28 PREPARATIONS IN ZANZIBAR AND ON THE COAST 



Two small river dhows sufficed to take us and our new 

 followers to Mauia, and we started up the winding stream in 

 them in the afternoon of January 28. This was really our first 

 step into the wilderness, and was full of the deepest interest to 

 us on that account ; but the exquisite scenery would have 

 charmed us in any case. Wild and varied vegetation clothes 

 the banks, instead of the dense impenetrable forests usual in the 

 northern tropics. At first — that is to say, as long as the water 

 was brackish — this vegetation consisted chiefly of mangroves, 

 weird-looking growths, the dark crown of leaves rising from 

 above the bare aerial roots as if from stilts ; farther on came 

 sugar plantations, with hedges of banana-trees and betel-nut 

 palms, the banks still retaining their primeval appearance. 

 Here and there on the smooth surface of the water appeared 

 the snouts of hippopotami, which had come up to breathe with 

 much snorting and puffing. Now and then some old fellow rose 

 right out of the water, plunging back with a tremendous splash, 

 converting the smooth river into a rough sea of waves ; and we 

 sent a few balls after one or another, but as far as we knew 

 with no particular result. And so the time passed very 

 pleasantly until, as night fell, we turned into a bend of the 

 stream, where our voyage ended. There was no one from the 

 camp hard by to meet us or help us unload, although we had 

 written to say exactly when we should arrive — a neglect which 

 brought a storm of rebuke upon the heads of the offenders when 

 we reached them. But now all hands began to bestir them- 

 selves, and everything, even a good supper, was soon ready for 

 us, so that we were quickly restored to a good and forgiving 

 humour. 



This was the first time we were really in a camp of our own, 

 in our own movable home, and the thought filled us with the 

 greatest delight. With eager interest we gazed on the pic- 

 turesque surroundings of our halting-place, which, with the 



