at the same time he kept throwing forward his right
hand, and, making repeated snaps of his fingers, endeavoured
to indicate something immeasurable; and
added, that nobody knew, but he thought it probably
extended to the end of the world. To the east of the
Observatory, a six hours’ journey, probably fourteen or
fifteen miles, the village of Sukuma is situated, and
there canoes are obtainable for crossing to Ukfirewd,
which island being six hours’ paddling, and lying due
north of it, must give the firth a breadth of about
fifteen miles.
Whilst walking back to camp, I shot two red geese
and a florikan, like those I once shot in the Somali
country. This must have been a dainty rfiah for my
half-starved Arab companion, who had lost all his property
on first arriving here, and was now living on
Mahaya’s generosity. I t appears that nine months
ago he was enabled, by the assistance of Mahaya, to
hire some boats and men at Sukuma, and had sent his
property, consisting of fifteen loads of cloth and 250
jembis or hoes, by them to Ukerewd, to exchange for
ivory. But by the advice of Mahaya, and fearing to
trust himself as a stranger amongst the islanders, he
did not accompany his merchandise. Sultan Ma-
chunda, a man of the highest character by Unyan-
yembd report, on seeing such a prize enter his port,
gave orders for its seizure, and will now give no
redress to the unfortunate Mansur. All Mahaya’s
exertions to recover it have proved abortive: and
Mansur has therefore been desirous of taking his
revenge by making an attack in person on Ukbrdwe,
but the “generous” Mahaya said, “ No; your life is yet
safe, do not risk i t ; but let my men do what they can,
and in the meanwhile, as I have been a party to your
losses, I will feed you and your people; and if I do
not succeed in the end, you shall be my guest until
I can amass sufficient property to reimburse your
losses.”
Mansur has all this time been living, like the slaves
of the country, on jowari porridge, which is made by
grinding the seed into flour and boiling it in water
until it forms a good thick paste, when master and
man sit round the earthen pot it is boiled in, pick out
lumps, and suck it off their fingers. I t was a delicious
sight yesterday, on coming through Muanza, to see
the great deference paid to the sick Beluch, Shadad,
mistaken for the great Arab merchant (Mundewa),
my humble self, in consequence of his riding my donkey,
and to perceive the stoical manner in which he
treated their attentions; but, more fortunate than I
usually have been, he escaped the rude peeping and
peering of the crowd, for he did not, like his employer,
wear “double eyes” (spectacles).
During the last five or six marches, the word Mar-
abu (Arab),-instead of Mzungu (European), has usually
been applied to m e ; and no one, I am sure, would
have discovered the difference, were it not that the
tiresome pagazis, to increase their own dignity and
importance, generally gave the clue by singing the
song of “ the White Man.” The Arabs at Unyan