THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



as they were the victims of insult and bullying on 

 the part of the deserters. Upon one occasion, after 

 I had paid a visit to the house of Mhahoma, this 

 poor fellow was attacked and severely beaten by some 

 of the deserters. 



I paid several visits to Sururu's home, which was 

 situated quite upon the outskirts of the town of Zan- 

 zibar. He had four or five acres of land under culti- 

 vation, where he grew bananas, oranges, and vegetables. 

 He had two wives and three slaves. It had always 

 been his ardent wish to own a town house as well as 

 a country seat ; so I gave myself the pleasure of pur- 

 chasing him one in the native quarter of Zanzibar. 

 The edifice was constructed of clay and wattles, white- 

 washed, and thatched with palm leaves. Sururu was 

 delighted with it, and divided the establishment into 

 two parts, saying, with glee, that he was then just 

 like an Arab — he could live in town during the sea- 

 son, and when the hot weather set in, he could go 

 out to his plantation. His one remaining ambition 

 was to own a donkey, so that he could ride from his 

 town house to his country seat in a dignified and be- 

 coming manner. I hope that by this time he has 

 amassed sufiicient wealth to gratify this desire. 



The fever again returned, and both George and I be- 

 came ill. As I found all of my efforts to obtain justice 

 at the hands of the authorities of Zanzibar unavailing, 

 I decided to return home; and so on April 3, 1894, I 

 set out by the French M. M. Line for Aden. The 

 few of my followers who had remained faithful to me, 

 and who lived in Zanzibar, came to see me off, bring- 

 ing with them presents of oranges and native mats. 



