MOMBASA 5 



libations to Neptune and Kaiser Wilhelm until the 

 small hours of the following morning. 



Late in the evening of the nineteenth day after 

 leaving Genoa we sighted the lights of Mombasa, 

 and the next morning at daybreak we steamed into 

 the harbour, where there were three other steamers, 

 all of them, to our disgust and to the delight of our 

 companions, flying the flag of Germany. Nearly 

 half a day was occupied in passing through the 

 custom-house, thanks to the stiff-necked attitude of 

 the Indian officials; but there was some compensa- 

 tion for the annoyance in watching the astonishing 

 athletic feats of the Swahili labourers, who hoisted 

 cases as big as grand pianos on to their heads, and 

 trotted nimbly up the steep slope from the shore to 

 the warehouses above. Mombasa is picturesquely 

 situated on an island, with a small harbour, Mom- 

 basa Harbour, on the north, and a far finer harbour, 

 Kilindini, a couple of miles or so to the south. It 

 is a pity that the town was not built near to 

 Kilindini Harbour, as only small vessels can enter 

 Mombasa Harbour, while ships of large tonnage go 

 to Kilindini, and land their passengers and cargoes 

 a long way from the town. 



The old town of Mombasa is a queer jumble ot 

 India and Africa and Southern Europe ; men of 

 every shade of colour between black and white may 

 be seen in the streets, and almost every tongue is 

 heard spoken. The old Portuguese fort, flying the 

 red flag of the Sultan of Zanzibar, is a conspicuous 



