[Sir Frank Stockdale: agriculture in Britain's African colonies, 1929-37.] Four official Autograph Journals by Colonial Office Agricultural Advisor Sir Frank Stockdale, describing in detail tours in Crown Colonies in East and West Africa and Cyprus.

Stockdale’s entry in the Oxford DNB provides an excellent commentary on the present four items: ‘An assumption that colonial economies should continue to be dominated by the export of cash crops, and a faith in Western scientific agriculture led in 1929 to the establishment of the colonial agricultural service with a colonial advisory council of agriculture and animal health, and a full-time agricultural adviser, a position to which Stockdale was appointed. He spent the next ten years touring the colonies, reporting on what he found and giving advice which reflected his ability to view agricultural problems in relation to the general economy and social conditions of the territory concerned. He consistently preached the dangers of dependence upon a single crop, the virtues of mixed farming, the disastrous effects of soil erosion, and the dangers of taking a short-term view in agricultural matters. These attitudes showed him to have been in many respects ahead of his time.’ For further information see the paper by the historian of Kenya Professor David Anderson, ‘Depression, Dust Bowl, Demography, and Drought: the Colonial State and Soil Conservation in East Africa during the 1930s’ (African Affairs, July 1984), where Stockdale is particularly commended for his ‘influential’ work on soil erosion. The present four notebooks contain a total of 439pp of closely-written text, dating from between 1929 and 1937. Five of the pages (in Item Four below) are in pencil, the rest in blue ink. The last three notebooks are uniform standard issue ‘S[tationery]. O[ffice]. Book 136’, ‘Supplied for the Public Service’. In line with their status none of the four notebooks contains a single remark that is not connected with Stockdale’s official duties. What they do contain is a mass of information relating to his meetings, conferences, travels, inspections and other duties in England, East and West Africa, Egypt, Sudan and Cyprus, revealing Stockdale to be a shrewd, capable and energetic public servant. His work rate, as indicated below, is indeed quite remarkable. Another interesting feature is the importance which is clearly placed on his work by those he encounters: he discusses his conclusions with colonial governors, and his activities are facilitated by officials on the ground, and a prime example of his importance is to be found at the start of the third journal, with Stockdale meeting in England with Cadbury’s and other chocolate producers, and then journeying to West Africa to use this information in an investigation into cocoa production. The following description is not intended, nor could it possibly, give a complete overview of the contents. The first volume is described at greater length, but the level of detail in the entries is uniform throughout. ONE (West African Tour, 1929): Black cloth notebook, ruled with twenty-two lines to the page. In good condition, lightly aged. Inside front cover: ‘F. A. Stockdale / Notes. / West African Tour / Oct - Dec 1929. 12mo, 168pp. The 161pp of the journal are followed by a four-page ‘list of pocket expenses’, and there are four other pages of writing. Entries date from between 2 October and 18 December 1929. Loosely inserted is a printed table on a slip headed ‘ADDENDUM. / RAINFALL AT NJALA.’ In this notebook FAS gives an account of his prominent role in a conference whose proceedings and papers were published in 1930 by the Gold Coast Department of Agriculture as the official bulletin ‘Second Conference of West African Agricultural Officers (held in the Gold Coast, October 1929)’, and many of the individuals referred to by FAS may be identified by reference to the 1929 ‘List of Agricultural Research Workers in the British Empire’. The journal begins on 2 October 1929, with FAS travelling from London Euston to Liverpool to catch a boat (‘[SP Abrisi?’]) to the Gold Coast, to take part in the Second conference of West African Agricultural Officers. The following nine pages consist of notes on conversations held with other passengers. The first is ‘Sampson’ [Hugh Charles Sampson (1878-1953), economic botanist at Kew, 1927-1938], with whom he discusses the ‘itinerary in West Africa and some of the papers submitted to the Conference. Sampson’s general impression was that some of the papers had been written to order. / The outstanding paper appeared to be the paper on oil-palm work in Calabar by Smith [E. H. G. Smith] as it contained records of work which were an advance on previous undertakings.’ Over the next few pages he lays out detailed information he has received in ‘Discussions with Lenahan Supt. of the [Apreis & Gorten?] Trading Coy Palm Oil Estate at [N’diansa?] Rio del Rey Cameroons’. A page is devoted to the remarks of ‘Rutter’ [J. W. H. Rutter?], ending: ‘He said the Germans were paying particular attention to their estates in the Cameroons. They were extending them & would be making a good thing out of them.’ He states that he has written to ‘Tempany’ (the agricultural chemist Sir Harold Augustin Tempany (1881-1955)] ‘giving him full particulars of the [germination?] tests of the 5000 Deli seed supplied in May 1928 & suggesting that he might replace the consignment properly packed in order to test if the methods of packing were responsible for the poor results’. FAS devotes more than a page and a half the expressions of dissatisfaction of ‘Graham Paul [Sir George Graham Paul (1887-1960)] - Barrister at Calabar & member of the Leg[islative]. Co[uncil]. Nigeria’: ‘He appeared to be a perky, inquisitive person who had the typical lawyers outlook on life & delighted in asking or formulating awkward questions. He was apparently a friend of Sir Hugh Clifford & used to stay at G & H. whenever he went to Lagos. With the present Governor he was apparently not a person grata & seemed to resent the change of attitude. He clearly had a high opinion of his own capacity & there was little doubt that he has ability & a super critical mind.’ Nearly two pages are devoted to ‘George Humphreys’, ‘Manager of the only cacao estate in the Cameroons now held by the British’. Among the facts that FAS reports: ‘Mistletoe is the greatest difficulty as it had been badly neglected & had got a good hold in the estate.’ A little more than a page is taken up with the last of FAS’s fellow-passengers, ‘Findlay’, with whom he discusses ‘some of the work of the Nigerian Dept.’ ‘He has a very high regard for Faulkner [Odin Tom Faulkner (1890-1958)] who expects a high standard fm his men but encourages the real workers.’ On 10 October the ship reaches Bathurst [Sierra Leone]: ‘Denham sent off his A.D.C. with a note asking me to go ashore to dine if there was time. As we were staying on 1 1/2 hrs this was clearly not possible. He said he was sending [Pirie?] to the Conference & that he thought he was the best of his agricultural officers - good but not voluble.’ During the trip ‘one got an account of Gambia products for [Pirie?] & gathered that it was thought that Denham wished to push things along much too fast. I gathered that the Expt. Station was on soil which was not typical of the Gambia soils & that it was only possible to carry on cultiation at all by liberal manurings of any cattle manure available. It is clear that the station is more on lines of gardening rather than those of agriculture & that it is located on a laterite knoll which is not typical of the [?] of the country. Experimental work with varieties does not seem to have been very successful.’ The entry for the following day (11 October) gives observations on Sierra Leone, including an account of a visit to the governor, to discuss a ‘subsequent visit’. There follow (14 October) his ‘impressions’ on ‘several memoranda’ he is given during a ‘full discussion’ with ‘Martin’ [the agricultural chemist W. S. Martin] on ‘the Sierra Leone problems’. The first of these topics is ‘Mesanki Oil palm plantation’ (two pages), then ‘Rice’ (nearly a page), and lastly ‘Agricultural Education Scheme’ (2 pages). The following four pages are devoted to the lead-up to the conference following the ‘Arrival at Accra’ on 16 October, beginning: ‘After breakfast proceeded to Govt. house and at 2.30 attended first meeting of Adm[inistrative]. Comttee. / The proposals for the work of several sub-committees was considered & the arrangement of the agenda discussed.’ He also describes Faulkner’s ‘detailed account of what was being done in Nigeria on the botanical side [...] There is no doubt that the work of Nigeria is several years ahead of the other colonies & that Nigeria has the conditions which are the best suited for oil palm work. If any centralized resareh was therefore considered necessary it should be located in Nigeria. Sierra Leone was not suitable for any such work - nor could the correct perspective be assumed there. The problems of the three colonies seem to be different & it was felt that no centralization of the research work was desirable. Whilst agreeing with this view I rather feel that more work is still required in Nigeria & that greater progress might be accomplished if there was a definite oil palm exp[erimen]tal area in Calabar at which the chemist could experiment’. On 17 October, after the ‘Photograph of Conference’ and its opening by ‘H. E. the Governor [Sir Alexander Ransford Slater (1874-1940)]’, the governor calls upon FAS ‘to give details of the work of the Colonial Agric. Council and particularly asked for information as to what was the present position in regard to the Unified Agric. Service.’ This section covers a page and a half. A four-page account of the morning session of the first day follows, with reference to Auchinleck [‘G. G. Auchinleck, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Gold Coast’], Sampson, Faulkner (‘Beckett criticized the paper & was whole hearted in his advocacy of randomization’). The evening session is described over four pages, with reference to Ellis, Harris, Koens, [Blazi?]. ‘Several chiefs spoke. They seemed to be in favour of the societies but did not wish them to be rushed and thought that the Chiefs should have something to say in regard to [?] & consideration of disputes.’ The session ends with a discussion of the ‘Inspection of Produce’. On 18 Oct ‘Adm. Comttee left for Kpeve Expt. Station in Togoland by car.’ This experimental station is described over the following eight and a half pages, which are followed (19 October) with a two-page account of the ‘Second Session of Adm. Comttee held at Kpeve’. The following day the committee ‘Returned from Kpeve to Accra’: ‘En route showed Faulkner the cassava in flower. He did not know that it flowered under West African conditions & said that he had never noticed it.’ FAS notes a stop at Akuse ‘to see some of the work which was being done with oil palms’, and then deletes the following two sentences: ‘Met by Williams & taken round by him. He is not much use & knew little as to what he was aiming at.’ The rest of the journal (112pp) continues in the same detail, much of it dealing with Kumasi. While there FAS’s view that ‘soil factors [...] should be investigated in connexion with the Sahbergella problem’ is ‘received by Cotterell. [agricultural entomologist G. S. Cotterell (1896-1977)] He dealt with his visit to ‘Fernando Po etc & with the point from a meteorological point of view. He recommended [?] or dusting, but on enquiries being made could give no details of actual tests nor had any idea of costs. Dusting with nicotine dust was recommended, but it would appear that actual field experiments should be [?] and tests made as to the possibility of contol by field cultivation, [?] etc.’ There is also a account of an inspection of the ‘Kumasi station’, which is ‘planned along the lines of an old economic section of a botanic station & cannot be looked upon at present as an Expt. Station’: ‘Auchinleck is very upset with Hunter [‘T. Hunter, Officer-in-Charge, and Superintendent, Kumasi Investigational Station’] who is one of the old type, not loyal to the Dept but holding a very large hold over Kumasi & other parts of the colony. He is indendent & apparently is capable of giving a lot of trouble. He laid out the residency grounds & has the full support of the CC. Ashante (Maxwell).’ Another meeting of the conference is held at Kumasi on 25 October. ‘Lewin’ [C. J. Lewin, senior botanist, Nigeria] ‘presented the results of the oil palm work at Calabar’, discussing his view that one could not ‘expect good results fm Nigerian oil palms of good quality in Sierra Leone’. There are also contributions by Martin, Auchinleck and Faulkner. On 25 October the conference travels to ‘Sekondi by train’. The following day (27 October) there is a visit to ‘Zakondi [sic] Harbour & sheds with Dawson [R. H. Dawson] - the General Manager of Railways. He also has charge of the Zakondi harbour. Was able to see one of the sheds about which there are complaints. This was the only one open. It clearly showed the works of the bags on the wooden floor boards, with unstained, [?] places in between.’ There is also a visit to a rice factory, and on 28 October to ‘the G[?] village & there met the Chief Koffi A[?] II[.] He is a keen intelligent chief who has taken up coconut planting along the coastal beach. Some of his trees were yielding well & the nuts were of good size & shape.’ On 29 October there is a visit to ‘the Butor oil palm concession’. A session of the conference is held at Sekondi. An account is given of an inspection on 1 November of ‘the Training School side of the Asuansi Station’. This is followed by a visit to the Abakrampa lime-juice factory. On 3 November ‘Motored up’ to the ‘Research Station Headquarters’ at Aburi. On 5 November the conference sails for Nigeria, landing at Lagos the following day. A week later FAS leaves ‘by car with Faulkner for Ibadan’. Points of interest along the way, including a visit to a village market, are described over two pages. In Ibadan FAS and Faulkner inspect ‘part of the Moor plantation’ (described in some detail) and a ‘water scheme for Ibadan’. This is followed by an account of a visit to Meko. There is a visit on 18 November to ‘Newton Fruit Farm’ and then to Mabang. At a meeting in Freetown on 15 November to ‘discuss agricultural matters’, ‘Mr P. Cs did not think that itinerating agricultural officers were producing the results expected. There was a keen interest now being taken in coffee & it was thought that this crop offered possibilities for development.’ On 20 November FAS travels ‘To Njala by train’. He gives a ten-page description of Njala, including the ‘Country en route’. Other places in the locality are visited, including Newton and Mobango. Six pages of ‘proposals’ follow, under heading ‘Agric. work’, ‘Rice’, ‘Hill lands’, ‘Requirements’, ‘Staff required’. On 27 November ‘Sailed fm Sierra Leone for the Gambia’, reaching Bathurst two days later. He goes ‘with H. E. and S. C. Capt here to Sakuto and North Kombo district’. On 1 December he reaches Georgetown, where he is met ‘by S. C. Major Machlin [sic, for Roderic William Macklin] & motored by him to see the Seed Farm at L[?] Kota’. The following day he is at Bassa, where, ‘After breakfast went with S. C. & Chief through village’. Two days later he is back at ‘L[?] Kota’, where, in company with the Macklins, he ‘motored through several villages & inspected plots en route to K[?]’. From another illegible location he leaves on the same day (4 December) ‘to return to Bathurst’, where he makes notes (including two simple diagrams) regarding ploughing. After discussing ‘various aspects with agricultural officers at Cape St’ FAS ‘discussed general conclusions with H[is]. E[xcellency the Governor]. & then proceeded to draft report’, giving the seven ‘principal points’, with subdivisions, over three pages. On 6 December he hands in his report to the governor, and sails home the following day. TWO (East Africa, 1931): On front cover: ‘East Africa / III / F. A. Stockdale / 1931’. 74pp. The 66pp of the journal are followed by a five-page itinerary (London, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Seychelles, Kenya, Sudan, Egypt, Cyprus) and three pages of expenses. Entries dating from between 27 January and 24 April 1931. Despite the title 30pp describe a trip to Cyprus. In good condition, lightly aged, apart from the removal of the rusted staples, leaving the pages loose. Evidently the third volume of a series from which the first two volumes are lacking. The first fifteen pages of the journal are written in a somewhat hurried hand laeaving some locations uncertain. It begins on 27 January with FAS motoring ‘with G. M. R. Kenya to Nairobi through the Kikuyu Reserve road to inspect the work which is being done on the Rutherford [Film?] machine’. A detailed description of the machine, with a diagram covers the first three pages. There is an account of a meeting the following day regarding ‘research work’, during which ‘the necessity of co-operation was agreed’. On 29 January he visits the Akamba reserve ‘with Holm, Berry Edwards’: ‘Met by P. C. who was new to the district & by the D. C. (Colville) Motored through a portion of the reserve’. The following day ‘Discussed with Harper the work of the B of A. He explained how the Board worked & paid a tribute to the work & co-operation of Blunt.’ He notes his presence at the Imperial Agricultural Research Conference, held at Amani Research Station, 2 to 6 February, but says nothing about it. Between 12 and 18 February he is ‘At Mombassa - awaiting ship for Seychelles’. Other entries among the first 15pp indicate his presence in the Sudan towards the end of March. There is a gap of a number of pages before the sixteenth page, beginning on 30 March with a six-page description, with diagrams, of a visit to Shambat Experimental Station in the Sudan. The following day FAS visits the Wellcome Tropical Research Laboratories at Khartoum, of which he gives a nine-page description. On 4 April he is in Egypt, visiting the temple of Ramases II at Abu Simbel, and he gives three diagrams of cultivation methods on the slopes. The following day he is at the Valley of the Kings, where he draws another diagram, and the next day he reaches Cairo, where he goes ‘with Balls to the Giza Cotton Research Station after calling on the Minister of Agriculture & the High Commissioner. At Giza - visited laboratories. First saw work of Balls in which he explained his system of the organization of a cotton seed supply and the result which was apparent’. The description continues for six pages. On 9 April he is at Limassol, and over the next twenty-three pages he gives an account of a tour around Cyprus, with the customary care in describing inspections including a ‘Stock Farm’ at Atholassa, the ‘Central Exp[erimen]tal Farm’ at Morphou, ‘village organization making citrate of lime’ at Lapithos. At the end of his tour of the island, on 17 April, he discusses ‘with H. E. impressions of work in Cyprus. Impressed upon him the necessity for greater attention to [recent?] work - especially in selection & breeding [...]’