The Backbone of Author(s): Alfred Sharpe Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 52, No. 3 (Sep., 1918), pp. 141-154 Published by: geographicalj Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1779585 Accessed: 21-06-2016 00:13 UTC

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Vol. LII No. 3 September 1918

THE BACKBONE OF AFRICA

Sir Alfred Sharpe, K.C.M.G., C.B.

(Read at the Meeting of the Society, 10 June 1918.)

SOME Central thirty Africa, years zrid ago the therivers "African Lakes and Shire Route" and intoLakes Eastern Nyasa and , figured largely as an alternative to suggested- raiiways from the East Coast to Lakes Victoria or Tanganyika. Since the eighties, however, many things have happened in this part of the continent, and owing to rapid progress in British East Africa, , and ex-, and to political re-arrangements, the southern route as a trunk line of communication has fallen out of consideration. Future and further re-arrangements make it worth while to consider the line as a whole; and I propose to give a rapid survey of an imaginary journey through Africa from the Southern to the Mediterranean, with such remarks on the various territories bordering on this line as time will allow. From the mouth of the Zambezi to the mouth of the is a long line of water communication, interrupted here and there by land portages. Of the whole distance?something over 4000 miles, measured in straight sections?3400 can be done by water, following the Zambezi and Shire, Lakes Nyasa, Tanganyika, Kivu, Edward, Albert, and the River Nile. A curious feature of this line is that the central portion through the great western rift of Africa lies upon the actual watershed of the continent east and west, yet it is also more or less the dividing line between the mountainous countries of Eastern Africa and the lower-lying Congo basin. It is also a division between the colony on the one hand and Colonies and Protectorates of Germany and Britain on the other. This rift, which may be said to begin in the south in the Shire valley, is bordered throughout its length by high-lying districts with compara- tively cool and healthy climates, its highest point being just north of Lake Kivu. A certain proportion of the high country lying along the great western rift is " colonizable," i.e. it can be occupied permanently by settlers of European blood without need for periodical change to a European climate. On the other hand, a vast extent, of course, of these M

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countries is only colonizable to the same degree as are tropical colonies, such as Ceylon. Any one desiring to make a through journey from the Zambezi to can do so in these days with comparative ease and no great amount of discomfort. If it were desired to make use of every yard of water communication, this could be done by carrying sectional steel boats, easily taken to pieces and put together, and transported over the various portages by natives; though, as a matter of fact, a great part of the journey can be done either in steamers or by rail. At Sofala, the old port for country lying immediately south of the Zambezi, and at Sena on the Zambezi, are buildings still in existence erected by the Portuguese in the seventeenth century. Sofala was pro? bably the port used by the ancient people who worked the gold-mines of Rhodesia. I use the word " ancient" with some hesitation, as there are some who would tell us that the ruins are comparatively modern. That, however, is a question which I need not enter into now. The only port at the actual mouth of the Zambezi, , situated on the Chinde branch of the great river, has no outside harbour, and vessels of over iooo tons have to tranship their cargo and passengers into lighters and tugs for transport over the bar, or must carry them on to Beira, whence small steamers trade up the coast. From Chinde the voyage up the Zambezi to Chindio is made in shallow-draught steamers of the usual type, similar to those which navigate the Nile; two or three- deckers, pushing or pulling their cargo in barges. The trip is of much interest for those undertaking it for the first time. The delta of the Zambezi contains some of the richest alluvial lands in Africa, and is capable of much development, especially in the cultivation of sugar. This district already exports 25,000 tons of sugar annually. From Chindio?the present southern terminus of the railway?one travels in ten or twelve hours to Blantyre, the chief settlement in Nyasa? land, a Protectorate which has been under development for over thirty years and has many European settlers, mostly British; also, before the war, a sprinkling of Germans, Dutch and other nationalities. There are only a few limited areas in Nyasaland which come under my designation of " permanently colonizable," but as practically the whole Protectorate has a very fair and pleasant climate, Europeans can spend periods of four, five and six years in the country without much chance of suffering in heaith. Nyasaland has already made great strides in the way of supplying Great Britain with valuable agricultural products, such as cotton, coffee, tea, oils, and foodstuffs. It is essential, however, that the existing rail? way should be carried north to tap the south end of Lake Nyasa, and in a southerly direction to the port of Beira in Portuguese East Africa. When this has been done there should be great progress in this small Protectorate. These two] extensions of the Nyasaland railway have been under consideration for some years, and arrangements had been

