MOMBASAH TOWN. 



39 



We are now in the Gavana (i. e. Govenio), 

 at present the Arab town, as opposed to the 

 Mji wa Kale, Harat El Kadimeh, the ' old 

 quarter/ the Black Town of the Portuguese. 

 The site of the former is a dwarf rise at the 

 S. Eastern and seaward edge of the Island, and 

 it faces to the N. East, where over the pure blue 

 channel orchards and verdure and wells of pure 

 water commend the mainland as a villeggiatura. 

 The form of the settlement is a parallelogram 

 running N. West to S. East, and it was separated 

 from the Black Town by a wall 10 to 12 feet 

 high. This, under the Mazrui Shaykhs, was re- 

 paired and provided with a few bastions ; be- 

 tween the Gavana and the citadel, however, a 

 defensive work was not judged necessary, and 

 now — an excellent sign — the rampart is rapidly 

 falling to ruins. Here are the tombs of the local 

 heroes who made Mombasah a historic name, 

 and under a shed repose the remains of the 

 Mazara governors, beginning with Mohammed 

 bin Usman. The tombs are of masonry, and 

 are distinguished by bearing epitaphs, which are 

 somewhat in the style of prayers recited before 

 the graves of Walis at Meccah and El Medinah. 

 Amongst them is the sepulchre of Khuwaysah 

 bint Abdillah, a woman apparently with a soul, 



