56 THE RIVER ZAMBEZI AND ITS SCENERY 

 body who can manage to do so is carried in a 

 machila. Two hotels furnish quite superior food 

 and accommodation when regard is had to the 

 extraordinary difficulties which must attend the 

 daily supply of any article of constant consumption 

 other than strong waters. Of these there is never 

 any lack. A little withdrawn from the workshops 

 of the transport companies and the offices and 

 stores of the British Concession, and situated in 

 what is called the "Outer Concession," one finds 

 scattered all over the centre of the island and 

 facing the sea a number of tastefuUy built, and in 

 one or two cases quite commodious, houses, all, 

 it is true, of wood and iron, but in several in- 

 stances possessing the inestimable advantage of an 

 upper story, to catch the sea-breeze and escape 

 the mosquitoes. They all mark a distinct advance 

 on the shameless shanties which were all that we 

 considered necessary in the far-off days of the early 

 nineties. The only remaining feature lying out- 

 side the small settlement is the happily sparsely 

 occupied cemetery. An old burial-ground there 

 is, it is true, nearer the river, which I hope will 

 rather turn from its course than disturb the well- 

 earned repose of such men as Stairs (Stanley's com- 

 panion through Darkest Africa), John Buchanan, 

 Monteith Fotheringham, and several others of those 

 early pioneers of civilisation to whom Central Africa 

 owes so much. But I mention the cemetery, as 

 it brings back to my mind recollections of the 

 only occasion upon which my conduct at a grave- 

 side ever brought down upon me a stern rebuke. 

 I had been asked to read the funeral office at the 



