June i, 1^92.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
54i 
FROM THE METROPOLIS. 
22nd April 1892. 
TRADE AND INBUSTRIES OF EAST AFRICA. 
Two Consular Reports renently ieBued contain 
matter of ooneiderable intereBt to Ceylon readers — 
planters and merchants. Zanzibar, under new 
auspioes and as a free port, probably may become 
the great entrorot of trade for East Afrina and this 
is the rnd arrived at by Mr. Portal, who reports 
to Lord f-'alinbury fr)r 189', as follows ; — 
The total declared value of imports from all parts 
of the world during the whole of last year amounts 
to 158,79,691 vs., or 1,20,5,691' 10s, whereas the esti- 
mate made in November, based on the return of the 
previous ten months, gave 1,300,000/ as the probable 
figures for the whole year. No stronger argument 
could have been found in support of the contention 
that if Zanzibar is to maintain its pre-eminence it 
should, without loss of time, be declared a free port. 
That principle has now been accepted by Her Majes- 
ty's Government, and the formal declaration will be 
made on February 1. 
To turn to the exports from Zanzibar. A com- 
plete tabular statement is now enclosed showing the 
quantities and value of each class of goods exported, 
and the ports to which they were consigned. The 
ffross value of the exports during the year amounts 
to 1,384,23?!/, or about 30,000/ above the average 
shown by the ten months reviewed on November 17. 
The relative values of the different classes of goods- 
exported is about the same as it was in November. 
Nothing need, therefore, be added to the remarks 
made under this head at that time. 
Finally, although these returns and statistics still 
leave much to be desired as regards both complete- 
ness and accuracy, yet it should be borne in mind 
that this is the first yearly commercial statement 
that has ever been compiled in Zanzibar. The ini- 
tiatory difficulties in the way of establishing an 
orderly system at tlie custom-house were great : an 
efficient staff had first to be formed and then trained 
to their work ; exporters and consignees had to be 
requested and even pressed to make a declaration 
of the natnre and value of their goods— a request 
which was for many months strongly opposed by 
several firms ; and the dhow trade, hitherto quite 
unlicensed, unwatched, and unrestricted, had to be 
brought under at least a partial supervision, though 
this, I may add, is as yet very far from sufficient. 
The subordinate official class and the trading 
public in this country are undergoing a process of 
education which was begun only a few months ago ; 
until that education is completed, statistics and re- 
turns may be an approximate estimate, but they cannot 
be a thoroughly correct index of the trade and pros- 
perity of the Sultan's dominions. 
The p'culiarity of tho statistical tables given is 
thAt very much the sr.nia products (and quantities) 
are rntercd as Imports (from &.frica) and Exports 
(fiom Zanzibar to Earope). It is only necessary to 
notioG somo of Iho chief fxports. Of Cloves, the 
tat<il woi(jht in 1891 is given at 13,233,400 lb. in 
94,oli0 paoknRcs of 140 lb. each. London got 16,294 
packages, Now York 22,011, Hamburg 10,669, 
MnrgpiUes 8,910 and so ou. Tho total value is 
put down at U 1,134, 720. Tho next biggest ex- 
port is of C 'r i-^" to a value of $302,065 
for 10. .172,275 lb. over throe fourths of which went 
to M arBt-illps. 1 lO'.h to Bombay jtnd PC packages or 
8,750 b. lo Colombo. Next was " Rubber" exported 
to a value of #224,768, lohil weiKht 491,680 
lb., nolarly all tont tn London. Then wo have 
" Hidep," viilufi $185,903 ; Gum Copal, value 
$1.')6,600; Tortoisfl-shdls $89,600; Chillies (to 
London, Now York and the European Continent) 
$5S,454 ; Gum Ara'iio $12 180; (dowries $9,708; 
Coconuts $2, .'WO ; Tnbucoo $2,340; Rhinooflroa 
Horn-i $19,104 ; Sh;iik tin^ $5,904 ; Was $8,208; 
Orohollii $12,7;!0 ; b' sidi s Poin Hotel-nuts, Opuira, 
Colombo-wood, Gum-myrrh and Tiger-skins ; bo- 
sides, above all, Ivory Tusks exported last year 
to a nominal value of $3,684,900. 
