The Masika, or great vernal rainy season which follows
up the sun as it passes to the north, broke over
the island of Zanzibar this year early in April, and
was expected to last for its normal period of forty
days. For this to subside we had now to wait here
as patiently as we could, occupying the spare time so
forced on us in purchasing an outfit and in preparing
for the journey. It was highly interesting to see here
at this season of the year, as we well could do, so near
the equator, the regular systematic procession of the
wind and rain following up the sun in its northward
passage. The atmosphere, at this time and place, was
heated and rarefied by the vertical rays of the sun;
that produced a vacuum, which the cold airs of the
south taking advantage of, rush up to fill, and with
their coldness condense the heated vapours drawn up
daily from the ocean and precipitate them back again
on the earth below. This occurring and continually
repeating day by day, for a certain time, nearly in
the same place, fills the air with electric excitement,
which causes thunder and lightning to accompany
nearly every storm. The atmospheric air’s being
so surcharged with electricity was palpably felt by
the nervous system; at any rate, judging from
myself, I can only say I experienced a nervous
sensibility I never knew before, of being startled
at any sudden accident. A pen dropping from the
‘table even would make me jump. Whilst stopping
here, the Colonel’s house was one continuous scene oi
pleasure and festivities. The British Consulate was
the common rendezvous of all men: Arab, Hindi,
German, French, or American, were all alike received
without distinction or any forced restraint. Indeed,
the old Consul literally studied the mode of making
people happy; and Zanzibar, instead of being an
outlandish place, such as to make one wonder how
men could exile themselves by coming here, was really
a place of great enjoyment. The merchants, on the
other hand, were not less hospitably inclined, and
constantly entertained and gave very handsome dinners.
Besides our Consulate, there is a French and an
American one, and the European merchants were composed
of French, Germans, and Americans,—the dark-
coloured ones being principally confined to Arabs,
Hindis, and the Wasuahili, or coast people. Taking
advantage of the time, especially the evenings, I spent
most of them in rating the chronometers and getting
all the surveying instruments into working order;
whilst Captain Burton, besides book-making, busied
himself in making all the other arrangements for the
journey, such as purchasing Venetian beads, brass wire,
and American sheetings, &c., which come here in shiploads
round the Cape of Good Hope, or in buying
donkeys for our riding and their transport. Then in
the cool of the mornings we took social walks or rides
through the clove plantations, or amongst the palms,
mango-trees, and orange gardens, treating pin e-apples,
which grew like common weeds on the roadsides, as
if they were nothing better than ordinary turnips,