92 THE GREAT COMPANIES 



of Kota-Kota on the western shore of Lake Nyasa. 

 I used to wonder at times whether its vegetable 

 nature was as susceptible to the deceitfulness of 

 appearances as that of poor humanity. Could it 

 be that the foolish old palm fondly and confidently 

 looked out day by day over the vast expanse of the 

 ocean-like lake under the firm impression that this 

 was indeed the sea ? One speculates irresistibly on 

 its outraged feeUngs could it be made to realise its 

 years and years of melancholy self-deception. I 

 feel convinced it would be so overwrought that it 

 would fall down. 



But to return to the Zambezia Company. 



An interesting direction in which this active 

 body has spent much time and money in experi- 

 menting is that of the cultivation of cotton. Last 

 year I had the privilege of being conducted by the 

 Company's able and courteous director, Captain 

 A. de P. Durao, over a plantation which had been 

 established on the island of Inyangoma, referred 

 to in a previous chapter. Here was an instance 

 of those saddening disappointments which Africa 

 appears at times to go out of her way to occasion. 

 In ideal conditions of climate and soil, eleven 

 hectares were planted with carefully selected seed. 

 Germination followed, and up to the flowering 

 period the plantation presented a most healthy 

 and promising appearance. Suddenly there pre- 

 sented itself that curse of the cotton-planter the 

 Green Leaf Blight (Malvacearum), and in a few 

 days the entire expanse became nothing more than 

 a sered, discoloured, withered scene of desolation. 



At Muterara and elsewhere, the cultivation of 



