THE BOMBARDMENT OF ZANZIBAR 



by our own boys. Seyyid All's little girl was 

 brought in for us to see, but the poor child was 

 rather cross and fretful, because, the Sultana told 

 us, she had a little fever. The child was very 

 grandly dressed, with a lot of gold ornaments round 

 her neck, a heavy gold chain with large gold coins, 

 or such like, with extracts from the Koran on 

 them, then a gold Koran text case with chain 

 attached. 



Presently, in came a smart Swahili woman bear- 

 ing a minute silver tray, with three tiny but ex- 

 cellent cups of coffee on it ; when we had finished it 

 we made signs, and she relieved us of the empty 

 cups. After a short interval she appeared again, 

 this time bearing some pink stuff in large tumblers 

 for us to take ; it tasted like, I should imagine, hair- 

 wash would taste, and clung for hours round one's 

 mouth. It was called sherbet and is a sort of fruit 

 syrup. 



Mrs. Cave caught the maid's eye, after three 

 sips, and replaced her tumbler on the tray. I, re- 

 lieved to find we need not drink it all, tried to do 

 the same, but could not, as she was absorbed in 

 listening to Mrs. Cave's conversation ; so finally I 

 made a movement and was successful. 



Presently we were escorted downstairs again by 

 the beautiful eunuch in red and gold. 



I asked how one knew the difference between a 

 woman of the harem and a servant, and heard that 



257 17 



