30 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



February, The Stli of February was a great festival of the Arabs, and 

 1873. q]i q^y ]\Xoslem askari honored us "with a special salaam, and 

 asked, for something as a " tip," upon which we presented them 

 with a shilling each to have an extra feed, it being explained to 

 us by Bombay that this was the " Mohammedan Christmas." 

 We also received visits from Jemidars Issa and Sabr, the for- 

 mer having actually put on a clean new shirt. 



We were now anxious to return to Zanzibar to take up our 

 remaining stores, due by the Punjab, and to make final prepa- 

 rations for starting for the interior, but the difficulties in ob- 

 taining a dhow seemed insuperable. 



There was, however, plenty to do in collecting and hiring 

 pagazi and making saddles for our donkeys. The stirrups and 

 bits were a puzzle, but we contrived to solve it with the assist- 

 ance of a native smith, and, though his work was of the rough- 

 est description, we hoped that it would answer our purpose. 



