Chapter 45 Ron Rodda
Ronroda, a small outpost in the current East African colony, is about 60 kilometers to the south, which is the Portuguese colony of Mozambique, and 30 kilometers to the east is the sphere of influence of the Sultanate of Zanzibar.
September 13, 1866.
The geographical survey team of the East African colony investigated this place and determined that it was suitable for human habitation.
On October 7, the first batch of immigrants arrived in Ronroda. So far, the entire Ronroda population is more than 600 people.
Ronroda is the capital of the Lower Coast area planned by Ernst. The entire Lower Coast area covers an area of nearly 80,000 square kilometers.
On the 80,000 square kilometers of land, there are only more than 600 Chinese immigrants in Ronroda and a small number of Germans.
Ronroda is nearly 400 kilometers away from the First Town, separated by the Central Coastal District. The Solon Lake District, the administrative district farthest from the First Town, has its capital Kigoma, which is about 1,000 kilometers away from the First Town.
Therefore, even if the indigenous people are included in the entire East African colony, it seems that the area is vast and the population is sparse, and there is still a long way to go in the development of the East African colony.
As the capital of the Lower Coastal District, Ronroda is currently just a capital in name only, and its size is only equivalent to that of a village in the Upper Coastal District.
The situation in the more remote eastern Lake Malawi region is even more difficult to describe. The exploration work has just been completed and the immigrants assigned to the first town are still on their way to Songea.
The situation in the Zhongbinhai District is relatively better because it is closer to the Shangbinhai District. Currently, the number of immigrants has reached more than 1,000.
The chief executive of Ronroda was a German named Thomas, who was a member of the former East African colonial mercenary group.
His deputy was Li Wenhua, a graduate of the Heixingen Military Academy. Most of the Germans in the East African colonies had served in the army, and the second-tier Chinese sheriffs were also selected from graduates of the Heixingen Military Academy.
So it can be said that the entire East African colony is currently a military government, and all immigrants act, produce and live according to military-style plans and instructions.
Fortunately, the colonies adopted a collective management system, and the immigrants were relatively honest and obedient, unlike the European people who had a rebellious consciousness.
If these immigrants were really given the right to live freely like other countries, then these colonial officials who were military men would definitely be at a loss, after all, they were not professional bureaucrats with administrative experience.
Collective management is just like what they do in the army, just follow the orders of the superiors step by step. Before the East African colonies are fully developed, it would be best if they develop according to Ernst's instructions.
As a graduate of the Hexingen Military Academy, Li Wenhua's loyalty to Ernst is beyond doubt. Compared to his days in the Qing Dynasty, studying at the Hexingen Military Academy has reshaped the world views of students like Li Wenhua.
Through brainwashing and cramming education, the students of the Hechingen Military Academy subconsciously understood that it was Ernst who pulled them out of dire straits, and the only way to repay the principal was to work hard.
Li Wenhua came to the East African colony with such a mood. At the colonial meeting on the issue of developing new regional land, Li Wenhua was selected as the second-in-command of the Lower Coastal District.
At present, the East African colonies are basically managed by two groups: Germans and students of the Hechingen Military Academy.
Among them, the students of the Hechingen Military Academy played the role of a bridge and were an important link in promulgating colonial policies to immigrants.
They are responsible for important tasks such as preaching policies, educating the people, and managing military affairs.
In the colonies all official documents had to be in German, so those colonial policies had to be translated by them to the immigrants.
At the same time, the implementation of Germanization in the East African colonies necessitated re-education of these immigrants. However, learning was very difficult for these old farmers who had been illiterate for many years and had never been to school.
Therefore, the colony could only provide them with simple German education, starting with learning 800 important German words, two or three per day.
If immigrants are to learn German thoroughly, they have to start from the children, from the next generation. At that time, the East African colonies will move compulsory education into the colonies.
All of this requires preparation time. Ernst is training a group of future colonial teachers at the Hechingen Military Academy. After they graduate, they will begin this century-long plan of education in the colonies.
The students this time are mainly orphans from Germany. They study in the classroom with Chinese students. In the future, they will go to the East African colonies with these Chinese students and establish their own schools in the East African colonies.
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Ronroda has a relatively advantageous geographical location, so there are three indigenous tribes within a few miles to the west.
These indigenous tribes are quite large, so the colonial security forces need to be dispatched to clean them up. Among the immigrants sent to Ronroda this time, there are two hundred security forces.
After being issued guns and ammunition, Thomas and Li Wenhua began to lead the team. The first tribe to be eliminated by the Ronroda Colonial Security Force was called Qigugu.
The security forces, which consisted of only a few hundred people and equipped with horses, dispersed the natives with a single charge. After setting fire to the tribal houses made of thatch and branches, the colonial security forces set off towards their next destination.
The second and third indigenous tribes are located to the north of the Chigugu tribe. Among them, the Muwena tribe has the largest population, while the Lindi tribe has the most dangerous terrain.
The method used to deal with the Muvina tribe was similar to that used to deal with Qigugu, except that it took a little more time, but the Lindi tribe was really difficult to defeat.
The cavalry was of no use, and they could only use more ammunition to consume the enemy. Fortunately, the doors and fences of the Lindi tribe were made of wood.
Colonial security forces used rockets soaked in vegetable oil to set fire to the walls of the Lindi tribe. Finally, in the scorched earth, the security forces soldiers launched a charge and defeated the last Aboriginal tribe near Ronroda.
The remnants of the three indigenous tribes could only flee westward, and there was a relatively safe area near Ronroda.
After clearing out the wild animals near the Ronroda colony, the colonial security forces met up with the immigrants and began guarding Ronroda.
The initially built Ronroda was a small village with a civil structure. It was relatively close to the sphere of influence of the Portuguese and Arabs, so defensive functions were added during its construction.
Watchtowers, trenches, defensive fences and suspension bridges all give immigrants a sense of stability and security.
Ronroda is also located in the coastal plains of Africa, so rice is the main crop grown here, but tobacco is the cash crop of choice.
Tobacco cultivation can provide raw materials for the Heixingen Tobacco Company. Before, the Heixingen Tobacco Company mainly imported from merchants from the United Kingdom, Portugal and the Netherlands, and then processed and sold them.
Therefore, the cost is still relatively high, and East Africa is more suitable for tobacco growth and has a large land area. Once developed, it will be enough to supply the needs of the entire Hexingen Tobacco Company.
Ron Roda is the first step in experimental tobacco planting. If the planting is successful this time, it will be promoted to the entire Lower Coast area in the future.
The Zhongbinhai District, like the Shangbinhai District, still mainly grows sisal, because the sales of sisal are indeed good and there is a relatively large market demand.
There are many competitors in tobacco cultivation, especially in North and South America, which are important tobacco production areas. Most of the tobacco in the East African colonies is used by the Hechingen Tobacco Company itself. The main purpose is to reduce costs while developing colonies.
Therefore, the colony currently does not plan to blindly expand some crops that are theoretically suitable for East Africa. Before there is a stable market, it is better to first plant them on a small scale, such as coffee and rubber.
(End of this chapter)
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