26 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



February, Our Koja landlord, Abdullah Dina, was so jealous of tlie fe- 

 ^^"^^^ male portion of liis domestic circle, that he padlocked the door 

 leading to the stairs outside the house, and put up a most in- 

 convenient ladder instead. His object was to keep us from 

 passing through the small portion of the yard into which our 

 stairs led, although it was already divided from the other part 

 by a railing filled up with reeds, and quite sufficient to prevent 

 our infidel eyes from spying out the secrets of his harem. 



A few days after our arrival, Jemidar Sabr, commanding all 

 the sultan's troops on this portion of the coast, called on us 

 with a following like a Highland chieftain. They were all red- 

 olent with dirt and grease, and covered with bucklers, j^istols, 

 swords, spears, and matchlocks, as though they had ransacked 

 the stores of some transpontine theatre. 



The leader of this imposing retinue was not- above begging 

 for a dustoori of a few dollars ; nor was Jemidar Issa one whit 

 behind him in this respect, besides always asking for a little 

 brandy as medicine. 



Jemidar Issa promised to accompany us the next morning to 

 Kaoli to return the call of Jemidar Sabr ; but as he did not put 

 in an aj)pearance at the apj)ointed hour, we went down to his 

 house, and found him in his usual dirty shirt. 



He immediately proceeded to array himself by putting on a 

 gorgeous turban and a scarf, into which he thrust his dagger, an 

 elaborately gilt French breech -loading revolver, for which he 

 had no cartridges, and a single -barreled flint-lock pistol. He 

 then hung his sword and shield over his shoulder, gave his san- 

 dals to his henchman, and was ready to start. 



The retainer was dressed in an old Kaniki loin-cloth and fez 

 cap, and carried an ancient fire-arm that could not be induced 

 to go off when the salute was fired on our entrance to Kaoli. 



We took as an escort, in order to appear in due state, four of 

 our askari, in their uniform and armed with rifles, commanded 

 by Bilal, whom we had rated second to Bombay. And, after 

 some persuasion, they actually marched two and two, carrying 

 their rifles at the trail or an approach to the slope, until the 

 paths grew so narrow^ that it was necessary to walk in single 

 file. 



After passing through the main street of Bagamoyo and 