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms THE BACKBONE OF AFRICA 143 practically completed for their construction when war broke out. Formerly the Zambezi and Shire Rivers were looked on as providing a more or less practicable water route to Nyasaland, but owing to the diminishing over- flow from Lake Nyasa and the consequent shrinkage in water supply to the two rivers it is useless to rely on them, and the only wise course is to have a through rail connection with Beira, the best port on the East Coast between Lorengo Marques and . When I left Nyasaland in 1910 the Protectorate was slowly but steadily developing. Since then the war in East Africa has brought about a sudden and extraordinary change. One of our forces fighting against the Germans ? General Northey's column ? has operated almost entirely through Nyasaland, with the result that the amount of transport in the country has been multiplied many times. When I left there was only one metalled road, 42 miles in length, from Blantyre to Zomba. This has since been carried on to Fort Johnston on Lake Nyasa, and for three years past has been constantly used by fleets of cars and three-ton lorries, while every steamer on Lake Nyasa has been busy carrying military stores and men. Planters and farmers in the Protectorate have done well, and their crops of cotton, coffee, tobacco, and tea have fetched remunerative prices. The only fly in the ointment has been want of ocean freightage during the last three years. There is a large population of fine sturdy natives of various tribes, good and willing workers. These Nyasaland men make excellent soldiers, many of them having served in the King's African Rifles. I remember once when a batch of them who had returned from the Somaliland expedi? tion had just been paid off, and had spent most of their money buying all sorts of things in the local stores. I met a party of them on the road; one young man, clothed in a pair of corderoy breeches, shooting boots, shirt, felt hat, Norfolk jacket, and a double-breasted canary-coloured waistcoat, dragged out of his large waistcoat pocket a round alarum clock. He stopped in front of me, held it out, and said, " Adafa dzulu," which means, " It died last night." He expected me to mend it for him on the spot. North-Eastern Rhodesia, bordering on Nyasaland, would naturally and geographically form part of the Protectorate, but is at present under the administration of the Chartered British Company. Portu? guese and German territory east of Nyasa contains some excellent high- lying districts, especially at the north end of the lake where the Konde country is situated. This was formerly entirely under British influence; in fact, in 1887, 1888, and 1889.a lengthy war was waged by European settlers of Nyasaland against the Arabs, who were endeavouring to obtain possession of Kondeland, a full account of which is given in * The Rise of the East African Empire/ by Sir Frederick Lugard, who himself took part in it. The station of Karonga was at that time besieged by the Arabs, and successfully defended by a small band of white volunteers and natives. The future of European influence indeed hung in the balance

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 144 THE BACKBONE OF AFRICA here for a time. The war finally terminated in the defeat of the Arabs, but in the general partition of Africa which subsequently took place, for some unexplained reason, the whole of this magnificent country, together with a great part of the plateau lying between Lakes Nyasa and Tangan? yika, was gratuitously handed over to Germany. Whatever may be the final terms of peace, Kondeland and the Tanganyika plateau should revert to Great Britain. Kondeland, together with a considerable stretch of country lying north and east of the north end of Lake Nyasa, is distinctly " colonizable." It is a beautiful country, fertile, with a well-disposed native population, owning large herds of cattle, and, owing to the variety of levels which can be chosen, almost any crop, from tropical to temperate, can be grown there. During the last few years the cultivation of wheat has been largely taken up by natives in the higher parts, and there is little doubt that quite a considerable supply could be developed. Some parts of the country run to over 8000 feet above sea-level, and such white colonists as have settled there find the climate healthy. A railway should be constructed from Kilossa (on the Dar-es-Salaam line) to tap Kondeland, passing on the way through Iringa and Uhehe, all fine high country. A great part of Kondeland is volcanic and con? tains numerous extinct volcanoes of all sizes. The largest of these is Rungwe, 9000 feet high. In some of the craters are very beautiful lakes. These districts of Eastern Africa were recently described in an article which appeared in the Journal of the R.G.S. by Mr. Owen Letcher, who speaks enthusiastically of their possibilities. Joseph Thomson and Consul Elton were, of course, among the earliest explorers here. Passing from the north end of Nyasa to Tanganyika, a distance by road of about 230 miles, the country?being more or less colonizable the whole way?has been opened up to a small extent byfarmers, traders, and missionaries, but there is room for great development. The climate is pleasant, the elevation being as a rule round about 5000 feet, and all kinds of live stock do well; the drawback is naturally want of communica? tions and of any market near at hand. Possibly a light railway connect- ing Lakes Nyasa and Tanganyika might pay for itself, and would certainly greatly stimulate trade and general development. From the south to the north end of Tanganyika, a distance of 400 miles (as compared with 360 miles, the length of Lake Nyasa), steamers of practically any draught can run. Both these lakes are very deep, and in each case the northern section is deeper than the southern. Soundings of 360 fathoms have been found in Tanganyika, and only a little less in the northern half of Nyasa, the bottom of the latter lake being in fact considerably below sea- level. In the matter of harbours Tanganyika is well supplied, Nyasa being not so well off in this respect. There are, however, in both lakes many places where a large steamer could lie in deep water alongside wharfs which could easily be constructed.

