MOMBASA TO KIKUYU. 5 



same unfortunate policy being still continued. 

 Individual energy and competition should always 

 be encouraged and not crushed, for these have been 

 the secret of our successful colonisation. 



On the 9th of November, I at last got away in 

 spite of curious difficulties owing to loads multi- 

 plying exceedingly and porters perpetually dis- 

 appearing to say good-bye to their friends ; my 

 knowledge of Suahili (solely derived from a study 

 of Steere's exercises) was not sufficient to express 

 my feelings, but we did eventually get clear of the 

 town, and camped at Changamvi that evening. 

 Next day we reached Mazera, where the cocoa-nut 

 palm district ends, and we entered what may be 

 called the Thorn-tree desert of Taru, extending as 

 far as Nzowi. 



The district we were leaving is not by any means 

 so fertile as is usual in tropical Africa. In fact 

 the cocoa-nut palm and perhaps rubber (Lan- 

 doljphia Kirhii), which exists in profusion about 

 Mombasa, are the only products which can be 

 regarded as likely to prove very valuable in the 

 future. I expect, however, that the Sabakhi and 

 other river valleys which carry this cocoa-nut zone 

 far into the interior are more fertile than the 

 hillsides about Mazera.* 



The Thorn-tree desert which stretches from 



* The following products were noticed in the region : — 

 manioc, pigeon pea (Gajamts indicus), millet, maize, bananas, 

 oranges, henna, semsem, mangoes. 



