CHAPTER XI 



THE SWAHILI AND OTHER NATIVE TRIBES 



I HAVE always been very keenly interested in the 

 different native races of Africa, and consequently 

 availed myself of every opportunity of studying their 

 manners and customs. I had little scope for this at 

 Tsavo, however, as the district around us was practic- 

 ally uninhabited. Still there was of course a good 

 number of Swahili among my workmen, together 

 with a few Wa Kamba, Wa N'yam Wezi, and others, 

 so I soon became more or less acquainted with 

 the habits of these tribes. The Swahili live 

 principally along the coast of British East Africa 

 and at Zanzibar. They are a mixed race, being 

 the descendants of Arab fathers and negro mothers. 

 Their name is derived from the Arabic word sudhil, 

 coast ; but it has also been said, by some who have 

 found them scarcely so guileless as might have been 

 expected, to be really a corruption of the words 

 sawa kill, that is, " those who cheat all alike." How- 



