MEN OF TPiE TREES 



before the Christian era, though Uttle was known of the 

 interior until well into the Nineteenth Century. Vasco 

 da Gama visited Mozambique, Mombasa and Milindini 

 in 1498, being the first European to sail in those waters, 

 after which a long period of strife ensued between 

 Portuguese and Arabs. 



The British first appeared on the scene in 1798 fol- 

 lowed by Americans, who arranged a friendly commer- 

 cial treaty with the ruler of Zanzibar in 1833. 



The hoisting of the British Flag at Mombasa, just over 

 a century ago, affords an attractive story by reason of 

 the fact that it was first flown by the inhabitants with- 

 out permission from the British Government, surely a 

 very rare circumstance in the history of any nation. 



In 1833 there was published a narrative of voyages to 

 explore the shores of Africa, Arabia and Madagascar, 

 performed in His Majesty's ships "Levan" and "Barra- 

 couta" under the direction of Captain Alexander T. E. 

 Vidal, and W. Fitzwilliam Owen. In this interesting 

 publication were extracts of the diary of Lieutenant 

 Boteler of the "Barracouta." With the kind assistance of 

 the Admiralty Librarian in London and the Master of 

 the Rolls, I have been able to look up the story as told 

 in this old diary. As I saw the musty looking bundle be- 

 ing unwound, I was conscious of a sudden thrill of emo- 

 tion. Carefully the knots were untied and the outer 

 wrappings removed, and then in the centre of the bun- 

 dle was disclosed the actual log of the Master of the 

 "Barracouta." It was with keen interest that I turned 



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