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms GATEWAY OF THE PORTUGUESE FORT OF S. MARCAL, SENA

BRIDGE OVER SHIRE RIVER ON NYASALAND RAILWAY, SHOWING RECENT DIMINUTION OF RIVER This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms A STREET IN BLANTYRE

THE GERMAN ARMED S.S. 'WENTZEL" ON LAKE NYASA, CAPTURED AT OUTBREAK OF WAR

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A point in connection with the great African lakes which must not be lost sight of in these days is the possible value of some of them as sources of water-power. Inquiries and investigations were recently made by a group interested in large water-power schemes as to the possibility of using Lake Nyasa and its outlet the Shire River for this purpose, as in the vicinity of the lake and the river large deposits of very pure limestone exist. Unfortunately, however, Nyasa must now be classed as (like Tanganyika) one of those lakes which have only periodical overflows. In 1887, when I first saw it, the Shire was a deep broad river up which steamers drawing 5 or 6 feet could voyage in and out of Lake Nyasa at all seasons. Now the lake has fallen below the level of its outlet, which it only reaches for a short period of the year in the rainy season. The two extremities of Tanganyika have very different climates, the south approximating more to that of Nyasaland, where there is only one rainy season; the north, having a more equatorial climate, is considerably warmer and has two rainy seasons. When I traversed Tanganyika from south to north in 1912 I travelled in the German steamer Hedwig von Wissmann, which some time after the commencement of the war was satisfactorily sunk by motor-boats sent out from England by the Admiralty for this special purpose. The voyage is most interesting, and as a rule the lake has not so much rough weather as one experiences on Nyasa. On the latter lake the south-east trades forced into the trough of Nyasa become south winds, and blowing straight up the lake raise a very un- pleasant sea towards the north end. On Tanganyika the south-east trades are not so pronounced, and do not last so long. As a rule calm weather prevails, varied by occasional storms and squalls. The waters of Lake Nyasa are of a deep blue colour, those of Tanganyika are green. I have no reason to offer as to the cause of this difference, but it is very noticeable. German territory bordering the east side of Tanganyika does not attain to any great height until you get north of Ujiji. The western side, however, Belgian territory, is almost all of it, from south to north, a high healthy cold region, the greater part of which is colonizable, espe? cially towards the north end, where one finds magnificent country running up to 8000 feet, a great cattle district. In the high plateau lands over- looking Baudouinville, on the south-western shores of the lake, the Belgians have carried out a good deal of useful development. Here are the headquarters of one of the Belgian Missions which under the Vicaire Apostolique du Haut Congo have done much to better the condition of the natives, both by education and by the introduction of improved methods of cultivation, foreign cereals, and European fruits and vegetables. Baudouinville is situated at one of the best spots in the world for observing the total eclipse of the sun which takes place in May 1919, and it will be a lost opportunity for science should it prove impossible, as appears likely on account of the war, to send out an expedition.

