GLIMPSES OF EAST AFRICA AND ZANZIBAR 



after leaving Kibwezi one gets a good view of the 

 Kyulu Hills, a chain of old craters stretching over 

 a lava plain. Nairobi is now a very large station, 

 and anything and everything can be turned out 

 from the railway workshops ; lines and lines of tin 

 houses stretch away from the station to accommo- 

 date the workmen. The town is now the official 

 headquarters of the Government and the Uganda 

 railway ; it is built at the foot of some hills on a 

 level fiat, which affords no drainage, and when it 

 rains, water is constantly standing under the bunga- 

 lows in the railway lines ; these lines are perpendi- 

 cular to the main streets, which are full now of 

 stone buildings, Goanese and European shops, and 

 a large new bank, nearly all of which have sprung 

 up since our arrival in 1905. The native bazaar is 

 parallel to the last of the railway lines and extends 

 the other side of the main thoroughfare. It is full 

 of little shops kept by Indians, who sell iron wire, 

 beads, and tin utensils to the natives, also there 

 are several large stores, which are excellently 

 supplied now with most European requirements at 

 a price less than in Zanzibar ; in fact it is easy to 

 get any of the usual household necessaries, as well 

 as English-made boots, socks and ties and many 

 other things, including a lot of cheap and nasty 

 German-made articles. Shopping in Nairobi, I 

 found far easier than in Zanzibar. The quarters 

 of the higher Government and railway officials 



42 



