70 (No. 96 ECONOMIC CONDITIONS east monsoon , and at 2 to 4 knots in the south -west .

The north -east monsoon commences about the middle of December, and ends at the end of February. The south -west monsoon lasts from May to October. Between these periods light variable winds occur, with occasional showers and sharp squalls.

Spring tides along the coast rise between 10 and 13 ft. , while neaps rise 6 to 9 ft . On either side of Mombasa Island,where the rise of spring tides is 12 ft. and of neap tides 8 ft . , the tidal streams, running sometimes 4 knots, render mooring advisable, and at spring tides necessitate careful navigation at the point where they meet off Ras Serani.

Tonnage.-- As the Uganda Railway, the main artery of East Africa trade , starts from Mombasa Island , practically the whole volume of imports and exports passes through the two harbours of Mombasa and Kilin dini . The tonnage handled at Kilindini since the pier was opened was 95,183 in 1912-13, followed in succes sive years by 100,586, 80,850, 124,434, and 210,278 . These figuresshow the disturbing influence of thewar and of the military occupation of railway and harbour between November 1915 and November 1917 . The tonnageof shipping enteringthe two ports amounted before the war to about a million and a quarter per In 1913-14 there were 287 entries of steam ships , of a gross tonnage of 1,311,906 , which landed cargoes of 150,433 tons and shipped 67,628 tons. The vessels of the Deutsche Ost -Afrika Linie , which called at Kilindini , recorded 112 visits and a gross tonnage of 607,263 tons, and landed and cleared respectively 49,868 and 29,325 tons. The German line thus owned 45 per cent. of the visiting ships and carried 35 per cent. of the foreign trade of British East Africa, to which German East Africa contributed 30 per cent . of the value of produce exported.

Harbour Development .—The foreign trade has ex panded so rapidly in recent years that not only railway but harbour facilities, which were sufficient ten years ago, are inadequate for present requirements ... The pressing need of better conveniences is fully realized by annum .