"German" East Africa Author(S): Owen Letcher Source: the Geographical Journal, Vol

Notes on the South-Western Area of "German" East Africa Author(s): Owen Letcher Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 51, No. 3 (Mar., 1918), pp. 164-172 Published by: geographicalj Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1779377 Accessed: 23-06-2016 09:06 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Wiley, The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Geographical Journal This content downloaded from 132.236.27.111 on Thu, 23 Jun 2016 09:06:43 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 164 NOTES ON THE the main trunk railway through Siberia, and it naturally makes it impossible without very large capital to develop these resources. But the policy of the Government before the revolution was to develop rail way s as rapidly as pos? sible ; even now construction is going on in many parts of that country; and there is every probability that after the war the attention of miners all over the world will be attracted to Siberia. The political outlook at the present moment can be regarded as only a passing phase. A country that has a population of 200,000,000, who have settled and formed an empire of 8,500,000 square miles, is not destined to perish or disintegrate. Can there be a better proof of capacity for civilization than that this people has evolved a language which for power, for subtlety, for complete command over the finest shades of meaning stands in a class by itself? It is only the innate goodness and the almost childishly trusting sim- plicity of the Russian masses which could have made them temporarily the prey of such a medley of adventurers, traitors, and sentimental anarchists as are in power at Petrograd to-day. But Petrograd is not Russia. The settle? ment of to-day's crisis will, to my mind, be brought about by Nature rather than by any political happenings. The people are suffering terribly from the want of food, accentuated by the breakdown of the raiiways ; but the sufferings which they are undergoing now, and will go through this winter, will probably bring back the masses to common sense and reason. The present Government is artificial, and has obtained power by controlling the technical equipment of the country?the raiiways, posts, and telegraphs?and by pan- dering to the lowest instincts of the workers. But these poor people are seeing reason through their sufferings, and I believe that before this winter is past Russia will be herself again. Her future is secure, and what a future it is des? tined to be ! Few men have the remotest idea of the immensity of her wealth and resources which await development, more especially in Siberia and the Altai. The President : I ask you to join in a very hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer for the most interesting account of his travels in Siberia, and I take this opportunity also of thanking those members of the Society who have so usefully contributed to the discussion. NOTES ON THE SOUTH-WESTERN AREA OF "GERMAN" EAST AFRICA Owen Letcher THE two territory parts, approximately hitherto known equal as German in size, East by Africathe Central is divided Railway, into which extends right across the colony from Dar-es-Salaam on the coast to Kigoma Bay on the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika, a distance of 778 miles. This railway, completed a few months before the outbreak of the war, is the main economic artery of "German" East Africa. It was con? structed for the purposes of military strategy and trade development; and there can be but little doubt that one of its intended functions was the invasion of the Congo Belge, on which Germany has always east envious This content downloaded from 132.236.27.111 on Thu, 23 Jun 2016 09:06:43 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms SOUTH-WESTERN AREA OF "GERMAN" EAST AFRICA 165 eyes. But the whole of this line is now under the control of ourselves and our Belgian Allies; and with the removal of Prussian militarism from East Africa, this great engineering enterprise will reap a much richer harvest of trade than would ever have been possible under its makers' policy. This Central Railway and the Tanga-Moshi line to the north are the two great enterprises launched by the Germans in their East African possession. No other lines have been constructed, and the vast southern portion of the dependency is without any modern or effective means of transport. The entire absence of railways or any other means of transport except native porters was constantly being brought home to the members of Brigadier-General Northey's Force, who crossed the German border from Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia in May 1916, and who by a series of carefully prepared operations drove the enemy down on to the unhealthy Mahenge Flats, and in the face of enormous difficulties effected a junction with the army of General Smuts at Iringa in October 1916. Horses are practically unknown in this portion of Africa. Here and there the main thoroughfares are crossed by fly belts which mean death in most instances to domesticated animals. Accordingly native porterage and ox transport were the only means of carrying supplies, munitions, and general equipment up to the fighting columns; until when the advance had been pushed well into the enemy's country, roads suitable for petrol traffic were con? structed, and a fleet of light cars arrived from South Africa. While the lack of enterprise on the part of the Germans with regard to transport was continually evident to us, the potential wealth, the beauty, and the wonderful variety of the country were made more manifest each day. It is not a little surprising that such a thorough and ambitious people as the Germans have comparatively neglected this area of over 200,000 square miles south of the Central Railway. They seem to have concentrated all their energy and activity on the development of the northern and north-eastern portions of their East African possessions. After seeing something of both the northern and southern areas I think that the north has enjoyed advantages to the unjustified detriment of the south. The Uhehe and Usangu provinces?particularly the former? have millions of acres of magnificent cattle country. Neu Langenburg is the centre of an intensely fertile agricultural dis? trict, whose pastoral value is only slightly less than that of Uhehe. All along the Nyasaland and Rhodesian frontiers the valleys of the Songwe and its tributaries produce cereals, particularly Rapoko and Chamanga (mealies or Indian corn) in extraordinary profusion; and the natives possess very large herds of fat and well-matured cattle. Moreover, there are unmistakable evidences of mineral wealth. Iron has been worked by the natives living on the German side of the Nyasaland?Northern Rhodesian frontier from time immemorial. Coal-measures have been This content downloaded from 132.236.27.111 on Thu, 23 Jun 2016 09:06:43 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 166 NOTES ON THE located near the north-west end of Nyasa, and also close to the port of Wiedhafen on the eastern side of the lake. In the Konde highlands (around Neu Langenburg) I have noticed some very extensive beds of mica of the Muscovite variety. The flakes are large and remarkably free from iron stains. Graphite has been discovered in the vicinity of Lindi in the extreme south-eastern corner of the country; and copper is said to have been found between this place and the Rovuma River (Portuguese border). There is also without doubt a potential industry in the mag? nificent timber forests which adorn Mount Rungwe and the Poroto Mountains, directly to the north of Neu Langenburg. The German Government seems to have done little or nothing to foster or encourage any of these sources of reVenue and wealth. Whereas along the line of the Central and Tanga Raiiways private enterprise in the growing of Sisal and other tropical produce has been aided by the Govern? ment, the policy in regard to the southern area has been one of laissez faire. In the northern area one or two promising gold-mines are being opened up around Sekenke to the south of Lake Victoria Nyanza, but no mining has been undertaken in the southern portion of the country, although such work would undoubtedly have been justified by indications and general prospects. The Germans seem to have contented themselves with extending the geological survey of the country to the south of the railway, and with the construction of a little laboratory at Alt Langenburg. The main industrial influence in the great southern portion of the country has been that of the missionaries. Mission stations are plentiful throughout the whole southern territory, and round nearly every one of them a large area of ground has been intensively cultivated. Many of these mission stations are beautiful and show great diligence. Some of their gardens are lovely in the extreme. The buildings are invariably of brick.

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