Chapter 175: Village Location
The East Africa Colony.
Eastern Lake Malawi Area.
"Right here, using the topography of the riverbed, build a row of dams so the water can flow across. This can block the river's flow to keep it from running off during the dry season, and when the rainy season brings too much water, the excess can flow over the top," Roald said to the villagers, pointing at a spot in the riverbed with varying heights.
This was a small, unnamed river in the upper reaches of the Ruvuma River. Although the river was small, it eventually fed into the Ruvuma. On both sides, the land was extremely flat and fertile, making it suitable for farming.
Starting this year, settlers from East Africa began moving north along the Ruvuma River, establishing outposts on its northern bank.
This fills the gap between the Lower Coastal Area and Eastern Lake Malawi Area, gradually forming the first continuous settlement belt along the river in East Africa.
Due to these developments, the southern East African port of Mtwara has surprisingly seen a small influx of new arrivals. Every day, ships berth at Mtwara Harbor.
"Mr. Roald, if we set up the village here, we shouldn't have to worry about flooding, right?" Acting village head Wasim asked Roald.
"I've surveyed the terrain here, compared it with the maps drawn by the East African government. There aren't any higher elevations nearby; it's basically flat land. In the rainy season, if there's heavy rainfall, the water will spread out evenly across the area. As long as we take care of drainage—build more drainage ditches and sewers to channel the rainwater from the village site to the river—you won't have any problems," Roald replied.
"But if we build the village by the riverbank, though it's convenient to develop, what if the river rises suddenly in the rainy season? If too much water flows during the rains, wouldn't the river overflow and flood the surrounding land?" Wasim expressed his concern.
"I considered that from the start. Mr. Wasim, look here: this is the Ruvuma River, and this is the small river. They meet over there, and the place we're standing is northwest of the confluence. This area is about half a meter higher than the surroundings. Based on my observations of the soil and the river's course, even in the largest floods on record, the water here never rose more than about ten meters beyond the riverbank.
"Therefore, you don't need to worry about too much rain so much as too little. If anything, having more water is good for developing agriculture. The reason I suggest building a diversion dam in the river is precisely to guarantee a stable water supply in the dry season. Currently, the population is small, but in the future, that might not be the case—the demand for water could soar. I'm basing that on population densities in some parts of Europe.
"Also, this river naturally forms a raised section. Taking advantage of the riverbed terrain, we can finish the job quickly if we start in the dry season." As a specialist, Roald presented a detailed analysis of the pros and cons.
"Yes, the project doesn't look that difficult—this river is obviously tiny compared to the Ruvuma. But we don't have enough manpower right now to build that dam. We've only got around a hundred people. We'll need to wait until reinforcements arrive, including slaves, before we can get started. At the moment, we're swamped just building houses and developing the surrounding land," Wasim said.
Wasim was from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and previously lived near Ronenroda in the Lower Coastal Area. This time, he led new settlers to open up land in the Ruvuma River basin as a veteran settler.
Hence, he was only the acting village head. In fact, Wasim had just been an ordinary settler in the Ronenroda area.
He'd taken the initiative to compete for the acting head position since East Africa needed literate individuals everywhere, so it was a matter of "choosing the tallest among the short." Wasim didn't face much competition because not many people had volunteered.
Chinese settlers were typically cautious, which reduced potential rivals by about forty percent. Most European settlers were unwilling to leave Ronenroda with a group of novices to pioneer a new region, so almost no one else signed up.
After all, being a village head in East Africa didn't give you much power—especially for someone like Wasim with no formal background. Meanwhile, responsibilities were heavy, and the monthly pay was only slightly higher than normal. Hence, few settlers wished to take on the job of organizing a new community.
Developing an entirely new area—especially in the initial stage—was the hardest part. The place lacked everything and conditions were harsh.
"Mr. Wasim, don't worry. I've worked in East Africa for a while. I know how efficient the government can be. I'm sure they'll dispatch reinforcements soon, assuming we finalize the village's site location and submit it. Then we'll receive official support," Roald said.
Roald was a geography graduate the East African colony had hired at a high salary; he'd been in East Africa for nearly two years, longer than Wasim by half a year.
Still, East Africa obviously wouldn't keep such talent long term. Like other well-paid recruits, Roald planned to earn some quick money in East Africa before returning home.
In particular, Roald was well-educated for the era. He'd ended up in East Africa after graduating, having succumbed to gambling temptations and ending up in debt.
Although Roald's family wasn't poor and the debt not huge, his father was strict, and Roald worried he might be beaten if the truth came out. So he kept it hidden, hoping to find a job to pay off his debts. That's when he encountered Hechingen Consortium recruiters.
The East Africa colony happily covered his gambling debts, in exchange for him working there on triple wages, plus an annual trip home via Hechingen ships.
Roald, still young and fearless, seized the chance.
Once in East Africa, he found conditions acceptable, the promises genuine—but life here was very austere. His job involved traveling throughout East Africa, helping locate sites suitable for settlement, mostly in remote places. It meant being cut off from civilized nightlife, somewhat reminiscent of Ernst's own previous life experiences.
Yet Roald found some meaning in his work. For one, he managed to quit gambling entirely.
And spending so much time traveling East Africa let him see up close the geographic wonders he'd read about in school. He truly put his studies into practice. When he eventually returned to Europe, with just a little help from his father, he could possibly get a teaching job at a university.
In short, Roald felt he'd grown a lot while in East Africa. Naturally, once his contract ended, he planned on returning to Europe to continue his career.
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