in evidence being Shorthorn, Hereford and Devons. East Coast fever is the most difficult problem before the grower, but the Government is making praiseworthy efforts to combat the trouble. In the districts where the concessions I am interested in exist, no domesticated animals, except the goat and native sheep can exist. So traction is either steam or the native. Porters think nothing of shouldering 60 lbs to SO lbs, and walking a distance of 12 to 15 miles in the day. I had 30 porters on one of my sofaris (journeys) and they did 17 miles one day, and some had 70 lbs. to carry. Their daily posho (food) consists of 1% lbs of mealiCi which is all they seem to require. Altogether I had five weeks in the country. I did most of the uninteresting portion of my journeys by night. I met most of the prominent men in the country, and found them interesting conversationalists, and anxious to afford all possible information in regard to the country and its prospects. I am quite satlsi fled with my investments, and am hopeful of good results. I am posting you this from Port Said, having penned the somewhat haphazard observations since I left Aden. We touched at Port Soudan three days ago. It has been well laid out and is a good and safe port, certainly unattractive looking at present, but being the key to Khartoum, and the rich territory of which that city is the centre, will ere long be the most important shipping centre on the Red Sea