"THE LAND OF ZINJ " 



Brava and Malindi also sprang into existence through 

 the enterprise of Abdul Malik ; he placed one of his 

 own followers as governor in each place, and declared 

 himself Sultan. The reader who is interested in the 

 early history of the East African coast and in the 

 career of Abdul Malik and his successors, cannot do 

 better than refer to Captain Stigand's book entitled 

 The Land of Zinj. In it he will find much valuable 

 information derived from Swahili sources, translated 

 by the author. Time, however, has hardly changed 

 the daily life at Kismayu. The beginning of the north- 

 east monsoon still brings traders from the north, 

 dhows from the Persian Gulf and from southern 

 Arabia laden with cloths and ornaments from India, 

 with coarse, woven silk goods from Persia, and dates 

 and dried sharks' flesh from the Persian Gulf. After 

 six months, when the south-west monsoon begins to 

 blow, these same traders return northwards, having 

 sold or exchanged their goods, carrying with them 

 in their heavily-loaded ships grain, hides, ivory and 

 ambergris. The latter commands a ready market 

 almost anywhere, and is very valuable, for it is a 

 necessary ingredient in the manufacture of perfumes. 

 The ivory too finds its way, not only to the West, 

 but also to the East, to India and China, where it is 

 worked into a variety of beautiful ornaments. Only 

 one line of steamers links Kismayu with the outside 

 world. The Italian mail-steamer call once a month, 

 but at irregular intervals the little Wiesman, or the 

 Kilwa, tiny obsolete steamers belonging to rival 

 Indian firms, laboriously cover the 364 miles that lie 

 between it and Mombasa in from three to five days, 

 calling on the way at Malindi and Lamu. 



In Kismayu the stone buildings are constructed 



42 



