322 



FOOD. 



as in West Africa and the Brazil, strangers soon 

 lose the hahit of riding and walking. Moreover, 

 the merchants, instead of establishing the busi- 

 ness hours of Bombay, make themselves at home 

 to their work throughout the day; this is the 

 custom of the Bonny River, where supercargoes 

 are treated like shopkeepers by the negroes. 

 European women, I repeat, seldom survive the 

 isolation and the solitary confinement to which 

 not only the place but also the foul customs of 

 the people condemn them. 



The necessaries of life at Zanzibar are plenti- 

 ful, if not good. Bread of imported wheat is 

 usually ' cooked ' in the house, and the yeast of 

 sour toddy renders it nauseous and unwholesome. 

 There have been two bakers upon the Island : 

 one served at the Consulate, the other, a Persian, 

 was in the employment of the Prince. Meat is 

 poor ; a good preserved article would here make 

 cent, per cent. Poultry is abundant, tasteless 

 and unnutritious ; fish is also common, but it is 

 hardly eatable, except at certain seasons. Cows' 

 milk is generally to be had, but the. butter is 

 white, and resembles grease; fruit must be 

 bought at the different bazars early in the 

 morning. All such articles as tea, wine, and 

 spirits, cigars, tobacco, and sweetmeats, are im- 



