MIXED HUMANITY 



two fellow-travellers came aboard, both officials 

 bound for Jubaland, and as soon as they arrived 

 anchor was weighed. The sun had set in a very- 

 riot of colour, and Mombasa was hidden in the soft, 

 velvety darkness of a tropical night ; but hundreds 

 of little lights shone brightly along the shore, and 

 were reflected in the water, as we steamed fussily out 

 towards the open sea. The Wiesman emerged at 

 length from the channel and began pitching as she 

 met the ocean swell, leaving in her wake a line of 

 phosphorescent fire ; the lights grew dim behind us 

 and faded from our sight, and I felt at last that my 

 journey had begun. 



At the skipper's suggestion we had our blankets 

 brought up on to the bridge, glad to escape the horrors 

 of the tiny cabins. Every available part of the deck 

 below was occupied by the native passengers ; 

 covered up to the eyes, they lay outstretched in 

 every corner, rendering it impossible to move about ; 

 among them were Somali returning to their country, 

 " askaris " travelling to Sarrenleh, Bajun and Swahili 

 on their way to Kismayu or Lamu, Kikuyu recruits 

 going to the rubber plantations on the lower Tana, 

 now all huddled together irrespective of creed or caste, 

 overcome by fatigue and sleep. Over all hung the 

 odour of the cargo of hides, and of the huddled mass 

 of humanity, defiling the pure air of the open sea ; 

 and now, as the pitching of the ship increased, loud 

 sounds of distress came from the wretched natives 

 below as they writhed in the throes of sea-sickness, 

 drowning the throbbing of the crazy engines and 

 making night hideous with their cries. 



At the wheel, on the navigating bridge above, 

 stood a Lascar, a picturesque ruffian in blue overalls 



29 



