Travels in the Coastlands of British East Africa and the Islands of Zanzibar and Pemba; Their Agricultural Resources and General Characteristics

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 edition. Excerpt: ... in large masses on the shore. On coming to a low point or cape running out into the sea, with about five islets extending beyond it, the guides, who were ahead, stopped the porters; on asking the reason why, I was informed.that we should have to wait until the dhow which had sailed from Kionga at daylight arrived here. As the vessel would have to wait for high tide to pass between the headland and the nearest island, and even then there would be barely enough water to float her, the loads would have to be taken out and carried across by land. Mohamed bin Saif might have warned me of this, but he let me go off without a word. I sent Bwana Siri's brother back at once to Shakan with some money to get fifteen or twenty people from the Waze there, and with orders to stop with the askari on board to see the dhow re-loaded, and then to come on with her afterwards. I resumed my march, crossing the low headland which is situated some ten miles on this side of Kionga, and called locally Ras Kiambone--the " Dick's Head " of the Admiralty charts--and found myself on the border of an extensive grass plain bounded in the distance with thick bush; the soil grey loam, with large coral rocks scattered here and there, often 10 feet high. I halted at a water-hole about half-way across, where we met a party of five elephant-hunters returning from an unsuccessful expedition; they said the country was too flooded to do anything--pleasant news for me! This water-hole, or spring, as it should be more correctly described, is said never to fail, and is the place from whence the Shakan people obtain their dry season's water supply. It is a noted halting-place for elephant-hunters and others travelling along this coast. Leaving the headland, and proceeding for...