TRANSACTION'S OF THE SECTIONS. 193 



Lamu, in latitude 2° 15' 45" S. and longitude 41° 1' 5" E., is a place of consider- 

 able trade, more especially in hides and the general exports from Zanzibar. Brava, 

 in latitude 1° 6' 40" N. and longitude 44° 3' E., carries on a considerable trade with 

 India and Arabia, and a rapidly increasing one with America. 



The exports are : hides, bullocks, horses, and camels, oil from the joints of camels, 

 salt-beef, great varieties of the skins of wild animals taken by Gallas who go from 

 Zanzibar to Cape Guardafui. Small horses purchased here at from five to six dollars 

 each will realize from sixty to seventy dollars at Mauritius. 



The Sumalis inhabit the sea-coast from the equator north round Cape Guardafui 

 to Zeylah ; the whole of this vast extent of country is but little known to us. 



The kingdom of Kimweri or Usambara, more generally known as the Pangany 

 district, is rich in produce, which may be increased to supply any demand. The 

 sugar-cane is very luxurious, and magnificent forests of timber await the woodman's 

 axe, with the Pangan}- and its tributaries to carry it to the ocean. Dr. Krapf in 

 speaking of one of these forests says, " This forest is worth millions of money for its 

 fine long and straight timber, being as useful for ship-building as for carpentery." 

 And again : " We descended into a large forest of timber sufficient for centuries to 

 come. The trees are big and straight, from 70 to 100 feet in height." 



The recent discoveries of Captains Burton and Speke in the country immediately to 

 the south of this throws a new light on a region hitherto wrapped in the deepest 

 mystery, and gives access into the far interior even to the Victoria Tanganika Lake, and 

 perhaps to the sources of the Nile. 



To the northward of Melinda, the river Dana, under the name of Osi, reaches the 

 Indian Ocean. It is stated to flow from the eastern side of Mount Kenia, that it is 

 navigable for boats from the Indian Ocean to the Ukambani country, that there are 

 no rocks at all in the way of navigation, and that even during the dry season the 

 water reaches as high as a man's neck, while during the rains it cannot be forded. 

 Its ordinary breadth is 200 yards, and it is the privilege of the people of Mbe to 

 carry strangers proceeding to Kikuyu, or other countries, from one bank to another. 



A small steamer placed on this river would soon open the country to European 

 commerce, and from the source of the Dana to that of the White Nile can be no great 

 distance. 



By the Dana or Kilimansi is assuredly the most direct route for settling the great 

 geographical question of the sources of the Nile. 



Zeylah or Zeila, if properly encouraged by the British Government, would be a 

 very good outport, as the descent to that place from the interior is easier than to 

 Massoah, and it is the best outlet of ancient Ethiopia. It is situated opposite Aden, 

 where steam communication would place its productions at once in European 

 markets. 



Suez has already become a place of vast importance, foreshadowing the future 

 greatness which awaits it, when the Egyptian transit shall be completed, and leviathan 

 ships like the ' Great Eastern,' on a trunk-line to India and China, will make that 

 port its western terminus, and Suez and Alexandria become the emporia of the East 

 and West. 



Having thus briefly stated what articles of commerce Eastern Africa can produce, 

 I feel that it would be a very imperfect notice of this portion of the earth's produc- 

 tions were I to omit the valuable islands on this coast. 



In the Mozambique Channel, Europa Island stands conspicuous from its central 

 position in the southern end of this channel. At present it is used as a place of 

 resort for Dhows from the whole of the eastern coast of Africa, to land their cargoes 

 of slaves, awaiting some large European vessel to carry them to their future place of 

 bondage. 



This island is well situated for a lighthouse and a depot which would command the 

 trade of the Mozambique Channel both on the African and also the Madagascar coasts. 



Along this coast lies the magnificent Island of Madagascar, called the Great Britain 

 of Africa. It is 900 miles in length and about 300 miles in breadth. From its 

 geographical position, extending from 12° to nearly 26° of south latitude, and the great 

 height of the interior plateaux, being as much as 7000 feet above the level of the sea, 

 it affords a variety of climates, from the humid and oppressive atmosphere of the 

 malaria-districts to the pure bracing breezes of the mountain heights. In the in* 

 1859. 13 



