Chapter 352: The "Wagon Drivers" of the Eastern Indian Ocean
Although their opponents were merely natives, Samuel still approached the situation with caution. As the saying goes: Know your enemy and yourself, and you need not fear a hundred battles. Samuel already knew his own forces well, but he still lacked a complete picture of the enemy. Therefore, intelligence gathering was a crucial next step.
However, before investigating the Abyssinian Empire, Samuel had two more immediate tasks.
First, he needed to solve the issue of troop housing. Fortunately, this wasn't too difficult. Although Assab was small, it could still accommodate a division with some squeezing. The Italian 1st Expeditionary Division consisted of only 3,000 men—a relatively modest size. By utilizing Assab Port's existing infrastructure and erecting additional structures, they could manage. But where would the building materials come from?
Looking out at the barren desert surrounding the city, Samuel knew wood was out of the question—there wasn't a single blade of grass in sight. Most of Assab's buildings were made from mudbrick. Given the tropical desert climate, at least there was no need to worry about rain.
Aside from its strategic value near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Assab held little commercial worth. It was one of the Arab traders' many resting points—but nothing more. Whenever too many people gathered here, even securing fresh water became difficult.
Fortunately, the city lies near the Ethiopian Highlands. Though rainfall from the highlands didn't directly reach Assab, the terrain allowed underground aquifers to replenish the area. So groundwater was reasonably abundant, if only more wells could be dug.
Samuel turned to Sapeto. "Mr. Sapeto, how do you and your company usually handle supplies?"
Eritrea's population was concentrated in the northern mountains and foothills. The terrain there allowed for some rain retention—some areas even rivaled the Ethiopian Highlands in rainfall. But the eastern coastal plain was even drier than Somalia.
The area around Assab, in southern Eritrea's eastern lowlands, was especially harsh. Facing the barren Arabian Peninsula, it endured arid northeast trade winds from Arabia and dry monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean—cut off by the Ethiopian Highlands. The terrain even prevented residual moisture from lingering. Thus, Assab was truly a wasteland.
That word—wasteland—might sound dramatic, but it described Assab and its surroundings perfectly. Even Somalia, the driest part of the East African Kingdom, had savanna and two rivers. Assab had nothing.
Sapeto explained, "Assab's main value lies in its strategic position. It's one of the few decent ports near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. But compared to Somalia, it's far worse. Southern Somalia has a better climate. The British protectorate of Somaliland can even grow some crops. Assab, on the other hand, depends entirely on imports."
"So you usually buy food?" asked Samuel.
"Yes," Sapeto replied. "Especially in the early days, we bought from Yemeni caravans. After the Suez Canal opened, some European ships passed by, but most sailed straight to the Far East without stopping here."
Samuel frowned. "Buying food means high costs. The Kingdom ordered me to find local solutions, to ease the burden on supplies from home. But I haven't even reached the Abyssinian border yet—how can I solve this?"
Sapeto offered a solution. "General, I do have an idea. It's not a long-term fix, but it could help us through the early phase."
"What is it?"
"You could buy food from the Sultanate of Zanzibar."
"Zanzibar?" Samuel raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. You may not have heard of them in Europe, but they're quite well-known around the Indian Ocean. They used to be part of the powerful Omani Empire, which ruled much of the Indian Ocean. After breaking away, they became a small island kingdom off the East African coast. At its peak, it influenced the entire western Indian Ocean. But its mainland territory was later taken by the Germanic East African Kingdom."
"And what does that have to do with us?" asked Samuel. "The Kingdom wants to save money—ideally spend nothing. If we're still buying grain, we might as well give the money to Italian farmers."
"That's just it," Sapeto replied. "The Kingdom is short on both money and food. Zanzibar's merchants sell some of the cheapest grain in the entire Indian Ocean—and they offer door-to-door delivery. That could save us a fortune."
Samuel was skeptical. "But Zanzibar is just an island, isn't it? How can they supply cheap grain to the entire Indian Ocean coast?"
It was a valid question. Samuel had studied maps and knew Zanzibar wasn't very large. With its mainland holdings lost, the idea that it could offer grain cheaper than even India was hard to believe—unless they had figured out how to grow crops in the sea.
India had good farming conditions, but too many mouths to feed. The British, who ruled it, couldn't risk starving their subjects. Plus, low productivity levels meant most grain was consumed domestically. The British preferred growing cash crops like tea, jute, and cotton. Especially after the American Civil War ended, they expanded cotton plantations to replace the U.S. supply. As a result, India's grain output actually declined further.
Sapeto clarified, "General, you misunderstood. Zanzibar's grain isn't domestic—it comes from East Africa. The Sultanate acts as a middleman. German farmers in the East African Kingdom are excellent at agriculture. In recent years, Zanzibar's merchants have become the most active grain traders in the Indian Ocean. They ship East African crops all around—from North Africa to the Middle East. Most of the rice in those areas is delivered by Zanzibar's merchant fleet. In fact, our own company began buying grain from them last year."
"Rice, huh…" Samuel mused. "But I'm worried the troops won't like it."
"Cheapness is king," Sapeto said firmly. "Just like my company—we buy whatever is cheapest to turn a profit. At first, workers may complain, but they'll get used to it. Besides, once we occupy Abyssinia, we can grow our own wheat."
"What's the price difference?"
"Even with shipping, it's cheaper than bringing it from Italy. And right now, the homeland is importing grain too—mostly from the Hechingen Food Company. But let me tell you, most of that grain isn't actually from Germany or Hungary. I found out during a trip back to Italy that a Hechingen ship docked at La Spezia, delivering 'Hungarian' flour that was clearly made in East Africa."
Samuel blinked. "So we could just buy flour directly from the East African Kingdom? That fits better with our diet—pasta and pizza need wheat."
Sapeto shook his head. "General, East African rice is 20% cheaper than their flour."
Samuel paused. "Then we'll go with rice. The men will adjust. But why buy from Zanzibar instead of East Africa directly?"
"Simple," Sapeto explained. "East Africa doesn't have enough ships. They prioritize the European market. Zanzibar, however, has a large fleet of Arab merchants. I'd estimate that over 50% of all vessels in the western Indian Ocean are registered under the Sultanate of Zanzibar. These merchants all fly Zanzibar's flag and conduct trade under its name. That's why they're now known as the 'Wagon Drivers of the Western Indian Ocean.'"
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