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The German railway from Dar-es-Salaam reaches Lake Tanganyika at the excellent port of Kigoma, a few miles north of Ujiji, and, as was explained by the Comte de Briey in a paper which he read before the Royal Geographical Society some months ago, the completion of this railway was followed by an extraordinarily rapid development of trade in German East Africa. The fact of its terminus being on a lake with a shoreline of something like iooo miles must obviously result in the conversion of Kigoma into a collecting place for all kinds of trade, both export and import, and there is every probability that in future Kigoma will be a flourishing Central-African emporium. Tanganyika being also served by another railway, the Belgian line connecting Albertville with Kabalo on a na'vigable stretch of the Lualaba (Congo), there is thus an alternative line of communication with the sea, the Atlantic; but it does not appear probable that such a route, entailing frequent transhipment of cargo from rail to river and river to rail, can compete in the matter of Tanganyika trade with the direct railway from the lake to Dar-es-Salaam. One of the most necessary bits of railway construction in this part of Africa is a line to join the south end of Lake Kivu with the north end of Tanganyika, which would not only tap a considerable portion of Ruanda, but would also lead to the collection in numerous ports of Lake Kivu of trade products from the south-eastern Congo forests. Among the surveys made by the Germans for a railway to serve Ruanda was one of a line to start from Tabora and to run direct to the south-eastern bend of the Kagera river. This was in fact the route which appears to have been favoured by the German Government. From what I saw of Ruanda and the Kagera it seemed to me that such a line would not satisfactorily meet requirements. The Kagera valley itself is a hot marshy region, swarming with mosquitoes and not specially productive. It is true that having reached the river the fine Ruanda country is some? what nearer than it would be from the shores of , but if a railway is constructed so far from Tabora it should, I consider, be extended west as far at least as , if not to Lake Kivu itself. The highlands bordering the northern shores of Lake Tanganyika and the whole of Ruanda, together with the districts lying north, north-west and north-east of Lake Nyasa are the portions of German East Africa which are " colo? nizable," and to these two sections, together possibly with the slopes of Kilimanjaro and the country about the great craters lying west of Kili? manjaro, all efforts for European colonization should, I consider, be directed in the immediate future. The great bulk of German East Africa is not permanently colonizable. Both Nyasa and Tanganyika require to have their water communications developed by the construction of sailing vessels and cargo steamers. At present neither of these lakes are well supplied; the former, before the war, had half a dozen steamers, the largest of 300 tons displacement, but

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no sailing vessels. On Tanganyika the Belgians had one small steamer, the Germans three, all of which were armed and used as war vessels till accounted for by our armed motor-boats. There are, however, on the latter lake a number of Arab-built sailing dhows, very useful for the pur? pose of collecting native produce of all kinds. Much transport work might be done on Nyasa by sailing craft. Timber is plentiful in parts, but there are no native boat-builders. Trade from Nyasa will probably in future go out by two routes, south to Beirar north to Dar-es-Salaam, while the bulk of the Tanganyika and Kivu trade will be centred at Kigoma, and go out at Dar-es-Salaam. Lake Victoria is not on the line of country of which I am speaking, but I may say that its trade already, of course, reaches the coast by way of the railway. It seems probable that the Tanga railway will be carried on to the south end of Victoria, and that a branch line will be built from Tabora to reach the southern shores of that lake at Mwanza. Kivu, which is so easily reached from Tanganyika, is well known as the most beautiful of all the African lakes, and lying at an elevation of 5000 feet above the sea, with country surrounding it reaching to double that elevation, has of course an excellent climate. I can recall no part of Africa more beautiful or desirable, from a European point of view. West of the lake, three or four days' march brings you to the limits of the equatorial Congo forests, where the nature of the country is very suddenly entirely changed?from a bright sunny open land to the dense dark forest, where the sun is never seen. There are great possibilities in Kivuland, not only in pastoral and agricultural pursuits, but also west of the lake; even a casual traveller, who is not a geologist, cannot fail to see evidence of a variety of minerals, including coal, It is true that the occurrence of iron and coal in such a remote region is of no immediate value, but who can say what the future may bring forth ? Immediately north of Kivu are the Mufumbiro volcanoes, and some of the southernmost sources of the Nile, a rich and beautiful volcanic district, every available square yard of which is under cultivation by industrious natives, where one sees large crops of peas, beans, and various grains on all hands. Some of the volcanoes run up to close on 15,000 feet; there is constant evidence of volcanic activity, and periodical eruptions take place, one of which I Witnessed at Christmas 1912. To follow my line: after leaving the lava-fields which occupy the floor of the rift north of Kivu, the level descends rapidly to Lake Edward, the shores of which are, in parts, infested by tsetse fly and do not present any desirable points to a colonist. West of Edward high country continues, but the equatorial forests gradually approach much nearer to the rift, which they actually cross in one section of the Semliki Valley. North of Edward is the great Ruwenzori snow-capped range, one of the sights of Africa. The rift itself follows the valley of the Semliki to Lake Albert, Ruwenzori being apparently an intrusion. East of the Semliki and Lake Albert Toro

