CHINDE 5S 



tained the tidily built offices of the transport 

 companies and shipping agents who controlled the 

 river traffic, and the tastefully laid out gardens and 

 cement tennis court of the British Central Africa 

 Protectorate Agent and Vice-Consul. Along one 

 side of this ran the river, at whose tendency to eat 

 away the sandy bank householders were already 

 beginning to look with disquietude. Gradually the 

 disappearance of the bank increased until it attained 

 to alarming proportions, and buildings had to be 

 hurriedly taken down at great expense, and re- 

 erected in positions promising greater safety. 

 After some time, representations were made through 

 our Legation at Lisbon requesting an addition to 

 the first grant made, and indeed it was time, for 

 visiting Chinde a few months ago, T found that the 

 original Concession had entirely disappeared, and 

 that the site of the house wherein I had resided in 

 1896 was now somewhere about the spot on which 

 my steamer was anchored. 



There is not very much in Chinde to describe, but 

 as it is the main entrance to certain of our posses- 

 sions which we trust may one day prove of import- 

 ance, a few words regarding it may not be out of 

 place. Situated on a sandy plain at the northern end 

 of Timbwe Island, its back to the Indian Ocean, and 

 its face (or as much of its face as may remain) to 

 the Chinde River, the small settlement does not 

 present an alluring appearance. As I have just 

 stated, its aspect from the water is that of one half 

 of a corrugated-iron town whose remaining moiety 

 has been cut off and put down somewhere else — as 

 indeed it has. On our boat nearing the dingy 



