African Nationhood

Santos and Lourenco, two Portuguese-Americans, were very active in their work. They first returned to Luanda to convene indigenous whites and mixed-race blacks to form the framework of their respective teams.

Then he returned to Cabinda to recruit local whites and mixed-race blacks to form their own teams.

Santos organized a police team of 3000 indigenous white people, each equipped with two black police uniforms, a wooden stick, and a revolver.

This revolver is an imitation of the American Smith M10 pistol. This pistol also has a more famous name, called ". pistol."

As for Lourenco's tax collection group, there were more than 8000 members. They also had uniforms and each member had a Martini-Henry rifle.

Both police forces are equipped with war horses so that they can enforce the law quickly.

These troops do not require training and go directly to work, and the Cabinda regional government does not pay them wages.

They have to rely on themselves to generate all their salary income, police fines and tax collection teams.

Thirty percent of their income is given to them as dividends, and the remaining 70% is turned over to the regional government.

In order to make more money, Santos' police force was very strict with the indigenous black people in the territory, whipping and fined them at every turn.

As for tax collection groups, they are dispatched twice a year. The tax collection catalog has been formulated by the locals. There are 28 categories in the whole catalog. In total, each native needs to pay taxes twice a year, which is equivalent to 2 pounds each time.

In the first month, the tax collection team collected various materials and gold coins worth 18 pounds, and also recruited more than 2 black workers.

With indentured labor, construction of public facilities such as roads and water conservancy facilities in Cabinda could begin.

The work of overseers was also given to mixed-race blacks, who could do whatever they wanted with the black laborers.

If a black worker escapes, the mixed-race black supervisor will bravely arrest him. If he escapes, that's it. If he is caught, he will be executed directly.

……

Because of the Cabinda government's strict security and taxation policies, thousands of indigenous black people fled the territory, and the regional government did not care.

It ran just right, saving you the trouble of cleaning up.

Moreover, the Navy is gradually sending black laborers from Sao Tome Island. There are tens of thousands of black people on this island, which can completely supplement the labor gap in Cabinda.

Sao Tome Island will be positioned as a relay supply station in the future and will not be vigorously developed.

A small number of immigrants would be able to maintain control of the island, and the local plantations and sugar industry could be handed over to private control in the future.

As for the two islands of Madeira and the Azores, in addition to promoting the language and cultural education of the indigenous people on the islands, a large number of immigrants must be sent there to strengthen control.

The location of these two archipelagoes is very important. They must not miss it, and they must not let external forces get their hands on it.

The Ministry of Human Resources is gradually transferring immigrants from the mainland to the West African coast. After disembarking, these immigrants can quickly enter major plantations and farms to work.

At the same time, the cabinet is also recruiting local wealthy people to go overseas to run farms or develop mineral resources in overseas territories.

……

After a month of preliminary governance, the governance of the Cabinda region is basically on the right track.

The Ministry of Human Resources transported more than 4000 immigrants to Cabinda, and Zhang Xianghe visited them.

New immigrants can adapt to the food here, but they think it's a little too hot and it rains too frequently.

After all, the weather in the mainland rarely exceeds 40 degrees most of the time, but here is a tropical rainforest climate, the temperature can easily exceed 40 degrees, and it rains too frequently, which is far less convenient and refreshing than the dry and rainy season in the mainland.

Zhang Xianghe expressed his understanding and reassured everyone to be patient and get used to it.

……

Most things in Cabinda have been settled, and the next step is to return to Luanda.

The military department has sent a notice to start cleaning up the gangs in the territory.

Zhang Xianghe set off immediately. Before leaving, he called Santos and asked him to resign his post here and follow him back to Luanda. After all, Santos was the first indigenous white man to surrender to him. He could not be left in a small place like Cabinda. Luanda had more room for development.

Santos naturally agreed to this arrangement. He said a brief farewell to his men and followed Zhang Xianghe back to Luanda.

……

Back in Luanda, Zhang Xianghe asked Santos to form a new police team and tax collection team, and the latter went happily.

Zhang Xianghe then went to Minister Jan Smuts and thanked him for being in charge during this period.

Naturally, Jan Smuts will not take the credit. He was not too tired during his time in Luanda.

On the contrary, his job is going well. He has now discovered an iron mine in the interior of Malanje, but the grade of the iron ore is not very good.

In addition, a large manganese mine was discovered in Malanje. The mining of this manganese mine is relatively easy, and manpower can be arranged to vigorously mine the mineral deposits for export.

After all, there is a railway connecting Luanda to Malanje (this railway is a legacy of the Portuguese).

In addition, in the province of Uige, his people also discovered copper mines.

These mineral deposits are very good for the development prospects of the West African Administration.

In addition, he also found some information about gold mines in the Portuguese Governor's Palace. Although the gold mine here is not as good as the Rand Gold Mine, it can also be used to attract local investors to come and mine.

The West African Administration should not adhere to the instructions of the administrative orders of the local central government. When it is not under the direct jurisdiction of the central government, it can promulgate some policies and measures to attract local immigrants.

In addition, when the Portuguese were here, the indigenous people in the Lunda Norte area dug up diamonds there. He will take people to explore. He believes that there may be diamond deposits there.

All that's left is to do more exploration and excavation on this land. If he can find a large iron ore, then his work will be even more perfect.

After all, today's era is the era of coal and iron. It is a pity that no large coal resources have been discovered in the West African Administrative Region.

If coal and iron resources are available here, this land will soon develop into a new economic center.

……

Zhang Xianghe began to sort out the documents left by Portugal. His English was good, but his Portuguese was not.

Santos came in handy at this time. By translating Portuguese information, Zhang Xianghe learned about the distressed financial revenue data of Portuguese West Africa.

Before 1890, the West African colonial government could extract 150 to 220 million pounds worth of Portuguese currency from here every year.

After South China and Rhodes carved up the East African colonies from 1890 to 1893, local expropriation intensified, resulting in a sharp drop in the revenue of the West African colonial government, which could only maintain an annual income of 100 million pounds.

After more than 30 gangsters were brought in from South China, the income of the West African colonial government was reduced to about 60 pounds.

The annual fiscal revenue of 60 pounds also has to bear the military expenditure and public financial expenditure of the colony, and the dividends of colonial officials have been greatly reduced.

……

Portuguese West Africa began to step up the pace of conquest of the interior of the West African colonies in 1902, and even now it has not conquered the bandit areas.

However, they have carried out a large amount of development in the control area, including 1118 million acres of farmland.

These lands produce a considerable amount of primary crops every year, but most of the profits from primary agricultural products such as cocoa, coffee, cotton, and sisal harvested by the indigenous people are taken away by the natives. The profits that the colonial government can withhold are very limited.

As for luxury goods such as diamonds and gold, the mining volume has not increased, and the income has been very small.

The area controlled by the gangs is the source of ivory, honey, rubber and fur in the Katanga Plateau.

After the military department takes action to clean up the gangs, these materials will fall into Nanhua's control.

Therefore, it is urgent to eliminate the bandits in the southwest! (End of chapter)