48 



THE JOURNEY. 



heavy ' dau ' — here all the lesser craft are so 

 called — manned by two men and a small boy, 

 we justified the stern Omar's base comparison 

 for those who tempt the sea, 'worms floating 

 upon a log.' Whilst threading the channel our 

 attention was attracted by groups of market 

 people, especially women, who called to be 

 ferried across. On the part of our crew the 

 only acknowledgment was an African modi- 

 fication of Marlow Bridge, far-famed amongst 

 bargees. Sundry small settlements, bosomed 

 in thick undergrowth, relieved by brabs, cocoas, 

 and the W-shaped toddy-tree, appeared upon 

 each ' adverse strand.' After a two miles' pro- 

 gress, lame as the march of civilisation at S'a 

 Leone, we entered Port Tudor, a salt-water 

 basin, one of the canals of Mombasah Bay, 

 about two miles broad, and in depth varying 

 from one to fifteen fathoms. Broken only by 

 the ' llock of Bats,' and hedged on both sides 

 by the water-loving mangrove, it prolongs itself 

 towards the interior in two tidal river-like chan- 

 nels for about ten miles, till stopped by high 

 ground. The northern is named ' Water of the 

 Wakirunga,' and the north-western 'Water of the 

 Babai,' from tribes owning the banks. Captain 

 Owen has christened them respectively William 



