Lieford's pessimism ultimately boils down to money issues. The homeland only siphons wealth from Mozambique, so Mozambique could never invest in local development like East Africa does. Without money, Portugal's homeland also cannot provide Mozambique with other favorable support to reduce colonial costs, thus blocking all paths of creating revenue and reducing expenditures.
The East African naval exercise made the new Governor of Mozambique somewhat recognize reality, while the British Natal colony's attitude towards the East African exercise was merely "noted," neither cold nor warm.
The East African navy does indeed pose some threat, but this threat doesn't frighten the British. In 1877, the United Kingdom had nearly more than 180 main battleships, making the East African navy appear like an ant in front of the British Royal Navy.
