CHAP. XVIII AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS 373 



population decreasing when Stanley first visited it. Since 

 then it has lost ground materially. The East African Nyika, 

 which occupies the largest proportion of British and German 

 East Africa, resembles Beluchistan rather than India ; and 

 the Beluchistan protectorate is not usually regarded as a very 

 important addition to the wealth and strength of the empire. 



The natural products of British East Africa are neither 

 numerous nor valuable. Corn and barley have been proved to 

 grow well on the inland plateau, and maize is one of the staple 

 foods of the country. Average wheat and barley are worth re- 

 spectively loos. and 107s. the ton ; while freight from Mombasa 

 to London is 25 s. a ton, whereas from Chicago to Liverpool it 

 is only 22s. gd. So even when the railway is made to the coast, 

 there will be little chance of competition with the grain-fields of 

 America.^ 



The rice-fields of the delta of the Tana are extensive and 

 prolific, and could easily be made to yield sufficient for local 

 consumption ; but they would hardly compete with Egypt and 

 India in European markets. Fruits grow well, and something 

 might be earned by preparing chutnee from the mangoes and 

 tinning the pine-apples which are now wasted. The extensive 

 grazing plains of the interior might be utilised for cattle ranches ; 

 but it is very doubtful whether these would pay at a time when, 

 in spite of their superiority in climate and position, so many 

 ranches are bankrupt in La Plata and the United States. In 

 East Africa, moreover, cattle disease of a very bad type sweeps 

 periodically through the country ; and until its nature is under- 

 stood, its ravages will continue and add greatly to the 

 uncertainties of African cattle farming. 



The only products which at present appear to pay for 

 export to Europe from East Africa are ivory, rubber, orchilla 

 weed (the lichen used for dye), copra (the dried kernel of the 

 cocoa - nut), kichi - kichi (the seeds of the oil palm), chillies, 

 and cloves. Cloves and copra are the most important, and 

 could be increased indefinitely, but their growth is limited to 

 the coast lands. The only important article of commerce from 

 the interior is ivory, and the supply of this is uncertain. Fibre- 



^ The prices of the grain are taken from the Mark Lane Express, 2nd Sept. 1895 (vol. 

 Ixxiii. p. 307). For the rates of freight I am indebted to Messrs. Gray, Dawes, and Co., 

 and to Mr. J. W. Young of Messrs. Simpson, Spence, and Young. 