. The following day he is at Port Said, whence he sails for Marseilles and then London. The journal ends with a few lines of observations. THREE (West Africa, 1935-6): Inside front cover: ‘F. A. Stockdale / Colonial Office / 2 Richmond Terrace / S.W.1’. 99pp. Entries dating from between 7 October 1935 and 1 December 1936. In the same condition as Item Two. The journal begins by dealing with FAS’s meetings in England with the leading members of the chocolate industry, before describing a tour to West Africa, initially mainly dealing with the cocoa producers, but soon moving on to other topics, in particular cotton. The journal starts with fourteen pages devoted to FAS’s meetings with chocolate manufacturers in England. The journal begins, 7 October, with a three-page account of a ‘Visit to Messrs Cadbury, [the chocolate makers] Bournville [Birmingham, England]’. This begins: ‘A general discussion took place between John Cadbury, Knapp and Edwards the head of the buying department. Details regarding inspection were discussed & Messrs Cadbury explained that they were not in favour of the Gold Coast scheme, as they had always been able to secure the amount of cocoa they required under Liverpool A clause.’ This is followed by a three-page account (8 October) of an ‘Interview with F. A. Thompson. Auchinleck also present. It begins: ‘The Farmers Association scheme of the Gold Coast, to which Thompson had acted as agent, had not been a success.’ Next comes, 11 October, a ‘Meeting at London Chamber of Commerce with the joint West Africa Comttee. Present. Col. Beddington in the Chair, Mr Ryan representing Cadbury’s, Mr Holloway representing Frys & Mr McFall & Mr Carver representing the U.A.C. [United Africa Company of Nigeria] The main discussion turned on the respective schemes - particularly the one in the Gold Coast.’ The account of the discussions covers six pages. There follows, 18 October, an ‘Interview with M[acora?] & Campbell on theh work being undertaken on the subject of the imporatation of materials used in the manufacture of chocolates’, described over a page. On 30 October he ‘Sailed from Liverpool for West Africa’ (Madeira to Bathurst to Sierra Leone). On 12 October he arrives at Takoradi in Ghana, where the African arragements of the major English players in the cocoa bean market (Cadbury, Fry, U.A.C.) are described over five and a half pages. The following day FAS is at Accra, and the day after that at Lagos, where he describes a meeting with ‘Mr Wilson, the General Manager of the U.A.C.’ On 16 November he is in Kaduna, and the following day he visits a ‘Stock farm at Shika’. The emphasis over the following pages switches to cotton. On 18 November he visits ‘Maigana Farm Centre. In charge of this was a West Indian - Mr Vigo - a native of T’dad. He is very good & may shortly be promoted to a special grade.’ The production of cotton here is described over two pages, with a couple of simple diagrams. Descriptions follow of a visit to a ‘cotton station at D[odawa?]’ and ‘Samoru Farm school’. On 24 November he is ‘Met at Ilorin station by Faulkner and Pedder. Motored to Ilorin Exp[erimen]tal Farm and in evening visited the live stock section. An introduction had recently been made by Pedder of Gold Coast “Shorthorn” cattle. He started off with 34 & trekked them across through Dahomey.’ The description continues for eight pages, followed by another eight-page description, this one of a ‘Produce Inspection at the Ibadan Co-Op Union & inspection of the books and records.’ The entry for 27 November begins: ‘Doyne [the agricultural chemist H. C. Doyne] - chemical problems. He explained in detail the work being done & had on exhibit the decomosition of the igneous (gneiss) rocks common throughout Nigeria’. The meeting with Doyne is described over five pages. On 29 November FAS leaves Ibadan for Lagos, stopping at Agaga ‘to see Gibberds work’, which he describes over nearly four pages. Gibberd is described as ‘obviously very keen. He has improved beyond recognition. Sheffieldnot quite up to the high standard of the Dept. generally’. After a visit to Yabo he arrives at Government House, Lagos, where on 30 November he has a ‘Discussion with H. E. & Faulkner’ regarding his conclusions following the tour, described over a page under headings ‘Progress of mixed farming in North’ (with four subheadings), ‘The problem of the middle belt’, ‘The oil palm position’, ‘Citrus [cultivation?]’, ‘Pineapples purely exptal & no encouragement to be given at present’. A further one-page outline of a discussion with ‘Mayou’ follows, under headings ‘Palm oil lease of U.A.C.’, ‘Co-operation’, Rice’ and ‘V[?]’. The journal ends with a description of another discussion with the Governor before FAS’s departure from Accra on 1 December. FOUR (East Africa, 1936-7): On front cover: ‘F. A. Stockdale / West Africa / 1935-6.’ 98pp. Entries dating from between 30 December 1936 and 28 March 1937. In the same condition as the last two items, but with minor ruckling and traces of damp to the earlier part. Detailing a tour of inspection in Kenya, Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The journal begins with FAS travelling from London Victoria to Mombasa via Marseilles, Genoa, Port Said, Suez, Port Sudan, Aden. He arrives at Mombasa on 18 January, ‘one day late’: ‘Met on board by Freeston [‘L. B. Freeston, O.B.E., Secretary to the Conference of East African Governors, Nairobi’] who discussed plans for the meeting of the [Vet.?] Standing Committee at Mpapura on Jan 28th. & for a meeting of the Coffee Industry Association in Nairobi on Feb 25th.’ During the three pages covering this meeting FAS notes that ‘Sylvester the Grading Officer at Mombasa also come off & he said that the maize exports would amount to 750,000 bags.’ He also states that ‘Freeston said that Whitehall hoped to persuade de la Warr to come to Nairobi for the 3 days Feb 13th. to 15th., but nothing definite had yet been fixed. Later meetings with ‘Waters & Watson’ are also described. He travels to Kibirani, where, among other activities, he inspects the Central Experimental Station, On 20 January he is in Tanga, and the next day sets off for Zanzibar, where ‘The British Resident sent off a motor launch to land the Clarkes & myself at 2 o’clock - we landed at MKokotoni and I was met by Findlay & Muir. We proceeded by car via [M Kwonjani, Chami?] - over the new junction road to Dunga & then via Koani to Zanzibar - reaching the Residency at 7 pm’. He discusses kilns for drying, with two diagrams, pigeon pea, ‘Sudden death of cloves’. Over just under two pages describes the Mpapura conference of 28 January. On 2 February he arrives in Bukoba, and three days later at Bukalasa, where he visits ‘the whole station, school & model buildings’, described over two pages. Over the course of the next few days various venues are visited on the way to Kampala and Entebbe. On 18 February ‘Proceeded from Eldoret to Ravine where we were met by theh D. C. Hodge. Spent the whole day in the Kamasia Reserve seeing the work of the reconditioning officer Landrige. [in fact W. H. Langridge] He has done good work’. On 19 February, at a meeting with the Kenya Farmers Association, the discussion turns to six topics including ‘soil erosion’ and a ‘subsidy scheme’. He discusses six points following a meeting with the ‘Kenya Co-operative Creamery Ltd’. He describes a trip with ‘Waters’ from Thomson Falls to Nairobi, where he has a meeting at the Department of Agriculture. There are also meetings with ‘R. S. Campbell of R. S. Campbell & Co Ltd’ and the ‘Interterritorial Coffee Committee’, where the topics include ‘Publication of figures’, ‘Publicity’, ‘East African Coffee Exchange’ and ‘Marketing generally’. There is a detailed discussion with Waters on topics including salaries, experimental stations, ‘work of Dept. of Agriculture’, ‘Parker’s Navigation Scheme’ and land erosion. He describes a ‘Meeting with Representatives of the Soil Industry - Col. Maxwell in the chair’, described over two pages. Early in the morning of 2 March he goes to Kobé ‘to see site for new cotton station’; this is followed by a ‘Meeting with Coffee Bond’. On 4 March he leaves Tanga ‘with Eyre’ for Amani, where he visits ‘Laboratories’. Two pages are devoted to a ‘Meeting of representatives of the Sisal Growers Association at Tanga. Major Sir Wm. Lead in the Chair.’ On 12 March he visits the ‘Amboni Estate with Eyre & Story’. Four days later he arrives by ship at Mombasa, where he ‘Inspected with Sylvester the Cold Store, Maize Conditioning Plant, Coffee Curing Works’, described over a page and a half, before sailing from Mombasa for ‘U. R.’, Aden, Port Sudan, Suez and Port Said.