su c c e ed s o r fa ils, S i r H a r r y Jo h n s to n ’s a t tem p t to u se a
m id d le ra c e fo r th e e le v a t io n an d d e v e lo pm e n t o f th e
A f r ic a n is p e rh a p s th e m o s t o r ig in a l an d in te re s t in g con tr
ib u tio n to th e p ro b lem o f c iv iliz in g th e D a r k C o n tin en t
th a t a n y on e m an h a s y e t m ad e .
T o S i r H a r r y Jo h n s to n ’s in d e fa t ig a b le a c t iv it y is d u e
th e en o rm o u s p ro g re s s re a liz ed in th a t p a r t o f A f r ic a , b u t
w e m u s t n o t fo rg e t Mr. R h o d e s ’s sh a r e in th e a c c om p lish m
en t o f th is g r e a t w o rk . U n t il la s t y e a r th e C h a r te red
C om p a n y a llow e d S i r H a r r y a su b s id y o f £ 1 7 ,0 0 0 , w h ich
e n ab led h im to fa c e th e firs t n e c e s s a r y e x p e n d itu r e o f his
A dm in is t r a t io n . T h e C h a r te r ed C om p a n y h a s d e r iv e d
m u ch b en e fit from it, a s it h a s o p e n ed ou t th e ro u te to its
ow n t e r r i t o r y ; s in c e th e C om p a n y h a s ta k e n o v e r th e
adm in is tr a t io n o f N o r th e rn Z am b e z ia th is s u b s id y h a s
b e en w ith d raw n , an d th e re fo re , in o rd e r to fill u p th is g a p ,
an d in re tu rn fo r th e s a c r ific e s m ad e b y th e G o v e rnm en t in
th e su p p re s s io n o f th e s la v e t r a d e an d fo r th e b en e fits th a t
th e n a tiv e s d e r iv e d from th e s e s a c r ific e s , it w a s th o u g h t
th a t t a x e s sh o u ld b e le v ie d up on th em a s fa r a s p o s s ib le .
S i r H a r r y Jo h n s to n o f co u r s e w a s o n ly a b le to b e g in w ith
th e m o re s e t t le d d is tr ic ts , a s th e t a x - c o lle c to r w o u ld h a rd ly
h a v e b e en a w e lc om e g u e s t e lsew h e re . B u t w ith r e g a rd
to th e c o u n t r y in th e sou th e rn p a r t o f th e P ro te c to ra te ,
su rp r is in g ly lit t le d iffic u lty w a s e n co u n te red on th is h e ad .
P e rh a p s it is a u n iq u e fa c t in th e h is to r y o f g o v e rnm en t
th a t th e n a tiv e s a c tu a l ly c am e an d offe red to b e ta x e d .
T h e n a tiv e s o f th e L o w e r S h ird p ro v in c e h ad be en a c cu s tom
ed to p a y t a x e s to th e P o r tu g u e s e , an d w h en th e d is tr ic t
w a s ta k e n o v e r b y S i r H a r r y Jo h n s to n th e y a p p ro a ch e d
h im to a s k w h a t th e y w e re to p a y . T h e r e o n th e C om m is s
io n e r h e ld in te rv iew s w ith a ll th e m ore im p o r ta n t ch ie fs
h e c o u ld g e t a t, an d , a s th e re su lt o f t r e a t ie s w ith th em , a
h u t t a x o f s i x sh illin g s a y e a r w a s le v ied . T h is w a s
su b s e q u e n t ly red u c ed b y on e h a lf, an d it a p p e a r e d to be
p a id w ith o u t a n y d ifficu lty . T e n p e r c en t, o r so o f th e
sum r a is e d am o n g th e p e o p le o f e a ch c h ie f w a s re tu rn ed
270
to th is g e n t lem an a s a su b s id y , so th a t he v iew ed the
m a r ch o f c iv iliz a tio n in th is d ire c tion w ith o u t o v e r w
h e lm in g re g re t.
T h e q u estion o f n a tiv e lab o u r h a s n o t be en much e a s ie r
in N y a s a la n d th an in a n y o th e r p a r t o f C e n t r a l A fr ic a .
I t h a s im p ed ed co ffe e cu ltu re , ro ad m a k in g , d ra in in g ,
e v e ry th in g . O n th e o th e r h an d , th e h u t t a x fu rn ish e s a
m ild s tim u lu s to lab ou r , w h ile the c a re fu l a tten tio n o f
th e G o v e rnm en t to th e fa ir t r e a tm e n t and fa ir p a ym e n t o f
the n a tiv e la b o u r e r h a s d on e a g o o d d e a l to re co n c ile
h im to th e h o r ro r s o f re g u la r w o rk . W h e n he u n d e r s
tan d s th a t h e m a y com p la in o f a n y illt re a tm e n t to th e
n e a re s t o ffic ia l w ith a g o o d ch an c e o f red re s s , h e b e com e s
fa r le s s sh y o f en te r in g the w h ite m an ’s se rv ic e . F o r the
re s t, S i r H a r r y Jo h n s to n w a s d o u b tle s s p e r fe c t ly r ig h t in
in te r fe r in g a s lit t le a s p o s s ib le b e tw e en th e ch ie fs an d th e
p eo p le . T h e r e is an a p p e a l from th e d e c is io n o f a c h ie f
to th e n e a re s t m a g is tr a te , b u t it is v e r y lit t le u sed, and
c o n s id e r in g th e n ew n e s s o f th e B r it ish G o v e rnm en t , I
sh o u ld s a y th is is a v e r y g o o d th in g .
In th e m e an tim e it m u s t n o t b e su p p o s ed th a t N y a s a lan
d is s ta n d in g s t ill to w a it fo r th e In d ia n c u lt iv a to r
o r th e com p le te re c o n c ilia tio n o f th e n a t iv e to w o rk . T h e
p a r t s o f th e c o u n t ry w h ich a re u n fit fo r a g r ic u ltu ra l
p ro d u c tio n o f on e so r t o r an o th e r a re p ro b a b ly v e r y
sm a ll, a lth o u g h it is tru e th a t o v e r a g r e a t d e a l o f it
th e ra in fa ll is c om p a r a t iv e ly s lig h t an d sh ow s a te n d e n c y
to d e c re a se . T h is fa c t w a s a s c r ib ed b y S i r H a r r y Jo h n s to n
m a in ly to th e d is a p p e a ra n c e o f th e g r e a t fo re s ts . B u t
in co n seq u en c e o f th e w id e r a n g e o f tem p e ra tu re th e re
is h a rd ly a n y v e g e ta b le p ro d u c t— tro p ic a l, su b - tro p ic a l, or
tem p e ra te— th a t c an n o t b e p ro d u c ed in on e p a r t o f th e
c o u n try o r an o th e r . T h e d is a p p e a ra n c e o f th e fo re s ts
h a s o f co u r se on on e s id e g r e a t ly d im in ish ed th e w e a lth o f
th e co u n try . T h e r e rem a in , h ow e v e r, m a g n ific en t fo re s ts
o f c e d a r tr e e s on th e M la n je P la te a u o f a v a r ie t y not
k n ow n e lsew h e re . A t t em p t s h a v e b e en m ad e to re in tro -
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