A MARCH ALONG THE COAST 



Swahili or pure Arabs, strolled slowly along, appar- 

 ently with limitless leisure, but evidently bound 

 somewhere, nevertheless. They replied to our 

 greetings with great dignity. Once, also, we over- 

 took a small detachment of Soudanese 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 troopers; 

 and so on for miles. They all drew aside for us most 

 respectfully; and the soldiers saluted, very smart 

 and military. 



Under the broad-spreading mangoes near the 

 villages we came upon many open markets in full 

 swing. Each vendor squatted on his heels behind 

 his wares, while the purchasers or traders wandered 

 here and there making offers. The actual commerce 

 compared with the amount of laughing, joking, 

 shrieking joy of the occasion as one to a thousand. 



Generally three or four degenerate looking dirty 

 East Indians slunk about, very crafty, very insinuat- 

 ing, very ready and skillful to take what advantages 

 they could. I felt a strong desire to kick every one 



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