and stones'over it. Ramazan and Mohamed both assured
me that if a man wished to get rid of any woman’s' husband,
witchcraft (poisoning ?) . was often resorted to. I asked
Mohamed what he thought of Mabruke’s request, and he
said that it ought to be complied with, for Suliman’s people
were bad. So, in the hope that it might have a good effect, I
decided to speak to all the nakoas next day. When they
were assembled, a. good many of the others being also present,
I told them why I had called them before me, and asked
Mabruke to mention whom he accused. At first he refused,
but. after a while he named two nakoas, but could bring no
proof against them. I then spoke to the people, telling them
that witchcraft was all nonsense, and said that if any man
should be found dealing in the black art he should be severely
punished. The overseer addressed them to the same effect,
and they were then dismissed. This no doubt warded off
some deaths while I was there !
The average shade temperature during January and February
was as follows—-6 a.m., from 69° to 74°; 2 p.m., from 84°
(one day as low as 80°) to 950; 6 p.m., from 78° to 82°. ,
I had now, after a month at the shambas, to start for
Mombasa for the purpose of- proceeding to Zanzibar and
Pemba, the object of my visit to these islands being to
investigate their agricultural capabilities.
Before leaving the mainland, however, I had to visit a
property near M’Tanganiko, which the Company had purchased
from some Germans, and my journey from Melindi to that
place by way of M’Shaka, Roka, and M’Tondoa, led me through
a portion of the country which I had not seen before.
Leaving Melindi, I followed the telegraph-line over a gently
undulating country, through the now familiar landscape of
open country-and scattered baobab trees. These trees were
now without a leaf, for it was the hottest time .of the year, and
the whole country was parched and dried up. The cultivated
area around Melindi extends on this side for about six miles,
the furthest shamba being called Matagi. Here I passed
through a thick grove of Hyphaene palms.
Beyond Matagi I entered forest, and the country beyond up
to M’Shaka alternated between forest and bush, and dry,