Chapter 200: The Split
Although Msiri had long since sold the Yeke Kingdom to East Africa, that kingdom spanned over a hundred thousand square kilometers of territory, so it still took the East African government three months to fully take control. The greatest difficulty lay in immigration. The total number of new immigrants to East Africa had declined, and since the Yeke Kingdom was deep inland, it was the farthest from the main immigrant landing ports, making the immigration process even more challenging. Simply traveling from the coast to this area took a fair amount of time, so Mbeya City even diverted some of its own immigrant quota here.
…
Former capital of the Yeke Kingdom.
Right now, the palace of the Yeke Kingdom's capital was deserted, and the local people had been driven away. Even so, some remained—besides the East African immigrants, there were also a few Portuguese merchants.
"Santos, sir, we found out those people are Germans. They made a deal with Msiri and bought this place, but we don't yet know the specific terms of their transaction," said Afonso.
"That Msiri—did a donkey kick him in the head? He not only gave up the Yeke Kingdom, he even helped the Germans drive out his own people!" Santos fumed.
Santos was so angry because East Africa's policy of driving out the local population had instantly wiped out the fruits of his own years of effort here. Although Portuguese forces themselves had never reached this place, plenty of Portuguese merchants had ventured deep into Africa to try their luck. Yes, it was risky, but the potential gains were greater.
By running his business in the Yeke Kingdom, Santos had earned a considerable profit, especially in the past two or three years after East Africa blocked the Yeke Kingdom's old trade routes, letting him rake in money. The good times didn't last, though, because East Africa had now moved against the Yeke Kingdom. Worst of all, these Germans didn't want any natives around, so Santos's original source of goods vanished.
However, East Africa did not drive out the Portuguese merchants themselves; it merely showed them courtesy and allowed them to remain.
"Have you made contact with the Germans?" Santos asked.
"Yes, though it has to be done through an interpreter from the local tribes. The tribal language lacks many words and meanings, so there could be errors in translation," Afonso replied.
"What did the Germans say?" Santos pressed.
"Overall, not bad. They said we can stay here, but we must follow their laws," Afonso said.
"How is that good news? They've driven the natives away, and now we have no source of merchandise—so our business is finished. And as for laws, that's just whatever they decide it is. It's a colony—talking about law is ridiculous!" Santos snapped.
"Santos, sir, it isn't all bad. The Germans promised they can continue to provide us with goods once their people have arrived; they told us it'll just take a few months," Afonso explained.
"These Germans must be insane! If they need people, why did they drive out the locals? Then they have the gall to talk about 'lack of manpower'? And who can wait around for months?" Santos raged.
He was genuinely furious at the Germans' "pointless" actions. Though Portugal also colonized parts of Africa, from Santos's perspective, local inhabitants were precisely the core workforce a colony needed. What the Germans were doing seemed completely contrary to reason. And anyway, no matter how capable Germany was, it couldn't send all that many immigrants. Didn't Portugal have centuries of history in Africa yet only a limited number of settlers?
"So what do you all plan to do?" Santos asked the others.
Afonso replied, "Sir, after careful thought, I plan to stay."
"What about the rest of you?"
Among the remaining Portuguese merchants, some wished to remain, while others said they wanted to leave.
"No matter what you decide, I'm leaving this wretched place," Santos declared. "A few months without business? I can't afford that loss. I'm heading south to the Kazembe Kingdom."
Located southwest of the Yeke Kingdom on the southern shore of Lake Mweru and bordering the Malawi Kingdom to the east, the Kazembe Kingdom had been founded by the Lunda people. It was also a major hub for Africa's ivory trade. Originally, Santos had operated in the Kazembe Kingdom before shifting to the Yeke Kingdom, finding bigger profits there—but also greater competition. Hoping for easier gains, he had brought a group northward into the Yeke Kingdom.
Afonso and the others had been his partners, and they had indeed made good money over the past two years. However, Afonso had his own ideas. Now he wasn't interested in leaving the Yeke Kingdom. The region's land and ivory hadn't magically disappeared just because the East African colony took over. He also knew that, ever since the Germans arrived, Santos had been considering leaving. For Afonso—effectively second-in-command among these Portuguese merchants—if Santos left, the territory would be all his.
Furthermore, Afonso had handled negotiations with the Germans, while Santos, cautious from past losses, was unwilling to meet them directly for fear of being swindled. In reality, the East African government had promised local ivory and so forth to the Portuguese, but when Afonso passed the message along, he only mentioned that they'd be allowed to remain.
Ernst had always been prudent about colonizing Africa—especially regarding how to deal with Europeans and Arabs. Though East Africa swallowed these lands, it continued handing over merchandise at fairly low prices so as not to drive the foreigners away and risk them returning to call in their powerful sponsors. Of course, the Portuguese merchants of the Yeke Kingdom likely lacked that kind of influence. They were far from Portugal's colonies and simply carried out independent trade. Still, East Africa wasn't sure how far Portuguese influence might reach inland after so many centuries.
"I'll warn you, the Germans aren't benevolent in the slightest," Santos told the group who wished to stay. "I, for one, don't believe their so-called 'promise.' My experience over the years has taught me that colonizers are ruthless. Don't expect the Germans to hand over benefits for free. Put yourself in their shoes: we've spent all this time in Africa using trickery and force to do business, and the Germans will definitely be even harsher."
Santos's warning rattled many who'd initially chosen to stay, causing some to change their minds and join the group planning to leave. Santos deeply resented Afonso's attempt to go solo but felt unable to show it openly—this was now East African territory, after all. And in any case, Santos saw no future for the Yeke Kingdom, so let Afonso and the others stay here if they wanted. They'd regret it eventually. Most important was to get enough loyal men to follow him back to the Kazembe Kingdom, where he could rebuild his fortune.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10