COFFEE. 



ITS HiSTORi- T\rHATEVER may be the ultimate position of 

 CAL IMPORT- ^^ coffee in the agricultural life of East Africa, 

 ANCE TO B.E.A. the future historian will be certain to accord it 

 prominence if only for the influential part it played 

 in attracting attention to the country as a field for 

 European colonisation. At a time when, according 

 to many, the future of the East African Highlands 

 trembled in the balance, coffee turned the scale in 

 favour of still further perseverance and still further 

 effort. 



THE TDRX OF Attracted by its magnificent scenery, wonderful 



THE TIDE. fauna, rich soil and alluring climate, enterprising 



pioneers drifted into the country in small parties in 

 the opening years of the century and started 

 experimenting with a wide range of crops. The 

 ultimate results were in no case wholly successful — 

 either the crops grew and rotted for want of a 

 market, or partly failed through want of experience 

 — so that after the expenditure of much energy and 

 patience and more than was desirable of their limited 

 stock of capital — ^they became faced by a situation 

 sufficiently grave to cause a feeling of dissatisfaction 

 among even the most optimistic. Several gave up 

 in despair and left the country, worse off financially 

 and physically than when they entered it; most of 

 the others ceased their experiments and contented 

 themselves with producing just sufficient to satisfy 

 their everyday needs. Then, just at the darkest 

 hour of the crisis, when confidence in the future of 

 the country was rapidly giving way to despair, 

 coffee came to the rescue. Small shipments from 

 the experimental plantations of the earliest pioneers 

 placed on the London market attracted the attention 

 of buyers, were favourably reported on, realised 

 comparatively high prices — and confidence was 

 restored. Men saw in this first small success that 

 their faith in the country was justified, that time 

 and perseverance only were required to prove their 

 belief in the possibilities of its wonderful soil and 

 climate, and that some day they would reap a rich 

 reward for their labour. That they were justified 

 in their faith is fast being proved in various 

 directions. 



72 



