African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 203: Chapter 191: Husband and Wife Conversation

May 29, 1869.

East Africa, Dar es Salaam port.

”Attention! Everyone, gather!”

The garrison in Dar es Salaam rarely gathered at the port, which was a rare sight in Dar es Salaam.

In a beer hall.

”Miller, what are they up to? It’s uncommon for the army to appear at the port in formation; usually, just a few people maintain security.” Schultz asked.

”I don’t know the specifics either. I guess there must be a notable figure coming to East Africa, so they’re here to welcome them!” Miller replied.

”It’s those four big ships at sea, isn’t it? I was curious why no immigrants disembarked today. I even checked the flags on the ships; they’re indeed our own East African vessels, not those passing ships.” Schultz said.

Passing ships refer to those temporarily docked at the Dar es Salaam port for rest, usually foreign merchant ships replenishing freshwater and supplies at East African ports.

”I thought the same at first. The port was temporarily cleared of a space separated from those four ships. It’s obvious that there’s something remarkable or someone important on board. Moreover, I saw many city government bigwigs arriving gradually, all dressed in suits, such a spectacle, so I concluded they’re here to receive someone.” Miller said.

Sometimes, important instruments and facilities landed in East Africa are also given significant attention, but they wouldn’t clear such a large area at the dock for them, nor such grand displays, although sometimes soldiers are present to escort, but not more than twenty people.

”Creak, creak...” accompanied by the rhythmic sound of hooves.

A luxurious carriage passed along the stone road in front of the tavern, attracting the attention of nearby residents and interrupting Miller and Schultz’s conversation.

It’s not the noise from the wooden tires of the carriage on the stone slabs that affected them, but the fact that the owner of the carriage was well-known in Dar es Salaam.

In East Africa, the only one who had a carriage equipped with special guards was none other than the carriage of Ernst’s father-in-law, Maximiliano I and his wife.

Originally planning to tour various places in East Africa, Maximiliano I’s plans were indefinitely put on hold in Dar es Salaam once Queen Carlota arrived in East Africa.

Last year, after persuasion from Queen Carlota, Maximiliano I returned to Austria to visit his mother and daughter, but unfortunately, he felt uneasy during his stay in Vienna. The eyes of those speaking to him always revealed faint curiosity.

Especially when facing Franz, Maximiliano I felt even more uncomfortable. Franz didn’t critique his brother but simply said upon meeting Maximiliano I: ”Stop pursuing those unrealistic matters in the future.” Though well-intentioned, these words dealt a heavy blow to Maximiliano I.

Therefore, feeling ashamed, Maximiliano I returned to East Africa under the pretense of convalescence. Fortunately, Empress Dowager Sophie understood her son’s awkwardness and agreed to his request. Originally, Maximiliano I considered taking his daughter, but pondering the poor educational conditions in East Africa decided it best to let his daughter stay by her mother’s side.

Convalescence in East Africa was undoubtedly an excuse; the conditions here couldn’t possibly compare to Austria. Even touring East Africa was impossible; the dire transportation conditions made travel there a destined ordeal.

The coastal areas, however, especially Dar es Salaam as an important commercial node, offered all sorts of fascinating tales from both the East African mainland and the sea. The government’s renovations greatly improved the living environment, one of the reasons why Maximiliano I stayed in Dar es Salaam.

Of course, Maximiliano I had another reason to stay here. As a coastal city, Dar es Salaam often evoked memories of his time serving as the Austrian Navy Commander in Trieste and later as Governor of the Lombardy-Venetia Kingdom.

Those were the glory days of Maximiliano I, showcasing his remarkable talents, and during his sweeping naval reforms, the Austrian Navy grew rapidly, with Admiral Tegelhoff, famed in the Battle of Lissa, being one of the military talents promoted during his reform.

Politically, he also made contributions in governing the Lombardy-Venetia Kingdom, easing tensions between Italians and Austrians. However, his liberal policies displeased Franz, who thought him too lenient with the local Italians, leading to his removal from the governor position, though he retained his Navy Commander post.

After the Mexican affair, Maximiliano I acknowledged his lack of political acumen, but still believed his work in the Lombardy-Venetia Kingdom was commendable.

”Dear, why would Prince Constantine choose to come to East Africa, especially at his age? Can he handle the rough seas?” Queen Carlota asked.