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 148 THE BACKBONE OF AFRICA and Bunyoro are perhaps the choicest parts of Uganda, but at present too remote from any cheap form of transport to encourage settlement. When, however, the Mombasa railway passes through Toro, there should be great development in planting and commerce of all kinds. Toro has one of the most equable climates I know in Africa; its height is from 5000 to 6000 feet, and the temperature varies little all the year round. It has what might be called an English mid-summer temperature, with, of course, a powerful sun at midday, but the actual shade-readings of the thermometer are never high. Immediately west of the Semliki, the equatorial forests being close at hand, there are in this part no lands suit? able for colonization; but west of Lake Albert lies the finest piece of " colonizable " territory in the whole of the Belgian Congo. From Irumu up to the heights overlooking Wadelai, these lands are almost all open grass, tenanted by fine natives, who, however, at present are very in? dependent, and have given a good deal of trouble to the Congo Govern? ment. They are Nilotic people, and possess numerous herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. The country west of Lake Albert will in future be of great value to the Belgian Government as affording an area for develop? ment by European farmers, and as a source of supply of all kinds of food- stuffs for the goldfields which lie close at hand. The Moto-Kilo Goldfields, situated in the north-eastern Belgian Congo, have been worked for over ten years by the Government of that colony, but have not as yet been opened to the public. They are un? doubtedly rich. Up to the present work has been confined to the alluvial deposits. I have little doubt that this will prove to be one of the future goldfields of the world, and that, after the war, Belgium may find it a wise plan, and the best means for the development of her eastern Congo, to open the fields to the public in the same manner in which deposits in America, Australia, Africa, and other mineral countries are dealt with. The opening of these fields would bring about great expansion of trade and development in a score of subsidiary ways. Increased exploitation and influx of Europeans would, moreover, be the means of starting a per? manent agricultural industry, which is after all the main objective in all colonies. For the development of Uganda and the north-eastern Congo it is obvious to any one who has studied the map of Africa, and still more so to those who have been in the country, that the Mombasa Railway must be carried on west to , thence to Fort Portal in Toro, and finally across the Semliki to Moto and Kilo. There are, however, two alternative outlets for the goldfields: first, a railway to Stanleyville on the Upper Congo, thence to the Atlantic by the Congo river-and-rail route; second, a railway to Rejaf on the Bahr-el-Gebel branch of the Nile, thence steamer and rail to Port . Neither of these two routes, however, could com- pare for cheapness and convenience with a through railway, without break, from the mines to Mombasa.

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When, on our journey through Africa, south to north, we have reached Nimule on the Nile, to which place steamers from Lake Albert can run, we have arrived at the dividing line between south-eastern (and Sudanese Africa. Between Nimule and Rejaf, a distance of something under 150 miles, the Nile is blocked by rapids. When we have passed these and reached Rejaf, we are at the head of navigation on the Nile, whence the journey north can be made by steamer to (twelve days) and by rail and river to Cairo. It has been suggested that Nimule and Rejaf might be connected by railway, so as to continue the line of communica? tion north and south. It appears to me, however, that the only reason for doing this would be one of sentiment. When the Mombasa railway has been continued through Uganda these northern Uganda districts will have a comparatively cheap route by which to send their products to the Indian Ocean. Whether the construction of a railway from Nimule to Rejaf would cheapen these rates and enable northern Uganda, instead of sending trade to Mombasa, to forward it at a slightly lower rate by the Nile to the north, is a question ; it might turn out that it would prove cheaper for the Upper Sudan to send its goods through Uganda to Mombasa. But in either case the difference could not be great, and the money necessary for making a railway from Nimule to Rejaf would be better spent in the construction of some really vitally needed line. I know that there have been proposals for the construction of a section of a " Cape to Cairo " railway along the backbone of Africa, more or less following the line of the rift lakes, and finally either descending to the Nile at Rejaf, and following the eastern edge of the swamps, or else running along the Nile~Congo watershed to El-Fasher. Every one interested in Africa would be glad to see such a railway in existence ; but as a commercial undertaking at the present date its construction would not be justified, when there are so many districts crying for an outlet to the nearest seapcrt. The British Sudan is in many ways a peculiar country. It may be divided into five sections. 1. The Southern Sudan, lying along the south-western watershed, the upper waters of the Bahr-el-Ghazal and its tributaries, and the upper Bahr-el-Gebel, together with the high country bordering on the north of Uganda. This section contains the most productive part and the largest proportion of useful cultivable land. Many valuable products might be grown and exported. Up to the present there has been little development here; it may almost be said to have been discouraged until the country has been more completely settled. 2. The " Sudd," a great expanse of useless country, a vast marsh, which gives the impression of having been in comparatively recent times a shallow lake double the size of the Victoria-Nyanza. 3. The districts bordering on Abyssinia?the countries of the Blue Nile, the Atbara and their tributaries. The southern half of this section,

