Chapter 72: Tobacco Cultivation
Central Kenya, Mashuru Town
To develop a newly explored area, the East African colonial government decided—after sending people for on-site inspections—to begin growing tobacco in this region.
As a crop that thrives in warmth and sunlight, most of East Africa was suitable for tobacco cultivation. The region also had moderate rainfall, enough to meet the water needs of early-stage growth.
Mashuru Town, located 90 kilometers southeast of Nairobi, had an unnamed river flowing north to south through it.
At first, there were only about 30 settlers. Leading them was a German named Anton, along with five immigrants from the Austrian Empire and over twenty Chinese immigrants.
Looking out at the vast grassland stretching endlessly to the horizon, Anton couldn't help but marvel at the grandeur and mystery of nature.
Having grown up in Europe, Anton was familiar with the manicured farms and lush forests of northern Germany, full of beauty and life.
Africa's land, on the other hand, felt wild and untamed—and its sheer size stirred something powerful in the heart.
The Austrian immigrants felt the same. Most of them were stepping foot in Africa for the first time and were even more amazed than Anton. The Austrian homeland was a mix of mountains and rivers, and the immigrants had lived in relatively simple, traditional ways due to underdevelopment.
Some had never even left their village. So after sailing across the sea, they were first overwhelmed by the vastness of the ocean, and then captivated by the tropical landscapes of East Africa.
The Chinese immigrants were somewhat less surprised. Although there weren't such massive grasslands in North China, the farmlands there stretched far and wide as well.
Although the territory of Germany and Austria couldn't match the vastness of the Far East, in terms of land per person, Germany and Austria had far more than China.
China's vast plains and long territory often made people forget just how large its population was. But if you ignore population size, the country really did seem to have "vast land and rich resources."
The settlers began building shelters—temporary homes made of mud. With so few people, they couldn't afford to spend too much time improving living conditions just yet.
After landing at Tanga Port or Dar es Salaam, they restocked supplies at the first town, led by experienced elders.
That's how Mashuru's first settlers had arrived. All their supplies, farming tools, and food were packed onto two horse-drawn carts.
From above, the group of thirty looked tiny on the endless plain. Their homes looked like little matchboxes.
This was the starting scale of Mashuru Town. The East African colony planned to send another thousand settlers in the future.
At the same time, towns and villages like Mashuru were springing up quickly across Kenya.
From the coastal regions in the east to the Great Lakes in the west, immigrants were filling up the region fast.
This wave of immigrants was mixed: led by Germans, with Austrian and Chinese settlers together in each group.
One month later, Mashuru's population had grown to more than 400 people, forming a real village. The farmland was starting to take shape.
Along the unnamed river, settlers had opened up a thousand acres of tobacco plantations.
Green, healthy tobacco seedlings lined the fields in neat rows, rooted deep in the red soil, full of life.
This would become a major supply base for the Hohenzollern Tobacco Company.
Until now, the company mostly bought tobacco from foreign merchants and processed it into cigarettes using machines.
This raised production costs, since the pricing power belonged to those merchants.
But East Africa had huge areas of unused land ideal for tobacco. It could now supply cheap, high-quality raw materials directly—and in large quantities.
The colonial government planned to develop 50,000 acres of tobacco fields around Mashuru.
This would not only speed up immigration to Kenya, but also generate profits—a perfect win-win.
Once harvested, the tobacco would be collected by the company and sent to ports like Mombasa or Dar es Salaam, and then shipped to Europe.
Anton looked proudly at Mashuru Town's early success.
As town mayor, he was one of the last German mercenaries from the early days of the colony.
Back when he first arrived in East Africa, there were only about 2,000 German mercenaries. But as the population grew, Germans were naturally chosen to lead.
Anton's teammates had been promoted to government posts or higher military ranks. He had remained where he was—until now. The development of Mashuru finally gave him his chance: he was named mayor.
Though a former Prussian soldier and mercenary, Anton didn't enjoy war.
Coming from a farming family, he preferred working with the land.
As town leader, he wasn't arrogant. Instead, he acted like a down-to-earth Prussian farmer.
Each day, he led everyone in the fields. Watching the vibrant crops grow filled him with joy and satisfaction.
Inspired by their kind and humble mayor, the settlers of Mashuru threw themselves into the work with passion.
The Germans, Austrians, and Chinese settlers—though from different backgrounds—bonded through their shared identity as farmers.
Working in the fields, they exchanged tips and farming knowledge. Anton shared basic science from his Prussian education.
Austrians had plenty of experience too, especially with agricultural tools and structures. The Chinese settlers were skilled in vegetable farming and producing side dishes.
Thanks to this constant exchange, Anton picked up some Austrian dialects and several Chinese phrases. The Austrians already knew some German, and now learned some Chinese too. The Chinese, in turn, began to grasp bits of European languages.
The residents of Mashuru lived in harmony—just like the red sunset blending with the iron-red soil.
In the East African colony, aside from farmers, the largest group of people were soldiers. So there wasn't much class division.
This created the perfect environment for different ethnic groups to live together. They shared meals, earned similar wages, and slowly let go of the fear and tension caused by history and geography.
Of course, this didn't include the local African natives. These people didn't even have proper clothing. Their faces were covered in paint and tattoos, making them look fierce and frightening. Their dark skin, unfamiliar customs, and appearance made them hard for others to accept.
The colonial government of East Africa intentionally strengthened negative stereotypes about the natives—portraying them as brutal, lazy, uncivilized, and primitive, even using facial comparisons with apes to suggest that they were less evolved.
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