22 PREPARATIONS IN ZANZIBAR AND ON THE COAST 



blue to a dirty yellow betrayed that we were nearing the 

 mouth of the river of that name, whilst here and there patches 

 of white foam indicated dangerous shallows. All this, how- 

 ever, seemed to trouble our venerable captain but little, until 

 we suddenly came to a standstill with a fearful shock. Then 

 ensued a terrible uproar ; but we managed to get off the sand- 

 bank on which we had struck. We had not, however, gone on 

 smoothly for long before we were again amongst shoals, through 

 which we wended our way in trembling till we came to a halt 

 once more in the open monsoon-swept roadstead four miles from 

 land. Two boats were now lowered, in one of which Count 

 Teleki embarked with our most valuable possessions, whilst 

 into the other stepped our captain, to fetch help for his water- 

 logged vessel, which lay almost on her side. I remained on 

 board, not a little exercised in my mind as to whether this 

 mishap at the outset was or was not a bad omen for our 

 journey. The inrushing tide soon, however, relieved us from 

 our uncomfortable position by righting the ' Star,' and it was 

 not very long before a dhow came out to our rescue. On to 

 this, in spite of the heavy sea, we shipped everything, and set 

 sail for Pangani, which we did not see till we were in the 

 mouth of the river. 



Pangani, which consists of a number of dark loam-coloured 

 huts, amongst which are a few conspicuous-looking stone houses 

 finished off with white or yellow plaster, lies on the left bank 

 of the river of the same name, and is bounded on the north by 

 a thick wood of cocoanut palms. Opposite to Pangani, on 

 the other side of the river, which is here about 270 yards 

 wide, is the village of Buenni — a mere straggling row of huts 

 on the low, narrow shore, behind which rise steep, and in 

 many cases perpendicular, rocks. 



Although these two places are very insignificant-looking, 

 they are of some trading importance, for not only are many 