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms *5? THE BACKBONE OF AFRICA drained by the Sobat and its tributaries, is mostly marsh. The northern portions constitute a fine district developing steadily, which will rapidly progress when opened up by the extension of the Sennar railway, the con? struction of a line up the Atbara, and possibly a railway following the borders of Abyssinia and Erithrea, from Roseires to Tokar and Suakin. 4. The semi-desert countries of Kordofan and Darfur and the middle Nile, useless until irrigated. 5. The pure desert, lying in the more northern portions of the Sudan. Khartoum occupies a central position at the junction of the Blue and White Niles, and probably no better site could be found for headquarters. From Khartoum the present railway, coming from Port Sudan and , runs up the Blue Nile as far as Sennar, whence it turns west, crosses the White Nile at Kosti, and runs to El Obeid. This line will probably be carried on before long to El Fasher, an extension which will be of great importance from a military point of view, enabling us to better control the recently occupied country of Darfur. Commercially also it will be of value, as it will traverse the gum belt. There is room for considerable railway extension in the Sudan. A line will no doubt be carried from Sennar up the Blue Nile to the Abys- sinian frontier. Another branch will probably run up the Atbara, to terminate again at the Abyssinian frontier. The Sudan and Egypt are, of course, deeply interested in Abyssinian questions. The Nile being the life of Egypt, it is essential not only that the Sudan shall be under the influence of the same Government as Egypt, but also that a very careful control be kept over western Abyssinia. The Blue Nile brings down by far the greater part of the sediment which comes north to enrich Egypt; whereas the solid matter brought by the Bahr-el- Gebel and the Bahr-el-Ghazal and their tributaries is deposited in the Sudd region, which filters the water from these rivers. The agricultural lands of Egypt consist largely of Abyssinian soil brought down through millions of years past by the Blue Nile (and by the Atbara to a less extent). The basin of the upper Blue Nile, including Lake Tsana, must always be and remain under British influence : and no foreign power should be allowed to take steps which might cause danger in the shape of tampering with the course of the upper Blue Nile in western Abyssinia. The upper basins of the Atbara, the Blue Nile, and the Sobat comprise the north- western quarter of Abyssinia. For some years past Abyssinia has been rather a thorn in the side of the Sudan. So long as it was all under more or less effective control by one central authority, conditions were not so troublesome; but now that the country is divided up among chieftains who acknowledge little or no allegiance to the emperor, and whose people raid, shoot, and trade in the Sudan borderland without respect to our laws and regulations, the time will soon be at hand when some decisive action on our part will become necessary. Abyssinia can scarcely be held as being on the " Backbone of Africa,"

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms THE BACKBONE OF AFRICA 151 as that may be said to have its end, going north, when Rejaf is reached. It is, however, a continuation of the highlands of eastern Africa, its water? shed being the division between the Indian Ocean and Red Sea on the east and the Nile Valley on the west. We have heard much of the " Cape to Cairo Railway," a phrase which, after all, when the question is carefully studied, does not mean much. There is little doubt that some day in the future it will be possible to travel by rail from the Cape to Cairo, but for some years to come the needs of Africa in the matter of raiiways are not so much a north and south through line, as raiiways going from the interior to the east and west coasts. The present so-called " Cape to Cairo " railway, starting from , has reached Bukama on the navigable upper waters of the River Lualaba, whence there is water communication for some distance towards the north. This railway has tapped the rich copper districts of Katanga, and all traffic to and from that country at present goes as far as Buluwayo, thence to the Portuguese port of Beira on the East Coast. It is evident that the southern stretch of the Cape to Cairo railway has reached its present useful limit; not only does Katanga produce find its way out to the nearest point on the East Coast, Beira, but when the is finished a much quicker and cheaper route will be available for Katanga direct to Lobito Bay on the Atlantic Ocean, and the Cape to Cairo line will probably then be little used by this district. The same may be said for the countries surrounding Tanganyika, which are now tapped by the railway to Dar-es- Salaam and by the Belgian railway from Kabalo to Albertville. The regions north of Nyasa will be tapped by the line I have already spoken of from Kilossa. Lake Mweru trade will probably find its way by the Lobito Bay line. Traffic to and from Uganda and the regions surrounding Lake Victoria already goes to the east coast, to Mombasa. It is only when Lake Albert is passed and the Upper Nile reached that a railway running north will be the best line of communication, and even in this case most goods for the Upper Nile will not go vi& , Cairo, or , but by the existing railway from Port Sudan on the western shores of the Red Sea. Sir Henry Birchenough, in the discussion which followed a paper read before this Society last year, said very truly, " A railway has to live, and must go in search of traffic." There you have the whole matter in a few words. The line from Port Sudan (and Egypt) running to Khar? toum and beyond has already reached its limit of usefulness as a north and south railway at Kosti, whence it turns to the west to El Obeid. As I have already mentioned, this line will probably soon be carried on to El Fasher in Darfur; and here we have the possibility of a transcontinental railway east and west. It may possibly be found a reasonable commercial proposition some day to carry on this line from El Fasher through Wadai to Lake Chad, thence to join on to one of the Nigerian raiiways reaching the Atlantic at Lagos. The Egyptian Government, recognizing the importance of the regula-

