edge of a large shallow pool where the M’Kanumbi people
obtain their water supply. This they carry across at low tide
on donkeys’ backs in empty kerosene oil tins, which are as-
much prized by them as valuable bits of old china are by us.
It being nearly dark when I arrived, I was not able to
notice my surroundings till the following day (March 6), when
I found that I was camped in a large open plain surrounded
by mango and coco-nut trees, the pool being nearly in the
centre. In the wet-season this is drained by a small stream.
I spent the day examining the neighbouring country, which
I found to be flat and fairly well cultivated, although there
was a good deal of land abandoned or allowed to lie fallow.
Apart from the ordinary ground cultivation I noted many
scattered coco-nuts, but there was one luxuriant plantation—
the first I had seen since leaving Kipini; soil fertile, friable
o-rey loam. Several small villages, Moinkanda, Milimani,
Makomani, Kavo Kavo, all fairly close together, are scattered
around. Cultivation is said to cease at Mapeya, a village
lying about six miles to the S.W. From a place called ICitu-
gani on the M’Kanumbi creek, the sand-hills of Lamu can be
seen quite distinctly.
Next morning at 6 a.m. I started on my long march
towards Lamu, again crossing M’Kanumbi creek, the path
beyond winding about to all the points of the compass, but at
last going steadily in a N.N.E. direction.
I reached the small village of Wandamunio at 7.50 a.m.,
having waded across three salt-water creeks on the way; the
intervening plains were of a sandy nature.
Wandamunio has but little cultivation surrounding it.
There are some bananas, etc., and it boasts of a single coco-nut
tree. It is situated on the edge of another creek fringed with
thick mangroves, which runs from east to west, and has to be
crossed by a very slippery native bridge, as the water is deep,
and there is plenty of thick grey mud. It took us over half-
an-hour to cross this creek and a mangrove swamp beyond,
for the bridge was completely under the water, which reached
over one’s knees, and several of my porters fell headlong into
the creek and had to be fished out with their loads; luckily
my bedding and clothes escaped !
At 8.45 a.m. I passed Idio, a small village bearing S.E. on
my right hand, and situated lower down on the creek that I
had just crossed. A little south of Idio lies the village of
Muicarabu, where formerly they used to make salt.
After leaving Idio I came upon the telegraph-line, which
I followed in a N.E. by E. direction over a flat sandy plain,
crossing occasional back-waters— the whole country very flat
and low. I passed numerous swamps now dry, which doubtless
flood a great portion of the country in the rains. There
were a few scattered mango and baobab trees, and the soil
was very sandy. Shortly before reaching Unga, a large and
prosperous-looking village (one hour and twenty-five minutes’
march from Idio), the country improved in appearance, the
land becoming higher wjth thicker vegetation.
I reached Unga at 10.10 a.m., and waited till 10.30 to allow
the stragglers to Come up. Unga is well situated on a creek
opposite Lamu Island, and is surrounded by luxuriant mango
trees, amongst which I was pleased to notice numerous coconuts.
The cultivated area was here much larger, and I was
particularly struck with the fact that there does not appear to
be any break’ in the cultivation between the N.E. and S.W.
-monsoon rains, as in the Melindi districts. In many fields
which I passed, the sim-sim, beans, etc., planted in the N.E.
rains, were only now being harvested, and yet other lands were
hoed and some actually sown. Does not this point to a
„heavier rain-fall, or at least a much earlier one than in the
country further to the south ?
Beyond this the path skirted the sea-shore, with its shallow
sandy back-waters and thick mangroves; on my left the open
grass plain continued with here and there patches of cultivation
and scattered mango trees. Kilimani, a mere cluster of
ten or twelve houses amongst mango trees, and situated on
another creek, was reached at 11 a.m., and here I halted till
2.20 p.m. The water supply was good, both from a well and
from a swamp to the north of the village.
As will be seen from the following diagram, Kilimani lies
on the inner edge of a large shallow back-water running up
from the southward, as the creeks generally do on this coast.
On the same side, and about a mile lower down, is Makowe, to