”It’s quite normal; East Africa is currently the Heixinggen Royal Family’s most important territory. After all, Heixinggen itself is just a tiny country, completely integrated into Prussia, leaving no way for further advancement.

With Heixinggen’s current financial capacity, they indeed have the ability and opportunities to maneuver for a throne in Europe, though opportunities are scarce. Even if they manage to seize that slim chance, it will require time. After all, an occasion like Hohenzollern gaining the Romanian throne only occurs once in a century in Europe.

Additionally, maneuvering for a throne requires a network, and frankly speaking, most of the Heixinggen Royal Family’s connections among the European aristocracy are maintained by Prince Constantine alone.

But as you mentioned, Prince Constantine is already sixty-nine this year, age is a real issue, and Ernst was born too late, practically a generation apart, making it difficult to fully inherit Constantine’s political legacy without a few years of effort.

Moreover, Ernst has always been more enthusiastic about business in Europe, unlike most Prussian aristocrats who generally gain experience in military camps.

Prussia! We all know that the military is the fastest path to promotion there. Ernst’s peers probably still endure hardships in the camps, while he roams outside freely. If it weren’t for his noble birth, he might not even touch the circles. Frankly, you and I have a better standing in the European aristocracy circles than he does.

Thus, looking for a fast pass, the Heixinggen Royal Family is left with the development of overseas colonies as the only route, and presently, this path seems very promising.

This is why I admire Ernst; he really found a good direction. The difficulties in East Africa compared to Europe are hardly worth mentioning.

And the potential is enormous. I wonder why I never noticed this wonderful place East Africa is; it’s much better than cursed Mexico!

I carefully balanced interests among all sides in Mexico, while having to consider the sentiments of the French and Americans, ultimately offending everyone. Yet Ernst just needed to focus on suppressing and countering the natives in East Africa to gain such a vast territory.

And despite East Africa’s excellent conditions, no power had targeted it earlier, leaving Ernst to seize the opportunity easily. Our son-in-law indeed has a bit of my boldness.”

Saying this, Maximiliano I reminisced somewhat bitterly about his governance experience in Mexico, then envied Ernst’s foresight and luck, ultimately reverting to a sense of satisfaction. The stronger the development of the East African colonies, the better, as Ernst is already engaged to Karina.

So the future in East Africa is also partly his, considering he only has one daughter, Karina, and Ernst’s descendants still bear Habsburg blood.

Maximiliano I couldn’t help but admire his mother’s foresight—this marriage was a huge boon. While others disregard Africa, Maximiliano, who has spent such a long time in East Africa, understands it better and increasingly sees its potential as kingly dominance.

However, Maximiliano I also harbored a confusion: such a good piece of land, yet the natives seemingly developed no civilization. Could it truly be a racial issue?

If one claims Africa is plagued with terrifying diseases, these natives hardly appear significantly affected. Aren’t those in American plantations chosen as Black for their resilience?

To say it’s far removed from the civilized world, East Africa isn’t too remote. Dar es Salaam is a natural gateway for external exchanges, and yet only a slightly decent Zanzibar Sultanate exists along the coast, created by Middle Eastern Arabs.

Claiming lack of intelligence seems improbable; these Africans appear just as capable. When those chiefs and slave traders engage in business, they are quite shrewd.

Furthermore, having spent time in America, where that’s truly isolated from the Eurasian continent, the Native Americans managed to built brighter civilizations than those African natives who entered the Iron Age.

Puzzled by various incongruities, what exactly holds African natives back? Adopting a different approach, if you attribute Africa’s stunted development to geographical location, climate, diseases, wars... This collective reasoning is simply a mess where anything gets thrown in without distinction.

Yet now there’s a real-life example as proof that challenges the earlier beliefs, since East Africa’s colonial development rightly illustrates its favorable geographical location. Ernst utilized East Africa’s geographic advantage to transport immigrants from both Europe and the Far East.

Regarding climate adaptation, European and Far East immigrants certainly lack the edge over natives, with East Africa still harboring a batch of Slavic immigrants brought from Russia’s cold regions.

When it comes to diseases and wars, the immunity of East African immigrants to African diseases is significantly lower compared to local natives. Additionally, East Africa’s colony itself is a war-mongering entity, having destroyed several nations, with small-scale wars being endless...