convey his orders and instructions. These two at five rupees
monthly.
5. Lastly, S a if bin Salim, the old head-man whom I retained
for the present.
The morning after Bell-Smith’s departure I received a
letter from him, his messengers also bringing me ten English
rifles with pouches and belts and two hundred rounds of ammunition.
He also sent me a boy called Uledi, a former
slave of Suliman’s, who knew the shambas well, and I engaged
him for my personal service.
The same morning Ali bin Jumah arrived, arid I had a long
conversation with him, assigning him a residence in Suliman’s
house. I instructed him first to go round all the shambas
one by one, estimating the crop of each product they contained
; to measure the length and breadth of each, so as to
have an accurate record of their area; to repprt on the
• number of watchmen required, with a view to appointing
them forthwith, giving each man a gun, and holding him
strictly responsible for his special guard.
That afternoon I had some practice in simple surgery, which
every European in such circumstances is expected to know.
A native was bitten by a snake in the foot; he said it was a
black snake, but it could not have been a very poisonous one,
for though the man had been bitten some hours before he came
to me, the foot was not swollen. I lanced the wound and
• applied a poultice of hot metamah to it. I also dressed the
hand of Saif bin Salim, which had been cut some days before.
The next day (Friday) was the Mohamedan Sunday,
which I spent in writing reports. Ali bin Jumah, having
nothing else to do, made himself a great nuisance by coming
to my tent all day. I sent him off on Saturday morning to
collect the people, and I followed with a view of having my
labour force numbered and re-organized.
I found the total muster-roll of the estate amounted, to 264,
men, women, and children, but of these sixty were away as
porters and fifteen others missing, so that the number available
was only 189. I directed Ali bin Jumah (whom I shall call
Ali henceforward) to inquire after the absentees, while ten
o f the trustiest men were appointed watchmen, one to each
n
s h am b a , and armed with an Enfield rifle and six rounds of
ammunition ; I offered a reward of five rupees for the first
thief caught red-handed. I then paid a second visit to the
Wanika village to see M’Doro the head-man, and to remind him
of his promise to send his people to work.
Old M’Doro came to return my call in the afternoon, and
asked for a present for himself for supplying labour. I told
him he would get it all right if the labour was plentiful. I
then went down with Ali to the lower shambas to re-organize
and set matters straight there.
I took up my quarters, in Shamba M’Pandiani, where I
found the water supply very good on the whole; it was obtained
from water-holes in a sugar-cane patch, which were
always full, the Magarini people, when their own supply gave
out, sending down here for it, as did also the people in the
neighbourhood. Having settled things down here, I returned
to Magarini, pausing on my way to watch some natives
clearing land for sim-sim; a small hoe (costing four annas)
was the only implement they used.
A day or two afterwards the sick-list that came up for
treatment comprised only one case of dysentery, one of cough,
and one of ulcer; and to save some of my time I resolved to
instruct Ali bin Jumah in the art of doctoring his work-people
in future.
I again sent word to the Wanika village for people to come
to work, but as the head-man was absent none came. However,
M’Doro came next day and apologized, promising to
bring twenty Wanika on the morrow; but he disappointed
me again, and it was not until a week later that I got any.
The Liwali of Mombrui,. from whom I had a visit at this time,
proposed to tell the Wanika that unless they worked for me
they would have to clear off the property and settle elsewhere,
but I thought it better to try a little patience first.
The first thief was caught, and brought before me on
August 6 ; he was a boy, detected in the act of stealing a
sugar-cane. The offence was a very venial one, but to keep
my promise, I paid the watchman the promised reward of
five rupees, and gave the boy a good talking to.
Having to see the Liwali of Melindi concerning various