JUMBE KIMEMETA WELCOMES US 



23 



articles of commerce produced here, but for the last twelve or 

 fourteen years Pangani has been the starting-point of large 

 caravans on their way to Masailand for ivory, which is brought 

 back in great quantities to the coast by this route, its value 

 increasing every year. 



Life in the wilderness, with all its dangers and privations, 

 has, as I have already remarked, produced a sturdy race of 

 travellers. But the natives of this part do not care to take 

 service with Europeans, partly because they object to the severe 

 discipline, and partly because they are, of course, prevented 

 from trading on their own account. But they are fond of a 

 little speculative trading, and this leads them to insist, as a rule, 

 on receiving half-payment at the beginning of a journey instead 

 of only a small instalment, such as the Zanzibaris are content 

 with. This capital enables them to do a nice little business 

 on their own account. 



There are so few stone houses in Zanzibar that we were 

 glad to be able to secure a half-built one. Soon after we 

 landed, Jumbe Kimemeta, who had gone on to prepare for 

 us, came to bid us welcome, and, as usual in Africa, he was 

 followed by a crowd of people curious to see the new arrivals, 

 so that we were soon scarcely able to move. He had bought 

 twenty-five grey donkeys, but he had not hired any men, and, 

 knowing how much we should regret this, he had tried to mollify 

 us by having a sumptuous repast ready, in which curried 

 chicken and rice flavoured with cocoanut were the chief dishes. 

 And truly the feast was welcome, and warded off inopportune 

 inquiries for a while. 



The fact was we had arrived at Pangani at an unfortunate 

 time : many large caravans were now on their way to the interior, 

 and others were about to start, so that there were very few 

 men to be had. A visit we paid to the governor of the town, 

 one Wali by name, was fruitless ; chiefly however, because this 



