FROM ADEN TO MOMBASA. 3^ 



Camoens, coming later on his way to India, wrote of the ''noble 

 edifices fairly planned on the seaboard," of the town of Movita, as 

 Mombasa was then called. The letter "m" or "n" prefixed to 

 names gives a peculiar African flavor to them. 



Mombasa was undoubtedly Mbasa, as Entebbe was Nteve. 

 Mfumbiro, M'tesa, Mwanga are all of such distinctively African 

 resonance that the mere written words recall vividly the rich, soft, 

 thick utterances of the natives. 



But we have lingered too long at the entrance to the harbors 

 of Mombasa. There are two harbors. One is for ships of lighter 

 tonnage on the town's sea front to the northeast ; the other, at Kilin- 

 dini, on the island's southwest side — for Mombasa is on an island — 

 easily accommodates ships of any draught. To get there we turn to 

 the left, then to the right, and glide by a well-buoyed channel to this 

 inner harbor, past the governor's residence and the other bungalows 

 of the settlement that peep out from the dense tropical foliage. The 

 landing is by little boats across a glassy, hot stretch of waters. 



CUSTOM FORMALITIES DISPENSED WITH. 



Col. Roosevelt was not asked to go through the usual formalities 

 of the custom house, but was conducted on landing by trolley and 

 carried quickly from the docks over the two intervening miles to 

 Mombasa. The trolleys are little affairs of two seats back to back 

 with a sheltering hood, and are run on the narrowest gauge rails 

 by fleetfooted natives, who push clamorously and odoriferously from 

 behind — for even the wind of our going cannot disperse the African 

 fragrance of their sweating, shining bodies. 



The road of blazing white coral sand is broad and level, passing 

 through groves of bananas, palms and mangoes, beneath whose 

 branches cluster the grass huts of the natives. Dusky throngs, clad 

 in flowing white or scantily draped in rich colors, pass constantly 

 up and down this highway where sunshine and shadow alternate in 

 fierce contrast. 



The brilliantly blue sky, the vivid green of the foliage, the dazz- 

 ling white road, the many reds, yellows and purples of the passing 

 crowds, knock on the eyeballs with the same effect that rifle shots 



H. B. G.— 3 



