MOMBASA. 71 



enjoyed the soft tropical night. The air was 

 tepid, heavy with unknown perfume, black as a 

 band of velvet across the eyes, musical with the 

 subdued undertones of a thousand thousand night 

 insects. At points overhead the soft blind dark- 

 ness melted imperceptibly into stars. 



After a long interval we distinguished a dis- 

 tant faint rattling, that each moment increased 

 in loudness. Shortly came into view along the 

 narrow tracks a most extraordinary vehicle. 

 It was a small square platform on wheels, across 

 which ran a bench seat, and over which spread 

 a canopy. It carried also a dim lantern. This 

 rumbled up to us and stopped. From its stern 

 hopped two black boys. Obeying a smiling 

 invitation, we took our places on the bench. 

 The two boys immediately set to pushing us along 

 the narrow track. 



We were off at an astonishing speed through 

 the darkness. The night was deliciously tepid ; 

 and, as I have said, absolutely dark. We made 

 out the tops of palms and the dim loom of great 

 spreading trees, and could smell sweet, soft 

 odours. The bare-headed, lightly-clad boys pat- 

 tered alongside whenever the grade was easy, one 

 hand resting against the rail ; or pushed mightily 

 up little hills ; or clung alongside like monkeys 



