6 EASTERN ETHIOPIA i 



officials, traders, and agents. During the construction of 

 the Uganda Railway, it was necessary to import twenty 

 thousand men from India, chiefly Punjabis. On the 

 completion of the railway the Indians settled in the 

 country and became store-keepers, clerks, cooks, engine 

 drivers, stokers, carpenters, artisans, station-masters, 

 telegraphists, and moneylenders. In consequence 

 Indians abound throughout the inhabited parts of the 

 British East Africa Protectorate. They are shrewd, 

 enterprising, and thrifty. This wholesale introduction of 

 Indians explains the nature of the currency, for rupees, 

 annas, with cents to replace pice, constitute the mechan- 

 ism of exchange. 



The black (native) population consists of Swahilis and 

 Arabs. The native quarter is situated on the part of 

 the town facing the harbour. The houses are built of 

 wattle and dab and thatched with dry grass. This part 

 of the town is traversed by narrow streets such as pre- 

 vail in the native quarters of towns in Eastern countries. 

 Many of the houses, especially those occupied by the 

 Indians, are well constructed and bear unmistakable 

 evidence of an Arab origin ; there are several interesting 

 old doors and doorways. The native town has a 

 commodious fish market and an interesting vegetable 

 market. Each is worth an occasional visit, for curious 

 fishes and fruits may often be seen there. 



Many towns and islands which present an artistic and 

 alluring prospect from the sea are woefully disappoint- 

 ing on landing. This is not the case with Mombasa. 

 We landed on the second day of the New Year and 

 found Vasco da Gama Street adorned with the flamboy- 

 ant gold mohur in full flower. The brilliant purple 

 bougainvillea grew around and covered the walls of 

 houses, hid the clumsy wooden pillars of the verandahs, 

 entwined itself along rudely arranged trellis-work, 

 adorned the gardens of the Law Court, and decorated 

 the weird and massive trunks of the mighty leafless 

 baobabs. Few men have their names so exquisitely 



