THE 'LOUISA' LIFE-BOAT. 



489 



offered greater hindrance to the joints, and the 

 latter would have been only additional weight. 



This life-boat, after being set up with some 

 difficulty at Zanzibar, accompanied us on our trip 

 northwards. The galvanized and corrugated 

 iron, in longitudial furrows, like the roofing of 

 railway stations, but only sixpence-thick, proved 

 far superior to the softer copper formerly used. 

 The Arabs, who could not sufficiently admire her 

 graceful form, the facility with which she was 

 'handled, and above all things, her speed, called 

 her the Sharradeh, or runaway (mare). The 

 6 Louisa 5 was indeed sadly given to breaking her 

 halter and to bolting. We lost her during a storm 

 near Mombasah, but an article so remarkable and 

 so useless to any but ourselves was of course 

 easily recovered. Compelled by want of carriage 

 on the coast to reduce my material, I left her 

 most unwillingly at Zanzibar. Buoyant as grace- 

 ful, fireproof, wormproof, and waterproof, incapa- 

 ble of becoming nail-sick or water-logged, she 

 would indeed have been a Godsend upon the 

 Tanganyika lake, sparing us long delay, great ex- 

 pense, and a host of difficulties and hardships. 



