German East Africa 147 



years ago they experienced a phenomenal boom 

 in the growing of sisal hemp, when, en- 

 couraged by the promising results obtained 

 about 1905-6, numerous planting enterprises 

 sprang up everywhere and, in many instances, 

 earned dividends of 35 per cent, and over. 

 So successful did these sisal estates prove 

 during this boom that "mature coco-nut trees 

 were cut down " to make room for the favourite 

 sisal. With the reaction in sisal prices, just 

 now particularly low, people are beginning to 

 revert once more to the staple products, and 

 as it has been proved that many thousands of 

 acres of the coast lands are eminently suitable 

 for coco-nuts, a healthy development in this 

 direction is taking place under European 

 auspices, and should- continue to increase. 



While there is not exactly a plethora of 

 population on the coast, there should still be 

 sufficient to warrant development on a liberal 

 scale. For coco-nut planting is decidedly a 

 congenial occupation with the natives and they 

 would flock to such enterprises in preference 

 to the more arduous sisal or rubber planting. 

 The Swahili of the East Coast of Africa is 

 a docile, tractable and physically well-favoured 

 individual, and given the right treatment and 

 management can be made to turn out a fair 

 day's work, but to make him persevere and stick 

 to his task is a different matter, and therein 

 lies the trouble. As the nature of the coco-nut 

 industry is such as to allow of many idle or 