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 152 THE BACKBONE OF AFRICA tion of Nile waters, maintains a service in the Sudan which is entirely concerned with the observation of water-levels on the upper branches of the river and the dredging of channels, and generally has charge of all matters affecting the water-supply of Egypt. Steamers belonging to this service are constantly at work in the Sudd regions clearing channels and studying hydrographical questions. Sir William Garstin, in his most interesting and valuable report on " The Basin of the Upper Nile," made certain proposals for the improve? ment of the river with a view to the further conserving of a summer supply of ,water for Egypt. These included a scheme for either (a) cutting a straight canal from Bor to the Sobat mouth, or (b) clearing, straightening and banking the course of the Bahr-el-Zaraf from Ghaba Shambe, and banking certain parts of the Bahr-el-Gebel between Bor and Ghaba Shambe, to prevent summer leakage. The first alternative would un? doubtedly be a much more costly undertaking than the second, and from what I saw of this part of the river I gathered the impression that the straight cut suggested might have to go through solid ground for consider? able portions of its course, and necessitate serious excavation. From Bor itself, however, it appeared to me that a channel could be cut along the eastern limits of the marshes to run in a north-north-westerly direction, till it reaches the present course of the Zaraf, which, as Sir William Garstin proposes, should be then widened, deepened, and banked. I was greatly struck by the results obtained from clearing a short straight cut through the marshes some years ago due east and west from the Gebel to the Zaraf. This was done by merely heaping up the papyrus, sudd growth, and mud on each side of the cut. These vegetable banks have now become solid ground; reeds and even trees have taken root and are growing on them; and I think that the cost of the straightening and banking of the Zaraf, if merely done in the same manner, will be found to be compara- tively small. The advantage of commencing this channel at Bor would be that the leaks in the Gebel between that place and Ghaba Shambe would then not need to be stopped. The latter river would still operate (as Sir William Garstin suggested) as the flood overflow for the Zaraf channel, by discharging, as it now does, its surplus flood water into the great marshes of the Sudd. This vast region has its uses. It is in fact a natural safety-valve for Egypt. It acts like a sponge; receives and soaks up during the heavy flow the excessive supply of water from the Gebel and Ghazal with all their tributaries, and continues to give out a proportion of this storage in the drier months, a very large amount being lost, however, by evaporation. As Sir William Garstin pointed out, the successful opening of a more or less straight channel having its head above the sudd, and its discharge below Lake No, would then supply the reason and need for regulators at the Ripon Falls (Lake Victoria) and downstream of the outlet of the Gebel from Albert Lake. These operations would, I think, start with

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms REJAF HILL, UPPER NILE

THE BLUE NILE LEAVING THE ABYSSINIAN HILLS TWENTY MILES EAST OF FAMAKA

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms SUDD ON THE BAHR EL GHAZAL

