28 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



February, where Tve found a repast already prepared. It consisted of 

 1873. three spatch-cocks, three sorts of Aral) pastry in nine different 

 dishes, and two plates of vermicelli swamped in sugar, and, of 

 course, the inevitable sherbet was served to us on entry. 



I tried the wing of a fowl, and, knives and forks being un- 

 provided, had to use my lingers ; then tea was brought, not bad 

 in flavor, but sweetened to cloying ; and lastly coffee, happily 

 guiltless of sugar, but nevertheless it failed to rid our mouths 

 of the overplus of saccharine matter, and a good draught of 

 fresh water was most palatable. 



On our leaving the room, Jemidar Sabr invited our escort to 

 enter and linisli the remainder of the feast, and while they were 

 thus engaged we sat in state under the veranda with the jemi- 

 dar and his notables. Our interpreter was meanwhile doing his 

 best to assist our askari, and consequently the conversation was 

 very limited. 



The eating being at last concluded, we formed order of march 

 for Bagamoyo, and bid good-bye to our friends of Kaoli. Our 

 host and some of his sons, however, accomjDanied us a short dis- 

 tance on our way. 



We were rejoiced to find the tide ebbing, so that we M-ere 

 able to return to Bagamoyo by the shore on the hard sand just 

 uncovered by the water. Directly we got back, we arranged 

 for starting Bilal for Saadani the next morning. He was ac- 

 companied on this expedition by an intelligent native, named 

 Saadi, to act as interpreter and recruiting-sergeant, by two of 

 Jemidar Issa's soldiers, and three of our own men, to whom we 

 served out arms and ammunition. 



In the evening, by way of diversion, there was a fire in the 

 town, and some eight huts were burned to the ground. We 

 went to the barracks, where our ammunition was stored, to 

 make preparations in case of the fire spreading that way, and 

 then visited the scene of action. The natives we found look- 

 ing on in hopeless apathy, excepting a few Avho were arguing 

 and vociferating at a great rate. Foi'tunately, there was no 

 wind, and the fire soon burned itself out. 



The greater portion of a day was frequently occupied in pay- 

 ing pagazi, and a most tedious and wearying work it proved, 

 owing to the peculiarities of the men, and the difficult}' they 



