314 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



be productive, and this quantity, 500 tons, could 

 probably be obtained very soon on the Stevenson 

 Koad. 



It will be interesting to compare the Mombasa 

 railway and see how much would be required to 

 render this productive. 



We have a capital expense of £2,250,000, that 

 is, taking only 3 per cent, interest, an income of 

 .£67,500 to make up to which must be added 5s. 

 per train mile ; that is for through traffic £166 for 

 a train to the Victoria Nyanza, or £8 3s. per ton 

 of expenses.* On 500 tons one would require a 

 charge of £135 per ton to make up £67,500, or a 

 total freight, adding £8 3s. for working expenses, 

 of £1 433s., which is not so very much less than 

 what is now paid on goods conveyed to the Nyanza 

 by German territory on men's shoulders, and quite 

 destroys the possibility of plantations or general 

 trade. 



On the other hand, if a freight of £23 0s. 6d. per 

 ton (that is £15 for interest and £8 3s. for working 

 expenses) were charged, 4,500 tons would be re- 

 quired to make it possible. 



This amount might be reached after perhaps 20 

 years' traffic, but certainly not before. 



Moreover, even with this amount there are very 

 few products valuable enough to pay such a price. 



* I take 40 tons as the possible amount to be conveyed to 

 the Victoria Nyanza, and as it will have to return empty divide 

 £166 by 20. 



