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CHAPTER 23
MOMBASA
There was a demand for skillful workers all the time. New smaller settlements were opening. Conditions in Halar were getting worse. The famine had created havoc (Chapanio Dukad). More people were fleeing the homeland. Many went to Mumbai, Karachi, and Ahmedabad to find work, because they were closer and it was less expensive to travel. But this did not completely alleviate the problems.
More and more people therefore started going across the ocean. Meanwhile the First World War had started (1914 A.D.). The businesses in East Africa were booming. There was an increased need of help in the businesses. Because of all these factors the population of Halari Oshwals was increasing day by day in East Africa. People started sponsoring their friends and relatives to come and join their businesses.
In those days even going to Mumbai was not easy. Imagine going to Africa, a strange land across the ocean. How difficult it must have been.
Sea Voyage: The early settlers traveled by Arab dhows. The journey was very arduous and took months to reach the destination. Later on most traveled by steamships. The journey was not a pleasure cruise either. Most people took their own cooking utensils; spices, grains and fresh food items as food on the steamer were too expensive for them. People would form small groups to cook. Some would bring cooked food, mostly dry, and share it with others. The sea was generally rough. Seasickness was very common. Fresh water was scant and was only used for drinking and cooking. For washing, bathing and
