12 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



the island and the mainland is here capable of 

 giving commodious and safe anchorage to the very 

 largest vessels, and as the jetty is directly connected 

 with the Uganda Railway, Kilindini has now really 

 become the principal port, being always used by 

 the liners and heavier vessels. 



I had spent nearly a week in Mombasa, and was 

 becoming very anxious to get my marching orders, 

 when one morning I was delighted to receive an 

 official letter instructing me to proceed to Tsavo, 

 about one hundred and thirty-two miles from the 

 coast, and to take charge of the construction of the 

 section of the line at that place, which had just then 

 been reached by railhead. I accordingly started at 

 daylight next morning in a special train with 

 Mr. Anderson, the Superintendent of Works, and 

 Dr. McCulloch, the principal Medical Officer ; and 

 as the country was in every way new to me, I found 

 the journey a most interesting one. 



The island of Mombasa is separated from the 

 mainland by the Strait of Macupa, and the railway 

 crosses this by a bridge about three-quarters of a 

 mile long, called the Salisbury Bridge, in honour of 

 the great Minister for Foreign Affairs under whose 

 direction the Uganda Railway scheme was under- 

 taken. For twenty miles after reaching the main- 

 land, our train wound steadily upwards through 

 beautifully wooded, park - like country, and on 