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms THE BACKBONE OF AFRICA 153 the straightening and banking of the Zaraf, which would be the experi- mental part of the whole scheme; if successful, the connection of the Zaraf with Bor would follow, and finally the regulation of the Nile outlets from the great lakes. The completion of such a scheme would confer immense benefits on Egypt, and incidentally on the Sudan, in the provision of an additional water-supply during the summer. I feel some hesitation in advancing any of my own more or less amateur opinions on these Nile questions, in view of the very exhaustive and well-known work done by Sir William Garstin, who is exceptionally qualified to devise and carry out any schemes which may be decided on. My excuse is the fascinating interest which the whole subject of conser- vation of Nile water for the development of Egypt and the Sudan has for all who know the continent of Africa. Sir William Garstin in his report also dealt with the Blue Nile, and was in favour of a scheme for using Lake Tsana in Abyssinia as a regu- lating reservoir as soon as political and other considerations may render such a course practicable. In addition to the great dams which already exist on the Nile, the preliminary steps have been taken for the construction of more dams higher up, one of which will be not far distant above Khartoum on the White Nile, another on the Blue Nile. The former will hold up the river water for a great distance; in fact, the Kosti railway bridge itself may require to be heightened, and the surface extent of water impounded will be very great. The new Blue Nile dam will give the opportunity for largely increased irrigation of country lying between the White and Blue Niles above Khartoum, which will afford immense possibilities for the cultivation of cotton. America is herself using every year more and more of the raw cotton which she produces. The American cotton belt is limited in extent, and is already taken up. Lancashire relies almost entirely on American cotton. It is quite certain that, sooner or later, America will be unable to supply the demands of our manufacturers. Where are we to look for a new source of supply ? Undoubtedly to Africa; chiefly perhaps the Sudan, but largely also to our colonies and protectorates in East and West Africa. There is no reason why Africa should not step into the breach in the matter of the supply of raw cotton to our Lancashire manu? facturers, just as the Gold Coast Colony has done in the supply of raw cacao for the British cocoa industry. [The Gold Coast Colony, which in 1891 exported cacao to the value of ?4 only, in 1916 sent away this product to the value of 3J millions sterling, all of which, by the way, was grown by independent natives of the colony on their own farms at their own initiative, without the expenditure of any British capital in planting operations.] The plains of the White Nile, the Blue Nile and Atbara only require irrigation on a large scale to make this country one of the largest producers of cotton, grain, and other tropical and sub-tropical products in the world.

This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 154 THE BACKBONE OF AFRICA: DISCUSSION

The Sudan has been specially fortunate in several respects. It has had continuity of policy; its affairs have been directed by an exceptional administrator in Sir Reginald Wingate, and since his promotion to Egypt his policy and systems of administration have been ably carried on by General Sir Lee Stack. The Governor-General of the Sudan has had more or less a free hand, and, not being fettered by Colonial Office con? trol, has been better able to carry out big schemes of development neeessi- tating the expenditure of very large sums of money. The northern part of the Sudan lying between south latitudes 2 2? and 150, between the Nile valley and Borku, will probably remain for all future time in much the same condition as it is now, more or less desert, as, so far as our present knowledge goes, there will never be any means of bringing water to these arid regions. Generally, what is wanted after the war, in our own possessions along the stretch of Africa of which I have attempted to give some detail, is a reconsideration and reorganization of the more pressing questions of the day, such as a greater measure of representation of colonists in the govern? ment of the colonies they live in, native education, native taxation, native labour, land laws, tariffs. I think we* should endeavour to adopt as far as possible one general policy in these matters, not diverse systems as at present. There might with great advantage be more intercommuni- cation between the Governments of our various Tropical African colonies and protectorates, more interchange of ideas, either by the constitution of an African Council or some other means. We want an energetic policy of development, assisted by a colonial minister who, knowing something (we will hope) about the colonies, will have the courage to insist upon the provision of the money necessary for such development, especially by extensive railway construction. The great essential means?I would almost say the only means?for developing our possessions in Tropical Africa is the building of raiiways.

Before the paper the PRESIDENT said: The particular region of Africa which we are to hear about to-night has always struck me as one of the most interesting in the whole wide world ; not only interesting topographically, because there you may find almost every geographical feature which can surprise the geographer, but also because it is bound to be, sooner or later, of deep political interest. I think probably no one is a better authority on the subject than our old friend Sir Alfred Sharpe. He is not only the best authority, but I think that with regard to some parts of that widespread area he is abso? lutely the only authority. Therefore, we are singularly fortunate to-night in securing him to give us an address on this subject.

(Sir Alfred Sharpe then read the paper printed above, and a discussion followed?) The PRESIDENT : Amongst our visitors to-night we have a distinguished Belgian officer, Commandant Maury, who has seen much service on the borders of the Eastern Congo, where he has been very actively employed as a

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