The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-14 00:00:00

INDIA AND EASTERN AFRICA.

At the last meeting of the Indian Section of the
Society of Arts, a paper on "The Trade between
India and the East Coast of Africa was read by
Mr. Frederic Holmwood, British Consul at Zanzibar.
Major-General Sir F. Goldsmid, C. 8., presided, and
among those present were General Macdonald, Mr.
Maclean, Dr. Hyde Clarke, Dr. Francis Day, Mr.
Featherstone Griffin, and Mr. Martin Wood.
Mr. Holmwood, describing the characteristics,
political and physical, of the East Coast of Africa,
remarked that the British colonies of Natal and
Algoa Bay had now so small a trade with India and
Were so little likely to increase it, that this district
scarcely came within the range of his paper.
With regard to the Portuguese possessions in East
Africa, which extend along a coast line of 1400
miles, he observed that, except on the immediate
banks of the Zambesi, the influence of the Portuguese
was absolutely confined to the coast, in fact to the
few large towns they occupied. In order to pay their
troops, and to prevent their colonial administration
from breaking down, the Portuguese Government
had been compelled to sanction the imposition of
heavy differential duties and restrictive local imposts,
which had had the effect of checking all enterprise.
Thus the fertile highlands of Upper Zambesi, And the
fine country on the southern shores of Lake Nyassa,
which Portugal claimed to include in her territory,
had been wholly neglected, while those who would
utilise these districts had been shut out from all
chance of doing so. Events were now taking place
however, which might shortly alter the position of '
trade on the Mozambique coast. It might be hoped
that one of the effects of the Berlin Conference would
be to neutralise the River Zambesi, and that the
feeling shown against differential duties, in dealing
with the Congo question, might warn Portugal to
adopt a more liberal policy in her East Coast posses-
sions. Already an influential company was forming
for the purpose of opening up the Zambesi, and its
success would be certain to favour the operations
of British Indian settlers on that river, while
it would probably open new markets for
Indian manufacturers. On the whole, therefore, they
need not be without hope for the future of our com-
merce in this part of Africa. After touching upon
the ruin to British Indian interests in Madagascar
through the action of the French in that island, he
described the dominions of Zanzibar. These com-
prised a coast line of 1050 miles, exclusive of the
islands. The population consisted of Arabs and free
natives, the proprietors of the soil, of emigrants from
the Comoro Islands, Persia, Syria, and Egypt, and of
slaves. The latter constituted fully two-thirds of the
whole number, but this proportion was rapidly decreas-
ing through the effects of our anti-slavery policy.
The position of foreign residents in the Zanzibar
dominions was regulated by well defined treaties,
which rendered trade as free as in Great Britain, and
secured advantages to the settler and purchaser of
land, houses, and other property, such as were
unknown in any other country in the world. The
Powers which had entered into such treaties were
England, France,Germany, and America, but the rights
and 'privileges secured to them were practically enjoyed
by the subjects of all the other Powers. Stating
that, from causes he explained, in the statistics of
Zanzibar trade given the total of imports and exports
might be taken as considerably below the true value,
Mr. Holmwood said that 20 years ago, when the slave
trade was at its height, and for several years after
that period, the imports averaged £500,000, and the
exports £420,000. On the sth of June, 1873, Sir
John Kirk negotiated a treaty with the Sultan for the
abolition of the slave trade in Zanzibar waters, which
effected a complete revolution in the trade of the
country. The total imports for 1873-4 amounted to
£325,252, and the exports to .£276,150. During the
next four years trade not only completely recovered
itself, but actually doubled; and even the Arabs
acknowledged that events justified our • action in
regard to the slave trade, so far, at any rate, as
it affected the prosperity of the country. In 1883
the trade between Zanzibar and India was—im-
ports, £470,420; exports, £285,438; total, £755,858.
it might safely be said that for the three
years 1881-3 one-third of the whole trade of Zanzi-
bar was with India. Speaking of Zanzibar, in so
far as it was a commercial country, as virtually a
British Indian colony, he urged that an annexe in the
Indian and Colonial Exhibition at South Kensington
in 1880 should be appropriated to its products. En-
larging upon the magnitude of the interests of British
Indian merchants and traders on the East African
coast, he pointed to the necessity which would arise,
with the development of the estates they had invested
money upon, for the introduction of Indian coolie
labour. In conclusion he strongly urged the further
exploration of the healthy upland district of Kilima-
n]aro to the north of the Zanzibar dominions, which.
besides possessing great mineral wealth, was believed
to be well adapted for the cultivation of wheat, coffee,
cinchona, tea, and other valuable products.
A discussion followed, and on the motion of the
chairman, a vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Holm-
wood for his paper.