Nyasaland Protectorate

Communications.

Passengers and cargo, landing at Chinde, may proceed up the Zambezi to Chindio, and thence by rail to Port Herald and Blantyre (q.v.). In the wet season boats may ascend the Shire as far as Port Herald. The economic progress of the country waits upon the development of transport. In 1922 a line was opened from the Zambezi opposite to Chindio, to Beira, there linking up Nyasaland with a modern port. The lack of a bridge across the Zambezi is, however, a serious handicap. A railway from Luchenza, on the Shire Highlands railway, to the southern end of Lake Nyasa, is also projected. It would do much to open up the northern districts. On the lake is a regular service of ships. The cheapest form of transport in the outlying districts is the ox wagon, where that is possible. In the more settled areas motor transport is being increasingly used, and most of the white settlers have either a motor car or motor cycle.

Economic Development.

Most of the country is composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Comparatively small areas are covered by sedimentary rocks, but among the latter are equivalents of the South African Karroo system, in which some coal occurs. Other minerals occur, apparently sporadically, such as graphite, gold, etc. At present there are no minerals being exploited on a commercial scale. Agriculture and pastoralism are, and will prob ably continue to be, the chief occupations. Native labour is cheap, the usual wage being 6 s. or 7 s. per month, but the more am bitious natives emigrate to Rhodesia and South Africa, attracted by higher wages. Various crops have been popular in turns. Among these are coffee, cotton and tobacco, the latter being the most important at the present time. In 1921, 14,218 ac. were under tobacco, and nearly five million pounds were exported. The extent of cotton cultivation declined from 28,372 ac. in 1917-18 to 18,274 in 192o. The difficulty of transport makes cotton grow ing in the outlying districts unprofitable when prices are low. Ginneries have, however, been erected, even in remote parts of the country, and efforts are being made to encourage cotton grow ing among the natives. Tea is grown in the high rainfall area on the south-east slopes of Mlanje mountain. Coffee planting has declined, because of the irregularity of the rainfall. Sisal hemp (Cegroe rigida var sisilana) and Mauritius hemp grow well in loose, sandy soil throughout Nyasaland, but the lower Shire and the lake districts are probably the most suitable for them. Maize is cultivated on the hills by the natives. The native tribes keep cattle, non-woolled sheep, goats and pigs in various parts, but there are large areas from which cattle are excluded by the tsetse fly. Various tick-borne diseases, such as east coast fever, are also rather common.

The chief imports are provisions, building material, agricul tural implements, vehicles, and textiles for native clothing.

Administration.

At the head of the administration is a governor, assisted by executive and legislative councils, nominated by the Crown. The headquarters are at Zomba, situated at the foot of the Zomba plateau. The township is lighted by electricity and has a hospital and two churches. Nyasaland is divided into three provinces, each in charge of a provincial commissioner, under whom are residents of districts, whose chief duties are, naturally, in connection with native affairs. A good deal of re sponsibility is given to native chiefs and headmen, who are used as the medium of communication between the residents and the tribesmen.

Education and Religion.

Though many of the native peo ple are either heathens or Mohammedans, there are several thriv ing Christian missions in the country. Among these may be men tioned the Universities mission, with a large cathedral at Likoma, the Livingstonia mission of the United Free Church of Scotland, the Church of Scotland mission, with its headquarters at Blantyre, the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa mission and the White Fathers. Most of these missions do a large amount of

educational and medical work among the natives. In 1924 there were 2,447 native schools in the country. The educational training is varied. Apart from the usual school training, leading on to training colleges for teachers, courses are given in theology, medi cine, and the various crafts. At Limbe is a school, kept by Marist Fathers, for white children.

See Sir H. H. Johnston, British Central Africa (1897) ; Handbook of Nyasaland (1922). (R. U. S.) The modern story of Nyasaland begins with the coming of David Livingstone, who in his Zambezi expedition penetrated up the Shire affluent of that river and discovered Lake Nyasa.

That was in 1859. Livingstone's subsequent journeys to the south end of Lake Tanganyika, to Lake Mweru and to Lake Bangweulu (where he died in 1873), opened up this part of South Central Africa, and centred in it British interests in a very particular manner. Livingstone's discovery of Lake Nyasa was soon followed by the entry of various missionary societies, and these missionaries, together with a few Scottish settlers, steadily opposed the attempts of the Portuguese to extend their sway from Mozambique or their settlements on the Zambezi to the newly opened up country. Out of the missionary societies grew a trad ing company, the African Lakes Trading Corporation. Blantyre was founded and in 1883 the first British consul was sent out. Soon afterwards the settlers came into conflict with a number of Arab slavers who had established themselves at the north end of Lake Nyasa. About 1885 a struggle began between Arab and Briton for the possession of the country, which was not ended until the year 1896. The African Lakes Corporation in its un official war enlisted volunteers, amongst whom were Captain (afterwards Lord) Lugard and Mr. (afterwards Sir) Alfred Sharpe. Both these men were wounded, and the operations they undertook were not crowned with complete success. At this time "the scram ble for Africa" among European Powers was acute and in 1889 the British South Africa Company obtained a charter and sent emissaries to Central Africa. In the same year Mr. (afterwards Sir) H. H. Johnston was sent out to endeavour to effect an ar rangement between the Arabs and the African Lakes Corpora tion, and also to ensure the protection from Portuguese aggres sion of the region where the British settlers had established rights of occupation,. and of native chiefs who owed no allegiance to Portugal. The outcome of these efforts and the treaties made was the creation of the British protectorate and sphere of influence north of the Zambezi. The dispute with Portugal was settled by a convention signed in 1891, when Johnston returned to the country as imperial commissioner and consul-general. In the in terval between 1889 and 1891 Alfred Sharpe and others, on be half of Cecil Rhodes, had brought a large area west and north of Lake Nyasa into treaty with the British South Africa Company. A British protectorate over the regions adjoining the Shire and Nyasa was formally proclaimed in 1892, the adjacent territories, now part of Northern Rhodesia, being administered for four years by Sir Harry Johnston on behalf of the Chartered Company. Be tween 1891 and 1895 a long struggle continued, between the Brit ish authorities on the one hand and the Arabs and Mohammedan Yaos on the other, over the suppression of the slave trade. By the beginning of 1896 the last Arab stronghold was taken and the Yaos were reduced to submission. Then followed, during 1896-98, wars with the Zulu (Angoni) tribes, who claimed to dominate and harass the native populations to the west of Lake Nyasa. The Angoni having been subdued, and the British South Africa. Company having quelled the turbulent Awemba and Bashuku lumbwe, a period of peaceful development followed.