On the trade of Mozambique, the figures are 
not nearly eo detailed. All we are told is that 
the total exports cf seven districts equalled 
£^88,222, against of imports £709,190. But there 
are interestina; remarks in Mr. Churchill's Report, 
more especially in reference to the Pearl Oyster 
reefs south of the Zambesi road. I quote as 
follows : — 
The number of deaths registered during the year 
has been 743, or about 200 to the 1,000 of the whole 
population. The death are entered in the lists as 
having resulted from the diseases predominating in 
most tropical and malarial districts, though the 
percentage of 200 to the 1,000 is excessive for even 
unhealthy regions. 
The fever prevalent amongst the Europeans here 
is rarely in itself pernicious, although, with pro- 
longed attacks of fever, the system is so prostrated 
that some other disease usually sets in and causes 
death. There are many reasons given for the great 
unhealthiness of the climate. The principal ones are: 
bad and insufficient food ; houses inadequate to resist 
the sudden atmospheric changes ; the total absence 
of any social enjoyment or entertainment ; and the 
impossibility, on account of the .sandy natui-e of the 
soil, of taking any legitimate exercise. One depends 
mainly upon tinned provisions for food, and tinned 
food is not invigorating. 
The majority of houses are built of corrugated 
iron and wood, and although such houses can bo 
built cheaply and quickly they are too hot in sum- 
mer and too cold in winter, and tend to increase 
unnaturally the climatic pressures one has to bear. 
There have been 600 emigrants sent from Portugal to 
Lourentjo Marques this year. A. few of these emigrants 
obtain employ i ent such as has been formerly given 
to the natives, a large number die, and the remainder 
are without work or the desire to obtain any; and 
are consequently a source of expense to the 
authorities. 
The rates of wages in this district are as fol- 
lows : — 
Description 
Amount. 
£ 8. 
d. 
£ 
B. 
d. 
Per day 
0 1 
6 
to 0 
4 
0 
do 
0 6 
0 
0 
12 
0 
do 
0 12 
u 
1 
8 
0 
do 
0 15 
0 
1 
10 
0 
do 
1 0 
0 
1 
10 
0 
do 
0 10 
0 
1 
5 
0 
Pn- month 
1 0 
0 
0 
0 
do 
2 10 
0 
10 
0 
0 
Native and emigrant 
labourers 
Native masous 
Indian do 
Chinese Carpenters 
European rio 
liid aa painters anil 
cnloiirnien 
Nativefcrvants 
,, cooks 
There are no industries in this district. The natives 
in the interior plant small patches of ground around 
their kraals and produce small quantities of cereals 
for their own consumption. The natives who 
live near the towns on the coast, although 
having ground that would produce heavy crops, 
find it more profitable to work for Europeans, 
and buy from them such food as they require. 
With the high rates of wages obtained they 
are both able to live better in this way than they 
could by cultivating the ground, and to have a surplus 
with which to drink or to buy such luxuries as they 
may desire. 
Among the Europeans such energy as has been ex- 
pended has been rather in the direction of expedi- 
tions to the interior, and in discussinj; political ques- 
tions of boundaries, &c., than in paymg attention to 
the nature of the soil, its cultivoLtiou, or its possi- 
bilities. 
There exists on the east coast, south of the 
Zambesi River, reefs of pearl oysters, of which the 
most important is situated to tho south of Cliiloane, 
iu the Bazaruto Archipelago. The greater portion of 
tho reef is within enclosed waters, and, as it has 
^ever been regularly worked, the pearls which could 
IjC found there must be considerable dimensions. Tho 
j^ativos in tho locality of tlie pearl reefs occasionally 
nd blacJc pearls of groat beauty, but their value is 
a 
