Chapter 473: The New Governor's Troubles
The scent of war hung heavy across the world. Though the great powers weren't directly at each other's throats, underdeveloped countries and colonies were the ones paying the price. East Africa prepared accordingly—significantly ramping up military exercises for both the army and navy, and reinstating national military training. Especially in the navy, a batch of highly qualified sailors was recruited from East African secondary schools, while cadets trained at the Ferdinand Naval Academy began boarding ships for practical training.
December 1877.
The East African Navy conducted large-scale military exercises in the waters off Mozambique and near New Hamburg Port, involving twenty-five warships, including five mainline ironclads, eighteen gunboats, and two wooden sailing ships. Notably, five of the gunboats were built by the Bagamoyo Shipyard, marking them as domestically produced. With five ironclads now in service and another expected from Austria early next year, the East African Navy concentrated most of its strength around New Hamburg for this exercise.
This location, near both British Natal and Mozambique's capital, Maputo, was ideal for showcasing East African naval power. As the East African fleet maneuvered through colonial waters, their strength became evident. In the Mozambique Channel, the navy simulated operations against hypothetical enemies.
The East African naval drills became a spectacle in the western Indian Ocean. Many passing ships took notice—among them was the new Portuguese Governor of Mozambique, Leiford, who had arrived on a mission from Lisbon but was met immediately by this stunning display.
Standing on deck, Leiford peered through his binoculars at the exercise zone. "The East African Navy is now one of the strongest in the Indian Ocean. When did they develop such a fleet?" he asked.
"They didn't appear overnight. But their growth over the past few years has been explosive. Just a few years ago, they were using outdated Sultanate of Zanzibar vessels. Now, they've commissioned multiple ironclads like firecrackers going off one after another."
Leiford, both envious and discouraged, muttered, "Even our home navy probably can't beat them anymore."
Portugal's navy had indeed fallen on hard times. In 1875, they ordered their only ironclad—the Vasco da Gama—from Britain's Thames Ironworks. It had a displacement of just 2,384 tons, similar to East Africa's first domestic ironclad still under construction. The ship had only just launched and wouldn't be operational until next year.
Leiford asked, "This East African Navy is supposedly under the Hechingen Kingdom. How does a colony like East Africa afford such a navy when we can't?"
"Governor, you're new, so you might not know. East Africa is backed by the Hechingen Consortium, and its ruling family—the Hechingen royals—fund everything. If they relied only on colonial income, they would've gone bankrupt long ago. Unless they control gold mines—which we've never heard of—it's the Hechingen family's capital that makes all this possible."
Leiford sighed, "Forget the navy. Why has our colonial expansion been so weak? We've been in Mozambique for centuries, yet the Germans are outpacing us?"
"Governor, that's not our fault. Colonial development requires investment. East Africa relies on manpower tactics, which we don't have. Without people or money, we can't match them in inland expansion."
"But I thought Mozambique still turned a profit. Why can't we develop it?"
His subordinate gave him a bitter look. "Mozambique does yield revenue—but most of it is extracted by the kingdom. We have nothing left to reinvest. After centuries of rule, there's little more to squeeze from the natives. They've learned to resist, and suppressing their uprisings requires funds and disrupts production."
Mozambique's natives, after centuries of colonization, were far more rebellious than East Africa's. East African natives had better living standards and fewer reasons to resist. Even more, East Africa's immigrant population—excluding newborns—already made up more than half its total, giving them the numbers advantage too.
Leiford asked, "You said East Africa uses manpower to expand—how big is their population?"
"Unclear. But rough estimates put their immigrant population above one million."
Only then did Leiford realize this was a nightmare from the start. Africa was not the undeveloped, unclaimed land he'd been told it was. He wouldn't gain political glory by simply planting flags.
"Where are all these people coming from?" he asked.
"Mostly Germans. But also Far Easterners. In Dar es Salaam, we've seen as many East Asians as Germans. And there are others too—I even met an Italian hotel waitress once."
"Aren't they afraid of malaria?"
"Governor, quinine has changed everything. Most cases now recover easily. And East Africa likely has other means to suppress outbreaks—no major epidemics have been reported there. Unlike here, where malaria is still rampant."
That made Leiford even more despondent. No political wins, malaria threats—could he just go home now?
Sensing his mood, a subordinate offered comfort. "Don't worry too much, Governor. Malaria's a minor issue now. Thanks to quinine, most recover quickly. And East Africa is one of the largest producers of quinine."
Leiford muttered, "East Africa has every advantage. No wonder my predecessor was so useless. Even if the King himself governed Mozambique, nothing would change. And yet, back home, they still expect us to conquer Africa?"
Leiford's appointment as governor was Lisbon's punishment for his predecessor's failures. After the global economic crash, Portugal's economy was in tatters. Colonies were now expected to deliver resources. Angola and Mozambique, the two most valuable and developed colonies, became their main hope.
As European nations scrambled for colonies, Portugal didn't want to be left behind. After all, its only relevance in Europe came from its overseas empire.
As for East Africa, Lisbon simply ignored it—still clinging to outdated views of Africa. Portugal had never feared anyone on the colonial stage, not even Britain. So why worry about a so-called African kingdom?
But only someone like Leiford—someone who had actually been to Mozambique—could understand the reality. East Africa's navy alone could wipe out Portugal's. As for their army—who would dare underestimate German soldiers?
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