A MARCH ALONG THE COAST. 113 



Hills ; and far away to the right somewhere we 

 heard the grumbling of the sea. 



Every hundred yards or so we met somebody. 

 Even thus early the road was thronged. By far 

 the majority were the almost naked natives of the 

 district, pleasant, brown-skinned people with good 

 features. They carried things. These things 

 varied from great loads balanced atop to dainty 

 impromptu baskets woven of cocoa-leaves and 

 containing each a single cocoanut. They smiled 

 on us, returned our greeting, and stood com- 

 pletely aside to let us pass. Other wayfarers 

 were of more importance. Small groups of 

 bearded dignitaries, either upper-class Swahili or 

 pure Arabs, strolled slowly along, apparently with 

 limitless leisure, but evidently bound somewhere, 

 nevertheless. They replied to our greetings with 

 great dignity. Once, also, we overtook a small 

 detachment of Sudanese troops moving. They 

 were scattered over several miles of road. A 

 soldier, most impressive and neat in khaki and 

 red tarboosh and sash ; then two or three of his 

 laughing, sleek women, clad in the thin, patterned 

 " 'Mericani," glittering with gold ornaments ; 

 then a half dozen ragged porters carrying official 

 but battered painted wooden kit boxes, or bags, 

 or miscellaneous curious plunder ; then more 



